Minutes of Burngreave Area Panel 19 March 2008

 

 

 

Present:          Councillors Jackie Drayton (Chair), Ibrar Hussain and Steve Jones.

           

Representatives of Panel Partners:-

Superintendent Andy Barrs  )          

Inspector Adrian McWalter   )           South Yorkshire Police

                                   

John Clark      )          

Ronnie Lewin )           Burngreave New Deal for Communities

Jon Cowley    )          

                                   

John Evans    )          

David Gault    )          

Vernon Collymore  )           Sheffield Futures

Clare Turner          )          

Leroy Whenham    )          

                                   

Andy Peaden )          

Ronny Tucker )           Youth Offending Service

Wayne Hoyle )          

                                   

City Council Officers:-                      

Liz Cook         -           Lead Manager

Andy Shallice -           Area-Co-ordinator

Marilyn King   -           Area Action Officer

                                   

Paul Makin     )          

Julie Tasker   )           Children and Young People’s Directorate

                                   

Mark Jackson            -           Development Services

John Challenger        -           Committee Secretariat

                                   

There were approximately 42 local residents and representatives from local community groups in attendance.

           

……………..

                        Action

The Chair of the Panel (Councillor Jackie Drayton) referred to the decision of the Area Panel at its meeting on 22nd November, 2007 requesting that a meeting of the Panel be held in two to three months’ time to consider the progress made on reducing gang activity in Sheffield.  She indicated that a multi-agency group had been engaged in working on a Gang Prevention Strategy and she introduced Andy Peaden, Youth Offending Service Manager, to provide a presentation to the Panel on the Strategy and its implications for Burngreave.  

Andy Peaden, Youth Offending Service, advised the Panel that the Gang Prevention Strategy was being developed to cover the whole city and was based upon a three tiered approach in response to public concerns about young in gang culture and criminal activity as evidenced by the Sheffield City Soldiers website which promoted such a culture amongst young people. He indicated that Sheffield’s problems were not as great as those experienced in other Core Cities such as Manchester or Nottingham and the agencies involved in this issue were working to assist communities in resisting any increase in this sort of  culture.  

                        The three tiered approach included:-         

                       

·           Tier 1 – Anti-Social Youth Groups – where a young person was targeted due to their participation in anti-social behaviour within local communities and groups of local young people adopting a gang-type culture. These young people were targeted through schools, service districts and local community crime prevention teams.    

                       

·           Tier 2 – The targeting of young people who had links to offending and the available intelligence indicated that they were associated with known gang members.  These young people were identified and supported through police intelligence, the Youth Offending Service, youth service, safer neighbourhood areas and schools. 

                       

·           Tier 3 – Action taken against high profile gang members.  These individuals were targeted through the South Yorkshire Police under the Priority Prolific Offenders Programme.        

                       

Mr. Peaden advised the Panel that a Central Multi-Agency Team had identified a caseload of approximately 50 to 60 young people in the Burngreave area who were felt to be at risk, in order to divert them from future involvement in gang activity.  It was envisaged that the Team would support a range of initiatives within the local area in relation to educational and diversionary programmes with respect to local young people.  A Local Action Plan would include a range of activities from different agencies operating in the Burngreave area and this Plan was being co-ordinated by Julie Tasker of the Council’s Children and Young People’s Directorate.  The city-wide Gang Prevention Team would support the Local Area Plan which would seek to:-           

                       

·           Develop interventions which could be shared in schools

·           Develop a programme of support to parents        

·           Support the provision of a local mentoring programme  

·           Deliver Point 7 (gun and knife awareness) and provide conflict programmes for approximately 600 young people in the Burngreave area        

·           Develop and deliver an accredited amateur boxing scheme     

·           Support community engagement through the use of local volunteers    

                       

Mr. Peaden advised the Panel that the Gang Prevention Team had been established through the Youth Justice Board’s guidance on effective practice for youth crime prevention work and was led by Ronnie Tucker of the Youth Offending Service supported by a Police Inspector and other representatives from the Youth Offending Service and Sheffield Futures.  A sum of money was available to support local, youth crime prevention activities in the Burngreave area and the Team wished to establish a process whereby representatives of local communities could be engaged in deciding upon where investment should be made, for example, supporting mentoring programmes for disaffected young people.          

