Leeds City Council and its partners have received high praise from inspectors for their efforts in addressing serious youth violence and criminal exploitation.
The findings from a ‘Joint Targeted Area Inspection’ (JTAI) conducted by Ofsted, the Care Quality Commission (CQC), HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS), and HM Inspectorate of Probation, were published. The report commended the ‘effective and well-coordinated’ response of the city’s agencies in tackling these issues.
The three-week inspection, which concluded in March, examined how Leeds City Council collaborates with partners such as West Yorkshire Police, the West Yorkshire Violence Reduction Partnership (VRP), schools, youth offending teams, and relevant health services. The focus was on their collective efforts to support children aged 10 and over who are at risk of, or affected by, serious youth violence and criminal exploitation.
The report’s headline findings highlighted a ‘clear and mutually agreed focus on locally-based early intervention and prevention,’ emphasizing the ‘high level’ of engagement with children and families. The report stated, ‘numerous interventions and projects have been developed to support children at risk,’ and noted that ‘practitioners are astute and committed, often working relentlessly and passionately with children and families to reduce risks and divert children away from serious youth violence.’
Inspectors also praised the ‘strong’ multi-agency relationships among the city’s strengths, as well as the effective use of data, research, and information-sharing by the organizations involved.
Councillor Debra Coupar, Leeds City Council deputy leader and executive member for resources said:
“The consequences for children who are victims of serious youth violence can be significant including life-changing injuries, poor mental health, on rare occasions death, and for some, long-term challenges including drug and alcohol misuse.
“As a city, we are committed to doing all we can to protect our children and young people and we’re pleased inspectors recognised our collective work across a wide partnership and our passion in safeguarding those who may be affected or at risk.
“However, we are not complacent and know there is still more to be done, which is why we’re already working on an action plan to further address issues around serious youth violence.”
Councillor Fiona Venner, Leeds City Council executive member for children’s social care and health partnerships said:
“This was an intensive and rigorous inspection into how we as a council and our partners all work together to address and prevent serious youth violence. The findings provide reassurance of the many areas of good practice within our city on this critical issue while also raising opportunities for future improvement and learning, so we can continue to make a real difference to children and families in Leeds.”
This themed JTAI inspection into serious youth violence focused on specific types of crimes committed by, and affecting, children outside the home. It followed the scope outlined in the Government’s Serious Violence Strategy, covering issues such as homicide, knife and gun crime, and emerging threats like the use of corrosive substances as weapons. The inspection also examined interventions in areas where violent crime, including drug-dealing activity, is prevalent.
Themed JTAI inspections are conducted alongside an ongoing program of JTAI inspections within the current Ofsted inspection framework for local authority children’s services www.leeds.gov.uk
The full report is available online on the Ofsted website www.reports.ofsted.gov.uk
