Youth Justice Plan

2005 – 2006

TABLE OF CONTENTS

  1. Summary 3
  2. Local Planning Environment7
  3. Drivers of Performance8
  4. Governance and Leadership8
  5. Performance and Quality Systems11
  6. Resources13
  7. People and Organisation17
  8. Partnership Working20
  9. Preventing Offending and Minimising the Use of Custody22
  10. Achieving Improved Outcomes for Children and Young People who Offend37
  11. Review and Approval57
  12. Appendices

Appendix a – Organisational Chart59

Appendix b – Performance Measures66

Appendix c – Race Audit Action Plan 71

A.Summary

An introduction from the Chair. As the recently appointed Chair of the South Tees Youth Justice Board (April 2005), it gives me some satisfaction to follow previous Chairs in commending continuous improvement within the Service.
The South Tees Youth Offending Service is seen locally as a beacon of innovation and is valued in delivering positive outcomes for children and young people.
The diverse nature of the area from urban to rural communities, challenges us all to deliver quality public services.
Whilst the preventative services are delivered at a very local level sometimes down to individual schools and/ or streets, the core YOS business is more centrally located, but also provided locally through youth clubs, community centres, libraries and other facilities.
A recent internal review involved an independent look at the Service from a Board perspective. Findings from that review will inform future practice and priorities for the coming year.
The Service is creative in its approach and the recent Service Forum adopted the following slogan to capture the essence of the business:
“Reducing Offending Through Innovation”
Barbara Shaw Head of Vulnerable Children Redcar and Cleveland and Chair of the South Tees Youth Justice Board.
Summary.
Welcome to the 2005- 2006 annual Youth Justice Plan for South Tees. This year sees a shift from a 3 year strategy with annual updates to a single year plan that marks the transition into the new integrated single Children’s Plan from 2006.
In addition there have been changes to the content, counting rules and the timescale for delivery of the plan, as well as new measures.
This plan therefore becomes very much a business delivery plan rather than a strategy however the lessons and issues contained within it have informed or will inform;
The Middlesbrough Crime and Disorder Strategy 2005 -2008
The Redcar and Cleveland Crime and Disorder Strategy 2005-2008
Middlesbrough’s Children’s Plan
Redcar and Cleveland’s Children’s Plan.
The Prolific and other Priority Offenders Strategy of each authority.
The LCJB delivery Plan
Internally the service has seen significant new areas of work which include the development of the Prevent and Deter strand of the Prolific and Other Priority Offenders (POPO) strategy as well as inputs to the other strands i.e. Catch and Convict and rehabilitate and resettle.
The resettlement and aftercare programme (RAP) has grown considerably and has become fully operational within the last 12 months, and provides a valuable additional resource to those young people who are vulnerable because of substance misuse and lack of appropriate support and / or accommodation.
In respect of service development we still need to make further changes to remain fit for the challenges ahead and as finances become available we will seek to recruit senior practitioner posts within the service.
Capacity building remains a challenge and we are currently looking how we can make the best use of the limited resources available to us. This approach invariably means shifting resources to those areas of greatest need however this flexibility can sometimes lead us to being reactive rather than proactive.
We are currently reviewing our business support services, finance, administration, and information back up in order to reduce the risk posed by individuals being in key positions without adequate cover. We hope to reduce the risk to the service by developing a business support team, which also helps the career aspirations of those non-operational staff.
Many of the changes are being delivered without additional resources being made available to the service, or where grant funding is forthcoming (RAP) this funding is time limited This means we need to work very hard to ensure we obtain the maximum benefit from these grants for the maximum length of time.
There has also been a great deal of time and energy spent further training staff on changes to counting rules and recording on our system. The new CPA measure will challenge us and our partners to reduce year on year the numbers of young people entering the criminal justice system.
The South Tees Youth Justice Board continues to support and challenge the service to even better performance. There have been some changes to the Board however these mean a constant refreshing of ideas and approaches to our work. Elected member inputs have been a welcome change and reduce significantly the need for repetition of reporting.
The service itself despite resource constraints has managed to constantly improve on performance in the last 12 months.
As a service we are now smarter with our internal governance and reporting arrangements and engagement of all members of staff and volunteers. Service Forums are now a regular feature where we are able to brief staff on key developments for example;
The Children’s Agenda
The role of the LCJB and their part
Developing the Crime and Disorder strategies and the Youth Justice Plan.
Integrating the Preventative and the Reduction agendas and all parts of the service.
Whilst internally there is still much to do we have also been able to understand the changing environment within which our partners operate. We were able to accept the fact that there would be no additional funding from mainstream partners as they work out how the new pooling arrangements will need to be constructed. The risks of not being able to deliver everything that is expected have been shared, understood and owned by all partners. The service however continues to look to maximise the use of external funds as well as bidding to various funding bodies for grants.
The service is seen both regionally and nationally as an example of good practice and innovation and we continue to work with the Youth Justice Board to help develop the whole system especially around; organisational development, information management and workforce development issues.
There are in the coming months some key opportunities and challenges for the service, which we will need to address.
  • The full implementation of the Youth Inclusion Support Panels which bring together children’s services and crime and disorder services to prevent and deter youngsters from offending.
  • Locality based working, the development of the common assessment framework and the concept of the lead professional.
  • Maintain performance improvement across the service to ensure no loss of tied funding.
  • Continue to develop the POPO strategy and associated action plans.
  • Work to maximise our funding and try and reduce the burden on partners.
  • Influence the development of the children’s trusts.
  • Influence the Police to develop their Youth Strategy and investment into Youth Crime prevention.
  • Maintain our position as both a sub-regional, regional, and national lead where possible.
  • Work more closely with partners to resolve those issues more likely to increase levels of youth crime, education, health, parenting, victim work anti social behaviour.
The service will continue to work effectively and efficiently to prevent crime committed by children and young people. We will also value young people and seek to address those factors, which increase the risk of young people offending. We will openly share the lessons we have learnt and continue to listen as we strive to improve the services we deliver.
Colin Wilson
Head of Service June 2005.