Members of the public raised questions and made comments and the following responses were provided:-           

                       

·           There were a range of facilities that the Youth Offending Service provided for parents to assist them with vulnerable young people as it was felt that the role of parents was crucial in preventing children becoming involved in anti-social behaviour and ultimately, criminal activity.  Voluntary programmes were organised as well as the implementation of Parenting Contracts and Parenting Orders.  Fourteen/Fifteen Parenting Orders were implemented in 2007 and, although parents reluctantly participated in these programmes, once they were engaged, almost all of them had indicated how supportive the whole programme had been.  

                       

·           In the experience of the Police, groups of young people were organised in a number of ways ranging from organised criminal gangs, dealing in drugs, to young people hanging around on street corners which was sometimes an innocent activity but had the potential to cause concern amongst local people.  The gang culture was not exclusively about drugs but the need for young people to belong to an identifiable culture which, they felt, gave them some sort of kudos or protection.  Some children also felt that they were not sufficiently protected by teachers or the Police and, therefore, they had decided to carry weapons.            

                       

·           Gangs had existed over the years in different forms and the present phase had arisen through a multitude of issues for which there were a multiplicity of answers and the challenge was to engage with young people to make them feel part of the community and encourage them to engage with community events. 

                       

·           Sheffield had emerging problems which were more developed in other cities and these problems would be addressed by the Youth Offending Service which had a range of  experience in engaging with families and offering support in terms of parenting.         

                       

·           The Youth Offending Service worked with the voluntary sector on activities designed to prevent anti-social behaviour or crime and schools were also a focus for dealing with these issues.  It was important that local people became involved in staging local events for vulnerable young people and the Burngreave Local Action Plan had recognised this as well as the need to educate and engage with young people but supported by the strict enforcement the law where appropriate.      

The Chair of the Panel suggested that there was a need to involve local people and local organisations in the work of the Burngreave Local Action Plan Team in order to identify the funding needs of the Burngreave area.           

The Panel noted the progress made on the Gang Prevention Strategy for the City and its implications for the Burngreave area.     

                       

The Chair of the Panel referred to a request made by the Panel at a previous meeting for the submission of information on the youth provision in the Burngreave area, how the strict monitoring of exclusions was being implemented, particularly amongst the black and minority ethnic community, support for parents and excluded children, monitoring of non-attendance at school, joint working between Activity Sheffield and Sheffield Futures and other providers, building on work that “Streetworx” were undertaking in the area. She added that the Panel had also required further information on the action being taken to counteract adverse publicity following the death of Jonathan Matondo and other incidents in the area by highlighting the positive activities that young people were undertaking in Burngreave, improve play facilities for young people and increase the police presence in the area, particularly Police and Community Safety Officers.        

As requested by the Panel, the following presentations were made :-  

                       

Exclusions, Non-Attendance and Support for the most Vulnerable Children    

Paul Makin, Acting Executive Director, Children and Young People, informed the Panel that closer relationships had been established between the South Yorkshire Police, Youth Offending Service, Activity Sheffield and the Children and Young People’s Directorate which provided a more co-ordinated approach to exclusion, non-attendance and support for vulnerable young people.  Specific action had included:-           

                       

·           The funding of an exclusion officer in Burngreave dealing with exclusions within the black and minority ethnic community     

·           £20,000 to support inclusion for Service Districts           

·           Funding of £32,000 to Cellar Space to assist vulnerable children in a safe learning environment    

·           The provision of six Advocacy Workers in schools who would seek to  families in need of support  

·           Additional resources to fund programmes at All Saints School particularly for those at risk of exclusion.      

                       

Sheffield Futures      

John Evans, Chief Executive, Sheffield Futures, outlined the activities which had been provided for young people since the meeting of the Panel in November, 2007 and he drew the attention of the Panel to the attendance at the meeting of representatives of the Youth Council and “Streetworx” Team.  He specifically mentioned the following activities:-

                       

·           The participation of the Youth Council in the “Not In My Yard” Youth Conference which had been held on 15th March in opposition to gun and knife crime, the “Burngreave Bouncing Back” march which provided an opportunity to provide leadership to the peers of those people on the Youth Council in opposing violence and the “Exclusion from School” Youth Campaign.          

                       

·           The Hope Project which was funded through the Business Opportunities Fund and provided an opportunity for six young people to engage in a training programme covering sport and leisure projects.   

                       

·           The availability of the Pitsmoor Adventure Playground to 8 to 16 year olds as well as 16 to 19 year olds and the extension of the Playground’s opening hours.        

                       

·           The Stand Tall Project which supported young people in their personal and social development through a programme of athletics provision.         

                       

·           The Guns and Knives Take Lives Event which had been supported by the South Yorkshire Police and held as part of the Lifewise Project at the Magna Centre.          

