Community safety services fund 2020/21

NYFRS LIFE Course

£ 20,000 – Countywide

The LIFE project is delivered by North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (NYFRS) operational staff, operating from within community fire stations throughout the county, to address the problems of young people who deliberately set fires, make hoax 999 calls, and other associated antisocial behaviour.

The programme is targeted at young people, aged between 12 and 19, who have offended, or are at risk of offending due to peer pressure, or those that may have been the victims of crime. One of its aims is to prevent young people from becoming young offenders or reoffending by providing an intensive five-day work experience in a tightly structured and focused team environment. Each student is given personal responsibility for the management and maintenance of the fire engine, firefighting equipment, the fire station, and their own personal protective equipment.

The course is specially designed to challenge and change the attitude and behaviour of the young people by getting them to: –

• Adopt a new set of values
• Gain self-esteem and self-confidence communicate better and consequently achieve self-empowerment and self-respect.
• Address the consequences of their antisocial behaviour.
• Work co-operatively with others such as the police.

Funding will enable a further year’s delivery, ensuring targeted referrals from Community Safety Hubs and onward support from other agencies as appropriate.

 York Youth Justice Service – NSPCC Train the Trainer for Harmful Sexual Behaviour project

£2,000 awarded

The Youth Justice Service (YJS) have recently led on creation of  a wider Harmful Sexual Behaviour policy.  York YJS facilitate the AIM 3 assessment (high level work for young people committing serious HSB) and have highlighted a gap in lower level intervention work.

YJS are working alongside the NSPCC and funding will enable staff to be trained in the NSPCC Train the Trainer course in lower level HSB and an intervention. The aim is to deliver this pilot training to other professionals to ensure that the City of York has a sustainable and consistent approach toward preventative HSB work.  York YJS will also ensure Victim Liaison officer is trained in the delivery to ensure that victims are at the forefront when delivering the training.

York YJS will work with the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner and partners as appropriate to ensure appropriate learning, feedback and rollout of this training across the county.

Sudden incorporating National Road Victims Service (NRVS) for North Yorkshire

£20,000 awarded – Brake – Countywide

Sudden aims to relieve acute and grave suffering of people suddenly bereaved by any unexpected cause, including COVID-19, other unexpected rapid illnesses, and events including suicide and workplace/outdoor deaths.

Brake and its National Road Victim Service aims to relieve the suffering of people suddenly bereaved by road crashes.

Brake will link with Supporting Victims Service in North Yorkshire and North Yorkshire Police to ensure a joined up approach to supporting victims in North Yorkshire, through the delivery of a 12-month pilot project, providing case management provision, immediate and early intervention care to victims of both road death and deaths from other unexpected, shocking causes, inclusive of COVID-19.

Through a referral route from North Yorkshire hospitals, GPs, and police, Brake will provide immediate (from day one onwards) care for the most vulnerable, suddenly-bereaved families, including those facing isolation and illness.

Mediation and Anger Management Service

£20,000 awarded – Arch Resolution (Mediation) – Countywide

The Mediation Service delivers Community Mediation and Family Mediation services, to provide Community Safety Partnerships and wider referral agencies such as Supporting Victims, with a service that supports the resolution of disputes identified under the categories of Anti Social Behaviour, Boundary Disputes, Verbal Abuse and Communication.

The Anger Management Service aims to provide the Community Safety Hubs with a service that supports their objectives, sees an improvement in the referred clients’ behaviours as defined by the Community Safety Referral Matrix and impacts positively on the community. For all referrals, the provider will offer the delivery of an Anger Management service that:

• Helps the client(s) recognise/identify what makes them angry (triggers or catalysts for anger)
• Enables the client(s) to best respond to these triggers without being aggressive
• Enables the client(s) to learn skills/techniques to help manage triggers for anger effectively
• Helps the client(s) learn how to be assertive
• Helps the client(s) develop/learn problem solving techniques.
• Anger Management can be used as an effective approach to dealing with antisocial behaviour. It enables people to understand the impact of their behaviour on others.

Making Every Adult Matter (MEAM)

£20,000 awarded – Changing Lives – Countywide

The MEAM programme in York is highly regarded and works intensively with a cohort of 37 individuals who experience multiple disadvantages.

Caseloads for MEAM workers need to be kept small because of their complexity and the intensity of the support required. The demand from system partners to refer into the MEAM programme is increasing, and the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic for this cohort of highly vulnerable individuals will only add to this pressure.

This funding will ensure the current levels of support to the MEAM client group in York are maintained. It will also provide the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner with a more in-depth insight to the work and benefits of the MEAM programme for the Criminal Justice System which can hopefully inform wider, joint commissioning discussions that are taking place.