Agenda item

To consider a report detailing the recommendations arising from the Children’s Commissioner Takeover Challenge in respect of Hate Crime.

Consideration was given to a report that had been submitted to advise the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board on the findings and recommendations that had come from the Children’s Commissioner’s Takeover Challenge spotlight review undertaken by Rotherham Youth Cabinet in March 2020 on Hate Crime.

It was noted that The Children’s Commissioner’s Takeover Challenge (CCTOC) was a national initiative where children and young people took over an organisation or meeting and assumed management and leadership roles.  As part of the Council’s commitment to the CCTOC, each year the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board supported the Rotherham Youth Cabinet in undertaking a focused piece of work on a topic chosen by the young people. 

In 2020 the Rotherham Youth Cabinet had chosen Hate Crime as the theme for the year’s takeover challenge, as it was one of the key priorities in their manifesto for 2020.

The report advised that the spotlight review had shown that that good work was taking place in Rotherham in raising awareness about Hate Crime that challenged related attitudes and behaviour.  The review also highlighted some areas of concern from members of the Rotherham Youth Cabinet. These areas of concern included:

·       the under-reporting of Hate Crime incidents was still perceived to be an issue, in particular in relation for disability-related incidents.

·       media coverage of Hate Crime incidents being perceived as often creating divisions and tensions within the local community.  It was recognised that this was difficult to control, certainly at national level, although it was hoped that there may be scope for more liaison locally. 

·       the number of hate incidents experienced by taxi drivers and their families and how further measures could be introduced that would protect drivers.

In light of their findings, the Rotherham Youth Cabinet had developed a set of recommendations, these were detailed the appended report and focussed on: 

·       partners continuing to engage with young people and to consider having a dedicated young person’s seat on the Independent Hate Scrutiny Panel.

·       liaison between primary and secondary schools to be undertaken to support preventative work on Hate Crime.

·       encouraging all schools to invite the Hate Crime Co-ordinator to work with students, with a focus on work in smaller groups.

·       involving young people in a peer educator initiative for Hate Crime awareness raising.

·       partners working with the Rotherham Youth Cabinet on a campaign to raise awareness with young people about how and where to report hate incidents.

·       sharing the concerns raised by RYC with regard to press coverage of issues that may impact more widely on communities with the local media.

The full report that detailed the findings and recommendations that had resulted from the review was attached as an appendix to the officer’s report.

The Head of Democratic Services in presenting the report noted that as the recommendations were cross cutting and involved organisations outside of the Council, a multi-agency response to the recommendations would be provided, and in due course reported back to the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board.

The Chair and members noted their thanks to the members of the Rotherham Youth Cabinet for participating in the review and noted that the meeting had been very constructive and had raised some important issues. The Chair noted his thanks on behalf of the committee to Janet Spurling, Governance Advisor, who would be retiring from the Council over the summer, for all the work that she had put into making the Children’s Commissioner Takeover Challenge such a success at Rotherham since its initiation.

Resolved: -

1)    That the report and the conclusions and recommendations as outlined at Appendix 1 of the officer’s report, be noted.

2)    That the report be forwarded to Cabinet and partners for their consideration and to Council for information.

3)    That a detailed response to the recommendations be presented to the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board and Rotherham Youth Cabinet in October 2020.