Question:

The warmer weather and lighter evenings have brought about, predictably, some instances of anti-social behaviour from young people in the Borough. I am particularly aware of a minority of the young people using the Emmbrook and Joel Park areas for enjoyment; engaging in nuisance behaviour, littering and underage drinking. This is causing distress, annoyance and intimidation to residents of the area. A more visible police presence in the area would of course go some way to deter this kind of behaviour, but my question is regarding youth provisions. Teenagers who have nothing to do will often take part in nuisance behaviour, which can lead to these children being put at risk of injury and exploitation from criminals. How does the Council intend to expand the provision of these services in a manner which is guided by the service users and youth workers and is free at the point of use?

Question

The warmer weather and lighter evenings have brought about, predictably, some instances of anti-social behaviour from young people in the Borough. I am particularly aware of a minority of the young people using the Emmbrook and Joel Park areas for enjoyment; engaging in nuisance behaviour, littering and underage drinking. This is causing distress, annoyance and intimidation to residents of the area. A more visible police presence in the area would of course go some way to deter this kind of behaviour, but my question is regarding youth provisions. Teenagers who have nothing to do will often take part in nuisance behaviour which can lead to these children being put at risk of injury and exploitation from criminals. How does the Council intend to expand the provision of these services in a manner which is guided by the service users and youth workers and is free at the point of use?

Answer

We are proud of the vast majority of our young people who behave respectfully. In addition to our overall educational, sport, leisure and cultural activities, we have a number of initiatives to divert the small number that indulge or are tempted to take part in anti-social behaviours that harm or lack consideration for the wellbeing of others.

Early Help provision

Targeted 1:1 and family interventions to teenagers through their Early Help provision. Access to this is determined via Early Help assessment and/step-down from social care and engagement is voluntary in nature. They are also involved in the delivery of the Duke of Edinburgh Explorers Extreme programmes, which offer participants to opportunity to engage in constructive and positive activities and develop key life skills.

KICKS project

The KICKS project aims to create safer, stronger, more respectful communities through the development of young people.

Funded through our Community Safety Partnership and run by Reading Football Club; the aim of the work is to engage hard to reach young people aged 11-19 years, all sessions are free. By giving young people information, raise participant’s awareness about how to keep themselves safe within the community and try to help them make informed choices now and later in life.

Sessions are mainly football based and participant numbers for the latest quarter were:

·         The project worked with 324 participants,

·         134 sessions were delivered across the Borough

·         totalling 234.5 hours of work with young people

·         On average, each group reaches 31 young people.

·         The majority of young people engaged were male; 290, 34 were female, 44 of which were from BME communities.

Youth Mentoring

Our Community Engagement Team mentors 15 young people a year between the ages of 11-18 who have been referred via the Early Help Hub. In addition, our Junior Warden programme continues to be a success with the Borough. The work of the Junior Wardens has included intergenerational project work with local sheltered housing residents, visiting PCSOs and litter picks.

Positive Pathways Project

Delivered to 5 Wokingham schools to work with students in Years 6, 7 and 8 where children may be involved or at a higher risk of offending and risky behaviours. Schools provide baseline behaviour and the success is measured during and at the end of the project, behaviours will be measured at intervals and up to 12 months after completion with students scoring themselves. Schools refer children to the programme and only those children who will positively engage with the project are accepted.

Community Safety Partnership anti-social behaviour problem solving

The Council monitors anti-social behaviour activity through its Community Safety Partnership activities, including a specific partnership group related to problem solving local issues such as direct engagement with young people and raising awareness of local activities to encourage more positive behaviours.

Youth Offending Service (YOS)

Works with teenagers who have committed criminal offences aimed at reducing offending, however support is also offered to those who are at risk of offending. YOS have also been involved in delivering programmes aimed at reducing violence/offending to larger groups of children in school settings.

Exploited and Missing Risk Assessment Conference

The Council also chair and administer a multi-agency forum known as EMRAC (Exploited and Missing Risk Assessment Conference). The aim of this meeting is to ensure that young people who are at risk of exploitation or who are frequently missing are cited; and that multi-agency safeguarding plans are developed at a strategic level that reduce risk for both the individual and the wider youth population of Wokingham. Whilst this is a targeted provision, meaning that referrals received via Social Care and the police, it does have a broader safeguarding agenda that benefits all young people in the Borough.