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Agenda Item: 7 Wolverhampton City Council OPEN EXECUTIVE

INFORMATION ITEM CABINET Date 25 JULY 2012 Portfolio COUNCILLOR MATTU/ LEISURE AND COMMUNITIES Originating Service Group(s) OFFICE OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE Contact Officer(s)/ KAREN SAMUELS Key Decision: No Telephone Number(s) 551341 Forward Plan: No Title/Subject Matter HOME OFFICE ENDING GANG AND YOUTH VIOLENCE PEER REVIEW

– FINAL REPORT

1.0 RECOMMENDATIONS

That the content of the report and findings of the Home Office Ending Gang and Youth Violence Peer Review conducted in April 2012 and proposals for implementation be noted.

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2.0 PURPOSE 2.1 To inform Cabinet of the findings of the Home Office Ending Gang and Youth Violence

(EGYV) Peer Review and proposals for implementation of the recommendations contained within it.

3.0 BACKGROUND 3.1 Background

The government strategy ‘Ending Gang and Youth Violence: A Cross- Government Report’ was launched in November 2011 outlining the Government’s commitment to tackling issues of gangs and violent youth crime, ensuring interventions from birth but specifically focussing on those aged 10-24 years. The national strategy underpins Wolverhampton’s current commitment to tackling gangs and youth violence; the objective features as a strategic priority for Safer Wolverhampton Partnership (SWP). A Reducing Gang Harm Strategic Framework for Wolverhampton, developed in 2011 builds on early work undertaken in the city and secures strategic commitment to the cross-agency coordination of the approach.

3.2 Wolverhampton is one of 29 confirmed areas included in the EGYV programme and receives a funding allocation totalling £0.252M. The programme involves being part of the Home office Peer Review process which was conducted in April 2013; Wolverhampton was the first Peer Review to be undertaken in the West Midlands and the third nationally and adopted an wholly inclusive approach to ensure the involvement of a broad range of statutory and third sector agencies and communities from across the city.

3.3 Catch 22 have confirmed that Wolverhampton is a pilot area that they will be working in for

the next 4 years, bringing additional resources and expertise in tackling the issue of gangs in the city; these resources are supplementary to existing provision and are not seen as an opportunity to reduce current commitments towards tackling this priority.

4.0 PEER REVIEW FINDINGS – SUMMARY 4.1 The Peer Review team fed back their findings to key partners at the end of the review

process; the feedback received was largely positive and highlighted the positive attitude at all levels to progress the work to reduce gang harm and the keenness of partners to contribute and highlighted some recognised areas of good practice. The final Peer Review report is attached.

4.2 A summary of recommendations is listed below: • Partners need to fully understand and work to an agreed definition of ‘gangs’ • Need to make full use of agencies who have contact with gangs, in terms of

using their intelligence, and directing delivery • Ensure effective interventions are in place to include provision for exit

pathways, mediation services and addressing the vulnerabilities of women and girls

• Strengthen safeguarding links • Development of a robust performance framework to monitor and evidence

impact • Effective community engagement

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• Consider multi-agency reviews following gang-related homicides as a vehicle for learning lessons

5.0 IMPLEMENTATION 5.1 An Implementation Plan, informed by the Problem Profile, gap analysis and Peer Review

recommendations has been developed. Lead officers have been identified to take forward key areas of work. SWP will have strategic oversight for implementation which is focussed on mainstreaming gangs delivery over the course of the year, so it becomes ‘normal business’, recognising however, that there will be a need for specialist commissioned delivery to continue.

5.2 To provide support with implementation, an allocated member of the Peer Review team

has been appointed to work with lead officers and provide expert advice and support to tackle problematic areas of delivery. There will also be opportunities to share good practice with the development of a national knowledge hub to house tried and tested methods and useful documentation from across the UK.

5.3 SWP have committed to developing an outcomes based performance framework to

evidence the impact of interventions. The Home Office knowledge hub will be used to identify systems working well elsewhere which could be revised to meet our needs locally. Decisions regarding future delivery will need to be intelligence-led and based upon strong evidence of what works. Our revised performance framework will provide a basis for capturing this evidence.

6.0 FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS 6.1 The Home Office have granted the Council an allocation of £0.252M for 2012-13 for the

purposes of ending gang and youth violence. The grant is ring-fenced and will only be paid under certain conditions.

6.2 The Home Office funding aims to improve the partnership response to gang and youth

violence, and develop co-ordinated, multi-agency and long term solutions tailored to the needs of the city. To this end fifty per cent of the funding is to be used for commissioning delivery through the voluntary and community sector. [GE/12072012/M]

7.0 EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES IMPLICATIONS 7.1 Implementation of the EGYV programme will be focussed within some of the City’s most

deprived neighbourhoods and support some of the most vulnerable residents through targeted interventions.

8.0 LEGAL IMPLICATIONS

8.1 This report supports the duties under sections 5 and 6 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 for the Council and others to formulate and implement strategies to reduce crime and disorder in the area. (JH/12072012/K)

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Wolverhampton Ending Gang and Youth Violence Peer Review June 2012

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Contents

1. Executive Summary 3

2. Key Overall Strengths 4

3. Recommendations 5

4. Background to the Peer Review 6

5. Methodology 7

6. Context 8

7. Performance against the Benchmark 13

7.1 Strong Local Leadership 12

7.2 Mapping the Problem 15

7.3 Responding in Partnership 18

7.4 Assessment and Referral 19

7.5 Targeted and Effective Interventions 22

7.6 Criminal Justice – Breaking the Cycle 25

7.7 Mobilising Communities 27

8. Conclusion and Next Steps 29

9. Further Potential for Improvement Opportunities 31

10. Appendix A: Acronyms 33

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1. Executive Summary

1.1 As part of the Home Office Ending Gang and Youth Violence initiative,

29 areas were identified and subsequently invited to participate in a

programme of guided reviews. These reviews are designed to assist

them in ensuring their partnerships have effective structures and

responses in place to contribute to the shared aim of Ending Gang

and Youth Violence. These areas have been selected based on

identified levels of gang activity and serious youth violence, in

accordance with the Dying to Belong1 definition of a gang, namely:

A relatively durable, predominantly street-based group of young

people who:

1. See themselves (and are seen by others) as a discernible group;

2. Engage in a range of criminal activity and violence; (and)

3. Identify with or lay claim over territory; (or)

4. Have some form of identifying structural feature; and/or

5. Are in conflict with other similar gangs.

1.2 The Ending Gang and Youth Violence Team have worked with the

Local Government Association to develop an Ending Gang and Youth

Violence (EGYV) peer review model with an innovative community

dimension. The model has been designed to help areas assess the

robustness of their structures and processes in tackling this issue.

The review of Wolverhampton is the third area review conducted in

the programme.

1 “Dying To Belong”, Centre for Social Justice, 2009

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2. Key Overall Strengths 2.1 The following key strengths were identified:

Strong strategic recognition of EGYV with resolute and creative

vision towards the agenda.

A collaborative, partnership approach to EGYV.

