Notes from the Tackling Youth Violence Network, October 2018
02 November 2018
On Tuesday 30th October, our Tackling Youth Violence Network met for their latest meeting, kindly hosted by Barking & Dagenham CVS at the Ripple Centre.
The network, which has been running since 2012, is a unique forum in London that regularly brings together youth workers and other specialists involved in front-line youth violence programmes. It’s an opportunity for youth violence professionals to share best practice, to network and partner, and to connect with politicians and policymakers. The network is primarily aimed at London Youth members, but is open to any organisation or statutory service involved or interested in tackling youth violence in London.
You can find:
Steve O’Connell AM, Chair of Police & Crime Committee
Steve O’Connell is a Conservative Party member of the London Assembly for the Croydon and Sutton ward. He chairs the Police & Crime Committee and is a member of the Confirmation Hearings, GLA Oversight, and Transport Committees. You can find more about the Police & Crime Committee here.
Steve gave an overview of the committee’s role in overseeing the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) and the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS).
The committee is currently undertaking an investigation into the Epidemic of Violent Crime in London. They are investigating the causes of the rise in violent crime and whether the Mayor’s response is adequate. Steve invited anyone who is interested in being involved with the committee’s current investigation to get in touch.
Session: The role of the youth sector in the public health approach to youth violence in London
In the wake of recent announcements, this session was a chance for the network to discuss the public health approach, what it means for the youth sector, and how we can support positive change. The network discussed these questions:
- What does a public health approach mean for the youth sector?
- How could you or your organisation support a public health approach in London?
- What should our message to the Mayor of London and the Home Secretary be?
Based on the network’s views in this session, London Youth is preparing an open letter that we will send to the Mayor of London and the Home Secretary in late 2018. We would like as many of our members and network members as possible to sign on. If you want to be involved, please use the link below. We want to:
- Support real change for young people in London
- For the youth sector to have a voice on a public health approach
- State the importance of youth work in tackling youth violence, particularly the need for universal, open access youth provision alongside a public health approach
You can find some more resources about the public health approach here:
- Mayor of London’s announcement of a London VRU
- Home Secretary’s commitment to a public health approach
- Youth Violence Commission’s Interim Report
- London Assembly discussions of the London VRU
Get in touch
Look out for the next Tackling Youth Violence Network meeting in January in Lewisham.
