Safeguarding Children and Young People who may be affected by Gang Activity
Consultation Document
The Government is committed to publishing good practice guidance for agencies on safeguarding children and young people affected by gang activity. The guidance is supplementary to, and should be used in conjunction with, the Government’s statutory guidance Working Together to Safeguard Children (2006). This supplementary guidance is intended to help agencies and professionals ensure that the safeguarding process responds effectively to the needs of children and young people who are at risk of gang-related violence and harm.
Title: Safeguarding Children and Young People who may be affected by Gang Activity
Author: Department of Children , Schools and Families (DCSF)
Number of pages: 44
Date published: March 2008
Availability: View on DCSF website
Safeguarding Children and Young People Who May be Affected By Gang Activity has been developed as new good practice guidance that will support agencies and professionals to ensure that the safeguarding process responds effectively to the needs of children and young people who are at risk of gang-related violence and harm.
The new guidance, developed in partnership with the Home Office, the police and local authorities focuses on those young people on the periphery of becoming involved with street gangs and those young people already involved in some way.
The role of safeguarding and child protection in relation to gangs should be preventative and responsive – responding to the needs of those young people who are involved in gangs and at risk of harm as well as addressing the risk factors of other young people being drawn into gangs in the future.
The guidance addresses the problem of gang involvement as a multi-agency issue that is absolutely crucial for all local agencies to adopt. Partnership working and information-sharing is crucial to safeguarding young people at risk of gang-related harm and helping them achieve better outcomes.
The guidance examines the following issues
- Identification and risk factors
- Assessment and referral
- Support and interventions
- The role of the Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB)
- Other agencies'roles and responsibilities
Getting a copy
View Safeguarding Children and Young People who may be affected by Gang Activity on the DCSF website.
Last update: Thursday, March 19, 2009