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Association of Colleges London Region C O A Tackling and Preventing Gang Problems in London Colleges A Review of Good Practice Peter Grummitt Association of Colleges London Region

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Page 1: Tackling and preventing_gang_problems_in_london_colleges_a_review_of_good_practice[1]

Association of CollegesLondon RegionCOA

Tackling and PreventingGang Problems inLondon CollegesA Review of Good PracticePeter GrummittAssociation of Colleges London Region

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Foreword 1

Executive Summary 2

Introduction 3

The experiences of London colleges 4

Approaches to tackling and preventing gangproblems in London Colleges 6

Summary of good practice 16

AppendicesSupplementary legal guidance for colleges 19Supplementary communications guidance for colleges 22Key contacts - colleges’ partner organisations 26Summary of gang research survey responses 26References 27Acknowledgements 29

Contents

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Foreword

Tackling and preventing gang problems is an important challengefor London’s communities to overcome and, as this reporthighlights, it is an area where London’s colleges can and do makea significant positive contribution.

London colleges really do change the lives of individuals and helpto transform communities. They engage people at risk ofinvolvement with gangs in purposeful activities and support andencourage them to achieve and progress in life. Colleges make apositive contribution by promoting respect and cohesion amongdiverse communities of students. London colleges have alsodeveloped a range of strategies to make their campuses andlearning centres safe and supportive environments for students tolearn in.

I hope the findings and good practice suggestions of this report willstimulate a lively discussion within the college sector and beyondabout how colleges can contribute to tackling the problem of gangsand ensuring student safety.

Sue RimmerChair of Association of Colleges London Region and Principal ofSouth Thames CollegeSpring 2009

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Executive Summary

The impact of gangs in London has become an increasinglyimportant issue and one which London colleges are concernedabout. The Greater London Authority (GLA) and the Departmentfor Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) are concernedabout this issue and interested in the role that colleges can playin tackling and preventing it. This report, based on input fromLondon colleges, aims to take stock of the issues and identifygood practice in tackling and preventing gang-related problems.

The good practice suggested by London colleges covers areassuch as information gathering, college ethos, student awarenessof gang issues, effective use of college staff and disciplinarypowers, security and student safety systems, collaboration withlocal partners including police and schools and reputationmanagement. Colleges also suggested joint actions that could befacilitated by AoC London including research into successfulstudents, coordinating exclusions systems, establishing modelsfor cooperation with schools and police and developinginformation sharing between colleges. There are alsoopportunities for colleges and AoC London to contribute to policydiscussions with DIUS, the Mayor of London and GLA, theMetropolitan Police and Transport for London.

Section 1 introduces the report and sets out its broader context.Section 2 outlines the problems and kinds of gangs experiencedby London colleges. Section 3 offers examples of the approachestaken by colleges to tackle and prevent gang problems. Section 4summarises the good practice suggested by London colleges.Supplementary guidance for colleges on legal and PR issues andcontact details of key partner organisations are included inappendices.

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Introduction

A record 29 young people were violently killed in London in 20081, many ingang related incidents. The Metropolitan Police has identified 171 gangs inLondon2. Public concern about this issue has been met with a political responsein London and nationally. Youth crime and gun and knife crime are targeted inthe Mayor of London’s official priorities and budget plans. A national cross-departmental government strategy on tackling gangs led by the Home Office wasinitiated in September 2007. DIUS is exploring the role colleges play in tacklinggangs to feed into the government’s strategy and has expressed interest incolleges sharing good practice with each other. The Metropolitan Police aretargeting gang, gun and knife crime in schools, colleges and universities andhave identified a need to work more closely with London colleges and AoCLondon.

Colleges are keen to work with the government and other organisations to tackleand prevent gang problems. 88% of the London colleges contributing to thisresearch had concerns about gangs in their communities and most haveexperienced problems either inside or out of college that they believe to be gang-related.

This report is the culmination of research undertaken in 2008 by AoC Londonwhich aims to take stock of the current problems, identify good practice andprovide a basis for AoC London and its member colleges to engage with thepolicy debate. The research included a survey questionnaire sent to 53 Londoncolleges (of which 43% responded) and nine follow up interviews with surveyrespondents. During the course of this project AoC London also consulted DIUS,the Metropolitan Police, Government Office for London, Eversheds LLP and theNational Council of Faiths and Beliefs in Further Education.

1 BBC news, 15 December2008, Mapping UK’s teenmurder toll – see referencessection at end of document fordetailed references

2 Metropolitan Police ServiceResponse to Guns, Gangs andKnives in London.

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Gang problems experienced by London collegesGang-related problems reported by London colleges include:

Serious incidents on college premises or in the wider community involving or affectingcollege students. The following incidents were reported by colleges:

Murder and other acts of violence (murder was reported by 13% of surveyrespondents, though not on college premises and not always gang-related);Carrying and occasional use of weapons (reported by 58% of surveyrespondents), including knives and improvised weapons such as clubs, bottles,belts, etc.;Harassment, bullying and threats;Students bringing acquaintances from outside the college onto college premisesfor protection or to threaten or attack other students;People loitering outside college premises exhibiting threatening behaviour;Mobile phone theft and other petty criminal activity.

“Background noise”. Colleges report that the vast majority of their students are notdirectly involved with gangs but that many live in communities with gang problems,and suffer from what one survey respondent called “background noise”. This includesthe following problems which were reported by colleges:

Students fearful of gangs in their home neighbourhoods and under pressure tojoin gangs for protection or for a sense of security and belonging;Students dropping out of college after seeing gang members in college;Students choosing to travel long distances from home to attend colleges wherethey can avoid local gangs and feel unconstrained by peer pressure;Students fearful of run-ins with gang members during journeys to and fromcollege and may take long and circuitous routes to college to avoid certainpeople or places - train stations, bus stops, buses and trains are seen as ganghot spots. Travel problems affect attendance at college and participation in off-site activities that require travel to alternative campuses, workplaces or otherfacilities, and this has a detrimental effect on completion and success rates. Arelated future challenge that colleges are already addressing is the increasednumber of school pupils and college students taking 14-19 diplomas who needto move between schools and colleges as part of their regular timetable.Groups of students may dominate common areas and facilities, e.g. pool tables,and create no-go areas for other students.

Reputational concerns. Gang crime is currently widely reported in national and localmedia and a number of incidents involving (or falsely reported as involving) Londoncollege students have received significant media coverage in the last year. At a locallevel some colleges report that their communities will always assume that any youngpeople misbehaving in the area are college students. Colleges are understandablyconcerned about the damage gang incidents may have on their reputation, particularlyin the localities from which they draw students.

Despite these concerns, colleges appear to be very successful at preventing gangproblems on their campuses. 75% of survey respondents and all interviewees said thattheir colleges were considered to be places of safety with problems happening entirelyor mainly outside of college areas. Feedback from students suggests that attendingcollege is often the safest, least disrupted part of their daily lives.

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The experiences of London colleges

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The profile of gangs affecting London collegesThe Hallsworth and Young definition (used by the Home Office and the MetropolitanPolice) describes gangs as “[r]elatively durable, predominantly street based groups ofyoung people who see themselves (and are seen by others) as a discernible group forwhom crime and violence is integral to the group’s identity”3.

