The StopWatch strategy day was held in October. It was an engaging and inspiring event, where members and partners met together to discuss the future direction of our coalition. Thanks to some group activities we identified the main areas we should focus on next year and participants came up with concrete proposals addressing;
- Accountability and Complaints
- Gangs Database
- Child protection and the creation of a Parent’s Guide
- Knife crime
Beside specific suggestions from each group, together we recognised some good strategies for each stream to advance its work and to our coalition as a whole. Discussions throughout the day identified strengths and positive aspects of the way StopWatch works and also areas for improvement, helping us to more effectively work towards these new goals for 2016 and beyond. Amongst others things, we decided next year StopWatch will focus on issues and messages that will engage more groups and widen our outreach to different areas in England and Wales. Then, to maintain a strong dialogue with affected communities, our coalition will work to raise awareness amongst them on issues relevant to their experiences such as the complaint system and the gang phenomenon. Our community engagement will be enhanced as a result of this work and our efforts will be able to reach, and hopefully help, the wider public. It was felt that this approach could also help us connect better with organisations it would be useful to cooperate with. Communicating our work better means we also need to be better at advertising our achievements!
To conclude StopWatch Strategy Day, Y-Stop volunteers gave everybody the opportunity to learn more about the training Y-Stop delivers to young people on how to deal with stop and search and familiarising us with the new app that improves the complaints system by giving young people the opportunity to report directly to Y-Stop. Peer trainers demonstrated how they ensure safe stop and search interactions between young people and the police through role-play and group discussion, and sessions on facilitation skills and rehearsing role play scenarios ended the day, making sure participants left with the skills and enthusiasm to start delivering Y-Stop training themselves.
Thanks to collaborating on these activities and inspiring each other, StopWatch’s members and partners are ready take on new projects, goals and activities together.