                       

·           An enhanced programme of school holiday activities during the February half term and Easter holidays.        

                       

·           Environmental improvements at Nottingham Cliffe Park which had been supervised by the Green City Action Team and had involved young people in enhancing the landscaping of the Park.       

·           A Sheffield Futures bid for resources to assist in the development of a Mentoring Team and support for those at risk from exclusion.      

                       

Katie Ann Rutty, a Youth Council representative, advised the Panel of the work that was being carried out by a group of young people in connection with offering advice on exclusion and an office had now been opened on Verdon Street which would specifically provide confidential advice to young people on this issue and other issues affecting young people.       

                       

Activity Sheffield       

Paul Billington, Activity Sheffield, advised the Panel of the activities that were being provided by that organisation for young people which included an increase in the provision of sports, arts, play activities for young people aged eight to 13 across the City, which equated to one and a half hours additional activity for every child in Burngreave.  He referred to the imminent launch of a new revenue grant support scheme for voluntary and community organisations which would commence in April, 2008 as well as the provision of capital grants which would commence in May. The revenue grants scheme provided grants up to £3,000 and the new capital grants scheme provided capital grants of up to £10, 000 During the period May to August, 2008, there would be a range of extended summer activities and, from September, area-based programmes would be available to young people across the City, free of charge, in an attempt to engage young people in pursuing together structured, sporting, cultural play activities in the evening, week-ends and during holiday periods.  It was hoped that such a programme would engage adults and young people within and between families and that the voluntary and community sector would play a central role in commissioning activities.           

He indicated that Burngreave would benefit greatly from the proposed programme of activities and that Activity Sheffield had commenced closer, collaborative working with Sheffield Futures on projects for young people such as the Pitsmoor Adventure Playground and was seeking to extend the age range with whom Activity Sheffield engaged with.     

Funding support, through the Big Lottery,  had provided the opportunity to improve play facilities in the area, such as the Pitsmoor Adventure Playground the future of which had now been secured and in which, capital investment would be intensified.  Activity Sheffield was also talking to Pye Bank School concerning the use of play facilities available at the school, including the possibility of increasing community access to such facilities.        

He also referred to the Active Burngreave Programme which was coming to the end of its funding and that Activity Sheffield had extended the contract of staff for one month in order to allow the Programme to continue whilst bids from external funders were being considered.  A decision on funding would be made in the near future. 

                       

The role of the South Yorkshire Police      

Superintendent Andy Barrs referred to the dramatic effect that the death of Jonathan Matondo had had on young people in the area.  He suggested that the circumstances surrounding Jonathan Matondo’s death were not a single agency issue and the questions that incidents of this nature posed needed to be confronted by all agencies, the local community, friends of the deceased and churches and voluntary and community organisations in the area.  He suggested violent crime was an issue for all.    

The South Yorkshire Police had supported the Youth Offending Service in identifying those young people at risk of involvement with gangs particularly those where effective interventions could be made, including the education of parents.  He referred to a list of approximately 40  young people across the City, including some resident in Burngreave, who were classed as being at risk and he stressed that the Police wished to involve the voluntary sector more in engaging with these young people and parents.  This, on occasion,  had proved to be difficult as some of the time, the Police could not pass on confidential information to the voluntary sector.  The Police and other agencies would seek to continue to engage with young people initially but should young people break the law then the enforcement of the law and the issue of sanctions, through such measures as Anti-Social Behaviour Orders or Acceptable Behaviour Contracts would be pursued.           

The Sheffield First 0-19 Partnership had supported the staging of the Point Seven initiative at the Magna Centre which presented a number of scenarios concerning the use of knives and guns and was aimed at Year 11 males who had been identified as being vulnerable to involvement with weapons. Work was also being undertaken to impress upon young people the potential negative outcomes of carrying weapons, including face to face discussions with prisoners serving long sentences for involvement in violent crime.  A number of new Police and Community Safety Officers were being trained whose role it would be to engage with young people in junior and secondary schools in the Burngreave area.    

Superintendent Barrs went on to provide the Panel with information which provided an overview of the level of crime in the Burngreave area which showed that 2.8% of overall crime in the City was committed in Burngreave.  He specifically referred to two gangs in the area namely, the S3 and S4 gangs, whose members were connected with armed criminality and that, prior to Jonathan Matondo’s death, 41 shootings had occurred between the S3 and S4 gangs.      