An evolving governance structure with newly established dedicated

EGYV forums with the Safer Wolverhampton Partnership (SWP)

Gangs Steering Group, Wolverhampton‟s Reducing Gang Harm

Strategic Framework and the Gangs Delivery Group.

Strengths in mapping the problem of EGYV and understanding its

drivers and behaviours.

Dedicated, innovative and passionate staff with pride in

Wolverhampton and commitment to EGYV.

A commitment to building resilience in this area across the

partnership.

Contributions to evidence of effective practice at local, regional and

national levels.

2.2 The review team were struck by the vision and commitment towards

EGYV amongst staff at all levels; all were dedicated to making a

difference for the citizens of Wolverhampton. There is strong and

visionary strategic leadership across the Safer Wolverhampton

Partnership (SWP). Collaboration, innovation and willingness are all

evident. There is continued investment in EGYV and it is firmly

aligned to regeneration and other key strategic priorities.

2.3 There are dedicated EGYV governance structures in place. The

recent creation of the Safer Wolverhampton Partnership Gangs

Steering Group provides multi-agency strategic oversight and will

ensure the implementation of Wolverhampton‟s Reducing Gang Harm

Strategic Framework through the Gangs Delivery Group.

2.4 This review was carried out within a short timeframe and has focused

on the multi-agency activity led by the SWP. The representation of

agencies and the community through the peer review timetable was

wide and such a robust schedule of interviews demonstrated a real

strength of the partnership and reflected the partnership buy in to

EGYV in Wolverhampton. There is also a great deal of activity by

individual agencies in partnerships aligned with the SWP which we

did not have time to explore fully.

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2.5 Through the course of the review the team identified some areas for

potential improvement. The openness and willingness of all partners

to identify these areas as challenges and opportunities is

commendable.

This clear and genuine resolve of the partnership will equip

Wolverhampton for working towards its targets in EGYV and building

upon its identified strengths.

2.6 The headline areas for improvement include the need for a

universal, clearly defined and understood information-sharing

strategy. A unified strategy will define and shape the protocol and

process which needs to be universally agreed. There are successful

information sharing arrangements between some members of the

partnership but it is not universal and there is a wealth of data

available which, if it was formally shared across the partnership,

would improve the understanding of and help to address EGYV.

2.7 The other headline issue highlights the strong strategic vision and

oversight of EGYV. This has not, however, been communicated

across the partnership leading to misunderstanding between agencies

in regard to operational definitions of gangs. It is suggested that

further clarification and communication is undertaken throughout the

partnership to give clear definition and ownership of the aims and

objectives of the gang strategy. A strengthened and clear shared

understanding and strategy will improve frontline delivery. This will

also enable local-based agencies to share a common vision, target

commissioning and build capacity.

3. Recommendations

3.1 The SWP needs to agree the definition of „a gang‟ and communicate

this across strategic and operational partners.

3.2 Map all of the different agencies which may be in contact with violent

gang members and their families.

3.3 Agree a risk assessment framework to identify threat, risk and harm

for all EGYV partners.

3.4 Scrutinise local prevention and enforcement strategies and suggest

areas for improvement.

3.5 Agree practical action and plans to tackle gangs locally.

3.6 Links with safeguarding are essential in addressing EGYV. The SWP

to nominate a safeguarding lead in relation to the EGYV agenda.

3.7 Promote the roll-out of Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hubs (MASH).

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3.8 The SWP to further utilise the available data and intelligence from all

partners through an agreed service level agreement.

3.9 SWP should introduce a partnership-wide performance monitoring

system that robustly monitors performance against agreed EGYV

quantitative and qualitative outcome measures.

3.10 SWP needs to enhance the provision of targeted interventions at all

levels and ensure that they are systemic and evidence based with

rigorous evaluation schedules.

3.11 Develop suitable and effective alternative pathways and exits for

young people who are involved in gangs through targeted provision

and commissioning.

3.12 The SWP to effectively consult and engage with the community in

order to mobilise them and maximise their contributions. Gather

independent feedback from communities around what could be done

better.

3.13 Review and evaluate the MAST process to ensure standardised

performance.

3.14 Produce a problem profile on gang and youth violence informed by all

partner data to inform understanding of the drivers of gang and youth

violence (eg, school exclusion data).

3.15 Review the DAWES project initiatives to measure and evaluate

impact on gang and youth violence.

3.16 Establish a delivery group to aid understanding of vulnerable females

and gangs.

3.17 Agree an A&E data exchange protocol to inform the EGYV agenda.

3.18 Support the implementation of gang interrupter schemes from

America, such as effective mediation and conflict management

(details will be placed on the Knowledge Hub).

3.19 Encourage the use of multi-agency reviews after every gang homicide

to better inform the drivers of gang and youth violence and levers to

mitigate risk through a serious case review or a multi-agency Gold

Group (details will be placed on the Knowledge Hub).

4. Background to the Peer Review

4.1 The Ending Gang and Youth Violence (EGYV) peer review was

developed by the Home Office EGYV team working with the Local

Government Association with reviews by peers against benchmarks,

based upon the seven principles of EGYV.

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4.2 The peer review benchmark focuses on:

Strong Local Leadership

Mapping the Problem

Responding in Partnership

Assessment and Referral

Targeted and Effective Interventions

Criminal Justice and Breaking the Cycle

Mobilising Communities

4.3 The peer review team consisted of:

Dr Rachel England - Peer Review Manager, Youth Offending and

Youth Services Peer, Team Manager, Liverpool City Council)

Karen Williams - Home Office EGYV Core Team

Rick Jackson - Detective Chief Inspector, Serious and Organised

Crime Group, Greater Manchester Police

Alun Goode QPM - Community Safety and Integrated Gangs

Intervention Project Manager, Hackney Council

Dr Jo Lyons - Independent Peer Advisor to the Home Office EGYV

Team

Lloyd Robinson - Independent Peer Advisor to the Home Office

EGYV Team

Sheldon Thomas - Independent Peer Advisor to the Home Office

EGYV Team

Bobby Martin - Senior CARAT Worker, HMP Wandsworth

5. Methodology

5.1 The programme for the on-site phase of the review was organised in

advance and included a variety of activities designed to enable

members of the team to meet and talk to a cross-section of partners.

The team undertook a range of activities, including (but not limited to):

Pre-meetings with West Midlands Police and the Community

Safety Partnership;

Discussions with members of the Community Safety Partnership

and various stakeholders; and

Review of a range of supporting documentation provided by the

partnership.

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5.2 The team also undertook an additional community engagement

exercises, designed to get a rounded sense of the impact of

partnership activity on communities. These were arranged by the

SWP. Examples of activities the team undertook were:

A focus group of young people;

A service delivery focus group of third sector and voluntary sector;

A community representative focus group.

5.3 The team was especially appreciative of the support provided by the

partners and would like to thank everybody they met during the

process for their time and contribution to the review. It was evident

throughout the review that Wolverhampton, its partners and its

residents all actively engaged and willingly participated in the peer

review process.

