OFSTED has found "serious weaknesses" in Somerset's response to youth violence, leading to children "being left at risk of significant harm".

The report, published Thursday, July 18, details the findings of multiple inspections of the Somerset Safeguarding Children Partnership's "response to serious youth violence in Somerset", between May 20 and 24, 2024.

The partnership, tasked with safeguarding Somerset's children, is formed by Somerset Council, Avon and Somerset Constabulary, and Somerset Integrated Care.

Ofsted's report found an "ineffective partnership working between agencies", stating that there were "serious weaknesses in multi-agency safeguarding practice".

The report evaluates the effectiveness of the partnership's response to children, aged ten and over, who are at risk of or affected by serious youth violence and/or criminal exploitation.

Ofsted's report states: "Ineffective partnership working between agencies has led to a failure to identify, understand and respond to the extent of serious youth violence and the criminal exploitation of children in Somerset. As a result, children are being left at risk of significant harm."

It also states that it found agencies were making the "false assumption that tackling serious youth violence does not need to be a priority in Somerset".

Youth violence is defined as "violence either against or committed by a child or adolescent", the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health states.

The report found that "risks are not identified at the earliest opportunity" when dealing with "children with increased vulnerability to serious youth violence".

It added: "Safeguarding referrals are not always made to the local authority by health practitioners in emergency departments, despite children presenting with serious injuries, and when they are, they are delayed."

The report stated that Avon and Somerset Constabulary did "routinely capture information and intelligence relating to serious youth violence and the criminal exploitation of children", but adds that "too often they do not share this information with the local authority or other relevant partners, and when they do so it is not timely, leaving children at risk of harm when this may have been avoided."

Additionally, the report highlighted issues with the rate of "exclusions" in Somerset which it called "very high" — it stated that "partner agencies do broadly understand that children are more susceptible to serious youth violence if they are not in school".

It added that children were waiting "too long for autism assessments" and that "many vulnerable children, including those with SEND and education, health and care plans, miss too much school."

The report acknowledged "pockets of good practice" in "local neighbourhoods" by teachers, police community support officers, mentors, and family intervention workers. However, it concluded that a lack of  "clear ownership of the plan to reduce risk to children undermines some of this good practice by encouraging repetition without focus. As a result, children are left at risk of significant harm."

Inspections were carried out by Ofsted, the Care Quality Commission, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services, and His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation.

A spokesperson for Somerset Safeguarding Children Partnership said: “In May 2024, the Somerset geographical area was inspected by the Police, Health, Probation and Social Care national inspectorates in relation to our shared response to serious youth violence in the County. 

"The inspectorates raised significant concern about the effectiveness of the Safer Somerset Partnership and the Safeguarding Children Partnership in overseeing and coordinating the area’s sharing of information and response to children and young people at risk of serious youth violence and criminal exploitation. 

"Specific concerns were raised in relation to safeguarding practice in local hospital emergency departments, a lack of timely information sharing by the police, and the negative impact of high rates of exclusion from schools in Somerset. 

"More positively, the inspectorates recognised the good practice of front-line workers working with local communities, to keep children and young people safe, particularly when risks have been clearly shared and documented.

"As a system, we recognise that we have a lot of work to do to ensure that all children and young people have the support and protection they need. 

"We will do this by:

  • The Safer Somerset Partnership and the Safeguarding Children’s Partnership collating action plans from all relevant organisations and strategically on behalf of each Partnership to improve partnership working in reducing serious youth violence and criminal exploitation in Somerset. Progress on these plans will be overseen by the both Partnerships and the Integrated Care System Children and Families’ Board.
  • Offering training to all relevant staff in every organisation so that concerns about serious youth violence are identified quickly, for individuals and in communities, so we can jointly provide the help young people and their families need.
  • Ensuring that the Safeguarding Children's Partnership and the Safer Somerset Partnership listens more closely to the voices of young people and communities about the risks they experience in relation to serious youth violence. This will help the partnerships develop a clearer picture of the serious youth violence risks in Somerset and then put in place the right systems and activities to reduce risks for young people and their communities.”

The report evaluating the Somerset Local Safeguarding Partnership was addressed to its members: Claire Winter, Executive Director – Children, Families and Education; Somerset Council Jonathan Higman, Chief Executive; NHS Somerset ICB Clare Moody, Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner; Sarah Crew, Chief Constable, Avon and Somerset Constabulary; Samantha Fahey, Youth Offending Service Manager; Dr Mark Peel, Independent Scrutineer.

It was signed by: Yvette Stanley, National Director Regulation and Social Care, Ofsted; Dr Sean O’Kelly BSc MB ChB MSc DCH FRCA Chief Inspector of Health Care, CQC; Michelle Skeer OBE QPM His Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary His Majesty’s Inspector of Fire & Rescue Services; Martin Jones CBE His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Probation.