Executive Summary
The aim of this project was to:
• Establish current local provisions existing in Nottingham for gang affected females and to also identify any gaps in services
• Develop a risk matrix and risk management strategies for gang affected girls and women
• Inform future funding initiatives by the Police Crime Commissioner
The project had three distinct phases which were as follows:
Phase One: Interviewing key agencies working with gang affected females. 15 interviews and 2 consultations took place
over a two month period. All interviews were transcribed verbatim and key themes were identified from the data.
Phase Two: Two consultation events were organised with young women from Nottingham to ascertain their opinions about issues surrounding gang affected females.
Phase Three: Questionnaires were sent to 19 services likely to have regular contact with gang affected girls and
women, but who may be unaware of the actual risks and needs of these females.
Introduction
This report was initiated by the Girls, Gangs, Women and Violence Steering Group and funded by the Nottinghamshire Ending Gang and
Youth Violence Board. The Girls, Gangs, Women and Violence Steering Group developed an action plan looking at the needs of girls and women affected by gangs. This plan identified the need for a lead to establish existing local provisions and gaps, ways to identify gang affected girls and women, development of a risk matrix and risk management strategies.
The term ‘gang affected females’ includes issues of consent, coercion
and potential risk of harm experienced by females who are connected to criminal gangs
Key recommendations included:
1. Good Practice Guidance
To set up a working group to develop good practice guidance, a risk
matrix and pathways for females experiencing abuse from multiple
perpetrators.
2. Interagency Working
To strengthen interagency communication and risk management
in relation to safeguarding gang affected girls and women.
Considering information sharing protocols across statutory and non-statutory services.
3. Training for Services
To build upon existing awareness training and develop skills based
training, enabling services to identify and manage the risks that impact gang affected females.
4. Programmes for Young People
To build upon and establish a coordinated response for existing
prevention and intervention programmes for young people within
schools and other settings.
5. Capacity Building
To continue to build capacity within existing mentoring and advocacy
programmes, community based projects, charities and voluntary
services to enable girls and women to rebuild their lives and have their needs met independently.
6. Therapeutic Interventions
To provide therapeutic interventions for girls and women who have
experienced significant trauma. To increase understanding of trauma and vicarious trauma across professionals
and community members.
7. Boys and Young Men
To increase therapeutic interventions for boys and young men experiencing trauma. To increase safeguarding for boys under 18 who are involved in criminal activity (i.e. 10 year old boys drug dealing at night).
8. Communication Strategies & Campaigns
To initiate campaigns to raise awareness of issues relating to
consent, externalised self-worth and multiple perpetrators. Communication and marketing teams of statutory services need to consult with relevant services to ensure they best communicate the above messages.
9. Service Directory
Continue development of a service directory for gang affected females
and identify relevant organisation to host and up-date the directory.
10. Stop and Search
Police to review policies of ‘stop and search’ in relation to possible coercion placed on girls and women to carry drugs and weapons.
11. Crown Prosecution Service
Review CPS to review criminalisation of females who are coerced into criminal activity.
12. Development of Policies
Safeguarding policies across services to incorporate the needs of individuals experiencing abuse and/or at risk of abuse from multiple perpetrators.