The Police had been supported in their campaign against violent crime by community intelligence which had resulted in a number of firearms being surrendered to the Police.  In addition, the Police had recovered approximately £1.8m worth of heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine and ecstasy, resulting in numerous arrests for the possession of firearms and drugs.  Recently, the Police had arrested four members of one of the gangs for the possession of a firearm who had been duly charged, but he stressed that this sort of positive action could only succeed with the co-operation of the community and appealed for help and information in fighting the threat of violent crime.  He added that any witnesses who were prepared to provide evidence to the Police could be supported in giving evidence through, for example, alternative identification at Court proceedings, if required or requested.      

Members of the public raised questions and made comments, and the following responses were provided:-           

                       

·           Activity Sheffield was trying to be as inclusive as possible in terms of accepting registrations of interest from voluntary organisations for the  Activities Programme for 8 to 13 year olds. However, if organisations missed the deadline for submitting registrations of interests there would be further opportunities for voluntary organisations to be included in the Programme as the Programme had a lifespan of three years.           

                       

·           There was close collaboration between local Headteachers and engagement with vulnerable young people, particularly those either excluded or at risk of being excluded, and the creation of a working protocol on exclusion and equity which covered the transfer of such young people between schools.  A clear understanding had been reached in Sheffield between the Local Authority and School Academies that any school should not exclude a young person in an unwarranted or unjustified manner. 

                       

·           There was a commitment by the Parkwood Academy to inclusivity and accountability with the aim of maximising opportunities for young people.         

                       

·           It was hoped that the Pitsmoor Adventure Playground could provide a facility which was central to intervention strategies relating to disengaged young people.    

                       

·           Police Officers and Police and Community Safety Officers were attempting to be visible in the community and active in schools in engaging young people, but there was a balance to be struck between the Police’s work on crime and the “softer” side of police work. Work  was being undertaken in Burngreave with the voluntary sector on a Gang Intervention Strategy but it was recognised that there was more to do in engaging with young people.          

                       

·           In circumstances where there was a problem with young people causing distress to older people through their behaviour, then members of the public could contact the Single Non-Emergency Number (101).  Any such calls would be looked into and the Anti-Social Behaviour Response Team in Burngreave would invoke sanctions against parents, if necessary,  in scenarios where they were unable to control their children.           

                       

·           Sources of conflict between young people and older people were in danger of causing mistrust and generational barriers needed to be broken down to regain trust and this could be facilitated by inter-generational events.  Sometimes, young people did not always realise the impact that they could have on older people in terms of their behaviour.   

                       

·           Sheffield Futures had worked with young people on team building exercises, encouraging them to learn new skills, including life skills to make a successful transition into adulthood and which would support individuals in terms of their emotional health.  Youth workers would working on a one-to-one basis with young people and organisations such as Youth Councils and the Scouts, could all play a part in supporting young people in the pursuit of positive activities and an enriched lifestyle.      

                       

·           The Pitsmoor Adventure Playground was valued as an important element in providing facilities for young people and the maintenance of staffing levels at the playground was very important but a realistic view needed to be taken of the resources which could be invested in the Playground.  There were no plans at all to wind down the Playground or move it or reduce staffing levels.  Activity Sheffield were seeking external resources to fund further improvement work at the Playground  

                       

The following comments were also made:-           

                       

·           Local schools had made great improvements in the way they dealt with those children at risk of being excluded and there was a need to provide intensive support to these children and to find out more about what led to exclusion.  Therefore, schools and other agencies needed to discuss more practical interventions. 

                       

·           Young people were not necessarily informed about the opportunities that were available through the New Deal for Communities in terms of training and there was a need to review how action might be taken to reach out to young people to inform them of links into training and employment.         

                       

·           Local schools worked closely with Sheffield Futures and Activity Sheffield to provide young people with facilities in and out of school hours and early interventions with students need to be used positively in order to make inroads into the mind sets and sometimes, negative thoughts of young people.  Schools were exercising a commitment to those school children who were excluded in keeping them involved with education as far as possible.         

                       

·           It was now timely to examine the support of excluded young people and this should include the type of support that Parkwood and Fir Vale Schools were providing to those young people who had been excluded for a five day period.

                       

The Area Panel (a) noted the information reported as part of the presentations and the responses to the questions and comments made; and        

(b) thanked Andy Peadon, Paul Makin, John Evans, Superintendent Andy Barrs and Paul Billington for the presentations now made.    