The following profile brings together the experiences reported by colleges:

Gang identity Often grouped along neighbourhood or territorial lines with postcodesoften significantCultural, ethnic and religious groups also a strong focal point for gangidentity and the major factor in some areasWidespread view among colleges that most students behave “tribally”,associating mainly with others from the same neighbourhoods andcultural groups, so gang groupings not unusual

Gender Predominantly male, though also a perception that there are a smallnumber of female gang members and female gangs4

Age Some colleges report mainly younger students involved

Gang culture Significant features that may help to identify gangs are: gang names,gang colours (clothing worn to denote membership of and statuswithin a gang), grafitti tags (often incorporating the gang name, initialsor postcode), music and the use or dealing of drugsAspects of behaviour related to gang identity may vary and close workwith students and local police is helpful; “The different cultural makeup of gangs means that each one operates in a different manner,consequently each gang needs a bespoke plan to facilitate properengagement” (Metropolitan Police)5

Annual cycle City and Islington College reported problems tend to escalate duringthe first part of the college year and a south London sixth form collegereports that violence is most likely to occur during dark winterevenings

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3 Rationalisation of currentresearch on guns, gangs andother weapons: Phase 1, p.6.See references below for moreon definition of ‘gang’.

4 The Metropolitan Policeidentify three all-female gangs,see Metropolitan PoliceService Response to Guns,Gangs and Knives in London.

5 Metropolitan Police ServiceResponse to Guns, Gangs andKnives in London.

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Approaches to tackling and preventinggang problems in London collegesAlthough colleges are actively and successfully tackling gang problems many do nothave an explicit strategy targeted at addressing gangs. This is in large part becausegang issues cut across other areas targeted by colleges such as promoting respectand student safety. These issues, rather than gangs per se, are seen as theirgreatest concern so colleges’ anti-gang strategies may be implicit in other strategicpolicies such as student charters and harassment and bullying policies. In somecases colleges also want to avoid using the word ‘gang’ which some young peoplewould see as having a certain kudos. There may also be some reputationalconcerns about openly adopting an explicit anti-gang strategy.

The rest of this section outlines what colleges are doing to tackle and prevent gangproblems. Colleges have different local situations to work within and different levelsof resources available but there is much that can be usefully shared.

InformationInformation gatheringLondon colleges’ main source of intelligence on gangs is their students, in particularthrough contact with staff including personal tutors, lecturers, enrichment workers,youth workers, counsellors, and security and facilities staff. Using learner voicesystems like student councils, focus groups and student surveys can also provideuseful information on students’ perceptions, particularly if the college actively seeksthe students’ views on gang problems or related areas such as safe travel to collegeor bullying. The information that colleges have on gangs and gang-related problemsseems to be mainly qualitative and largely based on perceptions of staff andstudents. The nature of gangs means that there are limits on what informationcolleges can have access to; even those colleges with good monitoring systems inplace may sometimes be unaware that students are involved with gangs until anincident occurs.

Information sharingColleges also generally receive information through (mainly informal) informationsharing with external organisations, such as police Safer Neighbourhood Teams(SNTs), Youth Offending Teams, the National Probation Service, drugs projects, localauthorities such as Children’s Services (Every Child Matters ) and Housing Services,Connexions and schools.

ResearchColleges recognise that some students manage to successfully lead a “dual life”,negotiating their way around the fringes of gang activity outside college whilstsuccessfully completing their studies. One college suggested that research into howthese students succeed could help to provide guidance for others in this situationand for college staff working with them.

EthosAspirationFeedback from students suggests that they are motivated to stay out of trouble bythe prospect of getting qualifications and improving their chances of success in life.A student on the offender learning programme at Lewisham College told a memberof staff that although he was in a gang, he would leave it and stop committingcrimes if he could successfully complete the programme and find a job. Creatingexpectations of success and celebrating achievement is recommended by collegesas a way to keep students away from gangs. The message of aspiration can bereinforced with outside speakers. A good example of this is when Shaun Bailey,Director of MyGeneration, a youth and family charity, spoke to students at a sixthform college in west London about making responsible choices. West Thames

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College gives positive encouragement to students with displays of students’ (academicand non-academic) successes and achievements as part of their “Proud of You”campaign. A sixth form college in south London expressed their hope that in the longrun progression into employment or to university is the best way to help students to getout of troubled local areas and make a new start.

RespectMany colleges actively promote values and norms of appropriate, mutually respectfulbehaviour. For example, “Peace Skills” are part of the compulsory Religious and MoralEducation programme at St Dominic’s Sixth Form College. Programmes such as thisalso aim to promote and build a strong and open college community for students toidentify with, which addresses the need to belong that some young people satisfythrough gang membership.

Tolerance of cultural diversityAn important aspect of promoting respect is fostering tolerance and understanding indiverse college communities. London is one of the most culturally diverse cities in theworld with 30% of the population from ethnic minorities; and colleges are even moreculturally diverse than the city as a whole with 44% of learners belonging to ethnicminorities6. Harrow College reports that 80% of its full time students speak Englishas an additional language. In some cases gangs can form out of cultural divisions andlack of contact and understanding between groups, so addressing this can reducetensions. In some colleges chaplaincy staff liaise with local religious leaders to makesure the college is actively involved with different sections of the community.

Case study: College of North East London’s(CONEL) BRACE ProjectFollowing a near fatal stabbing of a student CONEL became aware of aserious deterioration in relations between Turkish/Kurdish and black studentswhich lay behind this violent incident. The college brought together 40 malestudents from both ethnic groups to talk to each other in a series ofmeetings which branched out into other activities such as trips to thetheatre together and joint cultural events. The BRACE project is considereda great success as it has helped to calm a difficult situation withoutintervention from the police and only required a small number of staffmembers to run it. The project won the Haringey Neighbourhood SafetyAward in 2006/7 and has led to spin-off research by the Metropolitan Policeand the University of Central Lancashire.

Learner voiceColleges recommend providing learners with many different opportunities to discusstheir concerns and make them known to college managers. College of North EastLondon, which was nominated for a CEL National Learner Voice Award, suggests it isimportant to listen to students, take their feedback seriously and act upon it; in theircase this meant making changes to security arrangements following feedback through astudent survey. Student councils, focus groups, relevant questions in student surveysand appointment of student governors have all been used successfully by colleges andthese enable students to take action for themselves and to help colleges to effectivelygather intelligence.

MentoringSome colleges offer mentoring services to students, often targeted at those deemed inmost need. This can be provided by staff, including security staff as is done in WestThames College, and some colleges provide their staff with specialist mentoringtraining. Mentoring is also provided by external organisations such as the FromBoyhood to Manhood Foundation who have been working with London collegesincluding City of Westminster College.

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6 AoC London KeyFacts 2008.

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Case study: Harrow College and Ethos TrainingEthos Training supported a programme for selected groups of Afro-Caribbean young people at Harrow College who were failing to meetrequired attainment on their course. Two young Afro-Caribbean mentorsfrom Ethos Training worked with them for between three and six sessions tohelp build their confidence and emphasise the degree of control they haveto make the choices that will direct their future lives. The result wassignificantly improved retention of students and some improvement inattainment levels. Mentoring is now being implemented more widely in thecollege with staff volunteers undergoing training to become qualifiedmentors, and peer mentoring and study skills mentoring also beingoffered.

Student gang awarenessRaising awarenessInduction is a key time for colleges to raise awareness of potential gang and studentsafety issues with students. Outside organisations (e.g. police, community andvoluntary sector organisations, reformed ex-criminals) are often invited to speak to newstudents. Student handbooks, which often distributed at induction, are another way ofcommunicating with students, e.g. a further education (FE) college in west Londonincludes information on security in their handbook. Several colleges also run specialevents throughout the year, often lasting for a week, to focus attention on particularissues; these include events to address gang problems, e.g. Harrow College has heldawareness weeks on staying safe, anti-bullying, diversity and interfaith dialogue. Onesixth form college has used email to give students information about the possibleconsequences of gang involvement.

