The LGE service has been re-commissioned by the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC). It is delivered by a consortium led by Safer London with partners Catch22. Safer London also works in partnership with London CRC and DWP to add value to the service.
LGE is a service for young people – both male and female – aged 15-25 who are, or who have been, affected by youth violence and:
- have experienced youth violence, such as stabbing, beating, or shooting,
- have been involved or pressured to commit crime e.g. robbery or drug dealing/county lines/holding weapons or drugs,
- have been violent to others,
- have experienced exploitation,
- have been in prison for violent offences, and/or
- feel unsafe in the area they live.
What makes LGE different?
There are three key aspects to LGE’s approach:
Innovative approach
This is the first pan-London service covering all 32 boroughs. The LGE service transcends borough boundaries to create a consistent service across the capital. The service is designed to complement and enhance existing local services across London and fill in the gaps in provision.
Inclusive cohort
LGE is for anyone aged 15-25 – both male and female – who are criminally or sexually exploited, as well as both victims and offenders of youth violence and those wishing to move away from involvement in violence. Our model recognises the complexities of involvement in violence and the blurring of lines between victim and offender as well as traditional boundaries of young person and adult.
Integrated service
The LGE service provides traditional one-to-one caseworker support from a trauma-based approach, as well as meeting the complex and specialist needs of the client group, including mental health support, employment support, family support, housing advocacy and specialist support for girls and women.
What does the support look like?
The service offers holistic support over a minimum six-month intervention period. This support is offered as weekly one to one sessions in a location in the community that is safe and accessible for the young person.
Outcomes
MOPAC’s most recent evaluation of LGE shows that the service has delivered the following outcomes:
- 47% reduction in general offending.
- 23% reduction in violent offending.
- 42% reduction in victimisation after LGE interventions.
How to make a referral
We encourage you to call to discuss any potential referral before completing a referral form so that we can be sure young people are eligible for the service. If LGE is not the right service, we will do our best to sign post to an alternative provision.
To be eligible for referral, the young person (male or female) should be:
- aged between 15-25 and associated with or involved in violence,
- at significant risk of harm from violence or exploitation, a risk to themselves, or pose a risk of harm to others, and
- motivated to end their involvement in violence (if applicable) and willing to work with the LGE service.
The young person will not be eligible if:
- they are not yet motivated to end their involvement in violence (if applicable) and not willing to work with the LGE service,
- there is no evidence of association or risks from violence, or
- they are already receiving extensive support from the borough that they are residing in, or from other statutory organisations, or if the services they require are available locally to them (although if services are oversubscribed or not suitable then they will be considered).