Discussion Brief Number 7/2011
Vulnerable Young People
Name of CPF Group
Name of CPF Chairman
Name of Constituency
Number of people contributing
to the discussion
Please provide preferred
contact details for the
response
SLCA - CPF
Les Phillimore
South Leicestershire
7+4
Date of Submission
Data Sharing Information
25th October 2011
We would like to share CPF comments in a public
domain.
However, please mark 'private' in the box below if you
do not wish your comments to be shared outside of the
Conservative Party (including Conservative political
representatives) and our CPF membership.
Les.phillimore@talk21.com
Private/ General (please
specify)
Question 1
Priorities for young people: Looking towards 2015, what are the priorities for
government to focus on to help vulnerable young people - is it family breakdown, health,
law and order, education, something else?
Although generally a combination of all areas, it is felt that a number of these and a number of
“something else’s” all contribute to what we deem to be a loss of “Personal Moral Standards”
from a breakdown in certain social demographics of the “Social Fabric of Family and
Community Life within acceptable boundaries of social behaviour”
The SLCA – CPF consider that what are the norms of acceptable behaviour for the 80% nonaffected demographic resulting from a life of structured learning for the majority is not replicated
nor recognised in the 20% of negatively affected demographics due to a lack of structured learning
and instilled understanding and appreciation of acceptable norms.
The SLCA – CPF consider that there is a simple set of priorities that are not being complied with or
abided by; that by default, create what are Vulnerable Young People’ However; it is felt that the
vast majority; if not all, of Vulnerable Young People will be symptomatic of a lack of personal moral
standards by their peers and elders thus ensuring a self perpetuating downward spiral of social ill
discipline; social exclusion and under achievement thus serving to exasperate the situation further
creating multiple generations of similar social positioning. Sadly it is also strongly felt that a distinct
lack of punitive punishment; reward for poor behaviour and endless political correctness merely
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
CPF Brief No 7/2011
Return Date: by 31 October 2011
Page 1 of 5
What challenges do you think Britain will face in 2015?
Join the conversation at www.conservativepolicyforum.com
Discussion Brief Number 7/2011
Vulnerable Young People
serves to ensure that the self-perpetuating downward cycle is in effect state sponsored and
guaranteed to succeed.
The SLCA – CPF list in priority order; with supporting annotation the key issues behind family
breakdown and social exclusion that result in Vulnerable Young People noting that: Whilst parents / elders fail to instil the value of education and the respect for law and order it is
inevitable that an endless stream of Vulnerable Young People will continue – Children are not born
as Vulnerable Young Children; they are “TAUGHT” to be Vulnerable Young People by their peers;
elders and Governments.
Priority 1 – Family Breakdown – As eluded to above; Parents; elders and The State MUST instil
the values of education; respect for law and order and acceptable behaviour within socially
acceptable boundaries
Priority 2 – Education – (Parental; Academic and vocational) teaches the value of aspiration and
achievement and acceptable social norms and behaviour within a peer group.
Priority 3 – Law & Order – Law and Order MUST and MUST BE SEEN to underpin and enforce
moral standards and acceptable social behaviour; not be aloof; politically correct and disabled by
being politically correct.
Priority 4 - Health – The majority of health issues; including drug use in this social demographic
are considered to be as a direct result of failures within the first 3 priorities.
Specific other points to note: Education – Education must include life / work skills with school leavers mandatorily moving
directly into work; apprenticeships; higher education or community based service to “earn” their
wage or benefits. No school leaver should just be left to “find their own way” and be rewarded with
JSA for not working as they do not possess the maturity to so do.
In addition; the endless plethora of graduate courses and ease of access merely serves to create
excessive levels of false hope and a degree qualified workforce with destroyed aspirations that are
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
CPF Brief No 7/2011
Return Date: by 31 October 2011
Page 2 of 5
What challenges do you think Britain will face in 2015?
