Police and Justice Bill

I strongly support this amendment. If I may, I will speak from my script in the interests of brevity. Given their close contact with children and young people, it seems vital that community support officers are equipped with the common core skills already described. I seek assurances from the Minister on the other elements of a community support officer’s development that will enable him to set good, clear boundaries for children and young people: mentoring for these officers; the initial training, which has been referred to; and good supervision. I hope it will assist your Lordships if I give a little psychological and social background to the work of these officers. Speaking very simply, boys growing up without interested fathers or other important positive role models are particularly at risk of developing dissocial behaviour. The Commissioner for Racial Equality, Trevor Phillips, has spoken of his particular concerns that black boys lack sufficient positive male role models, and that not enough black fathers are involved with their sons. I acquainted myself with some young black men in such a position. I am concerned that some of these boys face uncertain futures for lack of such a positive male role model. I know this is also a problem among white families, but it seems particularly apparent in black communities. It seems most unfair that some of these children may grow to be lawless and be punished for that, when they have had no father to show them the right path. The Home Office assessment report finds that CSOs have a greater ethnic mix than the police force. They tend to be older individuals with a wide range of experience. The report, as has been made clear around the Committee, is positive about what the CSOs have already achieved, but it highlights inconsistencies in their training and development. In particular, the mentoring, which many found so helpful, was available only to 60 per cent of them. One CSO, who received no such support, said: "““I was thrown in at the deep end … they didn’t know what I was supposed to do … it was an absolute nightmare””." I quote further from the report: "““while there is clear support for it””—" that is, mentoring— "““views in case study reports were mixed regarding the feasibility of mentoring large numbers of CSOs. One force thought formal mentoring would be useful with the imminent rise in CSO numbers, while another thought it would be unsustainable on a larger scale””." In my view, that mentoring support for the first one or two months of a CSO’s placement in a community is vital, for this reason: if these men and women are to be successful at setting boundaries for children and young people, they must know their own professional boundaries. I quote: "““It was also felt that more clarification of the role in terms of what CSOs can and cannot do was required. For example, one officer said: ‘They need more training about boundaries … they haven’t been given clear training.’ This view was reinforced by other force personnel (constables, duty inspectors and BCU commanders) during the fieldwork””." Perhaps that reflects in part police officers’ understandable concerns at the undermining of their own professional status, but it also carries with it what would be my paramount concern in this matter: that CSOs properly inhabit their particular role and do not seek either to overreach themselves or to neglect their duty to provide discipline. Good initial training, adequate mentoring and good continual professional development, including expert supervision, are required to build on the initial success of this new role. I should be grateful if the Minister could say in her reply what the normal expectations will be of the amount of individual supervision a CSO should receive. The Home Office assessment reports that over 40 per cent of CSOs, many of them younger and male, had joined as a stepping stone to joining the police. The relatively high number of CSOs wishing to become sworn officers raises a number of issues for the stability, diversity and morale of the workforce. It occurs to me that some development of career progression within the CSO force itself might be part of a response to concerns about the workforce. If there were a recognition of certain CSOs’ experience and expertise and their special role as supervisors and mentors, that might aid retention and morale and keep some of the young men in the force—these important role models, one would hope—rather than leaving the force consisting predominantly of elder women, those who currently seem most likely to be retained, according to the report. If the Minister might consider it helpful to convene a meeting between interested Peers, herself, police commanders or their deputies, the relevant Minister with direct responsibility and civil servants to discuss the development of this CSO role at some time during the course of the Bill, I would certainly wish to attend. It would be very helpful, from my point of view, to learn the direction of travel for CSOs at this critical time from those responsible. In conclusion, I support the call for common core training for CSOs. I finish at this point, but I look forward to the Minister’s response.