Progress on youth violence issues 'inconsistent'
PAWork being done to prevent serious youth violence in Somerset is progressing "inconsistently", according to a report.
Inspectors who looked at the Somerset Safeguarding Children Partnership (SSCP) last year said authorities were not working together and did not have a grasp on the extent of serious youth violence, including knife crime.
As a result, an action plan was submitted to government inspectors in October but a recent Somerset Council report on progress towards this plan said there were delays to some areas of work.
SSCP said concerns were being addressed and it "acknowledged the need for further improvements".
The original inspection found there had been a "false assumption" that tackling knife crime and county lines drug dealing did not need to be a priority in Somerset.
SSCP is made up of Avon and Somerset Police, Somerset Council, NHS Somerset, the area's police and crime commissioner and the Youth Offending Service
The joint inspection in May last year by Ofsted, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Probation (HMICP) looked at the work being done by the various agencies.
They found children were being "left at risk of significant harm" because of "ineffective partnership working" and a failure to grasp the reality of the problem.
A recent report monitoring progress against the action plan said it had been "inconsistent with some areas developing well in line with anticipated timelines and others not".
"Key concerns have related to the development of an agreed serious youth framework and simplified and more effective governance structures," it said.
'Concerns being addressed'
A joint statement on behalf of SSCP said: "Somerset Council and its partners welcome the report recognising the progress in staff training, the success of the Serious Youth Violence Conference, and the establishment of the Voice of the Child programme by Avon & Somerset Police.
"Concerns from the inspection about the lack of clear arrangements to ensure children's voices are at the heart of community safety and safeguarding are being addressed."
It also said new structures to "identify and address risks of serious youth violence at an earlier stage" were being developed.
"We acknowledge the need for further improvements and are testing new operational structures to address serious youth violence earlier, with children's and community voices central to our approach," the statement said.
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