The meeting considered a proposal for a new approach to the Safer Schools Partnership in Hackney and reviewed the progress made on the Commission's previous recommendations for improvements to the housing support offered to care leavers.

Safer Schools Partnership

The Commission reviewed draft proposals for a new approach to the Safer Schools Partnership in Hackney. The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) presented its proposals for the Safer Schools Partnership, which aimed to re-focus the role of Schools Officers towards crime prevention and safeguarding.

The new approach aims to address concerns raised about the role of police in schools following the Child Q Safeguarding Practice Review, which found that racism was likely to have been a factor in the strip search of a black female child by police at a school in Hackney. The MPS also drew on the findings of its own Disproportionality Review of Safer Schools Officers, which found that Black children were over-represented in police investigations.

Under the proposed approach, Safer Schools Officers (SSOs) would act as Tactical Advisors to schools, providing advice and support on crime and serious safeguarding issues. They would also be more visible on designated routes to and from schools to help keep children safe on their journeys, an initiative referred to as Safer Corridors.

“SSOs as tactical advisors: This role will come with a distinct set of responsibilities, remaining cognisant of officer’s duties to report and record crime under Home Office Counting Rules (which essentially means officers have to report and record all crime reported to them) Officers will be expected to advise schools on either criminal or serious safeguarding issues. The aim of this role is to ensure that SSO advise on policy and strategic or tactical issues instead of becoming involved with either non-criminal or very minor criminal issues which could disproportionately impact young people including black and global majority children (acknowledging the London Ethics Panel report).” ¹

Schools would be able to choose from a Toolkit of Engagement Options to tailor the level and nature of police engagement, which would include a points-based system to manage demand for police time.

“To manage resource and demand, the toolkit presents a non-exhaustive list of engagement activities that schools can request from SSOs. A total of 20 points awarded to each school will be provided at the beginning of term, and each school can decide how this would be utilised. Whilst this is still a proof of concept and take up of engagement will likely vary across schools, Hackney Police will remain flexible with the points system where capacity allows.” ²

Hackney Education and the MPS emphasised that the new approach was still in development and welcomed feedback from the Commission. Jim Gamble, the Independent Chair of the City and Hackney Safeguarding Children Partnership, said that he welcomed the proposals, but that it was important to ensure that SSOs were properly trained and that they were not diverted from their core role of safeguarding children.

Richard Brown, the Executive Head of both the Urswick School and New Regents College, Hackney's pupil referral unit, welcomed the Safer Corridors initiative, noting that many permanent exclusions relate to off-site incidents involving pupils travelling to and from school.

The Hackney Youth Parliament raised concerns about the training of SSOs, arguing that they should receive more training on how to work with young people. They also called for young people to be involved in the design and implementation of the new approach.

Housing Support for Care Leavers

The Commission reviewed progress made on a number of recommendations for improvements to the housing support offered to care leavers, following a joint review undertaken by the Commission and the Living in Hackney Scrutiny Commission.

A key area of focus was the decision made by Cabinet to amend the Housing Register from April 2024 to allow care leavers to join at the age of 18. Jennifer Wynter, the Assistant Director of Benefits and Homeless Prevention, said that the council was working to support all eligible care leavers to join the Housing Register. She also said that the council was committed to backdating applications to care leavers' 18th birthdays, which should improve their chances of securing social housing in a timely manner.

“I’ve committed that we will have all of those 200 on the housing register by the end of September… which considering it’s a hugely manual process it is quite some feat… and we’re well into that now.” ³

The Commission heard that the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) had agreed to fund a Housing First Project in Hackney, which will offer 10 tenancies to care leavers with complex needs.

James Goddard, the Assistant Director of Housing Strategy, Assurance, and Private Sector Housing explained that the council was also looking at a number of other ways to increase the supply of housing for care leavers, including purchasing properties off the market and building new homes.

“…we are focused upon the supply options across the whole piece we have been we will be i’ll answer questions on those in the moment everything shipping containers buying land out the borough street properties does the council do it does the company do it does it all do it…” ⁴

Hackney of Tomorrow, Hackney's Care Council, told the Commission that there was a lack of clarity about the housing options available to care leavers. They also called for more support to help care leavers transition to independent living.