The team were also appreciative of the logistical support in organising

the review, both in the build up to and during the team‟s visit.

We would particularly like to thank Inspector Helen Kirkham, Karen

Samuels and Sarah Campbell for all of their work in advance of and

during the review.

The Team would like to also say a special thank you to the members

of the community, parents and young people who participated in the

peer review.

6. Context 6.1 National Context

6.1.1 The disturbances of August 2011 were the catalyst for the

Government to accelerate work around serious youth violence and

gangs. Whilst gang members did not play a central role in

orchestrating the disorder, they were involved, and the disturbances

brought issues of serious youth violence to the forefront of public

consciousness.

6.1.2 Since the disturbances, a group of senior Ministers, led by the Home

Secretary, have met regularly to discuss the problem of youth

violence and gangs, and the cross-government Ending Gang and

Youth Violence2 report, published in November 2011, sets out a

series of national actions to tackle this problem.

2 http://www.official-documents.gov.uk/document/cm82/8211/8211.pdf

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The central message of the cross-government report is that gang and

youth violence is not a problem that can be solved by enforcement

alone. Every agency needs to be encouraged and facilitated to join

up and share information, resources and accountability.

Of course, this is against a backdrop of ongoing fiscal constraints and

spending cuts. This is driving public sector organisations to seek

greater productivity and innovation from services, both in the

mainstream and through commissioning arrangements.

6.1.3 The importance of „Safeguarding‟ in addressing gang and youth

violence is key. If the wellbeing of children and young people is

promoted and safeguarded effectively, they will be happily and

securely attached to their parents or carers. Their health needs will

be prioritised by their parents or carers. They will be engaged in full

time education or training. They will be engaged in age-appropriate

activities. With these foundations in place they will be equipped to

contribute positively to the community as responsible citizens.

6.1.4 Parents have primary responsibility for the wellbeing of their children.

In situations where children are at risk of criminality, including

violence, parents need to be supported effectively by a range of

services and offered appropriate challenge where their decisions as

parents compromise their children‟s life chances. By offering

appropriate support and confronting parents where they fall short in

discharging their parental responsibilities as early as possible in a

child‟s life, assertive practitioners are most likely to empower parents

to make the right decisions for their children.

6.1.5 The support of Children‟s Services in providing a lead to the partners

on the issue of safeguarding, where gang and serious youth violence

or criminality is an issue, is therefore critical to breaking the cycle.

6.2 Local Context – Wolverhampton Profile3

6.2.1 The following information has been provided by Wolverhampton

Community Safety Partnership to provide a local picture of the city, its

residents and EGYV.

3 Wolverhampton Ending Gang and Youth Position Statement, 2012

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6.2.1 Wolverhampton is one of the four local authorities in the Black

Country sub-region, situated to the west of Birmingham and bordered

by Dudley, Walsall, Sandwell and parts of Staffordshire.

Wolverhampton was given city status in 2000 and is located on the

north west of the metropolitan West Midlands region.

6.2.3 As at 2009, there were an estimated 238,500 people living in

Wolverhampton. Wolverhampton remains one of the most densely

populated local authority areas in England and most recent figures

show that Wolverhampton population is changing. It is projected that

the population of the City will be approximately 259,500 by 2033, with

0-15 and 60+ age bands seeing the greatest increase.

6.2.4 Wolverhampton is a densely populated and diverse city, with a

population expected to grow over the coming years. The employment

rate for Wolverhampton has been declining over time, with youth

unemployment following the trend. Educational attainment is rising

across the city, though there remain pockets of underperformance,

particularly among young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Alcohol misuse is the single biggest threat to health in

Wolverhampton, with the proportion of alcohol users successfully

leaving treatment being below the national average.

6.2.5 Wolverhampton is an ethnically diverse city, with just under a quarter

of the population being of black and minority ethnic origin. Although

72.5 per cent of Wolverhampton residents are White British, the non-

White British population grew steadily between 2001 and 2009, and

now accounts for 27.5 per cent of Wolverhampton‟s population. The

White British and Asian ethnic groups have reduced in size. The

reduction in the size of the Asian population locally is unique amongst

Black Country local authorities, and does not mirror changes in

England.

6.2.6 The 2001 census shows that 66.5 per cent of Wolverhampton

residents are Christian. Wolverhampton‟s Sikh population is the fourth

largest in England, with 7.6 per cent of the population being Sikh. 3.9

per cent of the population are Hindu and a further 1.7 per cent are

Muslim. 11.4 per cent of residents said they had no religion. The

shifting demographic make up of Wolverhampton seen over the last

decade will undoubtedly alter this picture when census 2011 results

become available.

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6.2.7 The recession has caused a significant increase in the number of

people receiving out of work benefits in Wolverhampton. A lack of job

vacancies has meant that many people who have been made

redundant, including skilled workers, have been unable to re-enter

employment as competition for posts has become much greater. For

the year 2010-11, 7.7 per cent of Wolverhampton residents were out

of work, compared with 4.7 per cent in January 2008. Youth

unemployment in Wolverhampton for 2010-11 was at 15.4 per cent,

compared with 9.3 per cent in January 2008. The Employment Rate

for Wolverhampton has declined over time, a decline that has been

seen across all Black Country local authorities since 2007.

Intergenerational unemployment is a national issue, the recession and

also endemic employment issues are apparent.

6.2.8 The Public Health Annual Report 2011 shows that the life expectancy

for people in Wolverhampton is lower than the national average. Men

in Wolverhampton currently live an average of 76.5years, compared

with the national average of 78, while women in Wolverhampton live

an average of 81 years, compared with 82 nationally.

6.2.9 In terms of educational performance, whilst the overall attainment of

pupils across the city continues to rise close to national standards,

there remain significant areas of underperformance. Boys‟ attainment

at all ages is, on average, lower than girls‟ although there are signs of

improvement. Children and young people entitled to free school meals

are 50 per cent less likely to achieve five A*-C grades with English

and maths. Disadvantage, therefore, remains a key determinant of

future attainment in the city with children and young people from

disadvantaged backgrounds doing less well than their peers at all

stages. There also remains a gap between post secondary education

outcomes for young people in the city compared to national results

meaning that Wolverhampton‟s young people could be at a

disadvantage when seeking employment and higher education

places. In addition, pupils with learning difficulties do not always

achieve their full potential. Narrowing the attainment gap continues to

be central to local strategies in improving the life chances of young

people and providing local business, and those that might re-locate to

the city, with employees with the right knowledge, skills and attitudes.

6.2.10 Wolverhampton was one of the locations directly affected by the

disorder in August 2011. Operation Cedar within the Police focussed

on the investigation of criminal behaviour during these disturbances,

with Police data analysis undertaken from those arrested.

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Internal analysis has been undertaken within Children‟s Services to

identify and analyse the involvement of those young people arrested

and reflects upon the provision of those associated services. Although

some known gang members were involved, it has been established

that the disturbances were not gang-led. Many involved, were not

known to the authority previously.

