Somerset knife crime inspection finds failings

Inspectors evaluated the effectiveness of the multi-agency response to children who are at risk

Work being done to prevent serious youth violence in Somerset is not good enough, according to inspectors.

Somerset Safeguarding Children Partnership, which is responsible for safeguarding children in the county, was scrutinised by a team of inspectors in May.

Inspectors said authorities were not working together and did not have a grasp on the extent of serious youth violence.

In response, the partnership said it had drawn up a multi-agency action plan, which included a staff training programme to identify and reduce the problem.

The safety partnership 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 Knife Angel sculpture - made of knives surrendered in a national knife amnesty - was on display in Taunton in April to raise awareness of knife crime

The joint inspection 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.

Their report said there had been a "false assumption" that tackling knife crime and county lines drug dealing did not need to be a priority in Somerset.

Exclusion rates 'very high'

The inspectors said authorities had been looking at crime data in isolation, and not properly talking to each other or looking at the bigger picture.

They also found staff at the main emergency departments at Musgrove Park in Taunton and at Yeovil Hospital needed to be more "professionally curious".

They said hospital staff should be asking questions of children injured in violent incidents and then sharing that information with social services and the police.

The rate of exclusions from school in Somerset was also criticised as being "very high".

The report said these children, and those with special needs, were more likely to be involved in serious violence.

Leanne Reynolds works with families and schools affected by knife crime in Somerset

Leanne Reynolds, who works with families and schools affected by knife crime in Somerset, said she was not surprised by the findings.

"This is a nationwide problem," she said, adding that where there is not collaboration and partnership working, "that's why we are having these failures".

She called on authorities to listen to young people on how they would solve the problem.

Adam Fouracre, who founded charity Stand Against Violence after his brother Lloyd was murdered aged 17 in Taunton in 2005, also said he was "not surprised" by the findings of the report.

"I have hesitations about whether the report will actually be listened to and the recommendations actioned in an effective and swift manner," Mr Fouracre said.

'Some positive work'

The inspectors did find some good practices, but said too often that was dependent on individual police officers or police community support officers (PCSOs), teachers or charities.

Positive work included a programme to prevent children who are at greater risk of carrying weapons from being excluded from school.

Inspectors also said the out-of-hours emergency response by social workers, health and the police was good.

The bodies were given until the end of October to prepare a written statement of action and submit that to Ofsted.

It was meant to show which agencies were going to take what steps to improve partnership working to keep children safe.

The BBC was told this statement of action was not currently in the public domain.

'Action plan' created

The Somerset Safeguarding Children Partnership said it had created a multi-agency action plan and, in November, held a conference on serious youth violence attended by 240 people.

A serious youth violence training programme has been launched to support staff working with children and families to understand the signs of serious youth violence and how they can reduce the risks, it added.

The partnership said it had also looked at its own governance structure to improve how information is shared, and this will be monitored by senior leaders to make sure the changes are being delivered.