During 2020/21 Leaders Unlocked worked with the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) to develop a Cleveland Youth Commission model.
The Youth Commission is a structured system for enabling young people aged 14 to 25 to shape future policing and crime prevention in their areas.
Young people work in partnership with their Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) and police forces.
Five priorities
The Youth Commission established a set of five priorities defined by the members as the following:
- Hate Crime and Online Crime
- Drugs and Alcohol Issues
- Young People and their Relationship with the Police
- Youth Activates and Preventing Offending
- Mental Health Awareness
Through engagement over 1200 young people gave their views on the priority themes as part of the ‘Big Conversation’. The results then formed a report with recommendations. This was presented to the OPCC.
During 2021/22, the Youth Commission project will be developed across a number of key areas.
This will be part of the establishment of a sustainable, structured system for young people aged 14 to 25 to influence decisions about policing and crime in Cleveland.
The Youth Commission will work with the OPCC, Cleveland Police and community safety partners to take forward the recommendations of the ‘Big Conversation‘ report.
Continued engagement and involvement of the wider population of young people across Cleveland will be a key element of this work which will culminate with a conference to showcase progress made against implementing the ‘Big Conversation’ recommendations.
Through this work, specific projects will be developed and undertaken by Youth Commission members, eg. Mental Health Awareness.
A local Youth Independent Advisory Group (IAGs) model will be developed through the use of Youth Commission members.
This will be via a strategic group providing advice and guidance to Cleveland Police on operational policy, strategy and inputting young people’s community safety concerns to ensure the voice of young people is reflected in local policing.
Youth Commission members will be used in a forum to develop an Independent Youth Ethics Scrutiny model.
The forum will discuss ethical dilemmas and provide advice to Cleveland Police. Members of the forum will act as ‘critical friends’ to the Force.
Decision 2021-00270486 – Youth Commission Funding 2021/22 (application, 197kB)