Join the conversation at www.conservativepolicyforum.com
Discussion Brief Number 7/2011
Vulnerable Young People
not required by industry. Recruiters will always “stream” which is most evident in 2011 with the
amount of adverts that require a 2.1 or first degree.
It is also felt that rather than placing “super head teachers” into failing schools per se, a better or
complimentary solution would be to remove the lead disruptive pupils from the school and place
them in; in limited and controlled numbers, into high performing grammar or private schools where
the committed pupils as well as the teaching staff will teach and exert discipline and enforce social
boundaries. In this approach pupil peers will demonstrate and instil the value of high aspiration and
achievement rather than teaching staff attempting to correct errant behaviour amongst gangs of
errant pupils.
Benefits – Even though IDS is undertaking radical reform; it is considered that a cap of £26,000
pa which is far greater than the average wage continues to be excessively generous and will
continue to encourage “teenage mothers” to continue to breed; if for no other reason than we have
a system that gives a single; un-married mother a higher priority for housing and benefits support
than a responsible working married couple and whilst “the system” is disproportionately generous
to the career benefit claimant and overtly detrimental to the responsible working person, it will
never do anything other than encourage career benefit claimants to find new ways of living on
benefits.
Judicial punishments – It is felt that perpetrators of non-violent crime would be better punished
with proper and enforced community service. Exposing low level perpetrators to the excesses of
prison life serve to exclude the perpetrator from future success and a consideration may well be a
spell in the military where discipline and respect for others is a mandatory and enforced way of life
Drugs & Crime – There is a considerable argument that concludes that whilst drugs remain illegal
crime will ensure that supply is both achieved and is profitable for the supply chain but expensive
to police. If The State effectively legalised drugs but managed the supply of “clean” drugs; drug
fuelled crime would inevitably fall dramatically and the cost of policing would likewise fall
dramatically due to lack of criminal demand.
In summary; education (family, academic; life skills; law & order, respect; aspirations and
achievements) are the keys to a successful; cohesive and civilised society. The 2011 riots merely
demonstrated from a small demographic (rich and poor) a distinct lack of respect for law, order and
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
CPF Brief No 7/2011
Return Date: by 31 October 2011
Page 3 of 5
What challenges do you think Britain will face in 2015?
Join the conversation at www.conservativepolicyforum.com
Discussion Brief Number 7/2011
Vulnerable Young People
property and a belief from some that rioting; encouraging rioting and behaving in an uncivilised
manner was somehow “fun” and the perpetrators either believing themselves “untouchable” or the
risk of punitive punishment remote; hence the outcry over what is now being seen in some
quarters as excessive sentencing.
END
Question 2
Health: Looking toward 2015 and beyond, how can our health services better identify and
support the particular needs of young people?
NO RESPONSE
Question 3
Education: What role should schools play in tackling the problems of underachievement
of children in care, of health challenges and of social/ familial breakdown?
NO RESPONSE
Question 4
Crime: Overall crime is falling. Do you think crime rates among vulnerable young people
will follow suit by 2015 or are there unique circumstances among the behaviour or
situation of young people which requires specific attention and/or has different
outcomes?
NO RESPONSE
Question 5
Justice: What will be the main obstacles facing the rehabilitation of young offenders in
2015?
NO RESPONSE
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
CPF Brief No 7/2011
Return Date: by 31 October 2011
Page 4 of 5
What challenges do you think Britain will face in 2015?
Join the conversation at www.conservativepolicyforum.com
Discussion Brief Number 7/2011
Vulnerable Young People
Question 6
Have your views on young people been affected by the events of this summer? In
particular, the public disturbances and riots. Should these events influence policy
development from 2015 with regard to young people and, if so, how?
NO RESPONSE
Other Comments (if any)
In multiple areas; political correctness is proving to be highly detrimental to society and behaviour.
Thank You. Please return to: cpf.papers@conservatives.com
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
CPF Brief No 7/2011
Return Date: by 31 October 2011
Page 5 of 5
What challenges do you think Britain will face in 2015?
Join the conversation at www.conservativepolicyforum.com