6.2.11 The victim and offender profiles for violent crime and weapon enabled

crime for Wolverhampton are very similar to each other and the

demographic profile of the force area; mostly white European males

aged between 10-29, with a high representation of students and the

unemployed. There is some variation between victims of gun and

knife crime and victims of violent crime; generally offenders of

weapon enabled crime were slightly younger than their victims.

However, gun crime offenders were slightly older (20-24) than knife

crime offenders (13-16), with a higher representation of African-

Caribbean males for gun and knife crime offenders when compared to

violent crime offenders.

6.2.12 Violent Crime offences are most likely to occur between 15:00-17:59,

with offences for victims aged 17-29 peaking between 00:00-02:59.

The weekends (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) are most vulnerable to

these offences, though younger victims (10-16) were more vulnerable

on a Thursday. The “street” was the main location of violent crime,

with knife crime in the street most likely to be personal robberies.

Wolverhampton city centre was the hotspot location for violent crime

for all ages between 13-29, with victims aged between 10-12 most

vulnerable in the more residential/suburban areas with these offences

most likely to occur in a park or near/at an educational establishment.

It is likely that offences within the city centre are linked to

entertainment/social activities including participation in the night time

economy but the accuracy of crime recording has hindered further

analysis. The link between deprivation and violent crime was most

pronounced for victims aged between 13-16.

6.2.13 Areas which had a high concentration of resident violent crime

offenders were located in areas with high levels of deprivation for the

community safety partnership area and England. Additionally, the

wards with the highest volume of resident violent crime offenders

were those that fell within at least one gang territory.

6.2.14 In regards to weapon enabled crime and gang related offences, they

generally occurred outside the areas where concentrations of violent

crime were reported.

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Indeed the majority of gang related and weapon enabled crime was

personal robbery with a cluster of offences around Bilston North and

Bilston East which is believed to be linked to the No Long Ting street

gang. The initial threat from this group has diminished following

interventions. A number of the nominals are currently being managed

within the youth offending team. Although they are not a current

priority group, their actions are currently being monitored by the Local

Policing Unit (LPU).

6.2.15 Additionally, hand guns are the most frequent firearm used in the gun

crime analysed, though air/imitation/taser etc accounted for just over

a quarter of offences. The type of firearm used by offenders varied

within the 10-29 age band; those aged 10-12 were more prone to

using ball bearing guns/air weapons with older offenders more prone

to using handguns and shotguns. Most genuine discharges occurred

outside Violent Crime hotspots.

6.2.16 Urban Street Gangs (USG) identified as active within Wolverhampton

CSP area are primarily involved in drug dealing and money

laundering, with some groups involved in acquisitive crime. The

priority groups identified by the LPU are mostly African-Caribbean or

mixed ethnicity groups. All are involved in violence to some degree,

and some have access to weapons. Most gangs involved in drug

criminality have access to firearms. Gangs tend to act out/remain

within their own territories; though sometimes cross into the territory

of another gang which can lead to increased tensions and acts of

violence.

7. Performance against the Benchmark

7.1 Strong Local Leadership

Key Strengths

7.1.1 There is a genuine commitment and prioritisation of EGYV with high

level strategic drive across the Safer Wolverhampton Partnership

(SWP). Addressing EGYV is viewed as one of the SWP‟s four key

strategic priorities outlined within the Crime Reduction, Community

Safety & Drugs Strategy to make Wolverhampton a city people want

to live and work in.

7.1.2 The agenda of addressing EGYV is firmly embedded as part of the

overall vision for the city in economic regeneration and employment.

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7.1.3 Governance, scrutiny and accountability lines are strong with clear

reporting mechanisms. The recently launched Wolverhampton Gang-

Related Harm Strategic Framework and agreed multi-agency

approach cements this priority.

7.1.4 The West Midlands Strategic Gangs Partnership is a clear strength of

the Partnership with co-ordination of intelligence, commissioning

resources and responses.

7.1.5 The Wolverhampton Community Safety Partnership is well led with a

strong relationship between the City Council Chief Executive and

West Midlands Police BCU Commander.

7.1.6 High levels of trust and confidence in the strategic partnership were

evident. The partnership is open to learning and change with real

motivation to drive forward the agenda on EGYV. Good examples of

innovative work were discussed and valued links with the voluntary

sector identified.

7.1.7 Head Teachers and schools have recognised their role in EGYV and

have begun to contribute to the agenda.

7.1.8 There was real commitment demonstrated from the Portfolio Member

for community safety in working with communities in contributing their

concerns/key messages for the SWP to address.

7.1.9 Wolverhampton has a strong platform to implement change to reach

its vision on EGYV.

Areas for Improvement

7.1.10 While the Partnership demonstrated strong leadership, it would be

beneficial if it further defined its understanding of gangs and clarified

the aims and objectives of the gang strategy. There was not a

consistent understanding of these definitions across the Partnership.

This confers the definitions of Urban Street Gangs (USGs)/ Organised

Crime Groups (OCGs) and also the distinction between disrupting

gangs and reducing violence.

7.1.11 There is understanding and commitment to collaborative work in

addressing EGYV in Wolverhampton. There are opportunities to

strengthen the collective work between the Children‟s Trust,

Safeguarding and the CSP on EGYV that should be more fully

explored strategically and operationally.

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This would be a significant step forward and add further impetus in

planning and delivery on EGYV.

7.1.12 Further links with schools could be established via the SWP Forum on

EGYV.

7.1.13 There is scope for developing a clear communication strategy to

further enhance understanding and Wolverhampton as a safe city.

The Partnership could involve Elected Members and their links with

communities through this mechanism.

7.2 Mapping the Problem

Key Strengths

7.2.1 A comprehensive gap analysis has been undertaken by the Safer

Wolverhampton Partnership in preparation for the peer review. This

analysis transparently and clearly identifies gaps in EGYV practice

and begins to map current provision. It provides a clear and objective

foundation.

7.2.2 Wolverhampton‟s problem profile has begun to identify key gangs,

drivers and behaviours as the newly-formed gangs unit of the IOM

gains traction. Though based on Police data, a wider picture is

provided with the inclusion of key individuals, prison nominal releases

and the movement of nominals in the Force area.

7.2.3 Subject profiling is established and there is a commitment to develop

subject profiles on a further 20 identified gang nominals. Tracking of

the top 20 gang nominals over the next 12 months would enable the

SWP to demonstrate and establish its impact.

7.2.4 There is vast breadth of data and information available across the

Partnership that can inform the EGYV approach of the Partnership if

shared and communicated. This includes data on anti-social

behaviour, domestic-violence, Wolverhampton Housing and Tenant

Management Organisation, youth offending, health, A&E, school

attendance and children‟s services.

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7.2.5 Each agency recognises the importance of data sharing. Social

media and other electronic intelligence was not often mentioned by

partners or in mapping or profiling documents and is again another

wealth of data and intelligence that can be accessed by the

Partnership.

7.2.6 Public Health has been warmly welcomed into the Safer

Wolverhampton Partnership and its strengths in approaches to and

understanding of EGYV are evident in partnership strategy.

