VRU to invest over £1m in youth worker leaders and coaches in custody

London’s Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) has today announced a new £1 million investment in a leadership programme for the capital’s frontline youth workers and the expansion of a scheme for coaches working with young people in custody.



The new funding is part of the VRU’s approach to supporting vital services and key frontline workers tackling violence in the city as lockdown measures continue to ease.



London’s VRU – set up by the Mayor in 2018 and the first of its kind in England – is investing £550,000 to fund the intensive leadership programme for 100 youth workers who are actively supporting young people directly affected by violence.



The leadership programme, starting in September and led by London Youth in partnership with Leap Confronting Conflict and Clore Social Leadership, will provide youth workers with the enhanced leadership skills they need to do an even better job under challenging circumstances.



Participants will be recruited from across the London Youth network, with the programme delivering 26 days of training across the year, timetabled to work around youth workers’ commitments. Training will include safeguarding, mental health modules and business planning. Throughout the course there will be mentoring and coaching from established voluntary youth sector leaders from London Youth.



The VRU is also investing an additional £457,000 in the police custody diversion scheme ‘Divert’ which builds on the success of trained Custody Intervention Coaches and provides greater capacity for them to work with young people in custody and help reduce violence.



Custody Intervention Coaches are uniquely placed to meet individuals during the period immediately following their arrest whilst they are held in the custody suite at the police station, which is an ideal opportunity to identify and address vulnerabilities. They work to provide support and guidance which includes developing a plan that offers opportunities to move young people away from crime.



Since 2018, Divert has helped more than 1,000 young adults aged between 18-25 turn away from crime and employment, training and education.* The programme is led by the Met police, Bounce Back and the New Era Foundation. Divert sits outside the criminal justice process, conversations are confidential and their coaches are independent of the police investigation.



It is a positive example of the VRU in action working in partnership with key community organisations and the police to divert people away from violence, making an intervention at an early stage and working to address the root causes of violence by providing some of the most disadvantaged young Londoners who have been exposed to violence with positive life opportunities.



Lib Peck, Director of London’s Violence Reduction Unit said: “It is now more vital than ever that we invest further in preventing crime, counter the root causes of violence and deliver early intervention that we know helps prevent tragedies.



“Youth workers on the frontline have the lived experience and relationships to deliver those early interventions that can make all the difference, but they need better professional training to unlock their potential and make the most of their role which will benefit young people.



“Our investment in the youth worker leadership programme will empower those at the heart of tackling the underlying issues behind violence in our city, particularly in the most affected areas, helping us to deliver long term solutions for young people and reduce violence across London.



“I’m pleased that we are also able to build on the success of the custody intervention scheme Divert, with coaches working with young people in custody to deliver teachable moments, turning them away from crime and into employment, training and development opportunities.”

Rosemary Watt-Wyness, Chief Executive of London Youth said: “Members of London Youth’s network of community youth organisations have been determined and innovative in responding on the frontline to Covid-19. These organisations are driven by youth professionals who are deeply invested in and trusted by their communities and the young people they support. Our Leadership Programme will actively seek out and invest in 100 youth workers with the untapped potential to be voluntary sector leaders of the future. In the aftermath of Covid-19, London’s communities will need local leadership more than ever”.

Chief Inspector Jack Rowlands who is on secondment to the Violence Reduction Unit said: “The Metropolitan Police Service is delighted that the VRU are funding the DIVERT programme within our police custody suites. Working with Bounce Back and other partners we aim to help as many young adults as possible move away from crime into employment, education and training. We look forward to working more with the VRU to develop further ways of preventing violence in London. The Met is committed to tackling violence and it remains a top priority.”

Ben Kernighan, Chief Executive for Leap Confronting Conflict said: “Before Covid-19 it was a challenging time for many young people; street violence and school exclusions have been rising in recent years. The pandemic now presents new challenges to the education, freedoms and employment prospects of young people. Supporting young people has never been more important. We want to create a world in which young people are not only safe but are also able to thrive and fulfil their potential. We want young people to have a powerful voice in shaping this new and rapidly changing world. So I am delighted that Leap Confronting Conflict, London Youth and Clore Social Leadership can come together to share experience and resources that enrich and connect youth practitioners across the capital, enabling best practice in our responses to the needs of young people”.

Shaks Ghosh, Chief Executive for Clore Social Leadership said: “Now more than ever, leadership is fundamental to how we respond to challenges, whether that's in organisations, our communities or wider society. Social leadership is not a title or a status but a set of attitudes, skills and behaviours that are deployed to achieve a positive outcome.

Our youth workers deploy their leadership with compassion and passion every day in some of the most challenging contexts, especially when working to reduce violence. Often these youth workers do not recognise what they do on a daily basis as leadership, we want to reach those youth workers. Those with untapped potential who, given the chance to further develop their skills, hone their behaviours and build a community of other dedicated youth workers, will continue to create the safe spaces that young people need to thrive. Combining the expertise of the partners in youth work, conflict and leadership development we believe this bespoke programme will offer those who participate in the programme will receive a learning experience that has the rigour of other youth work qualifications but the added benefit of peer learning and real-world application that will continue as a legacy for the youth sector beyond on the length of the formal programme”.