Following the Victoria Climbe Inquiry, the government has made keeping children and young people safe and improving their well-being a priority.

The Every Child Matters agenda seeks to ensure that all children and young people have a chance to fulfil their potential and to achieve the following outcomes identified by children and young people themselves:

• Be healthy
• Stay safe
• Enjoy and achieve
• Make a positive contribution
• Achieve economic wellbeing

The Children's Act 2004 places specific duties on partners, including the Police Authority, to:

• Co-operate with Children's Services Authorities to improve the well-being of children in the Authority's area;
• Ensure that our functions and those of the Constabulary safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people.

Commitment to children and young people

Avon and Somerset Police Authority has appointed a Lead Member for Children and Young People to champion the Authority's approach and to work towards achieving the following ambitions:

• The Authority's functions are discharged having regard to the need to safeguard and promote welfare of children;
• The Authority is knowledgeable about the children and young people in the areas it covers, including age-groups, diversity and needs, educational attainment, youth victimisation and criminality;
• Though consultation, the views of children and young people will inform the work of the Authority;
• The Authority has an effective community engagement, consultation and communication strategy that reflects the comitment of the Authority to children and young people;
• As a relevant partner, the authority will engage with Local Children's Services Authorities and seek to ensure that the Authority is appropriately represented on relevant bodies or boards that consider outcomes, priorities and targets associated with children and young people;
• The Authority takes account of Children and Young People's Plans when developing the Policing Plan;'
• The Authority ensures that the Constabulary has appropriate and effective policies and procedures in place to meet its statutory responsibilities for children and young people; and
• The Authority monitors complains made against the police either from or on behalf of children and young people.

Progress will be reported to the Police Authority on an annual basis and posted here.

Members of the Police Authority are involved with the Children's Trust in their Basic Command Unit (BCU) link area.

You can find the latest 2010 Annual Review of Somerset's Children and Young People's Plan (CYPP) is now available to download via the Somerset Children’s Trust website.  

Avon and Somerset Contabulary's children and young people website