The Government has announced a series of separate pots of funding that local partnerships could bid for to support and protect children and young people from criminal activity. Whilst announcements of new funds are welcome, this should not replace the core funding required to support integral local government services.
Key messages
- Tackling serious violent crime is a key priority for councils. It has become even more vital due to rising levels of violent crime and the harm it causes to victims and young people drawn and exploited into committing it.
- This complex issue requires a multi-agency partnership approach including education, health, social services, housing, youth services, victim services, charities, local government, and law enforcement.
- The risk of being exploited or involved in violent crime can be reduced with the correct interventions. Alongside health and education partners, local authorities are well placed to take advantage of ‘reachable and teachable moments’ and identify which interventions are most effective and how they can be implemented.
- In our report on family violence and links with youth offending, we identified certain risk factors that could affect a child or young person being exploited or involved in violent crime. These could include frequent truancy, levels of poverty and deprivation, and experiences of family violence.
- The Government has announced a series of separate pots of funding that local partnerships could bid for to support and protect children and young people from criminal activity. Whilst announcements of new funds are welcome, this should not replace the core funding required to support integral local government services.
- Sustainability is a key part of this process and we need clarity on funding to sustain community support and youth violence prevention work. At the time the Serious Violence Strategy was launched in April 2018, councils were still waiting to receive their youth justice grant allocations for 2018/19. The Government must also ensure funding for the Troubled Families Programme is continued beyond 2020.
Download the full briefing
Impact of government policy on knife crime, House of Lords, 27 June 2019