Agenda item
Preventing Knife Crime
This item will be presented by Katie Cole – Associate Director of Public Health.
(REPORT TO FOLLOW IN A SUPPLEMENT)
5.10-5.40pm (30 mins)
Minutes:
The Board received the report and presentation of Katie Cole (Associate Director of Public Health) and Ann Corbett (Divisional Director of Community Safety), on preventing knife crime.
Comments from the Board:
- The work should be connected with the Violence Reduction Unit headed by the Mayor of London.
- There was a suggestion to share patient stories at start of meetings across partner boards.
- Something should be done around knife sales in shops.
- Issues in Hackney around stop and search. We need to help police foster a positive relationship with young people. We could play an intermediary role as GPs/healt professionals.
- There was a suggestion for a social prescribing approach in casualty towards knife crime.
- Knife crime is a cross borough issue and should be on the agenda at the STP level.
- Knife crime should be explored at the next health summit. The outcome of the summit should include a plan that addresses the different facets of the issue and areas of intervention for health and community safety professionals.
- School engagement - explore linkages between school exclusion and knife crime.
- There is a link between mental health and knife crime. Young people could be traumatised from witnessing knife crime and in turn carry out a knife attack.
- ISTV programme shares data. It can pick up trends but is not real time data.
- Healthwatch reported that young people often felt blamed for knife crime. Those who struggled academically could not see a positive future for themselves. Helping to create a positive environment and opportunities for all young people should be addressed from a Public Health perspective.
- The Communities Driving Change Programme continues to work towards reducing ASB and knife crime.
- Are linkages being made with adverse childhood experiences, exposure to domestic violence and other traumatic experiences in the approach to tackling knife crime? Knife crime is a safeguarding issue, a lot of work has been done on this in the ‘Troubled Lives Tragic Consequences’ work stream on the Safeguard Board. It also continues to be addressed by the youth services team.
- We should look at projects that have been immediately successful and look to scale these up. The number of critical care beds taken up by knife crime has significantly increased and this is preventing elective scheduled surgeries taking place. Therefore knife crime has had a knock on effect on the community because people are being prevented access to surgery beds for other issues. Barts would be gathering data on the impact of knife crime on beds.
- The discussion came to a close. HWB partners were advised to contact Katie Cole and Debbie Jones to participate in the prevention work. It was decided the he primary board to oversee knife crime prevention should be the Community Safety Partnership Board.
ACTIONS:
- Anne Corbett is to arrange a meeting with Sam Everington to discuss social prescribing around knife crime outside of the meeting.
- Denise Radley to raise the topic of knife crime at the Tower Hamlets Executive Group on Community Safety.
RESOLVED:
1. To note the report.
Supporting documents: