Neighbourhood Watch Engagement Project Report 2015

NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH ENGAGEMENT PROJECT September, 2015 ONE COMMUNITY, HINWA, AND THE PCC WORKING TOGETHER TO IMPROVE ENGAGEMENT IN LOCAL NHW ACROSS HAMPSHIRE

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This report was commissioned by Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner, and carried out by One Community.

Published September 2015 Written by Kylie Barton Further copies of this report are available from www.1community.org.uk One Community 16 Romsey Road Eastleigh SO50 9AL Tel: 023 8090 2462 Email: kbarton@1community.org.uk

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CONTENTS Section

Page

Acknowledgements

pp.4

Executive Summary

pp.5-6

Abbreviations

pp.7

Introduction

pp.8

Research Plan

pp.9

Literature Review

pp.10-16

The Hampshire Context of Neighbourhood Watch

pp.17-18

What’s Happening Elsewhere

pp.19-20

Primary Research with Participants

pp.21-31

Case Studies

pp.32

Conclusions

pp.33

Recommendations

pp.34

References

pp.35

Glossary

pp.36

Appendices

pp.37-45

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Thank you to everyone involved in what has been a truly diverse, investigative, and insightful research part of this wider project.

Thank you to all of the professionals, organisations, and members of the public involved. Also a massive thank you to NHW members across the county who were very forthcoming in sharing the fantastic work they do, and also in being open to the project and the positive changes that it hopes to bring about.

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Background One Community’s Neighbourhood Watch Engagement project was commissioned by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Neighbourhood Watch (HINWA) and the Office of the Police Crime Commissioner (PCC). Its aims were to look at what is working within Neighbourhood Watch in Hampshire, and where improvements could be made to increase diversity of membership among hard to reach groups. Hard to reach in the context of this project includes; young people (under 30); those on low income and living in areas of deprivation; LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender); and BME (Black Minority Ethnic) communities. Hampshire and Isle of Wight Neighbourhood Watch Association (HINWA) has been keen to explore ways of broadening engagement within such communities for some time, and One Community has worked closely with them throughout the entire project. HINWA is trying to move the narrative along from the simple crime reduction agenda that generally currently exists to a focus on neighbourliness and community engagement, which this project will also help with. Throughout the project it became clear that all organisations and services have difficulty engaging with such communities, and that the findings could prove useful for other activities.

Neighbourhood Watch (NHW) groups across the county are all doing great work, and trying new methods of engagement, but HINWA wanted a clear, concise guide and toolkit to roll out to members who are unsure where to begin.

Existing Research Huck and Kosfield (2007) found that NHW membership runs in a cycle; when crime is up membership increases, when crime is down it declines, and then crime rises once more. Therefore, it is key to find external motivations for involvement beyond the crime narrative. There must be unifying factors that can replace fear. Something else to be challenged is the spatial definitions of community that NHW has worked with for so long. In an increasingly atomised society, where you live is not necessarily where you consider your community to be – it may be at a local faith group, youth centre, or community centre. The literature review also found that marginalised communities having representation in the bodies that wish to engage with them can prove fruitful – young people approaching young people for example. To overcome issues of engagement, existing research shows that the multi-agency approach is a useful method, but that also institutions need to be more positively proactive in their outreach, as well as changing how they sell what they are offering as something enjoyable, good for wellbeing, and a social tool. Each community has its own issues, and it is important to approach them in an individually tailored fashion, through innovative methods, and through utilising technology.

Findings The main findings were that HINWA needs to concentrate more on its online presence and marketing strategies, including social media. It was also found that NHW needs to broaden the number of crimes and issues that they provide advice on to better suit a wider demographic. Both of these things could be aided by having more specific volunteer roles, which could be supported by local CVS1 networks, and also through being a more proactive part of the multi-agency approach. There are other areas for improvement, such as fundraising, communications, outreach, and simply increasing the enjoyment element of being a part of NHW. All of these findings are actionable and achievable.

1

A CVS is a voluntary sector community development agency, often incorporating a volunteer centre (recruiting and supporting volunteers)

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County Level Recommendations These recommendations will be supported and facilitated by the second stage of this project – the toolkit, which will include guidance on how to undertake the following.     

Recruit a marketing volunteer Implement a social media and public relations (PR) strategy Encourage the recruitment of Area Coordinators in each area Create a HINWA website that is fit for purpose along with local association sites Create new publicity material and a way to ensure this material is accessible to those who need it  Focus on issues that are relevant to a broader spectrum of people (for example youth and drugs, or LGBT and hate crime)  Make sure there is an element of enjoyment in all the work carried out  Provide training for Area Coordinators and other active members

Area Level Recommendations  Reach out to community groups and organisations and work with them to engage hard to reach groups e.g. you may want to reach out to your local Asian network, or a youth group etc  If not so already, become embedded in the multi-agency approach at area level including strong links with local CVS and CSPs. This is to work with other organisations concerned with crime reduction  Build upon good existing practice and be proactive in fundraising for specific projects and events  Focus on issues that are relevant to a broader spectrum of people pertinent to your local area (for example youth and drugs, or LGBT and hate crime)

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ABBREVIATIONS ASB

Anti-social behaviour

BME

Black Minority Ethnic

CSPs

Community Safety Partnerships

CVS

Council of Voluntary Services

DA

Domestic Abuse

DBS

Disclosure and Barring Service

HINWA

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Neighbourhood Watch

ICSN

Integrated Connectedness to a Storytelling Network

JNHW

Junior Neighbourhood Watch

LGBT

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender

LGBTQIA

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual

LGBTQPA

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Pansexual

NHW NNHWN PCC

Neighbourhood Watch National Neighbourhood and Home Watch Network Police and Crime Commissioner

PCSO

Police Community Support Officer

PSHE

Personal, Social and Health Education

SRA

Social Research Association

UCAS

Universities and Colleges Admissions Service

YCP

Youth Crime Prevention

YOT

Youth Offending Team

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INTRODUCTION Simon Hayes, Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Hampshire speaking at an Anti-Social Behaviour Conference (Portsmouth, May 2015) summed up the underlying ethos of this project perfectly:

‘There is a need to unify this fractured community – to strengthen relationships between the minority and the majority’

It is a priority of all crime concerned organisations across the county from the PCC to the constabulary, from voluntary sector organisations and NHW, to ensure that all communities are protected and represented. With increasing cuts in policing, and less visibility on the streets, it is more important than ever that communities take ownership of their safety and moreover; one-another’s.

The Neighbourhood Watch network in Hampshire has around 10,000 volunteers making it the largest volunteer network in the county. The volunteers, however, are from a very narrow demographic as shown by the quantitative research of this project; white, over 50, married, and home owners in rural areas. At present this is not representative of the diversity of cultures that exist in Hampshire, which means it is not working as well as it could to include and protect all of society. The PCC is keen to get NHW established in densely populated urban areas as well as ensuring it stays strong in rural parts of the county.

To help increase diversity it is key that NHW be included in Hampshire’s general move to a multi-agency approach. At present it appears that links between NHW, other organisations, and community groups only exist where there is a personal link through the individual coordinator. Therefore HINWA and One Community were clear that this project was to help make links with relevant organisations for NHW to continue to work with beyond the timescale of this piece of work.

This project was split into three sections. Firstly the research itself, which consisted of surveys and one-toones with NHW members, professionals, and members of the hard to reach communities themselves, as well as focus groups and a literature review. It became clear at this stage that there are a large number of organisations and professionals interested in broadening engagement, and in working with NHW to help ensure inclusion is enabled. The second stage is to create a toolkit for NHW members to dip into and utilise when they need and when it is relevant. Every NHW scheme has different challenges and different target demographics and so it is important to ensure the toolkit reflects this and is not prescriptive. Thirdly is to pilot the toolkit in a variety of settings with different hard to reach groups.

In the first stage it also became apparent that professionals, NHW, and the communities we hoped to work with have very similar ideas of what needs to be done, it was just a question of the how. As NHW is a bottom up organisation based on the desires of the volunteers it was crucial to ensure that methods for increasing engagement kept them in mind at all times, and were simple to implement, and easy to understand and follow so not to create masses of extra work for those already giving up a great deal of their time. There were several challenges to overcome, but on the whole members were very positive, open to change, and excited about the scope of the project.

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RESEARCH PLAN Research question How can NHW in Hampshire better engage with hard to reach groups to increase participation?

Aims The aim of the project was threefold. Firstly to conduct research to assess existing means for broadening engagement, look at what was working, and where improvements could be made. Secondly to create a useful, innovative, and dynamic toolkit for NHW members to use to broaden engagement. Thirdly to pilot the toolkit and utilise the findings from the research in that pilot to ensure that the project created something sustainable for NHW moving forward. This report is part of the first stage, and the other stages will be shaped by its findings.

Methodology The first stage of the project was the research stage. This followed a phenomenological method; utilising a mixed methods design, and was broken into three stages; literature review, quantitative survey, and stakeholder analysis through qualitative one-to-one interviews. The literature review brought together what had already been studied, and importantly what methods of engagement had already been tried and tested, and what tools had not yet been considered. The surveys (Appendix 1) sent to NHW, the public, and professionals provided a solid starting point from which to direct the rest of the research, and also to get an idea of involvement demographics. The stakeholder analysis and focus groups allowed the researcher to create working relationships with NHW members and professionals as well as local community groups, which will enable HINWA to create partnerships for engagement work moving forward. The researcher looked across Hampshire, Southampton, Portsmouth, and also more widely in consultation with National NHW, including across London, for answers and for examples of good practice.

Analysis The surveys were analysed in their own right to guide the questions for the stakeholder one-to-ones and the focus groups. The stakeholder analysis and focus groups were analysed as part of the write up stage, where common points and themes were drawn out to formulate the main structure of the report from which to draw conclusions and recommendations. The interviews and focus groups were typed up immediately after the research was undertaken.

Ethics All research undertaken in the project was carried out following Social Research Association ethical guidelines.

Project outcomes: 1.

2.

3.

A report to be completed by September 2015 for use by HINWA, the PCC, and any other interested parties including National NHW. A toolkit for use by NHW members to help them more actively engage with hard to reach groups and to expand the reach of neighbourhood watch.

A series of pilots to test the toolkit and begin to action the recommendations from the report in specifically chosen areas.

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LITERATURE REVIEW A literature review is an overview of existing research and writings on a specific topic. In this section, you will read the opinions and findings of other academic and industry professionals who have carried out their own studies around the issues of engagement, NHW, crime prevention and neighbourliness. This is carried out before any research study to give the researcher a good understanding of current thought and debate that surround the issue. It also allows the researcher to consider new angles that have not been covered before, and ask the right questions in their own research. Some of the language can be a little dense at times due to its highly academic nature, therefore a glossary has been created at the end of the report before the appendices.

Broadening engagement in community organisations has long been a challenge for those that run them. In this literature review we sought to understand social theories related to NHW, what challenges and barriers some groups have come across, and what different methods have been tried to broaden inclusion and diversity.

Overview of Neighbourhood Watch (NHW) Society has become increasingly atomised, and it is the role of NHW to battle against this trend and encourage civic engagement, community connectedness and a collective efficacy. Reduced budgets mean officials are increasingly looking for ways to enable communities to protect themselves (Bolton, 2006). One in seven homes in the UK is a member of a NHW scheme, and in Hampshire alone there are over 10,000 schemes covering over 300,000 homes. The aim of NHW is threefold. Firstly to reduce opportunity for crime, secondly to improve communications between the community and the police, and thirdly to encourage community engagement and to build the sense of community spirit.

‘NHW is the collective mobilisation of citizens and police in anti-crime activity… it is an informal social control mechanism… a social facilitator’ (Shaid, 2014)

Bennett et al (2008) state that the mechanism of any ‘watch’ scheme is successful if residents are operating as the eyes and ears, reporting what they see and hear, and working together to problem solve. According to the ERS report ‘Exploring Barriers to Participation in Neighbourhood and Home Watch Schemes’ the best schemes consist of small teams of volunteers working closely with a coordinator who facilitates partnership working in the locality. NHW schemes are still most often set up to contain or prevent crime, mostly to respond to anti-social behaviour (ASB) or burglary. There has, however, been a strategic shift recently with schemes being encouraged to operate more like community development schemes with social inclusion at the core. Thus tackling the causes of such crimes rather than mitigating the effects after they have occurred.

With increased diversity, new partnerships and activities, expansion could lead to greater influence. As stated

by ERS:

‘NHW Schemes have the power to improve the quality of life for a community’

NHW are the mouthpiece of public-police interaction and PCSOs are the mouthpiece of the police-public interaction. Therefore the communications between the two must be of optimum efficiency and effectiveness and NHW must be inclusive and as diverse as the demographic area it serves. It is therefore imperative that Street Coordinators are familiar with their local PCSOs. Police Forces are generally very

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supportive of local schemes because of a national policing pledge to listen to the communities they serve and act on the points raised.

Theory Huck and Kosfeld (2007) found that the motivation of members joining NHW is the key to a scheme’s success or failure. They found that if fear is the main motivating factor, the scheme is likely to fail as demonstrated by the diagram below:

High Crime

NHW participation DOWN

NHW participation UP

Crime Reduced Merry et al (2011) also state that there is a huge difference between attitudinal fear and fear based on facts.

If there is high crime there is a reduced confidence in structures and so people seek to rectify this through organising themselves. Neo-Durkheimian2 thinkers say that it is more about perceived disorder and social cohesion levels as opposed to the actual crime level. Therefore, we must find a uniting factor other than fear to ensure the success of schemes that act as a mechanism to encourage positive norm reinforcement. What must be acknowledged is that different groups have different norms. Subsequently it is about finding a uniting factor that can be used as a common motivation for the establishment and maintenance of a successful sustainable NHW. If NHW development and engagement is approached in this manner, it will be more effective in general awareness raising of the principles of what is acceptable social behaviour. It will strengthen the social contract which may have a generational effect if sustained. Flint (2002) says we must re-establish norms of behaviour built around common values.

Yong-Chan and Ball-Rokeach (2006) say that the most important individualistic factor driving engagement is the ‘integrated connectedness to a story telling network (ICSN)’ alongside the residential context. These two factors are key for civic engagement both in ethnically homogenous and heterogeneous local areas. They concur that it is about finding a shared discourse of experiences and attachments. The pair state that a good level of collective efficacy, residential stability, and civic participation (the investment of time, knowledge or

2

Renowned French sociologist and philosopher, David Émile Durkheim (1858-1917). Neo-Durkheimians are modern sociologists who have developed his theories to suit the modern context.

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finances) in the local community are the key components to a good ICSN. There has been a deterioration of civic life according to Pattie et al (2003) and trust in traditional institutions is thus declining.

Flint (2002) says that policy needs to better reflect the urban diversity now seen in our local areas. He says:

‘As we become an increasingly heterogeneous society, the relationship of individual citizens to communities and civic institutions is changing’

Flint continues to discuss how cities are becoming increasingly polarised in terms of socio-economic groupings as well as cultural groupings. The ‘urban poor’ primary social area tends to be in the locality of their residence and therefore they are less likely to access wider opportunities. They can resultantly become excluded from societal structures that are built to include and benefit them but that often originate somewhere outside of their frame of reference. It is said that this polarised environment facilitates social exclusion, which in turn increases the rate of crime and disorder. The plurality of heterogeneous values makes self-governance and self-protection (as earlier discussed) much harder despite the state’s attempt to relinquish crime control to ‘responsibilised communities and private surveillance’. Communities are spatially defined by the police when they do not necessarily always organise themselves in this manner, which then makes localised crime prevention hard.

The effects of NHW is not only linked to crime outcomes, but also health outcomes for the community.

Changes in the care system mean there is an increasing recognition that social isolation cannot be dealt with by statutory services but instead needs to be tackled from within the community. This train of thought has led to the shift in purpose of NHW from merely crime prevention to community cohesion. Wilton (2012) says that to foster good health we need to build social support groups, encourage group memberships, and nurture an inclusive community. Most importantly we must foster a feeling of collective efficacy – a willingness to look out for each other. Good networks like this are linked to better mental health, lessening a vulnerability that can lead to an increased risk of becoming a victim of crime.

The way we construct such networks is changing according to Forrest and Kearns (2001) as traditional forms of kinship and ties to the community are changed to new forms of association through new technology. Social networks are now a virtual being not a spatially tangible reality. In a globalised era it is debateable whether people still view local identities as important or valid, if this is different for different groups and if spatial residency has anything to do with it. Arief et al (2011) said that we need to understand the relationship between technology and the behavioural changes we have seen within society. Renowned sociologist Fukuyama speculated that in a technological era home working would become the norm, and we can see the beginnings of this today with teleconferencing, Skype, and other methods of remote working. This would then suggest that the local, immediate, spatial environment will once again hold relevance. Forrest and Kearns (2001) did also suggest that globalisation can be a scary phenomenon for some, increasing the importance of the local in making individuals and communities feel safe and providing comfort in an uncertain era.

In this new era it is possible that groups such as NHW could be instrumental in helping communities formulate their own social identity. This could provide the new ‘linking’ factor instead of fear – a common identity in an increasingly blurred cultural landscape. The neighbourhood has long been an extension of the home for social purposes and so perhaps groups such as NHW need to emphasise the social, enjoyment element more to help encourage engagement.

There is a difference between ‘neighbourhood’ and ‘neighbouring’ Forrest and Kearns (2001) 12 | P a g e

In a disadvantaged neighbourhood it is the quality of neighbouring which makes the living environment manageable. In more affluent areas it is the look of the environment that is more important as spatially individuals are more distanced. Therefore, as NHW is already more successful in areas of higher socioeconomic grouping according to the majority of research, it is the neighbouring that needs to be targeted not the neighbourhood. Neighbouring is shown to be of greater importance to those more vulnerable in society such as the elderly and the poor who also have less opportunity to access alternative social networks through other means, such as work, travel, etc.

Challenges and barriers The EPS study (2010) that particularly looked at barriers listed the following: -

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Lack of time and other commitments Lack of NHW relevance Falling crime Fear of Reprisal (especially in BME communities) Language barriers Cultural differences (including gender roles and different views on patriarchy) Self-policing and informal coping mechanisms Stereotype of NHW being for older white people Detailed applications

The study also said there is a ‘catch-22’ that people from BME communities are less likely to get involved because of white dominance. In the concluding remarks it is suggested that socio-economic grouping is more likely to have a negative effect on engagement, as well as buildings with multiple occupancy, and these factors may act as a barrier more than ethnic grouping. This could be linked to what Shaid (2014) says, that if NHW is thought of as a police tool it is less effective – it needs to be ‘within the community, by the community’. Those from poorer backgrounds are also less likely to trust institutions such as the police. Bolton (2006) says that contrary to popular opinion strong social cohesion can and does exist in higher crime, deprived areas without an official NHW structure.

Pattie et al (2003) conclude their study on civic attitudes with the finding that people are more likely to be paying for others to be engaged in the community of their behalf (sponsorships, charitable donations, private security, etc.). They also concluded that it is the income rich, time rich, and skills rich that dominate civic engagement and therefore it is this demographic of people who get their voices heard. This group is also responsible for the commodification of community, according to Forrest and Kearns (2001), with the proliferation of gated communities and the private security industry. Social cohesion is being bought not constructed, and resultantly society is becoming more polarised.

