Agenda item

(Director of Communities) To consider the attached report.

The Select Committee received a report from the Community, Health and Wellbeing Manager regarding the Crucial Crew Initiative.

Crucial Crew was an annual initiative which was facilitated and delivered by the Council’s Community, Health and Wellbeing Team in collaboration with the Community Safety Team. It was intended for educating primary school pupils aged 10 (Year 6) in a range of personal safety, health and wellbeing topics. With schools reporting their curriculum time increasingly tightly programmed, Crucial Crew was seen as a vital mechanism for pupils.

Crucial Crew had existed in the district for over 11 years and delivered to primary school pupils over a two week period in June each year. Every Year 6 primary school pupil in the district attended the half day event and this year 1,358 Epping Forest pupils participated. In addition 17 schools from the Brentwood area paid to attend Crucial Crew bringing a further 429 children into the project reaching a total of 1,787.

Pupils participated in 10 interactive scenarios delivered by a range of agencies, each of which lasted 10 minutes. Scenarios were reviewed and modified on an annual basis ensuring that the themes were relevant and appropriate and took into consideration emerging trends or issues.

In 2016, the scenarios delivered were:

(a)  Online safety, cyber bullying and child exploitation – Essex Police.

(b)  Alcohol and drug awareness – AlcoHelp.

(c)  Bullying and Peer Pressure – Red Balloon.

(d)  Healthy eating and physical activity – ACE (NHS).

(e)  Smoking awareness – Provide (NHS).

(f)   Anti-Social Behaviour and Environmental responsibility – EFDC.

(g)  Road safety awareness – Essex County Council.

(h)  Fire safety – Essex County Fire and Rescue Service.

(i)    Safety around construction sites – Mears.

(j)    Safety around large vehicles – Sainsburys.

The Select Committee was advised that for the first time, in 2016, Crucial Crew was staged at Debden House, Loughton. Prior to this, for 9 years, the project had been delivered from the Gilwell Park Scouting Headquarters in High Beech. The decision to relocate was taken following notification that there would be an increase in hire costs for Gilwell Park, the cost and availability of alternative venues was always reviewed annually, Debden House had proved to be an excellent alternative venue offering flexible room space and an inspiring setting for delivering educational scenarios. It was advised that local schools would need to assist in making provision for transportation to Crucial Crew venues in future as the District Council had experienced difficulties in finding a suitable coach contractor for this task.

The Cabinet Members present advised that the Crucial Crew events they had attended worked “terrifically well,” they thought that Select Committee Members should be invited to attend next summer’s event. The Leader acknowledged the help received already from the private sector with Crucial Crew. They provided a valuable resource.

It was thought that the Epping Forest Youth Council were a good resource for the authority and in participating in these events as were the local authority’s apprentices. The select committee noted the issue of self harming among young people and other mental health problems. It was important to de-stigmatise this situation and facilitate a process for greater awareness.

The Community Health and Wellbeing Manager also explained the proposals for a change in approach for 2017 onwards, to overcome some of the difficulties experienced in recent years and to improve the effectiveness of the initiative further, which were supported by the Select Committee.

RESOLVED:

That the progress made by Crucial Crew in 2016 be noted and that the proposed changes to the initiative from 2017 onwards be supported in principle.