June 2025 – Children, Violence & Vulnerability
Monday 16th June: Understanding Serious Youth Violence
In this June Forum Week we begin by discussing the 2024 Joint Targeted Area Inspection (JTAI) that took place in Somerset, focusing on Serious Youth Violence.
Join us to find out what the inspectors found, recommendations and work that has been taking place since the inspection to improve safeguarding practice in the County.
View the presentation “Overview of Somerset JTAI on Serious Youth Violence”
Further setting the scene on the topic of Serious Youth Violence we are joined by The Youth Endowment Fund to explore the national picture of children and young people’s experiences and what the evidence tells us to help keep them safe.
The Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) is as a leading national charitable trust, established in March 2019 with a £200m endowment and ten year mandate from the Home Office.
The charity’s mission is to prevent children and young people becoming involved in violence.
It does this by finding out what works and building a movement to put this knowledge into practice.
View the presentation “Children’s Experience of Violence”
Visit the Youth Endowment Fund Website
Read the Third Annual Youth Endowment Fund Report (2024)
Listen to the Youth Endowment Fund Podcast (Safe Podcast)
Sign up to the Youth Endowment Fund Newsletter
Tuesday 17th June: Vulnerabilities & Impact
In this session we are joined by experts from Forensic CAMHS to explore vulnerabilities for particular groups of children and young people and how our awareness of these can help to keep them safe.
Forensic Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (FCAMHS) are specialized mental health services that cater to children and young people, typically under the age of 18, who exhibit complex mental health issues and high-risk behaviors. These services are crucial for those who may be involved with the criminal justice system or who display behaviors that pose a risk to themselves or others.
View the presentation “Vulnerabilities & Impact”
A recording of this webinar will be available shortly
Find out more on the FCAMHS Website
Wednesday 18th June: Pathways of Support
In todays webinar we’re pleased to be joined by experts from the National Working Group to discuss the work that they have been undertaking both nationally and locally to prevent violence and exploitation for children and young people.
NWG are a national charity dedicated to helping combat child criminal and sexual exploitation and modern slavery. The network covers voluntary and statutory services and private companies working in this field; offering support, guidance and raise the profile, provide updates, training, share national developments, influence the development of national and local policy informed by practice
A recording of this webinar and a copy of the presentation will be available shortly after the forum week.
Find out more on the NWG Website
Join the NWG e-News and Network
Access the NWG Resources
What happens when there are identified Child Protection concerns, but parents/carers are working with agencies to try to keep their child safe?
Join the Team Manager of Somerset’s Preventing Exploitation Team, Bryony Richardson who explains the Child in Need (CiN) Risks Outside of the Home (ROTH) pathway and how this works to protect vulnerable children and young people.
A recording of this webinar and a copy of the presentation will be available shortly after the forum week.
Read more details on the CiN ROTH Pathway
Thursday 19th June: Prevention & Response
In the first presentation in this webinar we’re joined by Charmaine Dyne from the Avon & Somerset Police who talks through the initiatives that have been taking place around the County to identify hotspots of concerns of violence and exploitation and the proactive work taking place to prevent harm taking place.
The Somerset Violence Reduction Partnership is part of the broader Avon and Somerset Violence Reduction Partnership.
It is a multi-agency initiative designed to address and reduce serious violence in Somerset, particularly among young people. The partnership recognizes that while Somerset is generally a safe place to live, there are increasing concerns about knife crime and youth violence, with over 300 children considered at risk of criminal exploitation each year.
A recording of this webinar and a copy of the presentation will be available shortly after the forum week.
Find out more on Somerset’s VRP Website
Sign up to the VRP Newsletter
Access the VRP Reports, Toolkits and Information
In the second part of todays webinar we’re joined by Paul Turnham Coombes from Somerset’s Youth Justice Team to discuss the work being undertaken to engage with young people at risk of exploitation and provide diversionary support through the Turnaround Project.
A recording of this webinar and a copy of the presentation will be available shortly after the forum week.
Find out more about the Government Turnaround Programme Initiative
In the last of todays presentations we hear from Gabby Robinson from the Family Intervention Service to explain the support available when parents/carers are facing violence and abuse from their child using the Non-Violent Resistance (NVR) Programme.
A recording of this webinar and a copy of the presentation will be available shortly after the forum week.
Find out more about NVR on the NVR UK Website
Friday 20th June: Creating Change
In this last of our June Forum Week webinars we’re delighted to be joined by Stuart Whiffin from UNICEF to discuss the work taking place nationally on the Rights Respecting Schools Award, and the launch of this initiative in Somerset.
The Rights Respecting Schools Award puts children’s rights at the heart of school life in the UK.
The UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK) works with schools in the UK to create safe and inspiring places to learn, where children are respected, their talents are nurtured and they are able to thrive. Our Rights Respecting Schools Award embeds these values in daily school life and gives children the best chance to lead happy, healthy lives and to be responsible, active citizens.
A recording of this webinar and a copy of the presentation will be available shortly after the forum week.
Find out on the UNICEF RRSA website
Beyond Equality is a UK organisation carrying out gender transformative work with men and boys.
The core of their work is delivering workshops to boys and men in schools, universities, workplaces, community settings and professional sports environments. Workshops provide a compassionate, non-judgmental space in which boys and men can:
– learn about the way in which restrictive masculinities based on stereotypes harm people of all genders, including men and boys;
– confront their own and each other’s problematic attitudes and behaviours without shame;
– imagine and express their masculinities in ways that contribute to building safer, more inclusive communities and healthy interpersonal relationships.
A recording of this webinar and a copy of the presentation will be available shortly after the forum week.
Find out more and sign up to the newsletter on the Beyond Equality website
Forum Week Resource Hub
Below, you can find links to a range of elements covered in our Forum Weeks, including videos and presentations from our events.