Broadening engagement and diversity The EPS study (2010) that looked at the barriers also provided recommendations for increasing engagement: Facilitate access Engage leaders of different community groups Utilise different languages Think creatively at how to target marginalised groups (i.e. mosque announcements) Work with other organisations who have tackled engagement (i.e. schools/libraries) Respect and explore groups pre-existing coping mechanisms Think carefully about the venue and timing Individualise the approach Do not stereotype Acknowledge it takes time to build trust -

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In the study respondents said that if there were a BME member or PCSO that they would be more likely to engage. This suggests that to encourage diversity within NHW there needs to also be a push for the same thing inside the police and other justice bodies. Respondents also stated that more active engagement tactics would be better received such as NHW members attending group meetings and getting to know the community as opposed to merely leafleting. This will also help NHW members understand the differences in culture and introduce them to important cultural elements like holidays etc. Such engagement may also allow NHW to pinpoint a single issue to use as a common unifying factor to encourage engagement such as domestic abuse, or antisocial behaviour.

A city can now have a series of socially cohesive groups that are becoming increasingly divided. There are now more often than not a number of different communities trying to co-exist without a pinpointed common ground. NHW facilitates cohesion between such groups upon the foundation of their location identity – perhaps one of the only things they have in common being their spatiality. NHW if taken as a positive norm enforcement mechanism (Huck and Kosfeld, 2007) must acknowledge that different groups have a series of different norms. Therefore it is about finding a uniting factor that can be used as a common motivation for the establishment and maintenance of a successful, sustainable NHW. Key to the success of widening engagement is capturing the imagination of the next generation. In Crawley there was a Junior NHW project that proved very successful. With young people it was more about promoting good citizenship and raising awareness of personal safety as well as showing they can make a difference.

Children and young people are often not thought of as victims of crime and this project helped with that. The project was for 10 and 11 year olds and ran for one hour a week after school for six weeks. The ideal outcome was that children would then encourage parental involvement. This Junior NHW project also highlighted how children are not as phased by cultural differences and so demonstrated how important it is to foster the feeling of community efficacy and engagement from an early age to ensure cultural barriers do not form later on in life. Interactive assemblies were used to get children to shout out about a ‘robber’ coming in and stealing the policeman’s laptop.

Another initiative aimed at young people is the ‘Space Time Credits’ time bank scheme, whereby people can work for an hour on a community project and be given that hour back to use in an activity of their choice.

Using your time as currency instead of money. In Buckinghamshire they also tried to broaden diversity through holding lunch clubs at local places such as pubs. With spatial ties being a main linkage in NHW environmental projects are also good initiatives to join with as they share some similar concerns to NHW aims. Befriending and community navigator schemes have also proved positive, with volunteers working to join up local people with local services.

An interesting project as described by Arief et al (2011) was to create a computer NHW scheme. The project sought to create a system to help citizens interact and report more easily, utilising the increasing reliance on mobile technologies. The project aimed to bring NHW up to date and in line with the internet age to attract a wider range of participants from different ages, educational backgrounds, and ethnicities. Technology is a great equaliser and it can be a platform to provide information that people across all social divides are likely to have access to. It can also give people the means to set up a NHW without the dependency on one person to sustain the particular project, which has often been cited as a problem in NHW maintenance when the coordinator moves on etc. Moving to electronic would however take away the interaction element and so would not work to reduce isolation but perhaps worsen it? Petitions can carry great power locally, as seen in County Durham (NHW – How We Work with the Police), and these can now also be easily set up online to have maximum reach. This is an interesting area that certainly requires more in-depth research than this particular review and study allows. Gender is often overlooked in relation to NHW inclusion but research by Merry et al (2011) showed that women have significantly more confidence than men when it comes to working alongside the police. Merry also found that fairness of procedures is more important to people than outcomes, and also that it is of paramount importance to treat people as individuals. This is something often forgotten when speaking of communities and groups, as although the local identity is important, individuality cannot be forgot 14 | P a g e

Conclusions from the literature review The recent economic crisis has meant that local authorities and the police have been forced to look for ways to facilitate communities in protecting themselves. NHW has the potential to be a strong mechanism to realise this as long as inclusion remains at the heart of what it is.

KEY POINTS

The strategic shift away from mere crime prevention towards a community development approach has gone a long way to open the doors to new communities, however, there is more to be done. In Hampshire especially the multi-agency approach is still developing and NHW communication needs to develop alongside it.

The fact that trust has declined in formal institutions should be a positive thing for NHW as Hampshire NHW prides itself on its independence. We must ensure that this independence is highlighted, and the ‘by the community for the community’ message is said loud and proud. Multiagency working with the police and other bodies is crucial for the work to have a tangible effect but it is not at the heart of the organisation.

It is clear that fear cannot be the main motivation for joining, as this leads to unsustainable NHW groups and such instability is not conducive to broadening engagement, diversifying, or ensuring prolonged positive effects on the community. To make sure that all communities, groups and individuals are represented in NHW there must be a more active approach by existing members to embed themselves in other people’s lifestyles through existing groups and gatherings. NHW cannot exist in isolation from other community groups and so members must take the time to understand the community they are living in.

The concept of community needs to be above and beyond the spatial understanding and move towards a cultural understanding which takes into consideration the cultures of age, gender, sexuality, religion, ethnicity, and socio-economic grouping. The health benefits are also a key selling point that need to be utilised more.

NHW must evolve its own networks to grow with the new social practices brought on by technology. Technology and the web may have a number of positives and negatives but in spite of the latter it is undeniable that it needs to be included to encourage excluded groups to engage. With the commodification of community and communications we need to ensure that those without the monetary means still have access to community.

Technology is a great tool to overcome this barrier. Also narrowing focus to single issues may help to engage certain groups, but both these things need to be considered in more depth before application.

Broadening engagement is no easy task with an increasingly splintered society hosting multiple communities that self-identify in a number of different ways but NHW can be the mechanism to overcome difficulties, celebrate difference, and unify for the common good. If we innovate and start the ball of collective efficacy rolling from an early age, community engagement will begin to occur naturally in society. NHW has the potential to allow people to be the change they want to see in the world.



Multi-agency communications key



Need to break fear motivation cycle for sustainability



Trust in institutions has declined 

We need active, human engagement tactics



Consider looking beyond geographical definitions of community

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Well-being benefits of local networks 



Need to make it enjoyable and social Look at single issues per community 

Important to engage at an early age

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Innovation is crucial

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There are positives and negatives of tech but it must be incorporated

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We must remember gender

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THE HAMPSHIRE CONTEXT Hampshire and Isle of Wight Neighbourhood Watch Association (HINWA) believes that NHW exists to reduce crime and keep communities safe at the base level, but moreover that it plays a role to facilitate neighbourliness – ‘in communities that care crime cannot flourish’ says HINWA President, Margaret Filley. This project was also established to ensure that the latter part is being communicated in the right way to communities who have previously not engaged due to a number of barriers – one of which being a wariness of organisations involved with the police. At present Hampshire has about 15 per cent engagement – on par with national averages, but the demographic is not representative.

NHW is a bottom up organisation and so, even across Hampshire, one can see huge differences in how different areas are run. Volunteers have different skillsets, needs, and availability, and so ways of working are understandably different. This diversity can be extremely positive and is one of the many reasons NHW is one of the largest volunteer networks in the UK. It can, however, also make it difficult to develop as a whole entity.

Every NHW member spoken to throughout this project was extremely positive about its aims, and so the resulting toolkit and advice will no doubt be welcomed just as vehemently. The challenges of the bottom up way of working, however, is that it can prove difficult to have as strong an effect in some of the outward facing work with other organisations and groups etc. If there is no area level coordinator, or no committee, such work is, understandably less likely to be prioritised, and so it is preferable to ensure these roles are in place. For example, a high number of schemes are not registered on the national Our Watch database, which is where one would end up if Googling NHW – showing that Hampshire could benefit from some form of structure to ensure all of the schemes are visible. Such visibility is key to improving engagement.

The challenge is to reinvigorate the current processes to encourage new demographics to participate, whilst ensuring the voices of those long standing members are still heard and represented. At present NHW events are done in such a way that caters to the current demographic. To get younger, multi-ethnic, and those from lower incomes involved events need to have more elements of enjoyment and active participation rather than simply presentations and speakers. Current turnout for AGMs is already not as high as many would like, and so possibly running them to include social elements would increase active engagement among current members as well as the desired new demographic. At an anti-social behaviour (ASB) in Portsmouth in May an interactive poll showed that the majority of people would be more likely to engage if a scheme was interactive and fun. A number of members felt it would be really positive if HINWA took more of a proactive role in championing best practice, in a non-prescriptive manner, leading positive change throughout the organisation in Hampshire.

It is more important than ever in Hampshire for NHW to be heard, and to ensure it is representing the diversity of demographic of the county in an era of police cuts. At the Winchester and East Hants NHW Annual Coordinators Event in August, PCC Simon Hayes said that a high percentage of 999 calls involve social issues (concern for welfare, nuisance, domestic disputes 3, etc.) and in the face of reduced police numbers such calls could be avoided if communities were strengthened through NHW. Assistant Chief Constable Sara Glenn said:

‘Austerity means we need NHW more than ever’

Crime statistics show that older people are still more likely to suffer from fraud than any other crime, NHW deal with this really well, but have yet to look to raising awareness on issues that affect other vulnerable groups in the community. The face of crime is changing, and NHW needs to evolve with it. More and more crimes are happening online, and we need new prevention and protection tactics to come from the online community.

NHW need to become part of that fabric. At the ASB conference it was suggested that sometimes you have to 3

Domestic disputes meaning arguments of neighbour disputes, not domestic abuse which is most definitely a crime.

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tackle the perception of crime rather than just the crime itself, and here is where NHW could have a massive impact, telling good news stories to combat misconceptions in local areas, through online media and having notice boards in community spaces.

Youth Engagement Coordinator for the Hampshire Constabulary, Maria Carrick, has set up a centralised county young person’s newsletter with the aim of combating stereotypes, both ways between young people and the police, through focusing on the different issues that affect young people in particular. She is in the process of setting up another to share information between professionals too. NHW could utilise these platforms to share good news stories they come across, as well as a way to advertise events in local communities. Local Neighbourhood Policing Teams are being encouraged to do more localised versions of these newsletters in their areas using the county’s blueprint, and this is where NHW could really have an influence.

In Hampshire, NHW has the added difficulty of having large numbers of both urban and rural areas. At present data from the surveys of this project indicates that most members are from a rural location. It is in these settings that the demographic is most likely to be typical of existing NHW members and so we need to reach out to more urban locations to diversify engagement. NHW is currently made up of the ‘concerned safe’, those who live in relatively safe rural areas but have heightened fear of crime. This is not an accurate representation of society. In urban settings, the meaning of community may not always be akin to where one lives, but instead manifest from a local group, activity, or community space – something else that needs to be considered when moving forward.

Despite there being a broad array of challenges facing NHW in Hampshire, the passion and determination of the people involved is quite overwhelming. HINWA acknowledges some changes are required to ensure that NHW is representative and inclusive and this projects aims to help find them where they can make those changes and also provide a selection of tools for coordinators to use on the ground as and when needed.

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WHAT’S HAPPENING ELSEWHERE There are a number of other similar projects going on across the country for NHW. Our Watch – the National Neighbourhood and Home Watch Network (NNHWN) has been carrying out a series of consultations with regional representatives to help direct this change process. The researcher attended one of these consultations where attendees shared their initiatives which are outlined below.

NNHWN wanted to establish a similar project to the one instigated by the PCC and HINWA here in Hampshire in North Yorkshire to try to see how NHW could be more inclusive of ‘hard to reach groups’. The project there struggled to get off the ground as it proved difficult to ascertain who the hard to reach were as many NHW groups do not keep demographic data of membership. This issue was overcome in the project by looking at the demographics of the actively engaged, and seeing where there were gaps in representation. NNHWN is aware of some academic research being undertaken in London to map where schemes are in relation to high crime areas and demographic data will be included as part of this. This will give NHW across the country a good platform from which to start to better target engagement initiatives.

For Hampshire the largest gaps were young people, those from low income families or deprived areas, LGBT, and BME. NNHWN is interested to see what comes of this project and, if successful, will look to implement recommendations and tools nationwide with the approval of all parties involved in the project. NNHWN is particularly interested in looking at what methods will prove most successful in improving engagement with young people. At one consultation session a few different projects were discussed to weigh up pros and cons, and to look at extracting some ideas of best practice for others around the country to utilise.

In Sussex for example, they have very successfully trialled a Junior Neighbourhood Watch project (JNHW). This model was a six week programme of one hour sessions on different topics facilitated by NHW and other relevant professionals such as police, judges, and emergency services. Children were asked to sign up following an interactive assembly, and it was suggested that working with schools that have problems is more beneficial. This is not only in terms of positive outcomes, but to increase the likelihood of the school accepting the scheme – as here school staff welcome innovative solutions. The sessions must be flexible to fit with the needs of the particular school and the young people who sign up. They must also be interactive and Sussex even had sessions including a model court where young people were challenged on the stereotypes of reporters, offenders, and victims. An important part of the programme was the presentation of a certificate at the end, and encouraging the young people to take what they had learnt and put it into action, as well as sharing with peers and family members.

There are numerous projects that are run with similar aims to that of JNHW that could be linked in with NHW efforts to engage young people. In Warwickshire there is a Citizens Academy scheme that seeks to teach the public about policing and active citizenship. There is a mini police initiative in action in some force areas, such as Durham, which is placed in schools in areas of need and the children have uniforms and carry out tasks. This helps young people better understand the role of the police and challenges negative stereotypes. Moving on from this there are many Police Cadet Initiatives running around the country. Hampshire has just announced that a new cohort of Police Cadets will be recruited. With a minimum time volunteered of 3 hours a month, this is a great open opportunity for young people to get them outside in the community having a positive impact to help create engaged citizens. All of these types of initiatives could link in with NHW, for example cadets could run a session on cybercrime for NHW members.

At the session it was acknowledged that JNHW is only one model. It is clear that there need to be different manifestations for the different age groups, as well as a means to continue progress and involvement beyond a fixed term. This could be through transference to another programme at a different age or level, through routes to involvement in existing NHW schemes where they live, or through some form of ambassadorship. This seems

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to be the opinion of NHW in Hampshire that it cannot simply end. Focus on youth is also integral as young people are the way to changing the attitudes of every group including the other hard to reach groups.

There were a number of points agreed on during the consultation held at NHW National office, including:

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A national framework and guidelines would be useful, but it should not be prescriptive Aims in line with the current NHW ethos A menu of options that can be used when needed Ensure that ages are differentiated between (children and young people) National NHW to provide support where possible Work with young people to develop tools and modules New branding as a sub-brand of NHW (like Virgin with Virgin Media, Virgin Airways, etc.)

Strapline to clarify what NHW is Network for sharing best practice and information among NHW groups Having 3 core modules and then a number of others that can be used in different contexts Flexibility is key for young people and for those facilitating activities Ensure young people feel a sense of ownership Decide how to use online and social media best for engaging with young people Training events and a manual including practical resources such as letter templates, funding help, DBS process, etc. for volunteers Method in place for feedback on projects Ensure projects are accessible for all levels of literacy Do not focus only on schools as this can exclude the hardest to reach

In general NNHWN seems to be quite keen on a slow and steady rebranding process to dismantle the stereotype of NHW and to encourage inclusion. For example is it necessary to have the policeman in the roundel? This is a matter for some debate. There are also some questions over what it means to be a member. At present a household is classed as a member, but with modern multi-occupancy living this excluded huge numbers of residents with different interests and so NNHWN is looking into what levels of membership there could be to be more inclusive and also to ensure that membership is flexible enough to encourage all levels of involvement.

With this there are discussions being had about fee models, what members would get in return for paying a fee such as introduction packs released centrally and access to other resources. A huge shift is also needed for NHW to be taken seriously when it comes to prevention and protection of new crimes such as cybercrime. What is key, is that on all levels across the country it is accepted that NHW needs to evolve and adapt to meet modern challenges.

In Staffordshire PCC Matthew Ellis has also embarked on a mission to reinvigorate the NHW schemes in his area through a project not completely dissimilar to the one here in Hampshire. His team is looking to make NHW more dynamic and centre it on social media to make it more ‘sellable’ to communities. He said that NHW must be proactive, not simply reactive to ensure that all potential partner organisations are on board with its aims and able to work alongside NHW. The project in Staffordshire agrees that NHW must be localised and bottomup to ensure community empowerment, and for this reason is choosing to stay separate from NNHWN projects.

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PRIMARY RESEARCH WITH PARTICIPANTS SURVEYS Three surveys (Appendix 1) were sent out.

One to NHW members, one to professionals working within an organisation that works with hard to reach groups or in the area of crime prevention, and lastly, to members of the public and hard to reach groups. One-to-ones were also held with these groups, and a set of focus groups with members of the public.

NHW Members 276 NHW members responded to the survey. Of whom 53 per cent were over 65, 36 per cent aged between 45-65. 93 per cent white, 76 per cent married, 92 per cent owned their own home.

Out of the 60 per cent that said they actively raise awareness of the work they do, methods cited included emails to existing members, welcoming new neighbours, going to residents association meetings, letter drops, and newsletters.

Although effective for existing members and the current demographic, these methods are not innovative in their approach and are unlikely to be targeted at the hard to reach. Less than half (46 per cent) said they were actively trying to get new people involved. Some comments around this included attending or holding events, engaging with youth groups, and mixing with other local community groups.

Existing members cited a number of reasons for joining. This spread, however, represents the old functions of NHW with crime prevention coming out top: -

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74 per cent for crime prevention 65 per cent to feel safe 50 per cent for crime reduction 41 per cent to regain community spirit Other reasons mentioned including insurance and events

When asked what motivated them to get involved, however, responses were much more in line with the neighbourliness aspects that NHW is trying to push. Respondents mentioned community engagement, caring about other people, creating a socially responsibly community, community spirit, sense of civic duty, and a wish to support the police in a time of cuts.

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NHW participants were also asked to offer comments around the barriers people may have to joining. Responses to the barriers to engagement question included: -

Apathy, generally and due to austerity measures Lack of time Poor communications of NHW CRB/DBS requirements Nosy Neighbours stereotype Many have full participation in their area so it is the job of HINWA to encourage establishment in other areas NHW lack of presence on social media (need to be shown how) Languages as a barrier Disinterest when no crime (the cycle illustrated in literature review)

Professionals 65 per cent of respondents said that they were not in contact with NHW and 60 per cent said that they do not have organisational links. 56 per cent said that the reason they do not liaise with NHW as an organisation is that there is no information available about what they do or who to speak with regarding joint working. A number of professionals expressed that they chose to speak with PCSOs or the Neighbourhood Policing Teams direct due to poor communication streams to NHW. It was the belief of professional respondents that NHW exist to:

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Disseminate info Work with police Act as a bridge between statutory and voluntary Represent the community Be a mouthpiece for the public

There seems to be some confusion about Hampshire Alert and NHW, as a few professionals seemed to think that NHW was orchestrated through that system now, which is not the case. This demonstrates the need for a clearer NHW presence online.

