Keeping Bristol Safe Partnership

Shadow Safeguarding Board

We're the Shadow Safeguarding Board! We're a group of young people who inform the partnership's work.

We meet once a month to talk about the services in Bristol that are working to protect us and what we think could be done better. We make sure the members of the Keeping Bristol Safe Partnership keep children and young people at the heart of their services. This is a place where professionals can hear our voices, issues, concerns and recommendations.

Interested in making a difference? Please contact: kbsp.shadow@bristol.gov.uk.

Our Recent Projects...

Stop & Search Ethics Discussion

In June 2024 the Shadow Board hosted a discussion session around the ethics of Stop and Search. The session was co-produced and planned by KBSP and police colleagues.

We discussed:

  • Do you think Stop and Search is a deterrent? Should it be?
  • Should the police be able to Stop and Search based on how you look?
  • Should people be required to give their name and other details when being stopped and searched?
  • Do the current statistics on stop and search show it is working or not?
  • Should officers not in uniform still be required to wear body worn video when undertaking a stop and search?
  • Disproportionality and what is being done to address it

The feedback given will be used by the police to review how they conduct Stop and Searches through a report from the Ethics in Policing Committee.

Knife Crime Video

Knife crime and youth violence has consistently been raised as a priority that young people in Bristol believe needs addressing. The Shadow Board found that there was a gap in resources for parents/guardians around how they talk to children about knife crime. We produced a video in Summer 2024 to address this.  

Visit from Bristol City Council Executive Director for Children & Education

In November 2024 the Shadow Board met with the Executive Director for Children & Education, Hannah Woodhouse.

This resulted in Hannah taking away three areas to focus on:

  • Young people’s voice
  • Young people’s mental health services
  • Young people at risk of exclusion

Interviewing Staff

The Shadow Board are involved in interview panels for appointing senior staff within the KBSP and Bristol City Council.