We need to help pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) at any earlier point, to ensure they are fully supported in school and not left vulnerable to criminal exploitation. This includes significant and sustainable funding to manage the rising demand in support from pupils with SEND.
Key messages
- Tackling serious violent crime is a key priority for councils. It has become even more vital due to rising levels of this type of 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 across education, health, social services, housing, youth services, victim services, local government, law enforcement and others.
- The risk of being exploited or involved in violent crime can be reduced with the right 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, level of poverty/deprivation, delinquent peers, and experiences of family violence.
- We need to help pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) at any earlier point, to ensure they are fully supported in school and not left vulnerable to criminal exploitation. This includes significant and sustainable funding to manage the rising demand in support from pupils with SEND.
- The statistics on reductions to council’s budgets since 2010 are stark and councils have had to prioritise spending on statutory services, to the detriment of other public services.
- The Government has announced a series of separate pots of funding that (typically) local partnerships could bid for to support and protect children and young people from criminal activity, including funding through the Serious Violence Strategy, the Early Intervention Youth Fund, the Trusted Relationships Fund, and the Youth Endowment Fund.
- Sustainability is a key part of this process and we need clarity on funding to sustain community support and youth violence prevention work. For example, it is unclear what will happen to the Troubled Families Programme after 2020, as the fund is due to end.
- Whilst announcements of new funds are welcome, this should not replace the core funding required to support integral local government services.
Download the full briefing
Serious Violence, House of Commons, 18 February 2019