The number of children and young people who lose their lives to violence now is higher than it was 10 years ago. So is the number admitted to hospital for knife assaults.
In November 2024, Ofsted and other inspectorates published a joint report looking at the way different agencies work together to tackle serious youth violence in England.
The report was based on findings from six joint targeted area inspections carried out between September 2023 and May 2024 by Ofsted, the Care Quality Commission, HM Inspectorate of Constabulary, Fire & Rescue Servies and HM Inspectorate of Probation.
Inspectors visited services in Leeds, Coventry, Somerset, Manchester, Merton and Lancashire and tracked the experiences of hundreds of children across those areas.
Far-reaching impact
The report found the extent and impact of youth violence are more far-reaching than many adults realise.
“Too many children, including some as young as 11, are carrying knives because they feel unsafe and see this as a form of protection,” says the report. “Serious youth violence has a wide impact across communities.” In some places, carrying a knife was the norm for some children.
The inspectorates found a lack of focus on serious youth violence by local safeguarding partnerships – and a failure to identify it as a safeguarding issue – was leaving children at risk.
The report highlights a need for clear government guidance on how partners should work together to help children experiencing harm outside the family home.
It also stresses the need for both government and local agencies to prioritise children who are more at risk, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and especially those who are neurodivergent.
The inspections looked at a sample of 36 cases in detail and found all bar five had additional needs yet these were often not recorded on social care records. Meanwhile, many were waiting for assessments to diagnose and address needs.
Serious Violence Duty
The government introduced a Serious Violence Duty in January 2023, which aims to make councils and other local services share information and work together to tackle all forms of serious violence.
The report found most areas visited were making progress on implementing the duty but not all were giving enough attention to youth violence.
Multi-agency work was most effective when youth violence was a strategic priority. “Effective partnerships had a shared understanding of local need,” says the report. “They collated and analysed all relevant information and consulted with children, families and communities about their experiences and needs.”
The inspectorates found engagement with the community, children and parents was “essential”.
Lack of empathy
However, a separate piece of research, commissioned by Ofsted found children and parents affected by serious youth violence often felt a distinct lack of empathy from professionals.
The research by young people's charity Safer London draws on the views and experiences of 33 children and 10 parents and carers of children affected by youth violence.
Parents felt their children and themselves were often blamed for the harm they had experienced. They said children were treated as adults and as criminals rather than victims.
Children and parents said they valued support that was caring, non-judgmental and allowed them to talk. They also appreciated practical help to access things they needed.
The report emphasises the importance of identifying and addressing the wider needs of young people affected by serious youth violence who may have experienced trauma or abuse.
“Effective initiatives focused on addressing the impact of abuse, supporting children to access education, giving children opportunities to develop interests and skills, and helping hem to stay safe,” says the report.
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Good practice in tackling serious youth violence
Manchester: Focus on outreach work
Some children will not readily attend or access services. In Manchester, the charity Manchester Youth Zone aims to prevent and reduce serious youth violence by engaging children both at and outside its youth centre. Staff gather intelligence to help identify potential incidents and also raise awareness of safeguarding by working with transport providers, supermarket security staff and takeaway restaurants Children say they feel safer in parks and open spaces and on public transport at night when detached youth workers are around.
Merton: Addressing “adultification” of children
Adultification is when children are treated as older than they are – as adults rather than children. Research suggests professionals are more likely to do this to black children. Merton Safeguarding Children Partnership has worked to raise awareness of the impact of adultification on children from black and minoritised ethnic backgrounds. This included commissioning a “young scrutineer” to speak to children in schools about it. An “adultification sub-group” was then established to train professionals across all partner agencies.
Lancashire: Identifying and meeting needs
In Lancashire, children are only taken into custody when necessary and police custody staff are trained in trauma-informed practice. Health and youth justice teams have been involved in a pilot to place therapists in custody suites to provide young people with immediate “brief solution-focused therapy”. Senior officers check the situation of every child detained to ensure their needs are met. Young people who spoke to inspectors were positive about their experience of police custody. They said they were treated appropriately and received help promptly.
Coventry: Listening to children and communities
Engagement with communities, children, parents and carers is informing the development of services in Coventry where community consultation is an integral part of planning. The community sector is seen as equal to statutory services and staff provide important insights on the day-to-day reality for children and families affected by youth violence and child criminal exploitation. Children who are already in the justice system can contribute to a shadow board, created by the youth justice service, which enables them to share their views with management. The service is using this feedback to shape the way it works.
Source : Multi-agency responses to serious youth violence: working together to support and protect children, November 2024
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INSPECTION SHORTS
EDUCATION
Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission will look at provision for children who are not in school during a series of thematic visits this year. The visits will look at arrangements for children with special education needs and disabilities (SEND) who are not registered with a school as well as pupils who are on part-time timetables or being “flexi-schooled” and children who are home educated.
SOCIAL CARE
Children's services at the London Borough of Tower Hamlets have been rated “outstanding” by Ofsted following an inspection in November. The achievement follows a “remarkable” turnaround after services were judged “inadequate” in 2017, improving to “good” in 2019. Children's services in North Tyneside also received the top rating following an inspection in November while departments at the London boroughs of Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster were rated outstanding for the third time in a row.
EDUCATION
Local areas are working hard to improve support for young people with special education needs and disabilities (SEND) but system-wide challenges are limiting efforts to adequately prepare them for adulthood, found a joint report by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission. The report is based on visits to six local areas and a survey of more than 2,000 children, young people, parents, carers and practitioners. It reveals stark disparities in provision for young people with and without an education, health and care plan and that many face a “cliff edge” in health support once they turn 18.
YOUTH JUSTICE
Bromley Youth Justice Service has been rated “outstanding” following an inspection by HM Inspectorate of Probation. Inspectors found staff knew and understood children well and were impressed by the health and education services on offer. They found work to stop young people from re-offending was good with provision including a youth justice service teacher, education welfare officer and safeguarding nurse. Reparation projects designed to help young offenders make amends were varied and included gardening schemes, catering and bicycle maintenance.
EDUCATION
Ofsted has published further training materials for school inspectors covering topics including changes to ungraded inspections. The move is part of a commitment to transparency and is designed to “eliminate some of the mysteries around Ofsted”, says director of the Ofsted Academy Matthew Purves. Recordings of training sessions for inspectors working in other areas will also be made publicly available.