Focus on the factsSeveral colleges suggest it is most effective to focus these events and induction sessionson raising awareness of the facts rather than “preaching” to students. City and IslingtonCollege is introducing a case-study-based session at its induction to demonstrate thatthe college code of conduct is always rigorously applied. Some other colleges wouldlike to use real life case studies and clear factual guides to the law and sentencing todemonstrate the possible consequences of being involved with gangs. However, manycolleges reported difficulties in finding useful educational resources for this purpose.The Metropolitan Police advise colleges looking for such materials to contact the Callingthe Shots campaign run by the From Boyhood to Manhood Foundation.

Curriculum-based activitiesSome colleges integrate awareness of gang-related issues into the normal curriculum.For example, film studies students at a sixth form college in west London have beenworking on films exploring concerns about community gang problems. Curriculumactivities can also be linked up with larger projects and events as in the case of SouthThames College’s LifeWise project (see case study on p.11). Tutor periods as part ofthe regular timetable also provide an opportunity in some colleges for group discussionof gang-related issues, sometimes approached through discussion topics like equalityand diversity and bullying.

Using college staffStaff trainingColleges arrange specialist training for staff on gang-related topics, including knifeawareness, safe searching, conflict resolution and anger management. A number ofcolleges thought that their staff might be unaware of legal issues that affect them whendealing with gang problems7. Legal guidance on some issues on which Londoncolleges thought more advice is needed is included in appendix 1.

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7 The Times EducationalSupplement (Staff Short onLegal Know How, 25 July2008) highlighted awidespread need for staff legaltraining in schools, though itnoted that college staff seemto be better informed thanthose in schools about legalissues affecting their work.

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Case study: City of Westminster College andLeap Confronting ConflictLeap Confronting Conflict, a youth organisation with experience of workingwith gangs in prisons, gave a three-day training course to 12 tutors in howto teach conflict management skills to students. Leap Confronting Conflict’swork is underpinned by the belief that processes of conflict resolution andmediation should lie at the heart of all personal and social educationprogrammes for young people. The tutors are putting their training intopractice with groups in tutorial sessions and break times and will begin one-to-one sessions shortly. The feedback from tutors has been very good andthe course is highly recommended by the college.

Student liaison staffMost, if not all, colleges have staff devoted to liaising with and supporting students.They can play a useful role in monitoring communal areas to watch out for dominantgroups taking ‘ownership’ of them. The College of North West London use members ofthe local community who are well known and trusted by students in this role. It is alsosuggested that college managers ensure that student support workers and youthworkers employed by the college understand that they should work in the interests ofthe college.

ChaplaincySome colleges have chaplains for the major faiths. The National Council for Faiths andBeliefs in Further Education who represent college chaplains, are keen to help deal withgang problems in colleges and can offer relevant training to chaplains.

Case study: Croydon College’s Respect for All ManagerThe Respect for All Manager plays a crucial coordination role in making thecollege a safe, respectful, cohesive community in which to learn. This roleinvolves:• Monitoring college procedures and developing Respect for All policiesand procedures.

• Representing the college on the Safer Neighbourhood Team panel andother local inter-organisational groups.

• Ongoing liaison with the local Safer Neighbourhood Team and boroughgang unit adviser.

• Communicating intelligence about local gang activity from Police SaferNeighbourhood Team and gang-unit officers to security staff andDirectors of Curriculum.

• Training staff.• Working directly with students through student support services.• Daily liason with security staff and coordinating and assisting day timeduty managers (senior staff with responsibility for dealing with incidents)

• Organising borough wide events, “Get Up Stand Up” and “Street Issues”,about street crime, weapons and issues for young people involvingworkshops for students and local school pupils

• Organising “Safer College Week” events twice a year

Bringing all these roles together under the responsibility of one personprovides coordination, leadership and a communication channel between allparts of the college.

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Disciplinary policyZero toleranceMany colleges operate a “zero tolerance” disciplinary policy though there is somevariation in what this means in practice in terms of how wide ranging the policy is. Theessential element is setting clear limits on certain kinds of behaviour, particularlyviolence, threats of violence and criminality, which are strictly and consistently enforced.One South London FE college believes that its policy of zero tolerance on low levelbullying prevents more serious violence. Some zero tolerance policies extend to lessdirectly harmful elements of gang culture such as wearing baseball caps, hoodedsweatshirts and certain other kinds of clothing.

Case study: Newham Sixth Form College’s (NewVIc)approach to conductNewVIc begins setting limits on acceptable behaviour at enrolment andrepeats the message to ensure it sticks in students’ minds. A copy of thecollege’s code of conduct is attached to each enrolment desk and newstudents are asked to read it all and sign to agree to abide by it. All newstudents are also given their own copy of the code of conduct. As part ofthe induction process the Assistant Principal meets small groups of students(in allocated lunch break sessions over a period of a few weeks) to explainthe code of conduct. They aim to make students understand as clearly aspossible what the code means in practice and how it is applied, usingexamples and case studies to illustrate points. They highlight importantprinciples of their code, particularly that it applies to all students equally withno special exemptions (e.g. for cultural reasons), and that encouragingothers to participate in or be present at an incident that violates the code isitself a disciplinary offence. All staff, from facilities to senior managementare able to report unacceptable behaviour and their visible presence aroundcollege creates an environment where students’ behaviour is excellent.Where disciplinary measures have to be taken they rigidly follow theirprocedures and they involve parents even if student is old enough for thisnot to be a statutory requirement.

ExclusionsMany colleges have recent experience of excluding students and they often feel this is anecessary step to keep violent or disruptive individuals out of college or as a last resortwhen other disciplinary measures have failed. Colleges feel that more clarity would behelpful on what are reasonable grounds for exclusion, both to ensure consistent practiceand to pre-empt appeals. This issue is addressed in the supplementary legal guidancein appendix 1.

Welfare of excluded studentsSome colleges expressed concern that the students they exclude will not take upeducation or training elsewhere, so exclusion may have a serious adverse effect on theirlife prospects. This may make them reluctant to exclude students, including thoseinvolved with gangs. One FE college tries to strike a balance between the interests ofviolent or disruptive students and the rest of the college by offering distance learningand banning them from college premises unless they are given express permission toattend, escorted by security staff as a necessary part of their course. This has beeneffective but more costly than standard provision and it does not promote inclusion ofthe young people who might benefit most from the stable environment of a college.

The concern to keep students in education rather than excluding them may beaddressed in some cases by an arrangement between colleges to refer difficult studentsto each other. “Managed Move” agreements of this sort currently exist for schools (withsome colleges receiving students from schools). Schools’ agreements also involvesharing information on excluded pupils with their new school. Similar arrangementscould usefully be developed for colleges.

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SchoolsGang awareness in schoolsAs gang membership is the result of a gradual process often beginning at an early age8,gang prevention efforts may be effectively directed towards school-age children. Collegeof North East London has found that children and young people are more likely to listento people of a similar age, and college students with relevant experiences, matureattitudes and aspirational outlooks are potentially an important positive influence onschool pupils. They explored setting up a scheme to pay college students to visitschools and work with pupils but unfortunately were unable to secure funding for thescheme. Some colleges involve local schools in their gang awareness events, forexample one college involved year 10 and 11 students from local schools in its LondonPeace Week events.

Influencing the transition to collegeResearch suggests that transition phases are a time when young people are vulnerableto becoming involved in gangs and criminal behaviour9, and therefore offer keyopportunities to affect behaviour. Anecdotal evidence from colleges corroborates this,suggesting that for some young people, starting at college can lead to radical changes inattitude. This is therefore a key time that colleges should focus on. An FE college inwest London suggests watching out for groups of people arriving en masse to enrol forthe same course. City and Islington College warns against asking new students to tellthe rest of the class which school they previously attended when introducingthemselves as this helps divide the class into neighbourhood groups right from the start.City and Islington College also conducts one on one meetings with every new studentduring induction, often discussing student safety and safe travel, which they believe canhelp to identify problems early on.

