00:00Hello, yes, a scheme to keep children safe on their way home from school by putting specialist youth workers on the streets has been trialled by an East London council.
00:14Adults experienced in conflict management and de-escalation patrolled from Monday to Friday on three routes in Chingford, Walthamstow and Leyton.
00:26The scheme was funded by the Mayor's Violence Reduction Unit and started in January of 2025 after young people said trusted adults in the community would make them feel safer.
00:40The teams were on duty between 3 and 6 p.m. until the scheme was paused for the summer holidays.
00:47Local youth workers have said that having experience in the field is crucial, with one explaining that knowing how to find common ground is especially important.
01:01So what the Londoners think about this new project? Does it raise more questions about how safe London really is or is it just a good initiative?
01:11Kids these days are a little bit more, shall we say, confident or a little bit more, you know, eager to, especially if you get more than one or two of them in a group together, they can be quite intimidating, even for an adult.
01:27So I do feel that I think that's a very good idea. And more importantly, it's they can intimidate each other as well.
01:34If you have sort of rival groups, I think it's a very good idea. It's a very good idea for them to to be escorted from point A to point P. Definitely.
01:42Well, it sounds like a good initiative. I think I don't know. It's kind of weird, isn't it?
01:52Because it's just like young people need to know how to behave themselves without policing, really.
01:58But I mean, I guess there's it's all to do with social media, right?
02:04So it's like in the past, there's been things like when people use their phones to record bullying or recording fighting.
02:13So I guess there is a need for it.
02:19OK, firstly, I'm a strong believer in the power of youth work. I think youth work is really important.
02:24I'm not sure imposing youth workers on young people is the right approach.
02:29I we're here, we're going to walk home with you. It's a voluntary option, maybe.
02:33But I think the best way, the best thing we could be doing is make youth workers more available for young people outside of school and away from the school environment.
02:42I don't think the kind of old big old bogeyman thing is that there's other people out there.
02:49But I think it's the protecting them from themselves, maybe. I don't know.
