Agenda item

To consider a report of the Director of Strategy. 

The report sets out proposed activities to plan and collaborate to prevent and tackle serious violence in Stockport.  

The Scrutiny Committee is requested to note: 

a)    the proposed additional actions for 2024/25 outlined in the tables at paragraph 4.1 of the report; 

b)   the OSSP’s intention to use these proposed additional actions as the basis for its Serious Violence Plan for 2024/25; and 

c)    the OSSP’s proposed approach to serious violence assessment and planning beyond 2024/25 set out in paragraph 2.5, namely, to incorporate work relating to serious violence as a specific strand within its overall assessment and planning arrangements. 

Officer contacts: 

Alan Lawson 07890 563587 | alan.lawson@stockport.gov.uk

Jacqui Belfield-Smith 07800 617 569 | jacqui.belfield-smith@stockport.gov.uk   

The Director of Strategy submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) setting out proposed activities to plan and collaborate to prevent and tackle serious violence in Stockport.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         The knife amnesties were welcomed as a way to help tackle knife crime and to get knives off the streets. It was reported that many of the amnesties included all forms of weapons, however the focus in Stockport was to have a comprehensive programme of knife-crime prevention. Knife-awareness sessions took place at schools and colleges across the borough. It was agreed that the wording of future amnesties would reflect the fact that they were for all weapons.

·         Recent weapons amnesties were reported to have been successful, but were not the only tool available to tackle violence.

·         The Detached Youth Work Team had made a bid for funding in Brinnington and Adswood. The Team aimed to operate in an agile way in order to work with partnership agencies and respond to priorities. In the past year it had undertaken outreach work in Reddish.

·         In terms of work on domestic abuse, a representative of the Director of Strategy undertook to provide a summary of the work of the Domestic Abuse Partnership Board to Members of the Committee.

·         Members commented that resources to tackle youth violence were stretched following cuts to youth and outreach services.

·         In response to a query about the type of outreach services provided by the council, Members were informed that, through the Community Safety Fund, the council provided boxing sessions each Friday at Hattons Gym along with additional activities in school holidays. In addition, football activities had been offered through the Manchester United and Manchester City Foundation Programme.

·         Children were identified for the council’s outreach programmes through its own statutory services and, additionally, those children who had been stopped by the police, arrested or placed on bail and those who had been identified through schools as being at risk. The outreach services were promoted through schools and community hubs, with a planned move to a family hub model.

·         Members hoped that, in the future and budget permitting, it would be possible to provide outreach work across more venues in the borough to enable children to access activities in their local areas.

·         Members asked about the risks of violence faced by children travelling to and from school and whether schools themselves carry any responsibility for ensuring children’s safety on their journeys.

·         In response it was stated that the team ran knife crime and weapons awareness training within schools, with a particular focus on the dangers of carrying a knife for protection. Furthermore, the team worked in partnership with the Greater Manchester Police, schools, parents and pupils to tackle violence outside of schools. It was reported that rates of knife-crime in Stockport were much lower than those in neighbouring areas.

·         Members asked about work being carried out to support children who were growing up in households experiencing domestic violence, which could have a severe life-long impact and affect future families.

·         In response it was stated that the Council employed a nationally accredited programme known as Respect to deliver services for children who were being violent outside of the home and experiencing domestic violence within it. That service was provided by ‘Talkchangelisten.org’. More work was being done to train staff to identify those children who experienced or witnessed domestic violence.

·         Members queried what support was in place for children who were victims of sexual violence perpetrated by another child, or for the parents of those children who were accused of sexual violence.

·         In response it was stated that this was a sensitive and complex area which involved specialist officers, social workers and the Youth Justice team. The council worked closely with the Greater Manchester Police in such cases. It was often the case that such incidents revealed very complex sets of circumstances within families. It was also reported that there had been a significant increase in online sexual crimes.

·         Members requested an updated report for a future meeting of this committee.

RESOLVED – (1) That the proposed additional actions for 2024/25 outlined in the tables at paragraph 4.1 of the report be noted.

(2) That the OSSP’s intention to use these proposed additional actions as the basis for its Serious Violence Plan for 2024/25 be noted.

(3) That the OSSP’s proposed approach to serious violence assessment and planning beyond 2024/25 set out in paragraph 2.5, namely, to incorporate work relating to serious violence as a specific strand within its overall assessment and planning arrangements be noted.