CYP Now - Longfield to lead independent commission on gangs and criminal exploitation

Former children's commissioner for England Anne Longfield will examine the scale of child criminal exploitation and come up with ways to cut the number of children used by gangs as part of an independent commission due to launch next month.

Anne Longfield has warned an increase in exclusions from September could exacerbate the problem. Picture: Alex Deverill

Longfield, whose six-year term as commissioner ended in February, said she fears there could be a sharp rise in exclusions when schools reopen next month, due to so many children being home-schooled since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, meaning far more children could be at risk of criminal exploitation by gangs.

She will conduct the review alongside Oasis Charitable Trust, which runs schools across the country in disadvantaged areas, and is due to launch the country's first secure school for young offenders by the end of next year.

“For some months now, charities have been telling me that the drugs market is booming,” Longfield told The Observer.

“We also know there’s a high number of kids that haven’t returned to school on a normal basis. We’re now looking at almost 100,000 kids who have schooling severely disrupted.

“We’ve also had a huge increase in the number of kids who are home schooled. Some of that is believed to be families who are worried about their kids going back to school because of health reasons. But again, it’s kids off the grid. Clearly, when kids are meant to go back into school, that will be a point of shock. Charities are warning when Ofsted start inspecting again, that will be the point where more exclusions happen. We know that’s a trigger point for kids becoming more at risk.”

Next month I’ll be launching an independent commission hosted by Oasis Charitable Trust to find solutions to keep children vulnerable to violence, gangs and exploitation safe and able succeed in life. @SteveChalke.
— Anne Longfield (@annelongfield) August 8, 2021

The commission, which will be called The Commission on Young Lives, will look at both the scale of current problem, but will also aim to "provide workable and affordable solutions". Findings will be published towards the end of 2022.

Last year Longfield called on local authorities to work with police forces to stop these vulnerable children getting involved with criminal gangs and for more youth work schemes to take place over the summer to help vulnerable teenagers re-engage with society.