Areas for Improvement

7.2.7 Analysis clearly underpins the partnership approach to EGYV, but

improvements could be made. No Partnership data has been used to

inform the current problem profile. This links closely to the themes of

partnership working in regards to data sharing and also to the

effective and targeted interventions theme and evidence of what

works in affecting EGYV.

7.2.8 There is a need to develop information sharing arrangements specific

to EGYV to effectively map the risks and drivers of gang membership

and to develop effective interventions. This extends beyond the

partnership to making better use of community intelligence to identify

developing issues. We suggest that the partnership requires a gang-

specific problem profile that includes all partnership and community

data.

7.2.9 While there is evident recognition by the Community Safety

Partnership about the issue of young women and gangs and sexual

exploitation, there is limited knowledge as to the extent and nature of

the problem. Anecdotal evidence is available across most agencies

and there is a commitment to establish a dedicated delivery group to

aid understanding and safeguard vulnerable females. This approach

is supported by the peer review to develop this area of practice with

effective information sharing arrangements.

7.2.10 The collection and exchange of A&E data was identified as sporadic.

There are no data sharing agreements in place with The Royal

Wolverhampton Hospital Trust. There is a statutory obligation on

Primary Care Trusts to share anonomised information with their

Community Safety Partners (Local authority, Police, Probation Trust

and Fire Authority) for the purpose of devising a crime and disorder

reduction strategy in the local authority area.

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The requirement is legislated by section 17A(2) of the Crime Disorder

Act 1998; the classes of information to be shared are set out in the

Statutory Instrument: The Crime and Disorder (Proscribed

Information) Regulations 2007 Schedule.

We would suggest that liaison is undertaken to agree a protocol,

unblock barriers and enable A&E data to inform the EGYV agenda.

Lessons from the Cardiff experience4 can be learned in reducing

demand in A&E by working proactively in partnership.

7.2.11 There was evidence of some joint tasking e.g. TYS MAST Panels,

however, this did not have a focus on gangs and there appeared to be

some reluctance to share relevant information.

A formalised partnership tasking approach to gang related issues is

suggested, to assist with the process of gathering information and

intelligence. For example mobile CCTV deployment, warden tasking

and deployment and third sector providers deployed to hotspots.

7.2.12 In relation to schools, there is scope to build on the strategic strengths

in recognising their contribution to EGYV, improving the engagement

of both primary and secondary schools and develop information

sharing.

7.2.13 We also suggest that a developed performance monitoring system is

introduced. It should robustly monitor performance against agreed

EGYV outcome measures, both qualitative and quantitative, and

relevant to each of the seven themes used in the review. Performance

analysis has been undertaken by the partnership, with an emphasis

on offending behavior profiles and crime data. This association is

likely to limit partnership data sharing with a reliance on Police data.

Evidence of the effectiveness of particular approaches, interventions

and emerging practice needs to be included across the partnership,

aligning to recidivism and desistence measurement.

7.2.14 Progress towards agreed outcomes, community impact measurement

and rigorous evaluation schedules of new approaches should be

included. Such a robust framework will better inform commissioning

specification and decision making, engendering greater confidence

from non- statutory partners.

4

http://www.emphasisnetwork.org.uk/networks/alcohol/downloads/xcuttingthemes/EDdatasharing/Brief

ingforpoliceondata.pdf

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7.3 Responding in Partnership

Key Strengths

7.3.1 Wolverhampton‟s strong strategic gang partnership has been

achieved through the strength and vision of the new strategic

partnership. It overcomes historic concerns of the community in the

priority of EGYV within the partnership and includes partnership

collaboration in prevention, early intervention and exit strategies.

7.3.2 Catch 22 has identified Wolverhampton as its pilot area for the

Community Gangs Programme and the Dawes Gangs Unit. Planning

and preparation are evident and this creative and innovative approach

will commence in 2012 and is anticipated to be a key element of the

Wolverhampton approach to EGYV.

7.3.3 The Gangs Steering Group provides a co-ordinated multi-agency

strategic response to EGYV. There is good representation of key

agencies with broad membership across key statutory and third sector

organisations.

Areas for Improvement

7.3.4 There are established partnership forums with multi-agency

collaboration; however these are not always systematic. Some

partnerships within early intervention services are strong. However,

other examples of collaboration were more limited. For example, a

seeming lack of clarity with regards to the partnership roles and

responsibilities of Social Services, the Children‟s Trust and the

Community Safety Partnership towards EGYV. Workshops and action

learning sets are available to the SWP regarding these

recommendations.

7.3.5 A more holistic approach with the engagement of additional partners

e.g. Housing, DWP, Crown Prosecution Services would assist in

identifying and mapping EGYV and delivering more holistic and

targeted interventions and partnership responses. The inclusion of

additional partners by the SWP at relevant strategic and operational

forums would establish these relationships and also contribute to

other allied priorities.

7.3.6 There is a need for a more robust partnership agreement in the

sharing of intelligence, information and data.

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7.3.7 It is acknowledged by the Partnership that there is an opportunity to

extend the police Gangs Tasking Group forum for planned police

operations, where sensitive data on individuals is discussed, to

suitably vetted specialist partners. This would provide a forum where

intelligence can be shared and co-ordinated multi-agency responses

agreed.

7.4 Assessment and Referral

Key Strengths

7.4.1 The review highlighted some evidence of effective assessment and

referral processes across the eight MAST areas of Wolverhampton.

The approach is not always systematic, but it is a basis that facilitates

targeted partnership intervention that is based upon assessed need

and risk.

7.4.2 The Youth Offending Team has agreed transitional arrangements

between youth and adult services with a nominated individual with

responsibility for the oversight of all transferred cases and information

exchange.

7.4.3 The Children‟s Trust has developed a cross partnership training

package for front-line workers and managers. It includes some of the

key issues when identifying and assessing individuals involved in or

affected by EGYV.

7.4.4 Wolverhampton has engaged with Catch 22 in a multi-stranded

project. This project is externally funded for four years and will

conduct research into EGYV in Wolverhampton in conjunction with a

London University. The project will utilise outreach workers to directly

intervene with identified individuals involved in EGYV. The third and

final strand of the project is to work with local schools in conjunction

with Lime Productions (resourced through Communities Against

Guns, Gangs and Knives [CAGGK]) to provide positive activities and

improve students values and attitudes in the area of EGYV.

7.4.5 There was evidence of good practice in assessment and referral data

provided to Pupil Referral Units and Alternative Providers. Timely and

accurate information is provided at referral stages to contribute to

assessments, regarding young people moving schools and those on

dual time tables.

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Areas for Improvement

7.4.6 Pockets of effective practice highlighted good use of partnership

intelligence and data sharing. These pockets of effective practise had

in many cases been formed through good individual relationships

between partnership colleagues.

7.4.7 The overarching area for improvement, however, which was

highlighted throughout the course of the review, was the requirement

to formalise and improve the process of intelligence and data sharing

between partner agencies and develop service level agreements. The

absence of consensus on data sharing across the partnership leaves

risk assessments being conducted in isolation.

