Police CYP strategy emphasises value of partnerships

The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) puts strong emphasis on joint working in their new Children and Young People Strategy.

The strategy, which will be made available to all police forces throughout England and Wales, provides guidance for individual forces that are either looking to or are in the process of developing local level strategies for children and young people. The document aims to guide local forces through the key issues surrounding work with children and young people. It also includes a self assessment framework to help police forces measure their own progress against the key areas outlined within the strategy.

ACPO objectives – joined-up working is key

An essential theme running throughout the strategy is the need to work more closely with partners and in a more joined-up way. The first two strategic objectives address crime reduction and the perception of crime committed by young people, and perception of the police service by children and young people.

Objectives 3 and 4 draw attention to the importance of partnership working in helping to improve the safety of children and young people, and helping to drive down cost.

Objective 3 – Improve the safety of children and young people. This objective relies on the police service working closely with its partners to help children achieve their potential. It also makes note of the cost-effectiveness of early intervention. The earlier an intervention, the safer things are both for the individual and the wider community.

Objective 4 - Work with other agencies to improve the effectiveness of our responses to children and young people, whilst driving down cost through improved working practices. ACPO recognises the contribution that partners can make to delivering a more cost-effective and efficient intervention, and notes that “The most effective outcomes will only be achieved through joined up approaches and, in this period of financial constraint, is an approach that can provide enhanced services at a reduced cost.”.

Find out more

You can view the ACPO Children and Young People Strategy online, or view the Association of Chief Police Officers website.