When professionals were asked how NHW can develop to improve engagement they suggested NHW being more involved in community groups and other parts of the community, including organisations like charities and housing providers. They also suggested that NHW should be a voice for all people including the young, and be a signposting and information service. Other methods mentioned included better use of social media and SEO (search engine optimisation), issue based campaigns, utilisation of youth watches, more work with victims, better networking with other organisations, and perhaps offering some sort of training to professionals in the functions of NHW.

Public Out of 143 respondents, 92 per cent were white, 8 per cent non-white, 15 per cent disabled, 10 per cent living in privately rented, 4 per cent social housing, 80 per cent owned, 23 per cent 25-44, 45 per cent 45-64, 31 per cent 65 plus. Although this survey was sent out to a number of diverse community groups, the demographic of those that responded was not as representative as hoped. Therefore, it was ensured that focus groups were conducted with those from minority ethnic backgrounds, and the young, to ensure that those communities’ voices were heard in this report.

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A third of respondents said they were aware of their local NHW scheme, 66 per cent weren’t. 76 per cent said they did not know how to get involved with NHW and out of those that did, access through the police, searching online, and via the street coordinator were the most popular answers. 16 per cent had absolutely no idea what NHW does and out of those that did the most popular responses were: -

Reporting Monitoring Watching Crime Reduction Street Walks

Members of the public said that they were most likely to discuss local issues on Facebook, through emails direct to the organisations that the grievance is directed at, in community groups, or on Street Life. Twitter and local meetings were less likely to be the forums used. It was felt that NHW needs to be more visible including a stronger presence online. As shown in the graph above the majority of respondents want to find out about NHW online, followed by email, and social media. These are all online methods which shows that NHW needs to focus its efforts here to broaden engagement. In other comments it was mentioned that NHW should do more in schools and strive to better represent the full demographic of their communities.

FOCUS GROUPS

Asian Elders Group, Eastleigh The group consisted of around 40 members, a brief introduction was given to the group as a whole, and then the group was split into 4 smaller groups for the questions to be posed. Key points from the discussions were:  

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NHW is seen as responsible for keeping an eye on the area It is seen as necessary among British communities, because the fragmentation of society is very much a British phenomenon in terms of isolation and un-neighbourliness. Many said trying to tackle this fragmentation and get back to community is a huge challenge. They expressed that Asians unite in the face of British hostility and so are less vulnerable to that when in their own groups Seen as useful for vulnerable people, but vulnerabilities may not always be obvious NHW as a tool for awareness raising of certain crime issues A number said they had not been approached by NHW, or knew where to go for it, and so greater awareness raising in alternative communities is needed (presence at the Mela etc.)

Their own group provides the sense of security and community that NHW profess to provide and so many don’t see that they would have the need to get involved Many said it may be better to target younger people from their community who are less stuck in their ways and more open to new things It was felt NHW should have a larger role in signposting, and perhaps going further to assist the vulnerable (getting to appointments etc.) or pointing people in the direction of someone who can help with such elements

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It was felt it is very unclear how to get involved, and they felt having a NHW member attend their group would be beneficial It was also suggested that having an Asian rep at the area level of NHW could prove beneficial and help promote diverse engagement Communications between different community groups needs to be stronger, it is about going to closed community groups more actively, and not expecting people to want to come to you organically Language is much less of a barrier than it once was and English speakers no longer need to have the fear Street events and other enjoyable elements would also draw out more people from communities who are less likely to engage

Around the World Group, Eastleigh This group is a group of mums from various countries including Taiwan, Korea, and Poland who come together with their children once a week. On this occasion there were five Taiwanese mothers. They had never heard of NHW and so, once explained to them quite thoroughly, they were asked to consider what might encourage them to get involved. This is what they came up with:      

Emphasise the enjoyable elements and things like street parties NHW should be more proactive in reaching out to BME communities Explain to BME communities how they are able to participate Needs to be better advertised – what it is, who it’s for, if it costs etc.

There needs to be a greater presence in community centres and other communal areas If NHW were more active on social media they may have heard of it

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Letters

through

the

door

etc.

would

be

good

to

get

the

bare

information

Young People (Provided by YOT and STAR project)

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       

The group was comprised of 9 young people between the ages of 11 and 19. The session was split into three activities focused around 3 questions. Young people had some idea of what NHW is, and strongly identified with the current brand. Many thought that the ‘getting people together’ element was of great significance. It was thought by the young people that NHW was only for older people, and for those that have more time on their hands. Young people also filled out individual questionnaires (Appendix 2) as well as contributing to discussions (full results available in Appendix 3). It was a great insight to see what crimes young people felt affected them (see graphic on previous page). They felt that if NHW focused on issues such as these it would be of greater appeal to younger generations as it would be more relevant and relatable. The young people considered what would encourage them to get involved, this is what they came up with: Promotion at youth events and school Nominations and awards for things Experience and references to write on university applications & job applications – UCAS points Variety of activities (pick and mix approach to involvement) Sell as an opportunity to meet new people and friends Make it fun, relaxed and flexible Training & official volunteer roles Social media

When asked what approach NHW should use to engage young people, they said:           

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Do assemblies but also smaller groups which link in through PSHE and with each year group like informal workshops Lessons but must less formal – create a plan to send out to teachers etc. and get the young people to help create it Stigma against youth centres now as ‘chavvy’ Unless something is targeted, it doesn’t work – talking at young people doesn’t work Use Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Vine to create video content, memes Get young people to run the social media and create the content like videos and memes etc.

Young people know best how to target people their own age Avoid text speak Base involvement on issues to capture the biggest number of young people’s individual interests Present what they do in an interesting way through video to dispel the stigma – video diaries of interesting members etc. Videos as best resource to get people involved – could video events etc.

Website was felt to be very important and it should have basic information, contact details and be used to direct to social media where most of the content is. There could also be a forum. Use of a contact form would be less scary than having to pick up the phone or send an email Links on the website to external partners or info sites like Fearless, Childline, LGBT, DA, CSE, mental health help, Moodjuice, and other advice sites Sell it as having someone you know to talk to rather than police Biographies of people involved already (nurse, 40, lived here 20 years, etc. to humanise it a bit) A mobile phone app would not be needed, excludes people, uses data, expensive and time consuming – website much better Most important thing is something to show what they have achieved Link in to a website like V-Inspired which is a volunteer portal which can be used to log hours of volunteering Training in things like; personal safety; what to look out for; signs of crime; signs of Domestic Abuse (DA)/Mental health; signs of drug use; speaking/comms; conflict management; restorative justice; first aid; fire safety; equality and diversity; what is harassment; hate crime; DA emotional financial

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What young people believe signifies a good community:

MAIN THEMES FROM ONE TO ONES In the one to ones with professionals and NHW members, participants were asked to think about what had worked well for them in their area, what hadn’t worked so well, and asked for any ideas they had to help broaden engagement with hard to reach groups. The below is derived from these one to ones, and split up into the main themes that arose commonly as examples of things that could be done to improve engagement. There are a number of opportunities here, it is not expected for all groups to take them all up at once.

Area Coordinators Although it is paramount that NHW remain a bottom up organisation, it is a general consensus that having an area coordinator for each district would be of great benefit for everyone. Police and other professionals cannot possibly speak with multiple street level coordinators and so there needs to be a layer in between them and HINWA for every district. These should mirror the police district areas. They are already in place in some areas, but not all, and HINWA could support finding suitable people for the areas where they are not present. It would be beneficial also if it were part of the area coordinators’ role to keep an up to date record of organisations and services in the area that NHW could work with on specific projects such as Age UK, domestic abuse charities, youth groups, CVS etc. NHW should be as much about building relationships with people in the community as it should be about the number of schemes, and this could be the role of area coordinators. Any activity like this would not be about sharing the details of NHW members or sharing the database, more about sharing best practice, ideas, and opening communications with the rest of the community to share the good work done by NHW and its members.

Communications Communications is another point that kept being raised throughout the research stage and there are a number of ways this can be improved. Existing publications could be used a lot more by NHW, such as parish council and community magazines (CVS) and websites. Some members need guidance as to what makes a good story, and how to lay them out, and this will form part of the toolkit created in the second stage of this project. Creating relationships with local reporters at newspapers etc. would be positive to aid this. Many have said a press package would be a useful part of the project outcomes. Marketing was something highlighted as a weak point by many participants, and this could be a role in itself for a volunteer at HINWA level. The police are setting up a newsletter for young people through Hampshire Alert which would welcome good news stories – there are lots of platforms about that can be used.

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NHW could also take up the role of challenging misconceptions when it comes to crime. Too often older people blame younger people, when in fact for crimes like graffiti and other forms of ASB, adults are often at fault. Using statistics to create material around such issues would really help reduce the fear of crime which is at present disproportionate to levels of crime. There are cases where young people are victimised by adults too and this needs to be challenged. Hard to reach communities are more likely to get involved if they see positive results and if they see that their issues are being represented and taken seriously. Communication, press, and marketing is vital in achieving this. People need to see it as a powerful instrument of community safety, maybe in lobbying local councillors too.

Internally, there also needs to be a protocol for handover for when coordinators of NHW area level or otherwise start to be unable to fulfil their role due to age or illness, or other commitments. Too often active schemes cease to exist when members are no longer around.

