Early Intervention Youth Fund
During 2018/20 and 2019/20, a suite of partnership projects were launched to tackle serious violence in Norfolk by preventing the exploitation of young people by criminal gangs.
In total, six project streams were developed by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, in collaboration with partners including Norfolk Constabulary and Norfolk County Council.
Funding for the projects was secured through a successful bid by the OPCCN supported by partners, to the Home Office’s Early Intervention Youth Fund in November, with Norfolk being awarded £700,000.
MACE team
The funding was used to bring together the Multi-Agency Sexual Exploitation (MASE) and Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE) teams to form the Multi-Agency Child Exploitation (MACE) team. The team’s work focuses on identifying those at risk of becoming subject to exploitation, and putting in place intervention and support for individuals, families and the wider community. Over the course of a 15-month pilot, the team will work to raise awareness of the threat of child exploitation, providing training and advice to frontline professionals on recognising the signs and understanding referral processes.
Detached youth workers
Specialist youth workers focus on building relationships with those vulnerable to exploitation in the Norwich area. The service, designed in partnership with Norfolk County Council engages with young people not known to other services. The youth workers link in with the MACE Team and Norfolk’s Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH), to help reduce risk to young people as well as identifying need and making referrals to wider support services.
Family support practitioners
Family support practitioners with specialist knowledge in relation to child criminal exploitation work alongside the MACE team. Their role focuses on whole family intervention, working with young people in Norwich who have been exploited and ensuring their families feel supported in keeping them safe.
SOS+ project
St Giles Trust brings its SOS+ project across Norfolk, delivering 120 preventative sessions to 8,600 school children across the county, with intensive 1-2-1 support for those deemed as at high risk. 40 awareness-raising sessions will be delivered to 2,100 Norfolk teachers, and 80 sessions reaching around 7,700 parents. Additional funding from the Norfolk PCC’s Hidden Victims Fund will enable this project to run for three years.
Pathways Out programme
The programme was co-designed by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Norfolk, Mancroft Advice Project (MAP) and the Norfolk Youth Offending Team (YOT). It delivers 1-2-1 mentoring to 40 young people aged 17 and under in Norwich who are identified as being vulnerable to criminal exploitation. Mentors work to build confidence and skills in the young people, providing positive educational and work experiences and raising ambitions, helping them onto an alternative path.
Capacity Building (third sector development)
This project, delivered by Momentum, aims to increase understanding and knowledge of child criminal exploitation (CCE) within the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector. By providing information and training to VCSE organisations, Momentum works to improve joint working and increase the county’s capacity to prevent CCE and support those affected.