Project: Haringey Council's Youth Response Team
Funding: £96,000 from the Mayor of London's London Youth Offer
Aim: To tackle antisocial behaviour and offer support to young people
Members of Haringey's Youth Response Team - all 18- to 23-year-olds - patrol the streets of the London borough in order to address antisocial behaviour and support other young people.
The team visits "hotspot areas" to speak to young people congregating on the streets. By getting to know them better, the members, who wear branded sweatshirts to make them easily identifiable, aim to tackle underlying issues and direct young people towards courses, positive activities and mediation.
Nilgun Canver, Haringey's cabinet member for enforcement and safer communities, described the Youth Response Team as a "credit to the borough". He said: "Groups of young people congregating on the streets can cause concern to residents, but just moving the group on does not solve the problem. The Youth Response Team takes the time to speak to the young people and point them in the right direction - either towards the help they need, or simply by explaining the services and activities available."
The project was first developed by Haringey Council in May 2008, following consultation with young people, the youth offending service and the Metropolitan Police's Safer Neighbourhoods Team.
More than 130 young people applied to join the team. Of these, 20 were shortlisted to attend a week-long intensive training course that tested their commitment, understanding and skills. This group was then whittled down to 12, who subsequently completed a Level 2 youth work qualification and were given additional mediation skills, risk assessment, conflict resolution, child protection, first aid and drug and alcohol-awareness training.
