The idea of a grass-root, community led network on serious violence and child exploitation in Manchester was developed from insights gathered at AFRUCA’s round table event held on 30 January 2024.

AFRUCA held a follow up consultative meeting on 22 March 2024 at our office in Ardwick Manchester bringing together representatives from 10 community and statutory organisations who work to address youth violence and child exploitation cross the city. The primary aim was to explore the benefits and importance of creating a grassroot led, Manchester-wide Network to challenge critical issues affecting young Black people at risk of serious youth violence and exploitation.

At the consultative meeting, our discussions highlighted several key reports that underline the urgent need for this Network. We identified significant gaps in data concerning the exploitation of young women and girls, as well as a general lack of understanding of the vulnerabilities that young people face, particularly those from black and ethnic minority backgrounds, in the context of criminal exploitation. We also noted the pressing need for more resources dedicated to extracurricular activities for young people, a lack of cohesive collaboration between statutory agencies and affected communities, and an alarming misunderstanding of adultification bias amongst professionals.

We explored the benefits and purposes of such a Network, including promoting joint-working and collaboration between affected communities and statutory agencies.

Participants agreed such a Network would play a big role in bringing together affected communities, youth groups, faith organisations and statutory agencies.

We are delighted Manchester City Council is happy with our idea of a community led Network and is working with us to deliver this project through the provision of a small grant and senior level representation on the Network.

Our Network aims to strengthen the voices of marginalised communities in Manchester affected by serious violence and child exploitation. We want to create opportunities for grass-root collaborative and partnership approaches to tackle serious violence and child exploitation in our communities.

To serve as an advocate for communities affected by serious violence and child exploitation in Manchester struggling to establish relationships with the authorities, providing support and guidance where needed.

To create a safe and supportive environment for those working with affected children and families to access advice and support.

To provide training and guidance for professionals to engage effectively with diverse communities and cultures.

To collaborate with relevant agencies to foster a holistic approach to community support and development.

To engage faith groups in the Network, bringing a diverse perspectives and resources to the table, with a focus on working to improve safeguarding procedures in faith organisations and providing access to relevant information and advice.

We expect our Network to achieve the following:

Manchester wide change in practice and improvement in engagement with communities affected by serious youth violence and child exploitation.

Increased participation by affected communities in efforts to tackle serious violence and child exploitation across Manchester.

Improved ability of professionals to work on cases, achieving more positive outcomes in the best interests of children, communities and families.