Consider other forms of community Community for NHW tends to mean area of residence. In urban areas and with modern lifestyles, communities are often found around commonalities other than home location. Colleges and universities for example, or local BME society meeting places, community centres etc. Winchester NHW is making great strides in linking with the University, and in hard to reach estates also. These locations should all be targets for NHW, and schemes shouldn’t have to be on a road, but instead could have something else as the central point. This will help it feel more than just crime prevention, and more about community, which is what NHW is keen to promote already.

Enjoyment Participants thought that there must be an enjoyable element to being involved with NHW. Many mentioned that the idea of street parties is a great way to raise awareness and encourage engagement with NHW and in the local community more generally. It needs to be social to dispel the ‘curtain twitcher’ idea. Events must be mindful of different cultures, ages, and the appropriateness of some things. This could also be the way to combat the fear driver cycle as depicted earlier in the report (pg.10). Innovative activities and events to bridge the gap between old and young could also be greatly enjoyable– skills swapping sessions for example: ‘you teach me how to sew, I will teach you how to tweet’. NHW cannot be reactive and dry, but it must be proactive and vibrant.

Competitions are a great entertaining way to incentivise engagement, and could work with local businesses to give away things like personal alarms, or light timers etc.

Fundraising There can be little or no cost to running a NHW scheme. If however, NHW wants to expand and encourage engagement, there would be some costs incurred for printing materials, running events, signage etc. Therefore, it would be beneficial for area coordinators and HINWA committee members to know where to get funding, and of new techniques such as crowdfunding. This knowledge could then be passed on to any interested members in their patches.

Issues focus To encourage those from hard to reach groups to engage it is key to talk about and focus on issues that are relevant to them. NHW is traditionally very good at looking at the vulnerabilities of the elderly (fraud, doorstep crimes, etc.) but does not often branch out to more challenging subjects that affect the hard to reach such as drugs, violence, domestic abuse, arson, ASB, Hate Crime, and various types of exploitation. There are many topic areas that could be tackled, and it is not the suggestion here that all areas take on all topics immediately, but take time to understand the issues most pertinent to the hard to reach groups in their areas, and how to raise awareness and provide support around those issues. This may also be another way to encourage some members to be more active – they may have a specific area of interest or expertise which they could share with the rest of the group. Also there is a need to consider the statistics around repeat victimisation and how to help protect those who have already been targeted. NHW could also be a vehicle to help tackle the fear of reporting that exists in many hard to reach groups.

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Leaflets and promotional materials There must be a place for current NHW members to access resources and promotional materials, both hard copy and online versions. This should be somewhere centrally, whether NNHWN or HINWA. Some NHW members found that using things like quizzes had worked quite well. A number of coordinators said that knowing where to get resources could be an issue. There needs to be a clear document showing what NHW does, and what they can offer. Is it signposting? Reporting? Info sharing? One-to-one support? Professionals said knowing where to get such information from to distribute to service users would be helpful, and also so that they could educate themselves. Members of the public also said that displaying such material in community spaces should be commonplace.

Multi-agency All participants agreed that NHW should be a part of local multi-agency approaches including meetings, events, and general communications. There are so many great projects happening with such a wide array of organisations (statutory and voluntary) that communication must be improved to ensure that work isn’t duplicated unnecessarily and best practice can be shared. Social action is a huge theme at present and NHW is a great example of that. NHW has the potential to be the bridge between professional services and the public. All area coordinators should have strong working relationships with their local CVS 4 to aid volunteer recruitment and care, as well as to get access to a number of community groups. Some members already have good relationships with CVS and CSPs in their area and the benefits are clear. In the time of cuts this is more important than ever as to share resources and ideas with those with common aims would be most effective. Working in this way also has a higher impact. Other organisations may have access to free materials or safety devices that could be offered to NHW members, such as window locks, personal alarms, etc.

Police The relationship with local neighbourhood policing teams was cited by many as an important element but, due to the cuts, there are less police with less time available to meet with members. This is also causing disillusionment among the general public as visibility is down, but unfortunately it does not seem to yet be correlating with enthusiasm to self-police and protect through mechanisms such as NHW. It is felt that area coordinators should have a named police contact who they liaise with, and this is in place in many areas but not all. The Hampshire Alert system is also still suffering teething problems with consistency of usage across policing areas, and also immediacy of alerts. Many also mentioned that it is important to remember that the police link can be a barrier for some hard to reach groups, and so it needs to be made clear that NHW do not work for the police. This is where a relationship with Crimestoppers5 could be beneficial, due to the anonymity element, but still ensures that NHW has that crime reporting and prevention link.

Social Media It is acknowledged that social media is an untapped resource. The reason no steps have been taken in this direction so far is because of lack of knowledge, not resistance to change. All NHW respondents thought that having young people to demonstrate how to use things like Facebook and Twitter would be a good way to bridge the age gap and also to challenge stereotypes from both sides. Many pointed out that because such a large proportion of the existing membership does not use social media, it is important that traditional methods of communication are also kept up, and that any social media should be in addition, and with the aim of enticing new members rather than informing old ones.

Some members are already active on Street Life, and say it is good because people use it to critique local services including the police, but again it isn’t commonly used throughout the organisation. There is a knowledge deficit which needs addressing, and social media taboo that needs breaking. There has been a fear around social media,

4

CVS can help NHW with volunteer recruitment and support, as well as supporting local level schemes as organisations and providing links to other community groups in the area.

5 Crimestoppers are a crime reporting charity, which ensures that those who witness crime can report with the assurance of full anonymity whether reporting on the phone or online. This encourages people to report who may not want to appear in court, or be known to the public as being involved. It is particularly useful if you are reporting a family member or a neighbour.

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for privacy and safety reasons. It would therefore be beneficial for the toolkit to include some guidance on the different levels of privacy of each platform, what to do to keep safe, and some general guidance to combat the fear of the unknown.

Social media can also be used to create campaigns and pledges and to get on board with existing initiatives like the #iwill campaign6. There are great organisations out there such as Fixers who specialise in creating content that speaks to young people, done by young people, and NHW needs to build relationships with such places.

There has been some criticism about Hampshire Alert not being instant enough – Twitter can answer this as whatever is going on, wherever, someone is tweeting about it. It can help NHW members see trends in the area and see what local people are talking about, what they are concerned about, and link campaigns into that. Some have said it may be appropriate for police to be part of Facebook groups etc. however this would need more in depth consideration.

Training Coordinators and active members may face a number of different challenges in their communities. So training on issues they may come up against including dementia, domestic abuse, addiction, and other vulnerabilities would be really useful. Many participants also thought some form of mediation or restorative justice training would be appropriate for NHW members. Not as a remedy but more to learn the skills to stop a situation escalating. Local CVS are a good link for NHW in this area too, as they often provide training for local groups at a reduced cost.

Website and online HINWA needs a website that must function for internal communications and external promotion. There should also be a standardised format for HINWA to promote and for the local level organisations to use. At present all the websites look different, are not clearly branded, and are clunky to manoeuvre around. They are not user friendly, or attractive to the user. The website is a key way to engage young people – children, teens, and under 30s. There are sites where NHW could get crime prevention advice from to easily fill websites with relevant content that could be targeted at different groups. Some participants suggested webinars could be used to host meetings to include a broader range of people, also potentially to carry out training. Something raised by many was the idea of having a section on the local website where people could ‘meet the team’ with biographies and profiles of active members to humanise it a bit. So ‘Rachel, 34, has lived in X for X years, and works as a nurse’ etc. The website and online presence was one of the main things discussed with participants, and all of them agreed it is one of the most important elements to work on to broaden engagement.

Working with community groups NHW should endeavour to make itself known to other community groups from mums’ groups, to youth clubs, cultural associations, book clubs, curry societies, and more. This could be through a presentation to the group to explain what NHW is and what it does and why they may want to set up a scheme or get involved. But also so that NHW can get to know the different communities living within the area represented. This is an integral part of being proactive in the community. NHW should also link in to other volunteer organisations like volunteer centres and student volunteer weeks etc. It was found that it is generally best if volunteers are given specific roles with clear remits. Places of worship, such as churches are no longer just religious spaces, and are used for a number of community initiatives, and so such avenues could also be explored. It may also be worth looking to employers who have a large young or BME employee base as a route to engagement and possibility of collaboration on community events etc.

6 A national campaign asking organisations to pledge to help involve young people in community initiatives

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POINTS TO NOTE IN TERMS OF THE HARD TO REACH People are more likely to be willing to get involved if they are given some form of ownership. NHW must not prescribe, but be active in encouraging involvement. If people are given the responsibility to change their area for the better and are given a little support it is more likely to be successful than if NHW tries to do it for them.

Hard to reach groups take longer to engage, because there must be a period to build up a relationship, and therefore immediate results cannot be expected.

Young People There are a number of ways to get young people involved, and Junior NHW schemes are something to be considered, but are not the only way forward. It seems key that there is some sort of longer term involvement option, and support for NHW members involved. This is why linking with an existing initiative like Junior PCSOs could be positive but then it excludes those who may be adverse to the police links. Time was cited again and again as one of the biggest barriers and older people who are retired are likely to have more time. Therefore it must be ensured that there are different levels of engagement that allow people with different commitments at different times to get involved.

When it comes to work in schools, the package to be delivered must be in line with current learning styles, and also link up to the national curriculum to get schools interested. It must be engaging, interactive, and about debate – not just a PowerPoint and not parachute delivery. Online safety and specific issues like that should be key to sessions.

