An event bringing together officers and staff who support young people in schools across Scotland has been hosted by the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit.  

Throughout the day, a series of inputs were held looking at supporting positive engagement, and those attending heard from a range of speakers including Scottish Throughcare and Aftercare Forum, One Community Scotland, No Knives Better Lives and from staff within Police Scotland. 

Inspector Scott Kennedy, Project Manager at the SVRU, said: “We know the significant impact school engagement officers can have in supporting young people and their families, as well as school staff and the wider community. 

“The SVRU hopes these development days create an opportunity to learn about some of the work being carried out in schools across the country while showing what resources are available to address different issues facing young people. 

“We are very grateful to all those who spoke on the day to share their knowledge of working with young people across Scotland and to those who attended for contributing to the valuable discussions.” 

During the event on May 13, inputs looked at issues such as the impact of stop and search on young people; explored positive masculinity; and spoke about the wider benefits of a contextual safeguarding approach.  

Chief Inspector Elaine Tomlinson from Police Scotland’s Children and Young People Team said: “We recognise the importance of building relationships of trust and confidence with all of our communities, and we work closely with a range of partners to support officers and staff when engaging with, or responding to incidents, involving our young people. 

“This event was a great opportunity to share learning and best practice at both local and national levels. It allowed us time to reflect upon some of the key challenges and consider improvements whilst developing and enhancing our approaches to ensure we deliver the best outcomes for our young people.”