Schools, police and local agencies are being encouraged by the government to sign up to Safer School Partnerships and work more closely together to keep schools and pupils safe and reduce anti-social behaviour.
As part of the Youth Crime Action Plan, published in July this year, the Government committed to making Safer School Partnerships (SSP’s) the norm rather than the exception in schools. To give local areas help and information about safer school partnerships the Department will be holding a series of conferences which continue in the New Year. So far 5000 schools have signed up to SSP.
For Safer School Partnerships to work and successfully embed in schools the government is trying to get everyone to be signed up to them – Government, Police, Local Authority children’s services, school heads and the school governing bodies all working in partnership.
Safer School Partnerships are a structured way for schools and police to work with one another, and with other local partners. They may involve having a police officer based in a school or police working with groups of schools. They help engage young people, keep schools safe and reduce anti-social behaviour in the wider community. They also help to nurture a better relationship between young people and the police.
Evaluations have shown that SSP’s are proving effective in improving behaviour and attendance, and they can really help reduce the risk of pupils getting drawn into crime or antisocial behaviour either as perpetrators or victims. There are many benefits to SSP’s they can:
• Help improve behaviour of pupils on journeys to and from school and around the school site, thereby making everyone in the school community feel safe;
• build positive relationships between pupils and the police;
• improve community relations generally within the school and wider local community;
• and support the school in preventing and tackling bullying, racism including violent extremism, weapons, illegal drugs and gang culture.
The government claims that SSPs encourage greater confidence in the police by making them more visible and accessible and provide young people with a valuable role model.
Delegates attending the conferences include head teachers, police, local authority staff, members of the youth workforce, key third sector organisations such as Children’s Society and National Children’s Bureau; and trade union representatives. As well as promoting the benefits of SSP’s, the conferences provide delegates with an opportunity to share experiences of work to keep children safe whilst at school and identify what specific strategies may be needed to address any local concerns around gangs or knife crime for example.
The conferences will highlight that the SSP model is a flexible one with local areas deciding what works best for their circumstances. It will also highlight the benefits of SSP’s and provide support so that schools can see positive results in areas such as:
o young people and police officers engaging in a positive atmosphere
o disengaged young people being identified and supported
o early crime prevention
o improved behaviour and attendance
o better control of pupils travelling to and from school
o improved community relations
o better information sharing between partners
Conference venues
14 January, Bristol, Marriott City Centre.
21 January, Manchester, Midland Hotel.
28 January, Newcastle, Marriott Gosforth Park.
6 February, Leeds, Royal Armouries.
10 February, Birmingham, St John’s Hotel, Solihull.
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