7.4.8 Despite YOT staff screening for gang members, relevant intelligence

or current issues are not always communicated. While a Police

representative works specifically with the YOT, they do not have the

necessary knowledge of gang members or issues to provide this

information.

7.4.9 A consequence of the limited data and intelligence sharing, together

with partnership misunderstanding of the definitions of gangs and

approaches at a practitioner level, is a likely lack of consistency in

assessment across agencies.

7.4.10 The review did not include any evidence of the adult safeguarding

remit extending to vulnerabilities caused as a consequence of EGYV.

7.4.11 There are foundations of effective assessment and referral processes,

but we would also recommend the adoption of a common risk

assessment framework. This would include each agency agreeing risk

factors, supported by cross partnership training across all agencies

which would help to ensure equality of service provision for those

involved. The partnership have already invested in training, however

the take up rate has been low, with some key agency take up rates at

some 10 percent. For example less than 10% of YOT front line staff

attended.

7.4.12 While the review received some positive feedback in relation to the

MASTs, it was evident that the services provided by the eight MASTs

vary across Wolverhampton in regards to outcomes achieved. There

are strengths in their assessment and referral processes to build

upon, but consistency is necessary in approach.

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The MASTs process could benefit from formal evaluation and

standardisation across Wolverhampton.

7.4.13 There was also some misunderstanding at operational levels in

regard to referral and assessment pathways, despite clearly

documented policies and service level agreements, for example

Parenting Order assessments and subsequent intervention.

In the next section, Targeted and Effective Interventions, we highlight

a suggested action to map existing services and communicate to all

partners and practitioner staff. We also suggest that referral and

assessment pathways are included in a mapping exercise and

communicated to all staff to improve the understanding of available

services, referral criteria and pathways.

7.4.14 The Early Intervention and Prevention group was briefly discussed

with practitioners; however the perceived value and outcomes were

unclear. Similarly the effectiveness of the City Tasking group was

highlighted as an area for improvement albeit the concept and forum

is a useful format.

7.4.15 The funding received by Catch 22 is a welcome addition to the levels

of understanding and service provision that can be provided across

the partnership. There was, however, limited evidence of defined

agreements regarding assessment and referral processes to

maximise the effectiveness of the project. With the Dawes project

being a 4-year program, there is a necessity to mainstream any work

being conducted by the project prior to the funding and services

ending.

7.4.16 Throughout the review across the partnership we were unable to

identify a clear and formalised safeguarding process to identify

children exposed to gang violence by their parents, gang members

abusing mothers and also the exploitation of girls and women by gang

members. The partnership assessment and referral processes can

improve with the better integration of these key areas.

7.4.17 During the course of the peer review, reference was made to there

having been no permanent exclusions from schools for several years;

however it was unclear as to what was conceptualised as permanent

exclusions and what alternative provisions were provided. Clarified

policy in this area is suggested.

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7.5 Targeted and Effective Interventions

Key Strengths

7.5.1 Elected representatives are involved in the identification of potential

locations that would benefit from targeted prevention activities.

Resources are deployed appropriately. One such initiative in the

2011 summer holidays led to a 60% reduction in anti-social

behaviour. In another project, over 300 young people were involved

in 6 weeks work experience over the summer holidays.

7.5.2 Youth services were praised by young people, community

representatives and other organisations for their skilled, effective

frontline work with all young people, including those involved with

gangs.

7.5.3 There were a number of examples of targeted early interventions for

identified young people. The Council‟s Anti-Social Behaviour Unit

provides a key diversionary activity to „at risk‟ young people. Targeted

intervention with Acceptable Behaviour Contracts provides early and

direct, individually focused support to families to address offending

behaviour.

7.5.4 Some schools are delivering SWP commissioned interventions

directly to gang members. For example, the programme „Box Clever‟

for young people actively involved in gangs is positively described by

practitioners and is emerging as promising practice although

evaluation evidence is necessary to conclude the effectiveness of this

and other interventions.

7.5.5 Initiatives are underway to improve the skills of volunteers working in

Wolverhampton in EGYV. In addition, volunteers are increasingly

delivering training to raise awareness relating to gang issues in

schools. Again evaluation is necessary, but evidence of its impact will

enable the wider roll out of these initiatives.

7.5.6 Across some organisations, evidence was found that gang issues are

considered when placing a young person on an intervention

programme. For example, alternative provision providers report

minimal difficulties with young people from ‟rival‟ gangs in the same

location, as placements are planned appropriately.

7.5.7 Catch 22 were widely recognised as a potential positive addition to

the available provision in Wolverhampton. Plans are in place for

community and peer evaluation of the efficacy of their programmes.

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In addition, the Dawes Unit is planning to evaluate best practice and

will be trialling new initiatives.

7.5.8 Schools are developing the use of a SIMS generated provision map

for every student, that will be available to schools so that interventions

can be effectively targeted without repetition of previous work.

Areas for Improvement

7.5.9 Multi Agency Support Teams (MAST) are located in several areas

across Wolverhampton, often co-located with other services e.g.

schools and children‟s centres and attract a wide range of statuary

and VC3S organisations. Their approach, based on community

psychology principles, aims to improve quality of life and make

effective change through collaborative action. They are a relatively

new initiative at some 6 months old, and linking back to the previous

section of Assessment and Referral, some recommendations

regarding consistency in approaches are made, to develop this

emerging area of good practice. MASTs appear to be showing

promising practice, but evidence and consistency of approach is

recommended.

7.5.10 While a range of diversionary activities are on offer, there is scope for

Wolverhampton to develop interventions targeted to EGYV across

age ranges, and with parents and communities. Many interventions

currently on offer were generic rather than gang specific. For

example, although Catch 22 has experience of working with young

people, does this include specialist experience of working with young

people in Wolverhampton?

7.5.11 Some creative work has taken place locally helping young offenders

to set up social enterprises; however this work did not specifically

target gang members, whose support and training needs are different

to other young offenders. In addition, when projects are offered, there

is a lack of clarity at the planning stage about how their effectiveness

will be measured in relation to gang and youth violence.

7.5.12 There are known programmes for working with gang members that

are demonstrating promising evidence of effectiveness. There are

publications including „Gangs at the Grassroots5‟ from the New Local

Government Network and „They Moved Like Fish6‟ written by Beautiful

Birmingham in response to the Birmingham disorder, that offer

5 http://www.nlgn.org.uk/public/wp-content/uploads/gangs-at-the-grassroots.pdf

6 http://www.blackradley.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/TheyMovedLikeFishReport.pdf

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insights into the ways in which interventions can be planned, targeted

and evaluated.

7.5.13 In terms of evaluating programme outcomes, organisations

consistently described this as an iterative process whereby

programmes would be refined in the light of feedback regarding

effectiveness. However, the specific outcome measures that would

identify the programmes as effective were usually unspecified, relying

on professional judgement and whether agencies thought the

programme has made a difference.

