Vital help to support families with young people at risk of getting caught up in youth crime will be available after Haringey Council was awarded nearly £400,000 to roll out a Community Parenting Support programme. 

The funding has been provided by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, with community-backed projects in 21 areas across England receiving a share of £9.5million to help families who are vulnerable to the devastating effects of knife crime and gang culture.

This new funding will help to set up peer support networks and bring parents of young people together, so that they can support and advise each other (through the challenges of parenting teenagers). It is also funding additional support and advice in secondary schools, where parents can get support on a wide range of issues affecting family life.  

Haringey will use voluntary sector-led workshops to offer a range of specialist support for all parents including those whose children are most at risk of crime and peer support groups for families.

The programme will target parents who are living in locations most affected by youth crime, parents from communities who are less likely to access council services and parents of young people at risk, on the periphery of, or who are actively involved in youth crime.

They will be able to attend sessions that will take place at schools across the borough and local community venues.

The £388,353 funding will complement the existing Troubled Families programme that is on offer and will offer additional parenting support.

A further £300,000 will also be available for local authorities across England to train frontline staff on how to tackle childhood trauma.

Councillor Mark Blake, Cabinet Member for Communities, Safety and Engagement, said: “We cannot underestimate the importance of tackling serious youth violence at an early stage – we know a number of families feel isolated and desperately need support. 

“Our new programme offers that support and will provide help for parents concerned about their child and their future. We have seen the devastating impacts youth crime can have on our community and we will do all that we can to help tackle it.”

This programme is a core component of the council’s long term strategy to addressing serious youth violence – https://www.haringey.gov.uk/local-democracy/policies-and-strategies/young-people-risk-strategy