A number of participants suggested that tying in with the needs of young people in terms of employment struggles would be a good method. NHW could do this by formalising volunteering opportunities to give young people something to put on their CV, providing certificates, and informal training in different skills such as leading a meeting, organising events, and admin. This would be the ‘carrot’ to encourage engagement. Young people could be given the job of ‘patrol’ (those old enough) or litter picking or something physically active. Active engagement is crucial. There could be a competition for young people to come up with the youth sub-brand of NHW logo design, strapline, and what the aims are to be etc. Involvement could be linked to something like the leisure credit scheme where young people could get money off entertainment or leisure activities, or free sessions at local sports clubs etc.

There are lots of different categories of young people, which is something to remain aware of. There are young people who are already proactive in society, and those that are harder to reach within the hard to reach group of young people. There are young people in care, out of education, and young people from poor backgrounds.

In this report young people means under 30 – but there are many sub-groups within that and huge differences between them. To work with these harder to reach young people a mentoring or ambassador scheme would be really beneficial as young people who had already been through the same as them and come out the other side would have more luck as someone the young could relate to.

Whatever young people schemes develop, they don’t need to try and be ‘cool’, but instead forge a link between the old and the young. Young people are put off when something has been made ‘cool’ on purpose. You must convey things in a relatable way and focus on the issues the next generation care about. Young people have grown up in an era saturated with advertising and so it needs to be simple but targeted and making use of organisations that already have that relationship with young people is key. Understand that there are often a number of complex reasons behind a child’s behaviour that may not be instantly obvious and so one must be mindful.

Black Minority Ethnic (BME) Presentations to existing self-identifying BME communities would be a good way forward. NHW members must be educated so not to appear accidentally negatively prejudiced when talking with BME groups. There is also a careful balance to be struck to ensure that such communities are not singled out or treated too differently, as well as efforts to make sure they are included. It is vulnerability that is the reason people should get engaged, 30 | P a g e

and often people from ethnic minority backgrounds are marginalised and therefore quite vulnerable in their community, especially to crimes such as hate crime and racism. Therefore moving towards an issues based organisation that looks at a wider array of issues, NHW can become more inclusive. It is important that NHW are mindful of the fact that community spirit is usually already established among BME communities unlike in British communities where this has very much eroded. Therefore NHW cannot go in and over-ride what is already occurring, and must work alongside and build up two-way understanding. NHW need to have an action plan for diversity to ensure BME groups are included. Area coordinators should have geographical knowledge of their area to know what communities are where and find out what the issues are. NHW should also be active in promoting acceptance.

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) LGBT has been extended recently to LGBTQIA or LGBTQPA to be even more inclusive of the full spectrum of sexuality (LGBT still used for short). What is clear is that anyone working or volunteering in a public facing role should know each of the terms, and what they mean to be able to represent everyone equally. The most important things to remember is not to stereotype, and remember that self-identification is key, not projection.

People are generally quite aware of Lesbian and Gay, and usually Bisexual and Transgender although the latter two still face a great amount of misunderstanding in society and are still a huge taboo. Q is for queer – an umbrella term, not in the old pejorative sense, but to mean non-binary, covering a range of preferences and identifications that is not ascribing to gender norms. A queer person may not identify as a man or a woman. I stands for intersex, which means a person does not have the sexual anatomy of a man or a woman clearly defined. P is for Pansexual, this is similar to bisexual but also includes Trans and other identifications including Intersex and Queer. Finally A is for Asexual, which is someone who is not attracted to anyone or have a sexual orientation.

It was suggested that NHW could advertise for an LGBT ambassador or something similar to sit at county level to make sure that NHW is up to date on LGBT issues and aware of different emerging terms and language. LGBT communities are particularly susceptible to hate crime, and so through looking at that as a particular issue NHW can ensure communities and its members are sensitive to the needs of LGBT. Some form of training around the subject could also be useful.

Low Income NHW members expressed that it is easier to engage home-owners than tenants. This is because rented accommodation and houses of multiple occupancy often have transient tenants who move on after short time periods and thus do not necessarily feel a sense of connection to the local community in this short time. It is also key to note that young populations are more likely to reside in urban areas due to house prices and social cohesion is usually much more disjointed comparative to rural settings.

It was also suggested that traditional methods such as leaflets really do not work in these areas. You have to assess individual communities on an individual basis to find out what they really need, as opposed to going with what their perceived needs are. There is often a high level of literacy problems in economically deprived areas and so human contact can work best. We must also be willing to operate at times that work for these groups, and also not appear to be from a professional service (clothing, manner, language used) to ensure we are being inclusive. We must strive to integrate rather than stand out, even if this is outside our comfort zone. We must not judge on noise levels, bad language, poor cleanliness or other things that are sterotypically associated with deprived areas.

Patience is also key, as with such communities it can take time to build up trust. These groups may not have access to the internet, computers, or smart phones, which is why we cannot rely on electronic mediums alone.

It was mentioned that in low income areas existing neighbour relationships may already be strained, which makes introducing something like NHW a struggle, as people do not feel accountable for their actions. Existing social dynamics must be taken into account.

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CASE STUDY’S

Basingstoke NHW as an example of existing good practice Basingstoke NHW is already doing a number of the things that have been brought up in this report, which shows that it can be done. Basingstoke is active in seeking out funding from a number of different sources, and as a team have great links with other organisations across the area covered and beyond. One particularly useful link for them has been with the housing associations in various areas – these are a crucial link to reach the low income bracket of our hard to reach groups and is definitely something NHW should seek to emulate across the county. Communications streams such as those are key to engaging new membership. In Basingstoke NHW works very closely with its CSP and CVS, and is at the centre of multiagency working. NHW members attend community tasking groups, talk the CSP through hot spots and topics, and are part of decisions and actions resultantly. In Basingstoke there is a strong core team, with a large membership behind them. Their website is also more advanced than many of the others around the county, where they do exist, and meetings are well attended. They are also often prominent at events, and have started to dip their toe in the world of social media (an area where they would be grateful for some further guidance). There are still areas to be improved on in Basingstoke, (young people being a prominent one), but the area is taking steps in the right direction to be more active and to increase engagement and diversity.

The Handy Trust – an example of good historic collaborative working The Handy Trust is an organisation that works with disadvantaged young people in remote locations around Southampton. When it was first starting out over 15 years ago they had a positive experience of collaborative working with NHW to solve an issue in the community. Young people were gathering in a new park that was placed in the middle of an affluent suburb. They would congregate at night to party, have sex, and sometimes sleep. A man from NHW called on the Handy Trust to help. Alongside the police the three organisations worked to consult with the young people to see what they needed. The Handy Trust started a programme of regular activities for the young people, and the council locked the park at night. There were also structural change implemented to the basketball hoops, which were moved away from the houses, and other diversionary activities were offered such as free swimming, and the opportunity to volunteer within NHW. The groups all met together to break down the ‘them and us’ mentality and to give each group the chance to put their point across. This case shows that collaborative working can result in the most positive outcomes for all members of the community, rather than further marginalising one group based on the interests of another. A lot can be taken from this example, and NHW was at the centre of it.

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CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, NHW is doing great work, and there is a lot they can do to continue and expand upon that. There are numerous challenges to broadening engagement, but this is not just a problem for NHW, but for society as a whole. Businesses, statutory, and voluntary services are all struggling with the concept of ‘hard to reach’, what it means, and how to move forward to insure maximum inclusivity. There are a number of important things to consider.

The relationship with the police can be a barrier, and so it must be ensured that this relationship is only highlighted when appropriate for the groups being targeted. NHW must also form an integral part of the multiagency approach around community remedy and crime prevention. NHW are the eyes and ears and so it makes sense for them to be included wherever possible. The online presence of NHW is key to the multi-agency element as well as in broadening engagement - and this includes social media. The establishment of Area Coordinators in each area is vital to ensure that working relationships with community groups as well as professional and voluntary organisations in the area are created and maintained.

NHW must also broaden its outlook to consider other forms of community that are not solely based on residency.

There are many community groups who could benefit from a more proactive NHW attending their events/meetings to create working relationships. This would also ensure that NHW members have a better knowledge of the wider community in which they are working. Avenues for fundraising are also something to be taken into consideration, as is communications and marketing for NHW – both internal matters that have the potential to have a huge external impact.

NHW has done a great job around certain crime and vulnerability issues, such as fraud and doorstep crime, but to branch out they must become educated in other, newer, crime types to ensure that all of the community can benefit from their fantastic work. Training is imperative, to allow member to provide these new functions.

HINWA needs to look at ways to reinject enjoyableness into NHW, and support local teams in delivering events and activities, and give them ideas to run with.

The findings in this report show that NHW is heading in the right direction, but just needs a little support and some tools to help it on the way.

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RECOMMENDATIONS These recommendations will be supported and facilitated by the second stage of this project – the toolkit which will include guidance on how to go about some of the following.     