B.Local Planning Environment

Local planning environment particularly looking at how the right balance is being achieved between children’s services and crime and disorder / community safety:
South Tees Youth Offending Service has developed strong partnership arrangements with both Children’s Services and Crime and Disorder partnerships. The Head of Service sits on the strategic partnership Boards as well as representing South Tees, Stockton and Hartlepool YOTs, as a member of the Local Criminal Justice Board. This is a key role in terms of influencing decision making to ensure positive outcomes for children, young people and communities.
As detailed in the Preventative Services section of the plan, the YOS is currently working jointly with Middlesbrough Children, Families and Learning to develop Locality based panels, which will incorporate YISP activity. In Redcar & Cleveland we are involved in the development of the RYOGENs project using the local YIP as a pilot for effective information sharing.
Whilst tensions do exist between Children’s support services and the Crime and Disorder enforcement agenda, the YOS is taking a lead role in building bridges between the two. By working together on joint projects, identifying ‘at risk’ individuals and problem areas early, we aim to provide effective interventions that tackle anti-social behaviour, increase community confidence and improve life chances for young people in our area.
Over the coming 12 months we will be working closely with our Community Safety partners to develop Problem Solving groups that will link into locality based working arrangements. :

C.Drivers of Performance

Governance and Leadership

South Tees Youth Offending Service provides and co-ordinates youth justice services across the local authority areas of Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland. Governance arrangements are provided through the Children, Families and Learning division of Middlesbrough Council who act as lead authority for the partnership as well as for the Tees Valley ISSP. The Head of Service is line managed and supervised by the Director and reports into the Corporate Management Framework of Middlesbrough Council. The Head of Service also meets regularly with the Chief Executive of Middlesbrough Council to provide an update of Service developments.
South Tees Youth Justice Board
The accountability framework for the Youth Offending Service has undergone changes of the past year with several developments around the Steering Group.
  • Elected Members from Middlesbrough and Redcar & Cleveland have been incorporated into the Board
  • A new Constitution has been adopted
  • A new Chair has been appointed
  • There are two new Divisional Police Commanders
  • The HOS is now strategically placed in terms of Governance arrangements with both the Crime & Disorder Partnerships and Children & Young Peoples Strategic Partnerships
The Board meets quarterly and as well as the core business agenda, there is a rolling programme of practice topics chosen by Board members. Case studies are discussed and good practice shared.
A member of the Board was recently invited to take a lead role in our preparation for inspection/ internal audit. This proved to be a very worthwhile exercise in terms of providing the Board with more insight into the work of the Service and raising awareness of the individual contribution of team members.

Table A: Composition of Management Board

Name / Agency representing / Post in agency / Ethnicity / Gender
Chair: Barbara Shaw / Redcar and Cleveland Social Services / Head of Children’s Services / White / Female
Terry Redmayne / Middlesbrough Children, Families and Learning / Executive Director Children, Families and Learning / White / Male
Dave Sands / Middlesbrough Children, Families and Learning / Assistant Head of Pupil Support / White / Male
Mark Braithwaite / Cleveland Police (Middlesbrough) / Chief Superintendent / White / Male
Dee Collins / Cleveland Police (Langbaurgh) / Chef Superintendent / White / Female
Debra Galloway / Teesside Magistrates / Principal Legal Advisor / White / Female
Brian Thomas / National Probation Service / Assistant Chief Probation Officer / White / Male
Elaine Lumley / National Probation Service / Chief Probation Officer / White / Female
Colin McLeod / Middlesbrough Primary Care Trust / Chief Executive / White / Male
Jon Chadwick / Langbaurgh Primary Care
Trust / Chief Officer / White / Male
John Bentley / Safe in Tees Valley / Programme Director / White / Male
John Keelty / ConneXions / Acting Director Services to young People / White / Male
Joy Nolan / Community Safety - Middlesbrough / Community Safety Manager / White / Female
Gary Flynn / Community Safety – Redcar and Cleveland / Head of Community Safety / White / Male
Julia Kett / Erimus Housing / Accommodation Agency Manager / White / Female
Bob Brady / Middlesbrough Council / Councillor / White / Male
Brenda Thompson / Middlesbrough Council / Councillor / White / Female
Jan Brunton / Middlesbrough Council / Councillor / White / Female
Vilma Collins / Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council / Councillor / White / Female
Valerie Halton / Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council / Councillor / White / Female
Keith Blott / Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council / Councillor / White / Male

