Partnerships Inspector, Police Scotland
Over the years we have reported on the work of One Glasgow – the Whole Systems Approach for young people, aged under 25, who find themselves either involved, or a risk of becoming involved, in the criminal justice system. It is a unique multi-agency partnership which is led, co-ordinated and monitored by Police Scotland and funded by Glasgow’s Community Planning Partnership. The scope spans those first coming to the attention of the Police, those with very complex needs being managed in the community, to those leaving prison or secure care.
This article will provide an update and reflection on the year we have just had and on how the implementation of the Community Justice (Scotland) Act has changed the landscape in Glasgow from a One Glasgow perspective.
For the full explanation of the One Glasgow Partnership, its journey over the years (how it has taken shape), how it fits into and contributes to the Community Justice reducing re-offending agenda landscape in Glasgow, and its successes, you can refer to previous Annual Reporter articles by the One Glasgow Team and its partners CLICKING ON THE LINKS BELOW:
- Overview by One Glasgow – ‘Glasgow’s Approach to Young People Involved in or at Risk of Becoming Involved in Offending’
- Partner Article by Includem – ‘Troubled Young People are Never Beyond Help’
- Partner Article by Action for Children – ‘Taking Action for Children – A Side Step to a Better Future’
- Partner Article by Glasgow City Council’s Youth Justice Services – ‘Youth Justice at a Glance – Service Highlights’
Annual Reporter 2018-2019 (You will be able to click on the individual articles in the digital contents page)
- By One Glasgow – ‘One Glasgow Reducing Offending (12-25) – Update from Our Partners’
- Partner article by ChoiceWorks – ‘Employability – Choiceworks – Even Positive Pathways can be Slippery’
- Partner article by Includem IMPACT – ‘Stickability Transforming Lives’
- Partner article by Youth Justice Social Work Intensive Support & Monitoring Services – ’Formulating a Unique Service in Scotland’
Annual Reporter 2017-2018 (You will be able to click on the individual articles in the digital contents page)
- By Community Justice Glasgow – Pioneer Initiative One Glasgow Sees Positive Impact on Youth Offending in Glasgow’
- Partner article by Youth Justice Social Work Intensive Support & Monitoring Services – ‘Diversion from Prosecution 16&17 Year Olds’
- Partner article by Community Safety Glasgow (now Neighbourhoods, Regeneration & Sustainability Service) – ‘Effective Targeting of Resources – EEI in Glasgow’
- Partner article by Police Scotland – ‘Partnership – Helping Young People Make Better Lifestyle Choices’
- Partner article by Youth Justice Social Work Intensive Support & Monitoring Services – ‘Supporting Change – Young People with High Risk Behaviour’
- Partner article by Research – Glasgow City Health & Social Care Partnership – ‘A Shining Star in Efforts to Improve Re-Integration & Reduce Re-offending’
- Partner article by Includem – ‘Making an Impact – Reducing Violent and Alcohol Related Re-Offending’
- Partner article by Govan Housing Association – ‘Making Choice Work – Saving Money & Benefitting a Whole Community’
- Partner article by Action for Children – SideStep Intervention Team – ‘Unique Early Intervention Approach to Tackle Serious & Organised Crime in the City’
- Partner article by Glasgow City Council Intensive Services – ‘System Change – For More Effective Use of Resources’
The act of bringing all of these articles together and re-reading them brought me to reflecting on the journey of One Glasgow as a partnership. In the early years, One Glasgow worked to build in partners, raise knowledge and understanding of what we were trying to achieve, building confidence and buy-in across the City. We seconded in a Policy, Performance & Planning Officer from Community Justice Glasgow to help us achieve those aims and make those crucial links to embed One Glasgow firmly into the wider approach for reducing re-offending in the City – ensuring that we were not working in a silo.
The implementation of the Community Justice (Scotland) Act has given a strength to our partnership, again, bringing us more firmly into the wider Community Planning arrangements for the City. This gives us a bigger network of resource to learn from and draw on and vice versa – sharing the learning from our unique approach for other services to draw on. We have also retained the co-working arrangements that came about as a result of the secondment from Community Justice Glasgow.
One Glasgow is without doubt a more connected partnership now than it has ever been – we are a partnership within partnerships – and very much contributing not only to the Community Justice agenda – to reduce re-offending – but much more widely to the overall aims of the Community Planning Partnership to “bring key public, private, community and voluntary representatives together with the aim of delivering better, more joined-up public services in the city.”