Information sharing with schoolsInformation sharing between colleges and feeder schools can also help to identify andprevent problems. This happens in some colleges on an informal and ad hoc basis butnot in all. Some colleges think closer links between colleges and their feeder schoolsand better information sharing would be beneficial, others think that the number offeeder schools from across London and beyond would make this impractical.

Case study: South Thames College’s LifeWise ProjectSouth Thames College joined with six of its main feeder schools within theBorough of Wandsworth for a large-scale, student-led project which usedthe talents, skills and interests of young people from across the college tohighlight the problems of gun and knife crime. The project culminated in ahigh-profile showcase event at City Hall with the Deputy Mayor, Ray Lewis.Performing arts students produced live theatre in educational performanceson the effects of gun and knife crime in the community, music studentsproduced a CD with anti-violence lyrics, and media students producedpromotional videos. Art and design students gave the project its name -LifeWise - and designed marketing materials, including a project logo andbusiness students were in charge of promotion, merchandising andorganisation of the event. Health and social care students presented casestudies and research on the issue with their action plan for tackling theproblem. The collaboration was facilitated by innovative use of technology tocommunicate and share work which was supported by the Mobile LearningNetwork (Molenet). Partner organisations and industry figures from acrossmusic, media and social services were also involved but one of the mostinteresting and successful features of this project is the level to whichstudents themselves were managing the whole project and were activelyengaged with it. Additionally, all project work contributed to student’squalifications.

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8, 9 Youth Justice Board,Groups, Gangs and Weapons(summary) p.9

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Security and student safetySecurity SystemsLondon colleges have invested heavily in security systems and developing securityprocedures. CCTV, turnstiles and ID cards have become common and many collegeshave a strict requirement for everyone on site to wear ID badges at all times. This hasgenerally been successful in keeping out intruders. Technological solutions to securityproblems are in use, particularly in the area of weapons detection. Metal detectorarches and wands and devices to select people at random for testing have beenpurchased by some colleges. Other colleges have access to these devices through theirpolice Safer Neighbourhood Teams. Colleges report that these devices can be veryeffective in reducing weapons carrying.

Limits to keeping potential weapons out of collegeWhile technology can prevent knives and guns coming into colleges some collegespoint out that they can never be entirely free of potential weapons. They give examplesof assaults with belts, sticks and bottles being used as offensive weapons. It is alsoimportant to recognise that some students (e.g. art, construction) may need to havetools or equipment with blades or points which could be used as dangerous weapons.Some colleges were unsure about the legal position around weapons and whatconstitutes an offensive weapon. This question is addressed in the supplementary legalguidance in appendix 1.

Security staffColleges suggest that security staff can have an important relationship with students;they can even be used as mentors as they are at West Thames College. One FE collegein south London suggests that being known personally to security guards takes away astudent’s feeling of anonymity so they act more responsibly. It is seen as imperative togive security staff adequate training to cope with such a role and ensure they are awareof and involved with disciplinary policy. It is also seen as important to make surestudents feel comfortable with them by seeking and taking seriously students’ feedback.

Safe travelSafe travel to and from college is a major area of concern which colleges are addressingin their awareness raising activities with students. Safety on public transport is also oneof the Mayor of London’s priorities. London colleges could benefit from workingtogether with the Greater London Authority and Transport for London to ensure thatpolicy focus delivers safer travel for students. When colleges become aware of specificthreats to students on their travel to and from college they often take steps to keep thestudent safe, though controlling what goes on outside of college premises can bedifficult. City and Islington College staff have escorted a student who was threatened bya gang to a bus stop a few minutes walk away from college to avoid gang members.Unfortunately, in this case the gang quickly learnt of this and started going to the busstop further away. When a student from a south London sixth form college wasthreatened by a gang the college paid to send them home in a taxi for about a weekuntil the situation cooled off and this was successful.

Monitoring areas outside collegeOne sixth form college in south London monitors areas outside their premises at the endof the day but due to concerns about staff safety liability only the Senior ManagementTeam take on this duty. Due to these concerns others do not send staff out of collegepremises but rely on the police to provide a presence when required. An FE college inwest London uses its security staff to approach people loitering around college gatesand calls the police if appropriate. In some cases colleges report that unwelcomepeople can be deterred from coming back if they are approached by college staff. Asixth form college in south London takes the precaution of noting registration numbersof all unknown vehicles outside college. Legal guidance on issues around monitoringareas outside college is included in appendix 1.

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PoliceCollege-Police relationsColleges in London generally have some form of positive relationship with the localpolice, usually through the Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT). Some colleges also workwith special gang or gun crime units where such units are operating in their areas (E.g.Croydon College and the Croydon Gang Unit and Safer Croydon Unit). The level ofengagement with the police differs between colleges with some in regular contact withtheir SNTs and others seeing them only when they need to call them in. There are alsoagreements, protocols and action plans in place or being developed between collegesand police to deal with areas like information sharing (City and Islington College,Croydon College and West Thames College - see below) and knife searches (BarkingCollege).

Funding and hosting policeSome colleges have special arrangements for funding police officers or PoliceCommunity Support Officers (PCSOs) to work in their local areas. There is no standardmodel for college funding of police and a survey of AoC London members found threecolleges (out of 14 who responded) who fund police time, all in different ways. An FEcollege in west London splits the cost of a PCSO roughly 50:50 with their localauthority. College of North West London provides subsidised office space and parkingfor their SNT, though they cannot direct their activities. Havering College funds twoPCSOs (as part of a total college security strategy which includes many strandsincluding employing an outreach Youth Worker based in the community) and is abledirect their activity in partnership with the SNT Sergeant.

Policing in collegesColleges will generally call on the police when an incident needs to be controlled orwhen a visible police presence is required to defuse tensions. There have, however,been cases where officers have been unavailable due to resource constraints. Policealso assist many colleges by bringing in arches to search for weapons at collegeentrances. Colleges who have done this say it is an effective deterrent but they areconcerned that the large and conspicuous police presence (15-20 uniformed officersand vans with equipment) and possibility of weapons being found may have anadverse impact on colleges’ reputations. Croydon College’s experience suggests thatcolleges need to be prepared for the negative effect this kind of operation can have on acollege’s reputation and consider how to handle the PR if a weapon is found. If thisdoes happen control of the story can be lost as an arrest may lead to the story enteringthe public domain. Croydon College has managed the message in this respect byacknowledging that it is at the forefront of tackling controversial issues and that, attimes, this can lead to difficult situations having to be confronted. The risks involved,particularly to reputation, should not be underestimated. Harrow College is planning tolink police visits with search arches to a broader awareness campaign involving localschools so that no one institution is singled out. One college has asked the police tominimise their visible presence outside the college when carrying out searches. Furtherguidance on managing communications is found in appendix 2.

Information sharing with the policeColleges and police share information, generally on an informal basis. This can benefitboth parties, with police able to provide local intelligence to help colleges identify localgangs who may be present among their students, and colleges able to help police. Cityand Islington College’s assistance to the police, including an undercover operation inthe college, helped to secure a conviction. Some colleges, including Croydon Collegeand an FE college in west London are working with the police to formalisearrangements for information sharing. West Thames College is developing aninformation sharing protocol with local Youth Offending Teams.

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Case study: Croydon College - Metropolitan Police informationsharing protocolCroydon College is piloting an information sharing protocol with theMetropolitan Police. This involves the college providing a list of studentscurrently enrolled to the Met for checking against its records, and sharinginformation where an individual is mentioned in both lists. If successful thescheme may be rolled out across London.