Performance and Quality Systems

All staff have received training on Careworks the service’s software system to ensure all work is inputted correctly and evidenced. This training was prepared and delivered internally by the Information Manager and a Performance Manager designed specifically to meet YOS needs. Feedback has been excellent with staff commenting that the quality was of a very high standard.
Individual casework is discussed by Performance Managers during their monthly supervision with staff. Particular emphasis is given to those young people identified as ‘high risk’.
Data input is checked on a monthly basis by the Information Manager to ensure accuracy for quarterly YJB returns. Any anomalies are identified and raised with individual YOS workers through their line managers.
A number of protocols with partner agencies have been developed together with Service Level Agreements and Joint Working Agreements to ensure accountability and best practice is achieved.
Performance Managers hold bi-monthly meetings with staff and volunteers to ensure they are aware of current developments in policy, practice and procedures. These follow the Deputy Head of Service meetings with managers, which also include presentations from external agencies when appropriate.
Quality Assurance for PSRs follows a recognised format with 4 identified experienced members of staff carrying out the process ensuring consistency across the Service.
The Court Team is also pro-active in the quality assurance process, monitoring recommendations and giving feedback from the Justices.
A Practice Guidance book has been prepared for all staff, which contains information on issues such as Looked After Children, Accommodation, ETE, Substance Misuse, and Mental Health etc.
Local Youth Crime: Key Characteristics:
  • 2410 offences were committed during 2004, which indicates a reduction of 0.9% on the previous year.
  • 75% of offending by young people was of a less serious nature.
  • Offences of Violence accounted for 11.12% of all youth crime.
Youth Justice Decisions/Services Provided
  • The ratio of custodial sentences to community disposals was 1:21 compared to 1:20 in 2003
  • The custody rate was 4.79% (49 out of 1021 disposals)
  • Average YOS caseloads are 27
  • The YOS responded to the following disposals
  • 251 Final Warnings
  • 189 Referral Orders
  • 335 Community Disposals
  • 49 custodial sentences.
Victims of Youth Crime
South Tees YOS places great importance on working positively with victims of youth crime. Effective responses to measure 6 have been developed and our mechanisms for making initial contact are now well established. All victims of youth crime are offered the opportunity to engage in a restorative intervention. South Tees engage Unite, who are a Nationally accredited service to provide a full range of restorative interventions.
  • 197 victims consulted have participated in Restorative Processes
  • 184 of those victims were satisfied or very satisfied
  • 93% level of satisfaction in the work provided by the YOS
Youth Offending Population in South Tees
  • 86.47% of offences were committed by young men
  • The number of young people who offended was 1404
  • Young people aged 16/17 years account for 54.93% of all youth crime in the area
  • Young people aged under 13 years committed 15% all youth crime in the area
  • A slight increase is shown in offending by young people from the BME community which accounts for 4.23% of all crime completed to 4% in 2003 - Some caution is required regarding this statistic which may be showing a change due to improved reporting on Careworks rather than an actual increase.

Resources

Financial resources

Investment by partners has been retained at previous levels and we have secured some additional funds via the LSC in relation to Parenting. YISPs are being developed via Neighbourhood Renewal Funds in the Middlesbrough area only in partnership with Children, Families and Learning.
Efficiency savings are being made across the board through better and more efficient use of grant funds etc.
Detailed needs analysis for new Children’s Trust arrangements, means partners are still working out the new arrangements for commissioning and whether they are getting value for money. We will be better place perhaps next year to make additional claims for further resources.
The service does however look to maximise funds available to it as well as bidding to other funders for additional resources. A partnership with Stockton Youth Offending service and Pertemps looks to have secured funding for a large scale Entry to Employment scheme across the Tees Valley.
Long term planning is difficult due to short term funding arrangements, e.g. RAP project, and others. We are trying to ensure that we get the maximum benefit from grant funds to support the core YOS business and try and encourage support our partners into new and creative ways of working.
The service will need to produce and adhere to a timetable for the production of financial information which ensures that the statutory deadlines relating to closure of accounts, financial reporting and grant claims are met for Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland Councils

Table 26: Services planned for the financial year 2005 – 2006