7.5.14 There was confusion in several areas about the evaluation of

programme effectiveness. This confusion related to whether

„universal‟ or „diversionary‟ interventions can be shown to make a

measureable impact. This is an area that the EGVT could help with,

and would be essential in terms of evaluating which programmes

should form the basis of early intervention packages.

7.5.15 As Wolverhampton develops gang-specific interventions, it would be

helpful for expertise to be sought in relation to programme design to

ensure that each programme has clear, gang-specific targets and

outcome measures.

7.5.16 Some differences in practice were identified between MAST services

across the city and also in terms of what tier of need interventions

should be targeted at. Some partners indicated that MAST is

functioning as a tier-3 intervention, leaving a lack of lower level,

preventative and early intervention at tier 2 within the local area.

7.5.17 Programmes that capitalise on both community safety partnership and

children‟s trust expertise need to be developed. For example, a

unified strategy for tackling persistent absence would have a direct

effect on reducing gang and youth violence.

7.5.18 The quality of alternative provision providers was universally reported

to be highly variable. This is a clear issue for ensuring that

intervention is effective.

7.5.19 Although there have been no permanent exclusions in

Wolverhampton for several years, this headline masks problems with

what happens to young people who no longer attend mainstream

school. Once the student is no longer attending mainstream school

full time, the monitoring of their attendance and progress is variable.

Schools can perceive that such students are no longer their

responsibility.

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Proposed legislation in the government‟s White Paper „The

Importance of Teaching7‟ may improve this. However, currently the

community reports that many students are permanently not in school/

education.

7.5.20 There was no evidence of Youth Offending Team orders including

education as a requirement. The improved use of this requirement will

contribute to reducing the risk of offending and secure the attendance

and good behaviour of the young person subject to the Order.

7.5.21 There was limited evidence of the use of Parenting Orders. The

community fed into the peer review that they felt that this was

necessary and an important issue in order to EGYV. The EGYV

Knowledge Hub has parenting related resources available for

reference.

7.6 Criminal Justice and Breaking the Cycle

Key Strengths

7.6.1 Wolverhampton and the wider West Midlands work in partnership

under the West Midlands Housing Protocol, addressing a key driver of

EGYV. Agencies collaborate to provide information to assess offender

housing applications, facilitate appropriate housing allocations and to

contribute to enforcement, rehabilitation and public protection.

7.6.2 The Integrated Offender Management (IOM) housing protocol works

effectively, and the Probation central referral process ensures that

there is no more than one gang member on each approved premises.

Positive working relationships exist between the Police and the

Probation services where there are concerns about gang involvement.

In some prisons, targeted pre-release programmes are in place for

gang nominals.

7.6.3 The IOM model is used in Wolverhampton to manage medium – high

risk gang nominals with a co-ordinated multi-agency response.

Nominals are identified prior to prison release and resettlement /

rehabilitation packages are constructed.

7.6.4 The strategic prison service representation on the Partnership

facilitates effective relationships for through care and resettlement.

7 https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/standard/publicationdetail/page1/CM%207980

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Areas for Improvement

7.6.5 The IOM model in Wolverhampton does confer some transitional

arrangements between probation and the YOT for young people

reaching 18 years, but we would suggest these agreements could be

revisited, strengthened and monitored. The community meetings with

third sector organisations during the review highlighted some issues

in managing these nominals re-establishing themselves when suitable

diversionary activity and training and work opportunities are not

identified.

7.6.6 There was evidence of impacting and innovative interventions across

agencies, voluntary and community organisations and wider, but not

in partnership with clear understanding of what each was doing.

Increased awareness can be developed across the partnership of the

range of services available.

7.6.7 Linking back to mapping the problem and the gap analysis already

undertaken, it is proposed that the existing gap analysis is progressed

to include a wider mapping exercise of existing services directly

intervening with EGYV. This will produce a comprehensive guidance

and framework of services available in prevention, early intervention,

enforcement and also pathways of exit strategies for those seeking to

leave gangs that would be available to agencies across the

partnership as reference.

7.6.8 Beyond the IOM, there is a wider need for additional effective, tailored

interventions both in the community and within the prison estate.

Linking back to targeted and effective interventions and a culture of

effective and emerging practice, available interventions need to be

targeting drivers as well as behaviours of people involved in EGYV

with evidence of effectiveness.

7.6.9 Recidivism, desistence, attitudinal change measurement are some

examples to incorporate into evaluation schedules. Not all

interventions need to be accredited if they are built from evidence of

emerging practice and effectively evaluated to identify effective

practice. Picking up also on commissioning, this approach will ensure

that Wolverhampton is effectively working to break the cycle of EGYV

with a robust and linear approach.

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7.6.10 There is also a suggested need for wider criminal justice agency

collaboration to „break the cycle‟. For example, the Crown Prosecution

Service (CPS) offering a „premium service‟ for gang nominals across

the West Midlands, much in the same manner as occurs for domestic

violence perpetrators. This would set out, for criminal justice partners,

a level of expectation around those accused of gang-related issues.

The CPS should be represented at relevant strategic and operational

forums.

7.6.11 The partnership‟s willingness to utilise gang injunctions is a clear

strength however there is further development work necessary to

agree protocols, multi-agency approaches and lead agency

agreement.

7.6.12 The use of mediation and dedicated agreements and approaches in

EGYV cases were not apparent to the peers. Its use in low level

offending and its effectiveness in specifically addressing EGYV were

not clear and further evaluation is suggested.

7.7 Mobilising Communities

Key Strengths

7.7.1 It was apparent throughout the review that there is a strong and keen

willingness across the Wolverhampton community to address EGYV.

Amongst the breadth of community representatives; parents, young

people and others there was a common goal and will to collaborate in

targeting EGYV.

7.7.2 There are 14 Local Neighbourhood Partnerships (LNPs) across

Wolverhampton with identified priorities specific to each area.

Attendees include residents, elected members and service providers

and the Partnership aim to provide a communication mechanism and

dialogue between all parties. There are examples of good practice

across the LNPs. For example a community budgeting approach to

explore interventions to deal with drug issues in one specific area.

7.7.3 There are some 30 Neighbourhood Wardens and Neighbourhood

Safety Co-ordinators managed by a Constituency Manager based

within the LNP structure. There are lots of examples of innovation

across the LNPs, one being the recent training of Neighbourhood

Wardens in social media and Twitter.

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The links between the LNPs and Neighbourhood Safety is a strength

of the Partnership that can be built upon.

7.7.4 Partners and Communities Together (PACT) meetings are held for

every LNP. These open public meetings consider crime and

community safety priorities for the neighbourhood. Again these

forums are a strength that can be built upon.

Areas for Improvement

7.7.5 The focus groups conducted with community representatives

identified a difference in understanding of gang activity in

Wolverhampton between the community and the Partnership. The

community specialists identified one particular area with a clear gang

presence but differ in opinion in the case of other areas. Here the

community identified a number of historical families maybe caught up

in drug dealing and who may react to outsiders „muscling in on their

turf‟. An improved line of communication and relationship between

statutory agencies and the third sector may improve understanding of

the drivers and behaviours of EGYV.