In 2020-21 One Glasgow partnered with agencies across the city to support a continued service even during the pandemic. We were able to sustain referral pathways with Includem IMPACT, the Action for Children Side Step programme, the Supporting Transitions and Reintegration Service (STARS) and Intensive Support and Monitoring Service (ISMS)/Alternative to Remand (ATR). The strength of our cross-partnership working was integral to our provision of a sustained service delivery even when the circumstances of our delivery were heavily altered by the pandemic.
ISMS Team Meeting
One Glasgow partners utilised all available resources to continue to support young people during the Covid pandemic. This has included the supply of IT equipment – such as tablets – to facilitate contacts between staff and service users when face to face was not possible. Partner regular scheduled meetings have taken place via Microsoft Teams, enabling discussion to continue and ensuring support is provided to partners and in turn the young people.
The Road to Change – One Glasgow secured funding for the “Road to Change” – a project that aimed to change the life trajectory of selected young people who had been identified as being at risk of involvement in criminality. The project used the medium of film production to challenge young people’s beliefs and perceptions of authority whilst giving them confidence and a sense of worth through creating a film that they wrote, directed and recorded.
The 3-month film production project was delivered by Street Cones and G20 Youth Group with support from local Police Officers and Social Work Department. The team worked with around 20 young people from the Wyndford Area in the North of Glasgow and utilised the full spectrum of partnership working; linking the public sector with the charitable sector and the local community to try and alter the course of young people’s lives.
Once completed the film was premiered with the young people’s friends and family and there was a question and answer session where the young people could ask questions to panel members comprising of Police Officers, Social Workers and members of the G20 Youth Group. The film was very well received and its creation helped to break down the barriers between young people and perceived authority figures. You can view the film by CLICKING HERE or watching below.
Be patient – the film starts at around 13.5minutes in or you can simply enjoy the music by our friends at Vox Liminis – An Open Door
Partnership Quote from Steven Gechie – Side Step Intervention Service Co-ordinator:
“Side Step’s partnership with One Glasgow has been the most effective partnership I have been involved with in the Youth Justice arena. Not only is it weekly and therefore fit for purpose when working with highly vulnerable young people, but it is genuinely reciprocal where both sides inform and receive data in equal measure. I trust the individuals involved and strongly believe we have shared goals and a joined up vision for those that use our services.”
Case study – Side Step – Many of the young people who join our service have experienced adverse childhood experiences such as parental imprisonment, neglect, or addictions in the home. Fifteen-year-old Lewis* joined our programme in February 2020 having disengaged from school and having been found to be using cannabis and carrying knives. When he joined the Action for Children Side Step programme he had the aim of re-joining education, reducing his offending, and building his confidence.
After 9 months of engagement with Side Step, Lewis has sustained the structure we have helped him implement in his life. He has taken the homemade training sessions into a local boxing club where he attends 3 nights per week. He engages in training with our worker but is also now confident enough to travel and attend independently with the club so impressed by him that they are liaising with our worker regarding Lewis getting his first competitive fight in the new year. Furthermore, Lewis has engaged with Enhanced Vocational Improvement Programme and is enjoying being back in education. This is our current priority of support and we will be providing Lewis with financial support to obtain the resources he needs to carry this on through the new year. Lewis is no longer involved in offending and our Police Scotland colleagues have confirmed that he has not received any new charges since engaging with Side Step, where he continues his personal development today.
* Not his real name.
One Glasgow in 2020-21 – One Glasgow and Community Justice Glasgow (CJG) have made steps to increase their level of cross-partnership working in 2020-21 by way of a full-time CJG staff member joining the One Glasgow team as a researcher. She will produce an impact report for One Glasgow which will identify areas for service improvement while also developing an evidence-based evaluation of the project’s potential for improving outcomes for young people who are at risk of entering or continuing involvement with the criminal justice system.
This work will place the One Glasgow service front and centre and demonstrate new opportunities for creatively placed partnerships across the city. One Glasgow are looking to expand their referral routes and are currently in the planning stages for a process to refer to Choice Works in the near future. Planning has also taken place for a pilot programme to be delivered by a branch of the armed force’s youth development programme which endeavours to empower young people and enable them to grow life skills to be productive members of society.
The Year in Numbers