                       

The Chair referred to the Burngreave Bounces Back march which had been organised by "Churches Together" and held on Saturday, 15th March, 2008.  The aim of the march was to promote community pride in the Burngreave area as an attractive place to live where the local community still felt relatively free from crime, and to exhort a small minority within the community to move away from violence and drug-related crime, whilst at the same time supporting the vast majority of law-abiding young people in not being attracted into this type of criminal activity.     

She described how the march had visited the site of the deaths of Younis Khan and Jonathan Matondo in remembrance of their lives and then marched into the City Centre.      

Pastor Andrew Rashford-Hewitt, 7th Day Adventist Church, had played a major part in organising the march and held the view that the event was part of a wider, community inspired programme of activity which would encourage young and older adults to act as role models for young men and as well as encouraging mothers to become involved in the Mothers Against Crime Support Group.       

Vernon Collymore, Sheffield Futures, indicated that the march was well attended and that, as it made its way through the Burngreave area, it was obvious that the message behind the march had touched more people than those simply taking part.         

Yvonne Hayes, Churches Together, advised the Panel that many representatives of the local Churches and other faith groups in the community had participated in the march as a demonstration of local pride and caring local people’s wish to see it remain relatively peaceful. The march was also a means of  expressing the community’s regret at the  deaths of Younis Khan and Jonathan Matondo as well as expressing their condolences to the two affected families who were still grieving.          

The Panel noted the information reported concerning the "Burngreave Bounces Back" march.       

                       

The Area Co-ordinator provided information on (a) the work being undertaken by the Parks and Countryside Service, in partnership with Streetworx and Green City Action to implement a range of improvements at the Nottingham Cliffe Recreation Ground which included enhanced landscaping (cutting down overgrown shrubs, planting new shrubs etc.), improvements to communal lighting and the refurbishment of fencing and railings and (b) the co-ordination of a proposed Summer Sports Tournament to be organised by Football Unites, Racism Divides (FURD), in partnership with Streetworx, Activity Sheffield, the 7th Day Adventist Church and the Burngreave Community Action Forum.           

The Panel noted the information reported.

                       

Members of the public raised a number of questions and the following responses were provided:- 

·           A new Revenue Grants Scheme would be available in the near future, under which grants of up to £3,000 would be available to voluntary youth groups to fund equipment and sessional youth workers and that, under the area-based Activity Programme, opportunities could be explored for fixed-term staff for those groups wishing to provide recreational facilities for young people.  Funding under the "Grassroots" Scheme of up to £25,000 was also available for access by local voluntary/community groups.

                       

·           The City Council were able to provide interim funding of up to £5,000 to support voluntary groups in any period when the direct funding of such groups from external sources had ceased.  This interim funding could be utilised until such time as permanent funding requirements had been re-assessed.  It was acknowledged, however, that this sort of funding needed to be highlighted and promoted more effectively throughout the Burngreave area.    

                       

·           The Panel was unaware of any proposals by the Post Office to close the Ellesmere Post Office under that organisation's rationalisation programme.    

                       

The Panel agreed that (a) John Clarke and Paul Billington should explore and report back to the Panel on the funding opportunities that were available to support voluntary/community organisations in interim periods when external funding sources had ceased, until new resources could be identified; and (b) Councillor Steve Jones should take up the issue now raised concerning the future of the Ellesmere Post Office.        John Clarke/Paul BillingtonCouncillor Steve Jones

                       

Superintendent Andy Barrs drew the attention of the Panel to the need for increased attendance at the Neighbourhood Action Groups of Governors of some of the schools in the Burngreave area.          

The Panel noted this request.         

                       

The minutes of the meeting of the Area Panel held on 20th February, 2008, were approved as a correct record.           

                       

The Area Panel received the Rolling Action Checklist from meetings held up to 20th February, 2008, and, in addition to the issues listed, it was reported that there were also problems of graffiti at the bottom of Rock Street/Pye Bank Road.       

The Area Panel (a) noted the contents of the Checklist together with the additional information now reported and (b) agreed that (i) the Area Co-ordinator be requested to liaise with Environmental Officers to continue to seek a solution to the untidy state of the area near the shops at Ellesmere Green including the provision of a suitable bin store and (ii) the Head of Streetscene be requested to investigate the allegations now made regarding graffiti at the bottom of Rock Street/Pye Bank Road. Andy ShalliceHead of Streetscene

                       

It was noted that the next meeting of the Area Panel would be held on Wednesday, 21st May, 2008, from 6.00 p.m. to 8.00 p.m. at the Cornerstone Building, Grimesthorpe Road/Carwood Road.