Purpose

This will be a critical multi-agency workshop that will shape how Greater Manchester responds to an emerging and complex challenge: proportional responses to incidents where young people create deepfake images and videos of teachers. This work is being co-led with Janice Allen, a retired GM headteacher who now leads the Education Community Partnership.

We know from anecdotal evidence across Greater Manchester that:

• Teachers are experiencing significant distress from these incidents
• Young people are receiving inconsistent responses, with some facing disproportionately serious criminal consequences
• Schools, police, CPS, and youth justice services lack clear, shared protocols for responding

Current legal frameworks can result in life-altering outcomes for young people (including sex offender registration) even in cases where all parties recognise this may be disproportionate. Meanwhile, teachers are left feeling unsupported, and schools are uncertain about their role.

Our goal is to develop the foundational principles and framework components for a graduated response protocol for GMP, in lockstep with schools, that:

• Takes seriously the harm to teachers and provides clear support pathways
• Holds young people accountable in developmentally appropriate ways
• Identifies alternatives to criminal disposal in instances where this is agreed to be proportionate and safe
• Creates clarity for all agencies about roles, thresholds, and decision-making
• Links response protocols to our wider preventative work across the Safer Stronger portfolio

We are working with GMP’s Chief Superintendent for Public Protection to develop the final policy.

This workshop will generate the key principles and framework components that will inform policy development over the coming months.

Colleagues in attendance from GMP, Education, CPS & YJ will:

• Help ensure the protocol is workable in practice, not just on paper
• Build shared understanding across agencies who must implement this together
• Influence how Greater Manchester leads nationally on this emerging issue
• Demonstrate multi-agency commitment to finding proportionate, effective solutions

Decision

GMCA will pay Mechanics Institute £1,765.62 to hire venue space/equipment and provide catering/refreshments for 40-45 attendees to a roundtable workshop event in October 2026 to discuss proportional responses to incidents where young people create deepfake images and videos of teachers.