We're the Shadow Safeguarding Board! We're a group of young people aged between 12 and 22 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.
Sometimes we invite senior members of the council, police or NHS to our meetings to keep informed or inform on their work. We regularly go to events to talk about our projects and influence how children are kept safe in Bristol.
We always need new members on the board. If you are interested, please contact: kbsp.shadow@bristol.gov.uk or complete this form
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.
There was representation from the following other youth groups or organisations at this discussion:
Each youth group also had a support worker present that was known to them. The force lead for Stop and Search, Chair of the Ethics in Policing Committee, and local engagement police officers were also present.
We discussed:
This is the first public ethics discussion that the police have completed in the Bristol community as opposed to at a police station. The event received positive feedback from young people and the support workers that were in attendance. 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. The information and context provided by the young people will also go to neighbourhood policing teams where they can adapt their engagement practice within these communities.
Following on from the success of the event, the police are planning other similar engagements in different venues within the community.
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. The video has been shown at the KBSP Adults & Childrens Boards and at the 2025 Partnership Day.
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. At the meeting we were also joined by young people from the Youth Council, Integrate UK and Youth Moves. We discussed and advised on Hannah's priorities.
This resulted in Hannah taking away three areas to focus on:
We look forward to welcoming Hannah back to the Shadow Board soon for another discussion and updates on her progress.
Interviewing Staff
The Shadow Board are involved in interview panels for appointing new staff within the KBSP and Bristol City Council.
Ofsted Inspection
During Ofsted's visit to children's social care in February 2025 the Shadow Board met with inspectors and gave their views on the effectiveness of service.
Poetry Competition
The Shadow Board recently launched a poetry competition. The winner, Finn, can be seen in a video on our web pages. Finn now sits on our board too.