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Welcome to the Devon and Cornwall Police website for professionals working with children and young people

Every police interaction is an opportunity for intervention and to build better relationships

Latest News



23/09/2021: Extremists using video-game chats to spread hate

Extremists are using mainstream video games and gaming chat platforms to spread hate, BBC Click has found. Over three months, researchers found anti-Semitism, racism and homophobia on platforms, . . . including DLive and Odysee, where users stream and chat about games such as Call of Duty and Minecraft. Campaigners say including extremist narratives among everyday conversations can be a pathway to radicalisation.
BBC

21/09/2021: Children face ‘agonising’ waits for mental health care

Children struggling with mental health problems during the pandemic are facing “agonisingly” long waits for treatment, a BBC investigation has found. Data from half of England’s specialist child . . . mental health services found one in five youngsters seen since Covid hit waited longer than 12 weeks for care. The numbers still waiting also appear to be rising sharply.
BBC

21/09/2021: Twitch hate raids: Minority streamers have ‘a target on their back’

“I’ve been told to kill myself, called the T-slur for trans people, the F-slur for gay people and misgendered numerous times.” You might have seen hashtags like #DoBetterTwitch or #ADayOffTwitch . . . trending over the past few weeks and months. It’s because of the flood of abuse that streamers, mainly from minority or marginalised communities are receiving on games streaming platform Twitch.
BBC

21/09/2021: Young people ‘at risk of repeat homelessness’ if £20 Universal Credit uplift cut, charities warn

Cutting the £20-a-week Universal Credit increase will put young people at risk of repeat homelessness, more than 40 charities have warned. They have written a letter to Chancellor Rishi Sunak urging . . . him not to remove the Universal Credit (UC) uplift at the end of the month. Led by Centrepoint and End Youth Homelessness, the letter says the increase has been a “lifeline” after it was temporarily introduced to help claimants during the coronavirus pandemic.
Sky

20/09/2021: The Role Of The Internet In Radicalising Extremists

The MoJ has just (16 September 2021) published new research “Exploring the role of the Internet in radicalisation and offending of convicted extremists.” Authored by Jonathan Kenyon, Jens Binder and . . . Christopher Baker-Beall, the aim of the study was to establish the role of the Internet in radicalisation processes and offending of those convicted of extremist offences in England and Wales by comparing radicalisation pathways across 3 groups: those who primarily radicalised online; those who primarily radicalised offline; and those radicalised through both online and offline influences.
Russell Webster

20/09/2021: Early baby therapy could reduce autism diagnoses

Training parents how to respond to babies showing early signs of autism could reduce by two-thirds the number of three-year-olds meeting the criteria for diagnosis, a small study suggests. Improvement . . . on this scale has never been shown before, the UK and Australian researchers say. The first two years are critical for brain development – but most autism diagnoses are made at the age of three.
BBC

20/09/2021: Autism therapy aimed at infants may reduce likelihood of later diagnosis

Doctors have shown for the first time that a new therapy aimed at infants can reduce autistic behaviour and the likelihood the children will go on to be diagnosed with autism before they reach school . . . age. Infants who received the therapy after displaying early signs of potential autism, such as avoiding eye contact and not responding to their name, were one-third as likely to have autism diagnosed at the age of three, compared with those who had standard care, the researchers found.
Guardian

19/09/2021: Child poverty now costs Britain £38bn a year, says new independent report

The findings, to be released in the next few days, will add to concerns over government plans to end the £20-a-week uplift for universal credit, as MPs of all parties voice concerns that a cut will . . . hit low-income families with children particularly hard. The new research, by Professor Donald Hirsch of Loughborough University, is the third study of its kind he has conducted over the past 15 years.
Guardian

NEWSLETTER: Youth and Online Safety

Upcoming Events



29/09/2021: Child Protection Training – Group 2 (Awareness in Safeguarding)

‘Awareness in Safeguarding’ is to increase awareness and confidence building in respect of identification, responding, recording and reporting. . .

£25 for VOYC members

More information

29/09/2021: Online Safety Day

Online Safety Day returns for 2021! This annual online event is aimed primarily at professionals working with children in the UK. The two-hour session. . .

Free

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29/09/2021: Pupil Mental Health: Effective Practice to Ensure Wellbeing

The mental health and wellbeing of students was a significant priority for schools before the Covid-19 pandemic. This agenda has now become an. . .

From £125

More information

08/10/2021: #HelloYellow

Join thousands of schools, offices and communities on Friday 8 Oct by taking part in #HelloYellow and raising vital funds to support our work. Dig out. . .

More information

Latest Publications



28/07/2021: Creating developmentally appropriate responses to young adults at risk of, or involved in, offending

The Transition to Adulthood Alliance run by the Barrow Cadbury Trust has funded a collection of projects to build the evidence base on effective. . .

More information

27/07/2021: Beating Crime Plan

The Beating Crime Plan sets out our strategic approach to cutting crime: cutting homicide, serious violence and neighbourhood crime; exposing and. . .

More information

21/07/2021: The Youth Justice System’s Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic: Literature Review

The report considers the impacts of the pandemic across each stage of the youth justice system, and brings together available evidence from three main. . .

More information

21/07/2021: Looked after children: out of area, unregulated and unregistered accommodation (England)

This briefing provides information on two separate but related topics concerning looked after children in England:
• Sections two and three cover out. . .

More information

Links/Organisations



White Gold Cornwall

White Gold Cornwall works with children, young people and adults across the whole of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly providing 1:1 mentoring to help. . .

Website

Your Way (Cornwall)

Your Way is a partnership between several youth and mental health services in Cornwall. Passionate about all aspects of our work, we provide quality. . .

Website

Treyla (Cornwall)

Based in West Cornwall Trelya is working to secure a fairer future for children and young people in one of the most deprived and under resourced. . .

Website

Young People Cornwall

Young People Cornwall knows what young people need. We’ve been successfully working with 11-25 year olds for almost 40 years, encouraging thousands of. . .

Website