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Summary
The Redbridge Council External Scrutiny Committee met on Thursday, 3 July 2025, to discuss updates from the Youth Council, the Metropolitan Police, and Transport for London (TfL). The committee received presentations and updates from the Youth Council on their annual activities and plans, and from the Metropolitan Police regarding local policing and crime statistics. The committee also received a verbal update from TfL.
Youth Council Annual Update
The committee received the annual update from the Redbridge Youth Council, presented by Youth MPs Anusha Hossain and Yusuf Shobair, and Deputy Youth MP Inaaya Ijaz. The presentation covered the Youth Council's activities, achievements, and future plans.
Key initiatives and areas of focus highlighted in the Youth Council External Scrutiny Meeting presentation included:
- Environmental commitment: The Youth Council has been actively involved in promoting environmental awareness and sustainability, including supporting the Plastic Clever Schools initiative and participating in events like the Youth Climate and Sustainability Conference.
- House of Commons speech: Anusha Hossain spoke at the House of Commons about increasing the national minimum wage, emphasising the need for better financial support for young workers.
- Child Friendly Redbridge (CFR) Ambassadors: The Youth Council is working with UNICEF UK as part of the Child Friendly Cities and Communities programme to ensure children's rights are respected and that they are involved in decision-making.
- Digital engagement: The Youth Council is collaborating with the council's digital team to make online platforms more youth-friendly, including creating the Aspire Hub, an online platform dedicated to helping young people find opportunities in education, work experience, and career development.
- Police football match: Yusuf Shobair is planning a football match with young people and the police to build positive community relations, as well as addressing key manifesto points such as mental health support, street safety initiatives, and violence prevention.
- Real Talk Café: The Youth Council is collaborating with Box Up Crime Ilford, a local organisation, to host Real Talk Café sessions, providing a safe space for young people to discuss important issues.
- Amplified Youth Voice Conference: The Youth Council is planning a conference to bring young people together with teachers and professionals to share their voices and inspire change.
- Youth Academic Achievement Award Event: The Youth Council is planning an event to celebrate the academic achievements of GCSE and A-Level students in Redbridge.
- Jumpers of Joy initiative: The Youth Council is organising a festive initiative where students wear Christmas jumpers and donate food items to the local food bank.
- Working with charities: The Youth Council is partnering with Little Dreams to provide free mentoring and tutoring sessions with individuals from top universities and leading firms.
- Safer Neighbourhood Board meeting: The Youth Council is a member of the Safer Neighbourhood Board, representing youth perspectives on local safety strategies.
- Professionals Team Talk: The Youth Council plans to invite professionals from top firms to speak with young people about their career journeys.
- Steel Warriors outdoor gym: The Youth Council is exploring the idea of installing an outdoor calisthenics gym to promote community cohesion, health, and fitness.
- Continuation support for CFR: The Youth Council will continue to support the Child Friendly Redbridge Ambassadors and their campaigns, such as the
This Has to Stop
campaign against sexual harassment. - Planning for 2026 Youth Election: The Youth Council is preparing for the 2026 Youth Election, aiming to boost youth engagement and ensure transparency.
Update from the Metropolitan Police
The committee received an update from the Metropolitan Police. The Met Police Staffing and Abstraction report included data on ward-based and town centre-based staffing levels, as well as abstractions (instances where officers are taken away from their usual duties) from ward-based policing.
The report showed that as of the meeting date, ward-based staffing included:
- 1 Chief Inspector (required and actual)
- 2 Inspectors (required and actual)
- 11.3 Sergeants (10 required)
- 61 Police Officers (64 required)
- 31 Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) (32 required)
Town Centre based staffing included:
- 1 Inspector (required and actual)
- 4 Sergeants (required and actual)
- 18 Police Officers (21 required)
The report also included data on the percentage of time abstracted for various reasons, such as aid, court appearances, Emergency Response Policing Team (ERPT) duties, and training. For example, in May, 37.25% of time was abstracted in total, with 26.79% of that time spent on aid, 0.32% on court appearances, 39.38% on ERPT duties, and 33.52% on training.
Note: The agenda states that the committee was asked to receive, comment and note the presentation from the Metropolitan Police.
Update from Transport for London
The committee received a verbal update from Transport for London (TfL). No further details were provided in the agenda or reports pack.
Note: The agenda states that the committee was asked to receive and comment on the verbal update from Transport for London.
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