Police work with studentsPolice education officers are used to raise awareness of safety and crime issues often aspart of induction programmes, freshers’ fairs or awareness campaigns, e.g. policeofficers ran a workshop on knowing your rights at College of North East London. Policeprogrammes like Operations Trident (targeting gun crime in the black community) andBlunt 2 (targeting serious youth violence and knife crime) also have materials andofficers who can visit colleges and work with students. In some colleges the policehave ongoing interactions with students through various channels, such as regularpolice surgeries at College of North East London and the attendance of a non-enforcement police officer at student parliament meetings at Croydon College. There arealso examples of police officers working with students in less formal situations such asthe two officers who volunteer to lead a Princes Trust group at City of WestminsterCollege.

Programmes in developmentAoC London has met with senior officers from across the Metropolitan Police to discusscollege-police cooperation and the development of new police initiatives for colleges.The Metropolitan Police are keen to engage with the London college sector, seeing it asan important current priority and one which should be treated distinctly alongside theirstrategies for schools and universities. Two major initiatives are currently beingexplored:

• An award for student safety and community cohesion is being piloted in schoolsto recognise those in which young people feel safe, keep out of trouble andmake a positive contribution. The award will require not only best practicewithin the school but also good joint working with police, youth offending teams,transport services and other agencies. A framework for assessment is beingdeveloped to be integrated into the Ofsted inspection system. The MetropolitanPolice and other agencies working on this project are looking to adapt the awardframework to colleges with the input of AoC London and the London collegesector.

• The College Security Assessment Model was developed by the MetropolitanPolice as part of Operation Trident to reduce the incidence and fear of weaponscarrying in colleges. The model involves a full assessment of risks based oncollege incident data, questioning of students about their experiences andperceptions, and a physical assessment of premises. Specific securityrecommendations and ongoing implementation support are then provided to thecollege. The assessment is provided free of charge and, based on experience ofthe School Security Assessment Model, the benefits extend beyond weaponscarrying to such areas as prevention of asset loss and trespass. The assessmenthas been completed in one sixth form college and is about to be piloted in an FEcollege and two other sixth form colleges.

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A collaborative approachMulti-agency groupsMany colleges recognise the importance of using local multi-agency groups fordiscussing ways of preventing and tackling gang problems. These groups may includepolice, local authorities, Connexions and the community and voluntary sector.Newham Sixth Form College - who are active in their local community groups - advisethat college representatives should approach these groups in the capacity of diplomatsfor the college, being tactfully receptive but firm and prepared to defend the college’sreputation and interests if necessary.

Information sharingAs noted throughout this report colleges see information sharing as an important tool inpreventing and tackling gang problems and they share information to a greater or lesserextent with police, schools, Youth Offending Teams and other agencies and communityorganisations. This tends to be informal and ad hoc involving a phone call betweentwo individuals who are in more or less regular contact. Some colleges would like todevelop protocols for information sharing and provide more opportunities for differentagencies to meet and share information and best practice. Some colleges areconcerned about the legality of sharing information with external organisations,particularly where it involves information about individuals. This issue is addressed inthe legal guidance in appendix 1.

Ongoing college information sharing networkSeveral colleges thought it would be helpful to have an ongoing network forcommunication and discussion between colleges to share best practice and informationaround tackling gang problems. There were various suggestions about who should beinvolved (both in terms of seniority and whether they should be specialised in security,student support etc.) and the means of communication (a JISC email discussion group,a website message board or physical meetings). A network could involve externalorganisations as permanent members or as occasional contributors. The existing AoCLondon networks for Finance Directors, College Information Systems Managers andMarketing Managers may provide a model for such a group. These meet once a termand also correspond more regularly by email. Meetings typically include open forumsessions and briefings and proposals led by external speakers or members of the group.They are coordinated by AoC London staff but are led by network chairs elected fromwithin the groups by the members

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Summary of good practice

Good practice for collegesBased on survey responses and interviews the following are recommended to collegesas good practice that they could consider following in tackling gang problems:

• Information gathering. Use staff-student liaison at all levels and learner voicesystems (student councils, focus groups and student surveys) to gatherinformation and intelligence from students about the membership, profile andactivities of local gangs. Build and use relationships with external organisationsto gather information and intelligence. Take advantage of opportunities toparticipate in and learn from research. Coordinate internal information sharing.

• Ethos. Encourage hopes and expectations of success and progression andopenly celebrate students’ successes. Promote respect and tolerance of diversity.Seek and take seriously feedback and use learner voice initiatives to empowerstudents and gather information. Offer mentoring to those who need it usingprofessionals and/or trained college staff and student mentors.

• Student Gang Awareness. Communicate key messages about potential gangand student safety issues at induction using speakers, freshers’ fairs andhandbooks. Continue to raise awareness about these issues through the yearwith targeted campaigns and events and ongoing communications withstudents. Focus on the facts about the consequences of gang crime rather than“preaching” and use case-studies and concrete examples, such as materialsfrom Calling the Shots. Integrate information and discussion on gang issues intothe normal curriculum and into tutor periods.

• Using College Staff. Ensure staff are provided with adequate training in areaslike knife awareness, safe searching, conflict resolution and anger management.Ensure staff are aware of any legal issues that may affect their work (legalguidance on issues raised by colleges is included in appendix 1). Use studentliaison officers who demonstrate understanding and behaviours that engendertrust among students to monitor communal areas. Make clear to studentsupport workers employed by the college that they should work in the interestsof the college. Take advantage of training opportunities for chaplaincy staff(where these are employed) to enable them to work with individuals andreligious communities on gang problems. Coordinate gang prevention activitiesand communications across the college, under the control of a dedicatedcoordinator.

• Disciplinary Policy. Set clear limits on behaviour by adopting a zero tolerancedisciplinary policy (perhaps extending to low level bullying and/or gang culture).Actively inform students and staff of the code of conduct. When disciplinaryaction is taken, rigidly follow transparent procedures and involve parents.

• Schools. Build links with feeder schools and use them as a source ofinformation to help identify and prevent problems. Invite local school pupils totake part in college gang awareness events and use student ambassadors topositively inform, support and influence potential future college students. Usethe key transition phase between school and college to identify emerging orpotential problems and intervene.

• Security and Student Safety. As appropriate to the local college situation, deterintruders with turnstiles, ID cards and CCTV. Use metal detector arches andwands and random testing selectors, which can be purchased or brought in bythe police. Train security staff to get to know all students (possibly as mentors)and enforce the code of conduct. Consider helping students who are threatenedon public transport by finding alternative transport (e.g. escort to different busstops or pay for cab home) until the situation is resolved. Monitor areas outsidecollege, noting unknown vehicles and using security staff or police to approachsuspicious people loitering outside college.

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• Police. Develop a close working relationship with local Police SNTs and otherpolice units where they operate in the college’s locality. Develop protocols withpolice to regularise information sharing, weapons searches etc. Considerfunding or hosting police officers. Call the police to deal with incidents or toprovide a visible presence to defuse tense situations. Take advantage of policeweapons search equipment but be prepared for a conspicuous police presence.Use police educational resources and officers to raise awareness of gang-relatedsafety and crime issues. Invite police officers to build relationships with studentsby attending events, holding police surgeries, attending student parliamentmeetings and leading enrichment activities.

• Collaborative Approach. Work with (or where necessary establish) local multi-agency groups to build relationships and share information with otherorganisations and community groups working locally on gang-related issues.Approach meetings as a diplomat for the college. Develop information sharingprotocols with external organisations.

• Reputation Management. Prepare a PR and communications strategy tomaintain a good college reputation at a time of public concern about youthcrime. AoC guidance on good practice is included in appendix 2.

