County Lines and the power of the badge: the LFC Foundation’s approach to youth intervention Available to Purchase

Francis Hargreaves is based at Liverpool Football Club Foundation, Liverpool, UK. He is the Youth Intervention Department Manager at the LFC Foundation. After successfully completing his Sport Development with Business degree at Liverpool John Moores University, he then went on to complete a PGCE in Further Education at Edge Hill University. Being from the local area of Anfield, he then went on to work for local youth providers in the area aiming to support young people aged 16–18. He has come full circle from LFC Foundation participant, engaging on the PL Kicks programme within 2007 to now the Youth Intervention Department Manager. Within his current role, he aims to develop and implement provision not just across the Merseyside region, but also international, in countries such as Nigeria and Ghana. Working alongside local agencies such as Merseyside Police, schools, alternative education providers and other youth providers, young people are provided the opportunity to engage in programmes such as Onside, Onside+, Premier League Inspires, Premier League Kicks and Premier League Kicks Targeted.

Paula Carroll is based at Liverpool Football Club Foundation, Liverpool, UK. She has a PhD from the Faculty of Health, Social Care and Medicine, Edge Hill University and is a Teaching Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Paula worked for 17 years in secure settings in the National Health Service undertaking public health and research roles. Subsequently, Paula’s main research areas are physical/mental health and clinical education in secure mental health settings. Her PhD project was titled “Student mental health nurse (SMHN) communication: responding to emotion, patient and student nurse satisfaction”. Paula’s current role as Insights and Impact Department Manager for the LFC Foundation has allowed her to develop further research interests nationally and internationally focusing on the impact of sports charities on inequalities, deprivation and children and young people. Research also extends to “the power of the LFC badge” in engaging harder to reach communities in positive interventions.

Grace Robinson is based at Black Box Research and Consultancy Ltd, Liverpool, UK. She is the Founder and CEO of Black Box Research and Consultancy; a nationwide criminal justice consultancy specialising in Modern Slavery (forced labour, criminal exploitation and County Lines drug supply). Having completed her PhD on Urban Street Gangs, Child Criminal Exploitation and County Lines, Grace has since has worked on over 250 modern slavery cases as an Expert Witness – providing her expertise to the criminal courts and assisting in asylum tribunals – comprising drugs and weapon offences, fraud, burglary and robbery. Grace previously worked within the University of Nottingham’s “Rights Lab”, where she led on projects: (1) exploring the impact of COVID-19 on County Lines and (2) examining the intersection between cognitive impairment and exploitation. Grace continues to spread awareness of criminal exploitation by delivering training and participating in podcasts, radio interviews and documentaries. In 2022, she consulted with members of the House of Lords on the Nationality and Borders Bill.

Sean Creaney is based at the School of Law, Criminology and Policing, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, UK. He is a Criminologist and Senior Lecturer in the School of Law, Criminology and Policing at Edge Hill University. His areas of knowledge and expertise include Child First Justice, typologies, theories and models of participation and co-production and experiential peer support and mentorship. Sean is a founding Advisory Board member of social justice charity Peer Power, an empathy-led charity focussed on healing trauma and creating individual and system change. In 2021, Sean was a research consultant on a Youth Justice Board commissioned project that audited and explored the practice of participatory approaches and co-creation across youth justice services. Sean is a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of the Safer Communities journal and was awarded Outstanding Paper in both the 2015 and 2021 Emerald Literati Network Awards for Excellence.

Andrew O’Connor is based at Merseyside Police, Liverpool, UK. D/Supt Andrew O’Connor has 29 years of Police experience within Merseyside Police and has been fortunate to serve as a Detective at every rank up to his current rank of Detective Superintendent. Having joined in 1993, in 1994, he went on a CID attachment and never put a uniform on again until 2019 when he became the Force lead for Preventive Policing. For the past 12 years, he has been involved primarily in tackling all levels of Serious and Organised Crime Groups who impact upon Merseyside and throughout the UK. Liverpool OCG’s have a footprint in most of the 43 UK Police Forces. He has worked in both overt and covert investigations and in 2017 became Merseyside and Cheshire’s Serious and Organised Crime Community Coordinator working with the Home Office to help develop SOC Prevent programmes. This work started with both Liverpool and Everton Football clubs to develop diversionary programmes to deter young and vulnerable people away from SOC using sport as a lever to gain the interest of those most susceptible to exploitation and gang affiliation. Their work aims to keep young people in education, take up vocational training leading onto employment opportunities. They now have over 50 partner agencies working on their SOC/County Lines Prevent programmes. He became Force Lead for County Lines in 2019, developing and leading Project Medusa, tackling County Lines emanating from Merseyside impacting on UK Police Forces. He now has responsibility for all crime intelligence for Merseyside with the Force Intelligence Bureau.