Ealing Youth Violence Taskforce

The taskforce aims to make sure the council, police, health, probation and all other organisations dealing with young people work together to detect any early signs of trouble such as domestic violence, exclusion from school and mental health problems which can lead to crime and violence.

Parenting programmes to steer children away from crime and youth work and activities for young people are already being provided as well as work in schools and youth clubs.

Cabinet Member for Safer Communities, Councillor Vlod Barchuk, said: "Serious youth violence is an issue across the country and it's vital that all councils act now to ensure they are working with their partners to tackle the root causes.

"It's important that we stop young people from becoming drawn into violence and Ealing is leading the way in much of this work."

The taskforce is responsible for delivering the borough's first Serious Youth Violence Strategy which was formally approved by the council's Cabinet on Tuesday evening.

Chief executive of Ealing Council, Darra Singh, chairs the London Serious Youth Violence Board, which wants every borough to have a strategy for preventing and reducing violent crime committed by or against people under 20.

Superintendent Ian Jenkins of Ealing police who will jointly chair the taskforce with Ealing Council's Director of Children and Families, Judith Finlay, said: "Our work in Ealing to tackle serious youth violence is already very well advanced and this strategy will help to cement that work and make our efforts even more effective."

All cabinet decisions are subject to call-in for a period of five working days from the date of publication of the minutes.