      

Recruit a marketing volunteer Implement a social media and public relations (PR) strategy Encourage that each area has an Area Coordinator Create a HINWA website that is fit for purpose along with local association sites Reach out to community groups and organisations and work with them to engage hard to reach groups. So for example you may want to reach out to your local Asian network, or a youth group etc. other on the ground, public facing groups If not so already, become embedded in the multi-agency approach at area level including strong links with local CVS and CSPs. This is to work with other organisations concerned with crime reduction Create new publicity material and a way to ensure this material is accessible to those who need it Be more proactive in fundraising for specific projects and events Focus on issues that are relevant to a broader spectrum of people (for example youth and drugs, or LGBT and hate crime) Make sure there is an element of enjoyableness in all the work carried out Look into getting training for Area Coordinators and other active members Hold an annual street party event across the whole of Hampshire

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REFERENCES Arief, B. et al. 2011., Towards the Implementation of an Internet-based Neighbourhood Watch Scheme; Impacts of Inclusive Technologies on Societies. 2011 International Conference on Computational Aspects of Social Networks An overview of Crawley Junior Neighbourhood Watch, 2013 (from Bob Coombes email 05/02/15) Bennett, T et al., 2008. The Effectiveness of Neighbourhood Watch. Campbell Systematic Reviews: University of Glamorgan Bolton, S., 2006. Crime prevention in the community: the case of Neighbourhood Watch, Criminal Justice Matters, (64:1), pp.40-41 Cabinet Office. 2014., Community Life Survey: England, 2013 – 2014, Statistical Bulletin ERS Research and Consultancy, 2010., Exploring Barriers to Participation in Neighbourhood and Home Watch Schemes ERS Research and Consultancy, 2010., Showcasing NHW Achievements Flint, J., 2002. Return of the Governors: Citizenship and the New Governance of Neighbourhood Disorder in the UK, Citizenship Studies, (6:3) pp.245-264 Flint, J. and Nixon, J. 2005. Governing Neighbours: Anti-social Behaviour Orders and New Forms of Regulating Conduct in the UK. Urban Studies, 43(5/6), pp.939–955 Forrest, R. and Kearns, A., 2001 Social Cohesion, Social Capital and the Neighbourhood. Urban Studies, (38:12) pp.2125–2143. Bristol Huck, S. and Koself, M., 2007. The Economic Journal, (117), pp.270–286, USA. THE DYNAMICS OF NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH AND NORM ENFORCEMENT. Royal Economic Society, Blackwell Publishing: Oxford Introduction to Neighbourhood Watch (from Bob Coombes email 26/01/15) Merry, S. et al. 2011., Drivers of public trust and confidence in police in the UK. International Journal of Police Science and Management, (14:2), pp.118–135 Neighbourhood Watch Research and Evidence (from Bob Coombes email 26/01/15) Neighbourhood Watch – ‘Working in your community’ http://www.ourwatch.org.uk/resource_centre/toolkits/working_in_your_community Neighbourhood Watch – ‘How we work with the police’ Pattie, C. Syd, P. and Whiteley, P., 2003. Civic Attitudes and Engagement in Modern Britain. Hansard Society for Parliamentary Government, Parliamentary Affairs (56) pp616-633 Shaid, S. 2014., What are the roles of Neighbourhood Watch schemes in increasing community cohesion and reducing the fear of crime in London? City University: London Wilton, C., 2012. Building Community Capacity; Evidence, efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Think Local Act Personal Yong-Chan, K. and Ball-Rokeach, S., 2006. Community Storytelling Network, Neighborhood Context, and Civic Engagement: A Multilevel Approach. Human Communication Research ISSN 0360-3989

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GLOSSARY Attitudinal An adjective which means relating to certain attitudes.

Collective efficacy Collective efficacy includes behaviours, norms and actions that residents of a given community use to achieve public order.

Commodification (of community) The process of reducing something to a commodity; in terms of community, only giving to get something back immediately.

Demographics The social make up of a community; age, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, religion, etc.

Heterogeneous Composed of parts of different kinds; having widely dissimilar elements or constituents. The opposite of Homogenous.

Homogeneous Composed of parts or elements that are all of the same kind.

Neo-Durkeimian Renowned French sociologist and philosopher, David Émile Durkheim (1858-1917). Neo-Durkheimians are modern sociologists who have developed his theories to suit the modern context.

Norms A standard, model, or pattern. A general level or average. Social norms are what the ‘nurture’ part of growing up provide – the cultural elements which delimitate what behaviours are acceptable in your culture or community.

Phenomenological This is a type of research design, which means both quantitative and qualitative methods were used.

Plurality More than half of the whole; the majority. A number greater than one. Fact of being numerous. A large number; multitude. Sometimes signifying some diversity as well as quantity.

Polarised To divide into sharply opposing factions; to be one extreme or the other.

Social cohesion It is a bond that holds a group together, even if individuals within the group have different backgrounds or circumstances. This bond can be seen through members' common values and behaviours.

Social Contract These play an important role in social cohesion. A social contact is an understanding among members of a society that everyone will maintain certain standards for the benefit of society as a whole. As part of this, members might be expected to fulfil certain political or legal obligations, such as voting and paying taxes, while also meeting moral standards, like displaying tolerance for others.

Spatial / Spatiality The physical location; the geographic.

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APPENDICES Appendix 1 NHW member questionnaire conducted using Survey Monkey:

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Professional’s survey conducted using Survey Monkey:

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Public survey conducted using Survey Monkey

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Appendix 2

A FEW LITTLE QUESTIONS… First Name:

Age:

1. Should Neighbourhood Watch name their youth stuff something different?

Yes No Don’t Know (If yes do you have any ideas?)

2. Should Neighbourhood Watch come into schools/colleges/youth groups etc. to talk about the work they do?

Yes No Don’t Know

3a. Should Neighbourhood Watch be using social media to talk to young people?

Yes

No

Don’t Know

3b. If so which ones do you use?

4. Is a website important?

Yes No

Don’t Know

5. Do you think you would be interested in getting involved?

Yes No Don’t Know 6. Would you like to get a certificate or something if you were involved?

Yes No Don’t Know 7. Which crimes do you think affect young people the most?

8. What makes a good community?

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Appendix 3

Hands up who has heard of NHW?

6 Yes, 2 No, 1 Maybe

Question 1: What do you think Neighbourhood Watch is? What do you think they do?

Young people worked in pairs to write their thoughts on post it notes and stick onto poster papers. We then talked through their thoughts as a group.

Results of discussion:                 

All age groups Teamwork Community Groups of people living in the same town or city Security Helping and looking after each other Safety guarantee Signs on the street – yellow square Making new friends and getting people together Batman Full immunity to my crimes Power to inforce and deal out punishment Variety of activities Watching the neighbourhood Social media Nosey people See if cars are sticking to the limit

Question 2:     

 

          

See what changes need to be made to the community Trying to make their area quitter Elderly people – where my nan lives Works with council and other local bodies Improving the local area Help police by catching things they may have missed as they are understaffed Team of citizens working together to keep communities safe and clean Neighbourhood policing Retired people with nothing to do that are bored People who want to make a difference to society – active citizens Policing drug and alcohol use among young people Making sure the community is ok Looking after local businesses People can volunteer to work with NHW Investigating crimes in the community A group of people anyone can call if they see something suspicious Create campaigns to help the community

What would encourage you to get involved?

Promotion at youth events and school Nominations and awards for things Stuff to write on uni applications & job applications –UCAS points Provide a reference for young people Help young people get a good reputation through recognition for their contributions Variety of activities (pick and mix approach to involvement) Sell as an opportunity to meet new people and friends

Question 3:

     

         

Make it fun!

Allow for special area interests/ passions (traffic, ASB, drugs, etc.)

Relaxed and flexible Training & official volunteer roles Puns Rebrand Social media Power to enforce and give punishments (RJ) Age appropriate incentives (not discount home insurance but pizza or cinema or something) Employability skills

What would you like NHW to look like?

The young people filled out questionnaires individually and then took part in a group discussion. (Appendix 2) 44 | P a g e

Results:  Should do assemblies but also smaller groups which link in through PSHE and with each year group like informal workshops  Videos as best resource to get people involved – could video events etc.  Lessons but must less formal – create a plan to send out to teachers etc. and get the young people to help create it  Stigma against youth centres now as ‘chavvy’  Unless something is targeted, it doesn’t work – talking at young people doesn’t work  Use Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Vine to create video content, Memes  Get young people to run the social media and create the content like videos and memes etc.  Young people know best how to target people their own age  Avoid text speak  Base involvement on issues to capture the biggest number of young people’s individual interests  Present what they do in an interesting way through video to dispel the stigma – video diaries of interesting members etc.  Website was felt to be very important and it should have basic information, contact details and be used to direct to social media where most of the content is. There could also be a forum. Use of a contact form would be less scary than having to pick up the phone or send an email  Links on the website to external partners or info sites like Fearless, advice, Childline, LGBT, DA, CSE, mental health help, mood juice, etc.  Sell it as having someone you know to talk to rather than police  Biographies of people involved already (nurse, 40, lived here 20 years, etc. to humanise it a bit)  A mobile phone app would not be needed, excludes people, uses data, expensive and time consuming – website much better  Most important thing is something to show what they have achieved  Link in to something like V-Inspired to log hours of volunteering  Training in things like; personal safety; what to look out for; signs of crime; signs of DA/Mental health; signs of drug use; speaking/comms; conflict management; restorative justice; first aid; fire safety; equality and diversity; what is harassment; hate crime; DA emotional financial

6 out of 9 said they would want to get involved if all these changes were made

Questionnaires results (Appendix 2): 1) Should NHW call their youth stuff something different?

Yes: 6 No: 2 Don’t know: 1 Comments: ‘Youth Watch’, ‘NHW; let youth learn’, ‘NHW Youth’, there is too much of a stigma amongst young people regarding NHW and so calling it youth watch or something may be better, No – just need to reach out to younger generation, needs rebranding, not renaming as the name is recognisable.

2) 100 per cent said that NHW should go into schools/colleges/youth groups to talk about the work they do 3) 100 per cent said that NHW should be using social media to talk to young people. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, SnapChat, YouTube, Tumbler, Vine, LinkedIn, 4) 8/9 think a website is important 5) 4/9 would be interested in getting involved, 5/9 didn’t know 6) 100 per cent would like to get a certificate or something to document involvement 7) Crimes that affect young people:

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One Community Eastleigh, Registered Office: 16, Romsey Road, Eastleigh SO50 9AL Registered Charity No: 1052978: Registered in England as a company Limited by guarantee No: 3132524

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