Young People’s Engagement Exercise – Community Safety

Date: Thursday, 02nd Mar 2023 | Category: General

Staffordshire Council of Voluntary Youth Services (SCVYS) has been asked by the Violence Reduction Alliance (VRA) to engage with children and young people aged 11-25 years old. The engagement exercise aims to understand the views and concerns of young people, and how as a partnership we can work better together to improve community safety across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent.  I wondered if you could help to promote it to your students across all campuses.

The findings of the engagement exercise will inform the development of the new VRA strategy, identify support required locally for young people and help shape future awareness campaigns.

There are 2 elements to the work;

• a survey that can be independently completed by all and any young people aged between 11 and 25 via which we aim to hear the universal voice and experience of young people in relation to violence and community safety. This can be done by groups as part of a school-based or youth group session or individually in their own time.
• the opportunity for 1-2-1 or small group conversations with young people who have been directly impacted by violence and can therefore provide more qualitative information around their lived experience. If you and your organisation are interested in hosting or facilitating a
  discussion with young people you know and work with, then do get in touch as to how we can help your young people feed into this work.

The link to the survey is here: https://forms.office.com/e/b0Kz0BUXY8 

The survey link will be open until midnight on Sunday 16th April 2023.

Please share as widely as possible across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent with organisations who work directly with young people as well as with young people themselves, so that we give every young person the opportunity to voice their views. If you could also share the information via your social media platforms that would be greatly appreciated (see sample messaging ideas attached).

If you have any questions about this work please contact Phil Pusey (SCVYS): phil@staffscvys.org.uk.

If you have any technical issues accessing the online survey please contact Nic Edmonds (SCVYS): nic@staffscvys.org.uk.

We leave the final word to Ben Adams, Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.

“It is important that we give children and young people a voice on the things that matter to them. The findings from this survey will better direct the work that the Violence Reduction Alliance does to reduce violence, and the fear of violence, allowing the people of Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent to feel safe.  I eagerly anticipate the final written report and ask that you assist in sharing the survey as far and wide as possible so we hear from as many young people as possible.”

For more information on the Violence Reduction Alliance please visit the website. https://violencereductionalliance.co.uk/

Thanks for your support in promoting this to young people.  If they live outside of Staffordshire but access education or support within the County, then all are eligible, perhaps using service they access as their district representation. i.e. Cannock, Tamworth, etc.