Yousiff Meah has been seconded to the role of head of social cohesion at Birmingham City Council's equality and diversity division. He will work with the Prevention of Extremism and Terrorism project team at the Government Office for the West Midlands to develop guidelines to help local authorities in the West Midlands tackle extremism. It is thought to be the first council to create such a role.
Birmingham saw a string of arrests of terror suspects last month, while the Lozells disturbances in 2005 highlighted tensions between the black and Asian communities.
Meah, head of Birmingham Youth Service since July 2003, was involved in setting up Beyond Midnight, a dusk-till-dawn programme targeting gang members and other young people. Beyond Midnight University, which gives the same young people a chance to earn qualifications, launched this week.
"Extremism and gang violence issues are similar in that they are not traditional problems for local authorities," said Meah.
"Young people should be at the heart of reclaiming Islam and their identity in the face of media reporting," he said. "A youth work approach will help young people to build resilience and strong relationships across the communities. At the heart of the issue is community cohesion and we are addressing the absence of the voice of all young people at policy level."
Birmingham Youth Service will be led by two acting heads of youth service, Dave Foster and Harry Fowler, who will also continue their roles as principal youth officers for operations and planning respectively.
An Ofsted enhanced youth service inspection report published this week described the youth service as "adequate", praising its provision for promoting cultural diversity but highlighting the need for more strategic management.