Possible joint actionsThe following are recommended actions that could be undertaken by London collegesacting together and facilitated by AoC London:

• Learning from successful students. Carry out or commission research into howstudents successfully pursue studies while living in localities with gangproblems. Use findings from this to produce guidance for others in this situationand for college staff working with them.

• Exclusions system. Establish managed move agreements to transfer excludedstudents between colleges.

• Schools. Develop and explore opportunities and funding options for studentambassadors to work with school pupils pre-entry to college and developinformation sharing protocols between colleges and feeder schools.

• Police. Establish a standard information sharing protocol between colleges andpolice (based on models currently in development). Provide college input to helpthe Metropolitan Police to adapt the school student safety and communitycohesion award to colleges. Provide college input to help the Metropolitan Policedevelop and roll out more widely the College Security Assessment model.

• Inter collegiate information sharing. Agree an inter-collegiate informationsharing protocol on former (in particular, excluded) students. Establish anongoing college communication network on gang-related issues (taking existingAoC London networks as a starting point).

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Link to policymakingThe following are key opportunities for London colleges and AoC London to work withpartner organisations and contribute to discussions with them about their policies andstrategies.

• Government strategy on tackling gangs. Work with central government, inparticular DIUS, to ensure that the government’s strategy effectively tackles gang,gun and knife problems affecting colleges. DIUS’s thinking on gangs isunderstood to be very much in line with the findings of this report, emphasisingsix main strands: effective multi agency working, positive engagement strategies,a relevant curriculum, the creation of a safe environment for all learners, values-led leadership and a trained and confident workforce. DIUS would also like toidentify good practice used by colleges with expertise in this area anddisseminate this to other colleges; the good practice identified in this report mayprovide a good starting point for DIUS.

• DIUS Community Cohesion. Work with DIUS to inform their communitycohesion policy to ensure gang problems are recognised and adequatelyaddressed.

• Mayor of London and GLA. Work with and offer advice to the Mayor, LondonAssembly and GLA to help them develop policy that addresses their priorityareas of youth crime, gun and knife crime which is effective and beneficial toLondon colleges.

• GLA/Transport for London Safe London Transport. Work with and offer adviceto the GLA and Transport for London to help them deliver safer travel forstudents.

• Metropolitan Police. Work with the Metropolitan Police to help adapt existingstrategies for schools and universities to the college environment and developeffective new strategies for supporting colleges.

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Appendices

Appendix 1:Supplementary Legal Guidance for CollegesThe following guidance is provided by Eversheds LLP. Colleges are advised to refer anyqueries or further legal questions to Eversheds LLP or another recognised legalpractitioner.

When can college staff search students?Members of college staff have in general no further powers to search people, or tosearch premises outside the college, than any other ordinary person. Police officershave the powers given to them by statute. Accordingly if staff consider it is necessary tosearch a student they will either need the student’s agreement or to call the police sothat they can use their powers. It is possible for a college to include in its conditions ofenrolment and disciplinary regulations provision that college staff may search studentsand college property which they may use such as lockers, for example if they suspectthem of carrying controlled drugs. In practice this may carry unacceptable risks and inany event staff should have regard to “Drugs: Guidance for Further EducationInstitutions” produced by the Drug & Alcohol Prevention Team.

Since May 2007 college staff have had the same powers as school staff to screen andsearch students for weapons, and to confiscate them pending the arrival of the police.[This is the result of section 46 of the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006.]The Principalwill need to authorise suitable staff to undertake searches and to ensure that theguidelines contained in the DfES Guidance on screening and searching of pupils forweapons is followed. See www.teachernet.gov.uk/docbank/index.cfm?id=11454. Insome circumstances it will be prudent to wait until the police arrive before any search isundertaken, in others a search may be essential to prevent a situation escalating. Sometrade unions have advised their members not to attempt to search students.

What is a weapon?Possessing an offensive weapon in a public place without a reasonable excuse is acriminal offence. An offensive weapon is defined as “an article made or adapted tocause injury or carried with the intent to cause injury or carried with intent to causeinjury”. There are therefore three categories of “offensive weapon”:

1. Weapons which are offensive per se2. Articles which are adapted to cause injury3. Articles which are carried with the intention to cause injury

In addition, it is a criminal offence to have in a public place without a reasonableexcuse an article with a blade or a point. The exception to this definition is a foldingpocket knife with a blade measuring less than 3”. The exemption does not apply tolock knives, which are unlawful. It is a defence to this offence if the knife is beingcarried for work purposes or for religious reasons. This offence is the most commonlyprosecuted in relation to the carrying of knives.

It is an additional offence for a person to have an offensive weapon on primary orsecondary school premises (not college premises) and for a person under the age of 17to have in their possession a crossbow which can carry a drawn weight of greater than1.4kg.

When can college staff eject students and others from college premises?A student will have the right to be on college premises only on condition that theycomply with college regulations, including its disciplinary policy. Senior staff willnormally have authority delegated by the Principal to exclude a student from thepremises, but if this is more than a temporary measure designed to cool a heatedsituation exclusion is likely to amount to suspension from studies, which is a decisionwhich must be taken by a the holder of a senior post as defined by the college’sinstrument and articles of government and as designated by the college governing body.Many colleges will only have one or two senior post holders in addition to the Principal.Where a student has been or threatens to be violent the question arises whether thestudent can be lawfully ejected by force. Under the Further and Higher Education Act

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1992 [section 85A] it is a criminal offence for a person present without lawful authorityon college premises to cause or permit a nuisance or disturbance to the annoyance ofpersons lawfully present. Once the person concerned has been properly told to leavethe premises and has refused to do so the Principal or a person authorised by themmay remove the person from the premises. No more force than is reasonably necessaryshould be used.

What responsibilities does the college have to keep staff safe?It is an offence contrary to the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 for anorganisation to fail to ensure, so far as it is reasonably practicable, the health, safetyand welfare of its employees. This duty would include ensuring the safety of employeesbeing asked to monitor areas outside the college, if they are being asked to do so inaccordance with their employment duties. Simple safeguards should be put in place toensure staff are protected. These can include sending staff in pairs, ensuring allmembers of staff have mobile phones when leaving the premises to conduct suchmonitoring arrangements, ensuring staff are not sent out to monitor bus stops late atnight and giving instructions to staff that “problem” individuals should not beconfronted, but rather the police should be called to deal with the situation.

Can college staff share information on gang-related incidents?The main people with which colleges may wish to share information in relation toviolence and threats of violence on college premises are:

1. the police and other relevant agencies eg the local authority (which may wishto invoke child protection procedures or to consider an application for ananti-social behaviour order);

2. schools and other local colleges which gang members may attend or try toinfiltrate;

3. the parent(s) or guardians of the student(s) concerned.

Colleges should have a policy on use of personal data and confidentiality which iscompliant with the Data Protection Act 1998. Personal data and especially sensitivepersonal data eg regarding criminal convictions should be transferred to others orotherwise processed only with the consent of the data subject or if one of the othergrounds in Schedules 2 or 3 of the 1998 Act apply. Students attending college, even ifunder 16 and attending part time while based at school, should normally be capable ofconsenting to transfer of their data. It is advisable, especially in the case of studentsaged under 18, to include in the college’s terms of enrolment a statement that thecollege may inform a student’s parents or guardians of any serious issues concerningcollege work or behaviour. Even where a student does not consent to transfer of data itmay well be possible to share information where one of the other statutory groundsapplies. The grounds include the prevention of crime. Only the data reasonably requiredshould be transferred, transfer of the data should be only to those persons who need tohave it for such purposes and the recipient must in turn hold it securely and for nolonger than reasonably necessary.

