Lambeth (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Lambeth Council faces criticism from union officials over plans to restructure child safeguarding teams, approved the same week 16-year-old schoolboy was shot.
Lambeth Unison’s branch secretary, Jocelyn Cruywagen, stated that the council’s decision to eliminate positions in the Contextual Safeguarding Team—which aims to shield the borough’s most vulnerable youth from exploitation—was made at the “wrong time.”
At a meeting last Wednesday (March 5), councillors passed proposals to restructure the team as part of Lambeth Council’s 2025–2026 budget, which is anticipated to save the council £424,000.
Teenager Lathaniel Burrell was killed the day before, on March 4, in Lambeth, close to Stockwell Tube station. He was murdered by 32-year-old Forest Hill resident Omer Prempeh and a 17-year-old child who is not allowed to be identified due to legal restrictions.
The incident underscored the necessity for the council to continue providing services that safeguard children and youth in the borough, Ms. Cruywagen told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).
In an email, she wrote:
“The current service is highly intelligence-led, a specialist role, and staff and Unison think this aspect would be lost and less effective with the proposed changes.
In light of the tragic shooting of [a] young man [in] Stockwell last week and other ongoing issues in society, grooming gangs, inquiries into failures to protect young people from exploitation elsewhere in the country, gang violence and knife crime, we believe this is the wrong time to be cutting back this service.”
The council established the Children’s Services Contextual Safeguarding Team as a pilot two years ago, and many of the staff members are on fixed-term contracts that may be extended or terminated at any time.
As part of the team’s “redesign,” certain posts are being removed, while others are being regraded and job descriptions revised, according to Lambeth Unison. The reorganization, according to the union, will result in a general loss of employees.
Lambeth Unison is requesting that the council put a stop to the team’s redesign and avoid making any mandatory layoffs.
Additionally, the union says Lambeth has not yet consulted staff regarding the safeguarding team changes, and it wants the council to do so.
As part of the restructure, positions in the Contextual Safeguarding Team—which is essential for shielding vulnerable youth from abuse and exploitation—will be eliminated.
Compared to other comparable London boroughs, including nearby Southwark, Lambeth has a greater rate of violent crimes against children and youth.
According to a 2019 City Hall assessment, Southwark had 81 percent of wards with above-average levels of severe youth violence, while Lambeth had 90 percent.
A Lambeth Council spokesperson said:
“Following a very successful two-year pilot, Lambeth Council is seeking to strengthen our direct work with children and young people at risk of exploitation. Early intervention, prevention and trusted relationships are key to protecting our young people.
While information gathering is crucial, and remains a core part of our work, we are strengthening our approach by increasing direct support, befriending and multi-disciplinary interventions.
This will ensure that all vulnerable young people receive the direct help they need at the earliest opportunity.”
What are the key points of criticism?
As part of the council’s restructuring plan, positions in the Contextual Safeguarding Team—which is vital in preventing violence and exploitation among young people—will be eliminated.
In light of the recent gunshot death of 16-year-old Lathaniel Burrell in Clapham, Cruywagen deemed the time unsuitable. She maintained that at a time when community safety is being closely examined, such decisions undercut initiatives to address youth exploitation and violence.
Residents and union officials are concerned that the reorganization may increase the risk for vulnerable youth by cutting protecting resources.
Through programmes like the Contextual Safeguarding Service Hub, which aims to protect children and young adults from extra-familial harm by collaborating closely with communities, schools, and statutory agencies, Lambeth Council has previously shown its dedication to safeguarding.
The complaint highlights the conflict between community safety needs and decisions about resource allocation, especially in places where youth exploitation and violence are prevalent.