7.7.6 There is no existing resident-led gangs reference group. Although the

LNP structure exists, levels of engagement and effectiveness vary

considerably across the city. There is no specific and dedicated

system to engage communities impacted by EGYV. The community

does not feel they are used enough by the SWP in addressing EGYV.

The LNP could form a platform to build upon, although SWP are keen

that the community must direct the most appropriate methods of their

engagement

7.7.7 Related to communication is the process of commissioning.

Community feedback indicates a perception of targeted

commissioning, with historic agreements and established

relationships guiding process. An improved and better co-ordinated

communications plan across the partnership would create a unified

approach that would address any evidenced occurrences and also

dispel any myths.

7.7.8 There is some evidence of collaboration between community

organisations. However this is not always consistent and

communication amongst community organisations is a suggested

area of improvement.

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We feel that the SWP could capacity build to enable better

collaboration of specialities and improve partnership working and

sustainability.

7.7.9 Another suggested consideration is the use of community research

and embedding this philosophy into all aspects of the EGYV agenda.

The contribution of community research to formulating action plans

and service delivery would be an additional strength to its previously

mentioned additional use in evaluation and performance monitoring.

8. Conclusion and Next Steps

8.1 Wolverhampton has developed a strong partnership with evident

vision, innovation and resolve to challenge gang and youth violence.

Disseminated through the partnership from strategic to operational

and delivery levels is a clear commitment to tackle this complex issue.

8.2 Officers are all able to identify excellent practice along with areas for

improvement openly, with a culture that supports creativity and new

approaches. A wide range of responses and approaches are available

and excellent practice has been highlighted throughout the review and

this report.

8.3 The community of Wolverhampton is committed to the agenda and

keenly wishes to contribute to EGYV. However, there is the

opportunity to undertake a small number of key pieces of work

drawing from the identified areas for improvement, which will together

have the potential to significantly improve the performance of the

partnership in this area.

8.4 The review team have made a number of recommendations outlined

on page 5, and the Home Office has made available a funding stream

to help the partnership deliver these activities. The review should be

seen as the beginning of an ongoing process of improvement working

in partnership with government and the Ending Gang and Serious

Youth Violence team.

8.5 Your nominated point of contact for the implementation and

integration of the recommendations and collation of the

Wolverhampton good practice will be Karen Williams, from the Home

Office EGYV Team.

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Karen will ensure promising practice is highlighted to your dedicated

Single Point of Contacts (SPOC) Community Safety Manager Karen

Samuels and Inspector Helen Kirkham.

8.6 Karen will track progress against the highlighted recommendations

and support the borough SPOCs during integration and development

of the recommendations below.

The SWP needs to agree the definition of „a gang‟ and

communicate this across strategic and operational partners.

Map all of the different agencies which may be in contact with

violent gang members and their families.

Agree a risk assessment framework to identify threat, risk and harm

for all EGYV partners.

Scrutinise local prevention and enforcement strategies and suggest

areas for improvement.

Agree practical action and plans to tackle gangs locally.

Links with safeguarding are essential in addressing EGYV. The

SWP to nominate a safeguarding lead in relation to the EGYV

agenda.

Promote the roll-out of Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hubs (MASH).

The SWP to further utilise the available data and intelligence from

all partners through an agreed service level agreement.

SWP should introduce a partnership-wide performance monitoring

system that robustly monitors performance against agreed EGYV

quantitative and qualitative outcome measures.

SWP needs to enhance the provision of targeted interventions at all

levels and ensure that they are systemic and evidence based with

rigorous evaluation schedules.

Develop suitable and effective alternative pathways and exits for

young people who are involved in gangs through targeted provision

and commissioning.

The SWP to effectively consult and engage with the community in

order to mobilise them and maximise their contributions. Gather

independent feedback from communities around what could be

done better.

Review and evaluate the MAST process to ensure standardised

performance.

Produce a problem profile on gang and youth violence informed by

all partner data to inform understanding of the drivers of gang and

youth violence (eg, school exclusion data).

Review the DAWES project initiatives to measure and evaluate

impact on gang and youth violence.

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Establish a delivery group to aid understanding of vulnerable

females and gangs.

Agree an A&E data exchange protocol to inform the EGYV agenda.

Support the implementation of gang interrupter schemes from

America, such as effective mediation and conflict management

(details will be placed on the Knowledge Hub).

Encourage the use of multi-agency reviews after every gang

homicide to better inform the drivers of gang and youth violence

and levers to mitigate risk through a serious case review or a multi-

agency Gold Group (details will be placed on the Knowledge Hub).

9. Further Potential for Improvement Opportunities

9.1 Some mention of social media has been made across the

Partnership. However, well-researched, contemporary and clear

guidance can be developed on the use of open source material to

gather intelligence (e.g. from Facebook, Twitter etc.). We recommend

those involved quickly gather the required legal advice and distribute

across the partnership.

9.2 Further development of Proceeds of Crime Act and local immigration

legislation to provide enforcement opportunities against gang

nominals unwilling to engage.

9.3 The potential for the SWP to develop mutual targets in action plans

and service delivery for Troubled Families and EGYV.

9.4 Establish a clear link to prison intelligence and gang related

programmes within the prison establishment.

9.5 Consider drivers and levers for EGYV, CAMHS, illegal and legal

economy e.g. KHAT.

9.6 Identify and map voluntary interventions relating to EGYV.

9.7 Consider gangs clinics in YOS.

9.8 Willingness of JCP and partnerships to get “at risk” young people into

work.

9.9 Consider young person support groups to inform community

engagement.

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9.10 Consider faith groups impact in the EGYV agenda.

9.11 To research and utilise existing effective practice resources. Both the

Home Office and the Youth Justice Board capture examples of

emerging and effective practice which is available on their websites –

for example TKAP Best Practice and Key Elements of Effective

Practice.

9.12 The EGYV team are developing a knowledge hub to store and share

effective practice. During its building stage we will use the Home

Office website (link attached) to collect and share effective practice.

Please use this site to view current good practice involving key

stakeholders in gang and youth violence.

http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/crime/partnerships/effective-practice1/

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APPENDIX A

ACRONYMS

A&E Accident and Emergency

BCU Basic Command Unit

CAMHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services

CARAT Counselling Assessment Referral Advice and Through-care

CCTV Closed-circuit Television

CSP Community Safety Partnership

EGYV Ending Gang and Youth Violence

FIP Family Intervention Projects

IOM Integrated Offender Management

LNP Local Neighbourhood Partnership

LPU Local Policing Unit

MAPPA Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements

MAST Multi-Agency Support Teams

OCG Organised Crime Groups

PACT Partners and Communities Together

PPO Priority Prolific Offenders

SIMS School Information Management System

SPOC Single Point of Contact

SWP Safer Wolverhampton Partnership

TKAP Tackling Knives Action programme

USG Urban Street Gang

VCS Voluntary and Community Sector

YJB Youth Justice Board YOS Youth Offending Service YOT Youth Offending Team