Youth Justice Board seeks Kitchen Table Talks to reduce violence

A charity that specialises in engaging with parents, carers and young people from BAME communities, has been appointed to deliver a new project focused on reducing serious youth violence in the West Midlands.

[Wolverhampton-based] First Class Foundation will deliver the Youth Justice Board’s (YJB) new regional ‘pathfinder’ project through its Kitchen Table Talks service.

The pathfinder is part of the YJB’s work to explore and share solutions to some of the toughest issues the youth justice system is facing.

It aims to create and facilitate community based, parental peer support networks across the West Midlands that can be accessed by parents with children known to or at risk of involvement with the youth justice system.

The pathfinder will be delivered collaboratively between seven Youth Offending Teams in Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall and Wolverhampton in conjunction with their local Violence Reduction Unit.

Established in 2017, Kitchen Table Talks has grown from a six-month self-funded community pilot programme, to become a successful and established vehicle for tackling issues including youth violence, knife crime and county lines.

Kitchen Table Talks encourages parents and carers to engage in open dialogue in a welcoming kitchen-style setting, within a neutral and aspirational community venue. Participants are invited to “share their truth” with other parents, families and young people as part of a peer-to-peer support network, with access to invited representatives and

“We’re very proud that what started off as an idea to support parents in Sandwell, is now a regional service giving people a strategic voice about youth offending services in their area…”

“We’re very proud that what started off as an idea to support parents in Sandwell, is now a regional service giving people a strategic voice about youth offending services in their area. It will encourage parents to know that they are not alone and that with access to support, education and mentoring from relatable role models, they can overcome the many challenges that arise during a parenting journey.”