Agenda item

UPDATE FROM BROMLEY YOUTH COUNCIL

Minutes:

A verbal update was provided by BYC. Attending from BYC were Nathan Ward (Chairman), Tommy Velvick (Portfolio Holder) and Alice Kirby (Deputy Chairman). Updates were provided with respect to their primary and secondary campaigns. The 2022/23 Youth Manifesto was launched in May 2022. The Youth Manifesto set out the key priorities that had been identified through consultation. It was decided that the BYC primary campaign would be Youth ASB and Knife Crime and that the secondary campaign would be Relationships and Sex Education. 

 

Vaping had been included in the primary campaign. BYC had met with the LBB Head of Trading Standards and Commercial Regulation and with the LBB Director of Education to discuss various matters and this included the issue of how young people were accessing vapes. 

 

There was a concern regarding the number of young people that were carrying knives. BYC were seeking greater engagement from the police in tackling ASB.  It was reported that Bromley Youth Council had 54 youth councillors elected or co-opted from Bromley secondary schools, colleges, and youth projects.

 

The BYC Chairman summarised the various actions that had been undertaken by BYC which included the provision of training to skill up youth councillors around Anti-Social Behaviour & Knife Crime, facilitating them to lead the campaign and to enable them to raise issues of concern within their educational establishments. Contact had been made with the LBB Anti-Social Behaviour Team to examine the LBB anti-social behaviour strategy in order to facilitate collaborative working.

 

It was reported that 45 young people had contributed to the LBB schools guidance on vaping and 39 had been involved in test purchase activities with Trading Standards.

 

It was noted that Youth Councillors had decided to encourage schools and groups to sign up to the ‘Making Communities Safer’ – an anti-social behaviour principles document that supported the tackling of anti-social behaviour. The BYC Chairman said that Youth Councillors had met with Bromley police regarding ‘stop and search’ to understand how this was used in Bromley, young people’s rights, and the impact of stop and search on knife carrying within the borough.

 

A video concerning the subject of consent was being worked upon but had not yet been completed. A resource pack had been put together with general guidance concerning relationships. A discussion took place regarding vapes and nitrous oxide. A Member asked how many schools were involved and the BYC Chairman said he would look into the matter and report back.

 

The possibility of liaison with drug agencies was raised and the Youth Support Coordinator informed Members that this would be dependent upon what campaigns had been flagged up, and whether or not they were part of the BYC manifesto. A BYC meeting was scheduled to take place at the Warren on the 26th April and councillors were welcome to attend. A panel had already been invited.

 

The BYC Chairman informed the Committee that training had been provided for BYC councillors by Trading Standards, the police and the LBB Director of Education. It was explained that a BYC councillor would be expected to attend a weekly meeting and also a more formal meeting that took place once a month. Outside of BYC meetings, they would be expected to contribute to increasing awareness of BYC’s campaigns by speaking at assemblies and any other opportunities that may arise. A question was asked concerning RSE delivery in schools. The view was expressed that external bodies were more impactful in delivering RSE.

 

The Chairman thanked BYC for their presentation and requested that they provide an update in due course concerning their new manifesto priorities. The Chairman asked if there was anything the Council could do to assist BYC and the response was that the Council should as far as possible get the views of young people and consult with them regarding any proposed policies that may affect young people.

 

 

RESOLVED that the BYC update be noted.