Keeping the young safe

Young people are our future and it is the role of the Office of Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (OPFCC) to make Northamptonshire a safe place for children and young people to grow up in.

Young people deserve to grow up in a place where they feel safe and protected and where they can grow and flourish.

Early intervention is critical to ensuring that children and young people have the best opportunities to achieve their potential – which is why the OPFCC employs an Early Intervention Director, to ensure that no young person is prevented from achieving their potential. Evidence demonstrates that early support will significantly reduce the impact of negative experiences on emotional wellbeing and development.

Our areas of focus:

Increasing the awareness and reporting of child exploitation

building on previous engagement exercises, such as the successful Teens and Online Safety campaigns; and
focusing on engaging school children to equip them to raise concerns to adults and to understand what ‘acceptable’ behaviour looks like.

Intervening early to divert young people from being the victims or offenders

Seeking to develop prevention and diversion from the youth justice system to stop as many first time entrants to the system as possible;
working with schools and social care departments to prevent risky behaviours in young people becoming criminal behaviours;
developing restorative practices within school settings to prevent the escalation of issues to crime;
working with partners to ensure that all services focus on the needs of young people and their families early to prevent concerns escalating to crisis; and
considering ways to address the impact of missing people on policing.

Increasing the safety of young people online

educating young people and their parents to keep them safe online.