Partners unite to brighten the futures of Nottinghamshire’s young people
A groundbreaking partnership in Nottinghamshire is helping to steer vulnerable children away from crime and towards brighter, safer futures.
As part of the Government’s Safer Streets Mission, the Young Futures Programme is bringing together partners to provide children and families the opportunity to receive the right help at the right time before problems escalate.
Through local multi-agency panels, partners share information and work closely together to ensure every opportunity is taken to spot the signs of troubling behaviour or vulnerability, such as sudden changes in behaviour, frequent absences from school, unexplained gifts or possessions, or frequent and unexplained trips.
The panels then collaborate on formulating a tailored package of support to meet their individual needs and support them away from potentially harmful lifestyles.
The initiative forms part of a pilot programme in Violence Reduction Partnership (VRP) areas, with Nottinghamshire one of the 20 areas selected to lead the way.
In Nottinghamshire, the initial pilot areas launched in October in Mansfield and Aspley, with several children and young people already having received support so far.
The two areas were chosen after being identified as two of the areas with the greatest need across the city and county.
The work is overseen locally through the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Nottinghamshire, the VRP and local partners including management and coordination from Mansfield District Council and Nottingham City Council.
Wider partners including Nottinghamshire Police, Nottinghamshire County Council Youth Justice and Youth Services, Housing, Education and Health, are helping to reinforce a shared commitment to prevention and early intervention.
Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Gary Godden, who made earlier intervention for children and young people one of his aims when he launched his Police and Crime Plan in early 2025, said the Young Futures Prevention Panels were now starting to deliver this vision.
PCC Godden said: “By combining the expertise of partner agencies, the Young Futures Partnership is creating a systematic, joined-up approach to identifying risk, reducing harm and unlocking potential.
“Together, partners are ensuring that young people across Mansfield and Aspley and are not defined by their circumstances – but supported to build safer, healthier and more hopeful futures.”
At the heart of the Young Futures approach is a simple but powerful principle in that no single agency can tackle these challenges alone.
Through a formal information-sharing agreement between Nottinghamshire Police, Nottinghamshire County Council Youth Justice Service, Mansfield District Council, and Nottingham City Council, assessments to identify individual need, interests and strengths are completed. Where possible, parents and siblings are actively involved - recognising that lasting change often begins within the family unit.
Referrals are then made to specialist providers who deliver targeted interventions.
They include Remedi and Switch Up offering 1-2-1 mentoring support, and Base 51 providing counselling and emotional wellbeing services.
Becky Mathias, Community Safety Partnerships Manager at Mansfield District Council, said: Working on this project has been really rewarding because we love our communities and we know young people need our support.
When this opportunity came along to produce a panel with everybody pulling in the same direction we couldn’t let it pass.
From our side we deal with the initial referrals and handle the engagement side of things and recognising what the most important thing is for those young people.
Gemma Jennings, Restorative Nottinghamshire Manager at Remedi, said: “It’s important to recognise the joint approach taking place at the moment to steer children away from serious violence.
“This is something that from a child and family perspective is really important as it stops issues escalating and means the prevention work takes place at an early stage.
“Remedi can offer that individual mentoring service to get to the bottom of the issues, and make sure it’s a swift process for those involved.”
Practical interventions range from securing gym memberships and swimming lessons to structured mentoring and counselling, all designed to improve physical health, mental wellbeing and positive decision-making.
As part of the Young Futures (Mansfield) Panel, Nottinghamshire County Council Youth Service is funded to deliver Detached Youth Work in Mansfield town centre.
Youth workers engage directly with young people in the community, offering guidance on safe behaviours, signposting diversionary activities and strengthening relationships between young people and local retailers.
PCC Godden recently joined the Detached Youth Work team in Mansfield town centre, witnessing first-hand the dedication of youth workers and the tangible impact of collaborative working.
The Home Office has confirmed a further 12 months of funding to continue delivering the Young Futures pilot locally - a clear endorsement of the strength of partnership working across Nottinghamshire.
Nottinghamshire Police Inspector and District Commander for Mansfield, Katie Eustace, said: “This project is really important for Nottinghamshire Police and the way in which we work with partners to achieve positive outcomes.
“The idea of the panel is that we can work together to turn lives around and prevent them being involved with the police moving forward.
“We can’t arrest our way out of this, so having the Young Futures panel can make sure that we find solutions that suit everyone.”