Youth Violence
Serious violence is a broad term that typically incorporates crime types that result in significant physical or psychological harm to the victim. However, we recognise that we must also consider offending that drives violence within our communities and the impact of exposure to this violence on individuals. By describing some crime as serious and others not, does not diminish the impact felt by victims, but a broader definition of serious violence allows the partnership to focus on the risk factors affecting our community. As a result of wider partnership consultation and data analysis, the following crime types and descriptors were identified as defining serious violence in Cheshire.
- Assault from injury
- Domestic abuse
- Robbery
- Gun crime
- Knife crime
- Sexual offences
- Possession of weapon/bladed article
What our response looks like
The Police Crime Commissioner has provided funding for a 1 year pilot which commenced at the beginning of this financial year. Queensberry AP and Remedi were successful in their bid to provide interventions for this cohort.
See link below
Youth Violence Referral Pathway
Queensberry AP PCC Program
Mentoring Programme
The exploitation and youth violence programme is ‘needs led’ and typically 6 – 10 weeks in length. It is aimed at young people aged 10 years to 18 years and adopts a contextual safeguarding approach. All sessions are underpinned by restorative practice to allow the young person to reflect on the impact of their actions and potential harm that they have caused. It is direct face to face work with the young person – largely on a weekly basis and can include work with the wider family. On completion every young person receives a report for their file detailing contents of the intervention, the impact of the programme, suggested strategies and assessment data.
Referral Process for the mentoring program
The referrer must complete the Contextual Safeguarding Assessment Tool and submit with a Multi-Agency Referral Form (MARF) to i-Art where a young person is not open.
Contextual Safeguarding Assessment Tool pdf
For young persons open to Family Help and Support or Children’s Social Care, the contextual safeguarding assessment tool must be completed and sent to the lead worker.
Please note a young person must be open on a plan and have a lead worker to access this support
School Programme
The school programme is a trauma informed preventative intervention which spans 6 – 12 weeks dependent on level of need. Referrals are accepted for young people from year 6 to year 10. All sessions are underpinned by restorative practice to allow the young person to reflect on the impact of their actions and potential harm that they have caused. It is direct face to face work with the young person – largely on a weekly basis and can include work with the wider family. On completion every young person receives a report for their file detailing contents of the intervention, the impact of the programme, suggested strategies and assessment data.
Referral Process
Queensberry AP accept direct referrals from schools. To request a referral form please contact Nic – nic@queensberryap.com
Remedi PCC Program
Remedi will deliver targeted restorative preventative programmes for children and young people who are at risk of serious violence across Cheshire.
This will involve the delivery of a range of programmes which reflect restorative principles and focus on the ‘harm’ caused to all involved. The programmes include Changing Thinking Ending Violence, Tools Down, Breaking Lines, Cease, SHARE, Hate Crime, Restorative 180 (See attached Remedi Brochure outlining the programmes in detail).
Each programme encourages participants to reflect upon the links between their thoughts, feelings and behaviour and empowers individuals to make voluntary behaviour change, which is sustainable for the longer term. Delivery can be 1:1 or group and is facilitated both in person and remotely to meet individual need.
Where additional needs are identified during the delivery of the above preventative programmes, Remedi will also deliver 1 to 1 mentoring for children and young people for up to 12 weeks with a clear support plan and exit strategy, meeting both safeguarding and vulnerability concerns.
Referral process for the Remedi program
The referrer MUST complete and submit a Remedi referral form and a MARF where a young person is not open to Children’s Social Care.
Where a child is open to Family Help and Support/ Children’s Social Care, the referrer MUST complete a Remedi tool and send the tool to the lead worker.
All referrals will be reviewed every Tuesday at the Contextual Safeguarding Hub where allocations and risk grading take place.
Remedi will work with the referrer, young person and parent/carer to identify the most appropriate programme(s) to address the identified thematic areas of concern.
Remedi Youth Violence Referral Form.pdf