Should there be a right of appeal against exclusion from college? If so, who shouldhear it?There should be a right of appeal against decisions to suspend or permanently excludea student. As the initial decision will normally have been taken by a senior post holderthe appeal should be considered by another senior post holder not previously involvedor by the Principal. The ultimate decision must lie with the Principal and not, forexample, the Corporation as the decision to exclude a student is not one which thecollege’s instrument and articles will allow the Principal to delegate.

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Can college staff use force to physically restrain students?There is a power of arrest for persons other than police constables if a person isengaged in committing an offence or has committed an offence which is indictable, thismeans an offence which can be heard in both the Magistrates’ or the Crown Court.This would include offences of possessing an offensive weapon or a pointed or bladedarticle, drugs offences or serious public order offences such as affray. It must bereasonably necessary for a person to arrest the individual e.g. if the person is going toescape. It must also not be reasonable to wait for the attendance of a police constable.

There is also a common law power to arrest a person for a reasonably anticipated oractual breach of the peace such as causing a disturbance in a public place, or harm topersons or property. In all cases the action taken to arrest and detain the person mustbe reasonable and proportionate. It would therefore be advisable to use only theminimum about of force required to detain an individual and the police should be calledas a matter of urgency, so that they can take control of the situation.

College staff have recently been given by the Education and Inspections Act 2006[section 165] the same power as school staff to use reasonable force to restrain pupilsfor the purposes of defending themselves or others. It is questionable how much moreprotection this gives college staff than they would have had anyway under the commonlaw defence of self-defence. The Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 will, whenin force, seek to clarify the meaning of “reasonable force” for the purposes of thecommon law defence by providing that “reasonableness” should be decided on thebasis of the circumstances as the defendant believed them to be, even if the belief wasmistaken and even if the mistake was unreasonable [section 76]. However, the amountof force used must still not have been disproportionate in the circumstances. Thereforecollege staff should avoid if at all possible trying to resolve situations themselves wheresubstantial force may be needed, they should instead wait for the police to attend if atall possible.

Eversheds LLP July 2008

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Appendix 2:Supplementary CommunicationsGuidance for Colleges

Student Safety – Crisis Communications Guidelines

These Guidelines…

• Are intended to assist UK college communications practitioners in dealing with(often very difficult) incidents associated with student safety. These may wellinclude violent incidents involving students as victims (and sometimes asperpetrators.)

• Are a distillation of advice and guidance offered by college communicationsprofessionals at a student safety seminar run by AoC London in March 2008.The seminar was organised in response to a rising number of local and nationalmedia articles describing incidents where college students were victims orinstigators of armed assaults (both on and off campus).

• Have been developed as a crisis management planning tool only – they are notintended as a substitute for issues management strategies and are just one ofmany tactics available for effective longer-term reputation building andmanagement.

Very many thanks to the communications professionals who assisted in theirdevelopment.

Ben VerinderAoC Media and Public Relations ManagerMarch 2008

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OverviewWhen an assault on a college student takes place (on or off campus) communicationsprofessionals are often required to act – handling multiple media enquiries,communicating with distressed students and staff or contacting anxious parents. Inmany cases you will be a key point of contact - ensuring that concerns are addressedwith clear and concise communications and managing the reputation of the college, itsstudents and staff (and sometimes the wider community) in the face of disturbingevents and a (sometimes hostile) media glare. It is a difficult job.

The information below is not meant to be exhaustive. Each incident will differ and theissues arising (and communications channels, action points and key messagesavailable) will vary correspondingly.

Issues to Consider – A Quick Checklist• Do you have a general crisis communications plan? Have you practised crisis

exercises with Senior Management Team?• Can you organise a media statement in time to meet new media deadlines?• Does your planning take into account all relevant internal and external publics –

including students, staff, parents, the police, your local MP etc?• What internal media communications channels are available to you? Do you

have the communications channels in place to give staff messages in the eventof a serious crime on the premises and instructions on how and why mediaenquiries should go through the PR/marketing office?

• Is your key contacts list up to date – for instance, do you have the police pressoffice number to hand?

• How would you deal with media misrepresentation of an incident, includingnewspaper message boards?

• Do all of your reception staff know how to channel media enquiries? Are theyaware that some media may pose as staff and/or students?

• What student and staff safety measures and protocols are in place in yourcollege?

• Do you have the contact details of relevant security and estates staff?• Have you holding/key facts information available for media communications?• How do you respond to enquiries about former students in the light of Data

Protection Act rules and media deadlines? (National media will often take aguess at whether an individual studied at your college if you cannot supply themwith accurate information).

• How would you deal with an incident that forced a closure of the college?• Do you know where broadcast media might park broadcast trucks?• Can your college deal with out of hours media enquiries?

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Some Communication Channels to Consider

Media statements• Always prepare a statement as soon as you are made aware of the issue – the

story may not reach the media but such a statement will ensure you are properlyprepared if enquiries are made.

• ‘No comment’ is never an option – a pre-prepared statement including as muchinformation as you are able to accurately and truthfully supply is a must in orderto effectively manage the reputation of your college and its staff and students

• You can use this statement as a template for subsequent internal and externalcommunications

• Key facts on your college should be included as standard – media will want asmuch information as possible

Face to face meetings with students/staff• Students and staff will understandably be concerned and anxious (not least

about their own personal safety) following an incident involving assault –effective communications should seek to address these concerns

• Face to face communication continues to be the most effective channel available• Can you use existing staff meetings and student registration activities to cascade

messages?

Letter to students/parents/residents• Strong, personal messages addressed to individuals from the Principal or other

senior manager will help reassure

Online communications – college website, intranet, staff, student or parent groupmessage boards etc.

• Very effective for quick communication of short, simple messages but receiptdifficult to monitor

Individual calls to other key publics• Do you have a list of key publics to contact in the case of crisis – individuals or

groups who should be briefed (including those who may well be asked by themedia for third-party comment on an incident)?

For follow-up communications…• Staff newsletters • Notice boards• Consultation events • Registration notes• Residents meetings • Safety Week events• Etc.

Short Term Actions to Consider – A Quick Checklist• Collect information and brief/advise SMT• Arrange briefings for staff and students (face to face meetings where possible)• Dispatch media statement• Set up media room• Brief key publics• Extend/introduce counselling service• Set up dedicated telephone/email service for concerned staff, students or parents• Monitor media coverage• Create FAQ for future events• Follow-up media calls

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Messages AvailableAs Regester Larkin’s Eddie Bensilum states: all crisis communications messages shouldcentre on the principles of:

• Care and Concern• Control• Commitment

In the light of these principles, messages to consider in the event of an assault include:

• Statement of reassurance and concern. In the event of serious incidents thePrincipal will often be the key spokesperson: a comment from the college leaderlends gravity and weight to the statement. Expressions of personal concern andreassurance do not equal admissions of liability – instead they lend humanityand common points of reference to statements. Teachers are more trusted thanmanagers by the general public – this may influence how you present yourspokesperson.

• Incident details. Media are, in principle, restricted to what they can publish incertain circumstances (when an arrest has been made, for instance). Howeverthese restrictions are often overlooked and colleges will be pressed to provideavailable details in most circumstances. Wherever possible liaise with the policepress office to check what can be released.

• Time of statement and key contact details.• Stress college co-operation with the police.• Information on additional current activity in dealing with incident (i.e.

counselling services, communications activities etc).• Information on college safety procedures and protocols.• Key facts/notes section

Additional Considerations

Student or staff fatalities off premisesJournalists often contact schools and colleges for tributary comments when writingabout deceased staff or students. In most cases it is entirely appropriate for a collegePrincipal or other staff member to comment but we would recommend that, out ofcourtesy, the college checks with the deceased’s family beforehand. In some cases,particularly those where a sudden death may not have been handled with duesensitivity by the media, the family may wish to refrain from providing a eulogy and willwish the college to follow suit.

Introduction of Scanners/New security equipment in collegeThis is a difficult issue for colleges to communicate. On the one hand they may wish toreassure students that they take their safety seriously, on the other they may be worriedabout the messages that enhanced security measures send out to prospective studentsand their parents.

Issues to consider:• The introduction of new, visible, security measures – in particular metal

detectors – is likely to attract media attention. Expect enquiries.• Some colleges successfully position the issue within a wider context of ‘student

safety week’ or a respect agenda.• For some students the college is a recognised place of safety within a community

in which they may (generally) feel unsafe. Some colleges have signalled theintroduction metal detectors in these terms.

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Appendix 3:Key Contacts – Colleges’ Partner OrganisationsCalling the Shots: www.callingtheshots.org.uk/, 07980 447 612

Department for Children, Families and Schools: www.dcsf.gov.uk

Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills: www.dius.gov.uk

Ethos Consultancy (UK) Ltd: [email protected], 01992 701102, 07960438249

From Boyhood to Manhood Foundation: www.usatfbmf.com/, 0207 703 6415,[email protected].

GLA - London Against Gun and Knife Crime: www.london.gov.uk/gangs/

Home Office: www.homeoffice.gov.uk/

Leap Confronting Conflict: www.leaplinx.com/, 020 7561 3700,[email protected]

Mayor of London, the London Assembly and the Greater London Authority:www.london.gov.uk/

Metropolitan Police Service: www.met.police.uk/

MyGeneration: www.mygeneration.org.uk/, 020 8968 4499,[email protected]

National Council for Faiths and Beliefs in Further Education: www.fbfe.org.uk/

Operation Blunt Two: www.homeoffice.gov.uk/about-us/news/operation-blunt

Operation Trident: www.stoptheguns.org/

Transport for London: www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/default.aspx

Appendix 4:Summary of gang research survey responsesTotal responses received: 23Total colleges responded: 22

Type of collegeGeneral Further Education College: 14Sixth Form College: 8Special Designated Institution: 0Land-Based College: 0

College locationCentral (main campus within London Underground zone 1): 4Outer (main campus outside London Underground zone 1): 18

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Appendix 5:ReferencesKey Policy DocumentsMayor of London’s priorities (gun and knife crime):www.london.gov.uk/mayor/priorities/crime.jsp#gun-knife-crimeMayor of London’s priorities (policing on public transport):www.london.gov.uk/mayor/priorities/crime.jsp#policing-transportMayor of London’s budget priorities (youth crime, quality of life and value formoney): www.london.gov.uk/view_press_release.jsp?releaseid=17955Home Office, Tackling Gangs: A Practical Guide for Local Authorities, CDRPs andOther Local Partners:www.crimereduction.homeoffice.gov.uk/violentstreet/violentstreet012a.pdfHome Office, Youth Crime Action Plan 2008:www.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/youth-crime-action-plan/Home Office, Crime in England and Wales 2007/08:Findings from the British Crime Survey and police recorded crime:www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs08/hosb0708.pdfHome Office, Gangs: You and Your Child. Advice to parents on gangs.Helping your child make the right choice:www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/Yourchildshealthandsafety/WorriedAbout/DG_171325Youth Justice Board, Groups, Gangs and Weapons (summary):www.yjb.gov.uk/Publications/Resources/Downloads/Gangs%20Guns%20and%20Weapons%20Summary.pdfDIUS, The Role of Further Education Providers in Promoting Community Cohesion,Fostering Shared Values and Preventing Violent Extremism:www.dcsf.gov.uk/consultations/conResults.cfm?consultationId=1521

Other SourcesMetropolitan Police London Crime Mapping: www.maps.met.police.uk/Metropolitan Police Service Response to Guns, Gangs and Knives in London:87.102.31.206/committees/x-cop/2007/070503/05.htm?qs=1&qu=171&nh=1&mc=1&sc=1&dr=1&s=2&ar=&po=&fo=&lv=&dt=0&so=1&pg=2&hl=1Gangs in London website. Useful information source www.piczo.com/gangsinlondonList of London gangs: gangsinlondon.piczo.com/listofgangs?cr=2&linkvar=000044London Gang graffiti:gangsinlondon.piczo.com/londonganggraffiti?cr=2&linkvar=000044Definition of ‘gang’: gangsinlondon.piczo.com/whataregangs?cr=2&linkvar=000044Hallsworth and Young typology of groups - Jill Dando Institute for Crime Science,University College London , Rationalisation of current research on guns, gangs andother weapons: Phase 1,www.jdi.ucl.ac.uk/downloads/publications/research_reports/gangs_and_guns_2005.pdfHome Office three tier gang classification based on Hallsworth and Young typologyin BBC news, 24 August 2007, Q and A: Gangs in the UK:news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/merseyside/6962378.stm

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Vernon Coaker confirming Hallsworth and Young definition used byHome Office, Q605:www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmselect/cmhaff/181/7031303.htmPitts, John; Reluctant Gangsters: Youth Gangs in Waltham Forest:www.walthamforest.gov.uk/reluctant-gangsters.pdfAssociation of Colleges London Region, London Further Education Colleges KeyFacts 2008BBC news, 15 December 2008, Mapping UK’s teen murder toll:news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7777963.stmTimes Educational Supplement, 25 July 2008, Staff Short on Legal Know HowThe Guardian, 11 December 2007, One last chance: A ‘managed move’ offerschildren who face exclusion a fresh start without the trauma of rejection:www.guardian.co.uk/education/2007/dec/11/pupilbehaviour.schoolsAbdelnoor, Adam, Managed Moves: A complete guide to managed moves as analternative to permanent exclusion, free download from:www.gulbenkian.org.uk/publications/education/managed-moves

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Appendix 6:AcknowledgementsAoC London would like to thank all the colleges who made this research possible bysharing their experiences and good practice. These include Barking College, Christ theKing Sixth Form College, City & Islington College, City of Westminster College, College ofNorth East London, College of North West London, Croydon College, Harrow College,Havering Sixth Form College, John Ruskin College, Kensington & Chelsea College,Leyton Sixth Form College, Merton College, Sir George Monoux College, South ThamesCollege, St Charles Catholic Sixth Form College, St Dominic’s Sixth Form College,Stanmore College, Uxbridge College, West Thames College, Westminster KingswayCollege and Woodhouse College. Special thanks are owed to the following who tookpart in interviews on behalf of their colleges: John Eyles (City and Islington College),Sue Porter (City of Westminster College), Howard Jeffrey (College of North EastLondon), David Howe (Croydon College), Susan Harrison (Harrow College), LubnaKazmi (NewVIc -Newham Sixth Form College), Moray Bayliss (Sir George MonouxCollege), Keith Garside (South Thames College) and Mike McDonagh (UxbridgeCollege).

Special thanks go to Catherine Wilson-Paul and her colleagues at Eversheds LLP forproviding legal guidance and to Ben Verinder of AoC and the contributors to the AoCLondon seminar on Crisis Communications for their guidance on communications.

Many thanks also to the Metropolitan Police for their wholehearted cooperation and inparticular to Mike Taylor, Superintendent Nick Jupp, Superintendent Adrian Rabot,Detective Chief Inspector Christopher Lundrigen, Detective Chief Inspector AndrewColes, Detective Inspector Paul Anstee, Detective Constable Jo Poole and PoliceConstable Ruari Robertson and also to Richard Jolly of Government Office for Londonfor their contributions to a meeting with AoC London. Thanks also go to Korin Wilshaw,Deborah Persaud and Richard Ward of the Department for Innovation, Universities andSkills; and Harjinder Singh of the National Council of Faiths and Beliefs in FurtherEducation for their input.

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