Agenda item

To consider and comment on the Youth Justice Plan 2024-2027 as required under the authority’s Budget and Policy Framework.

The Board received a report on the Youth Justice Plan 2024-2027 as required by the Budget and Policy Framework Procedure Rules. It was therefore agreed that the Youth Justice Plan would be referred to Children and Families Scrutiny Board for consideration and comment.

In attendance for this item were:

·  Julie Longworth, Director of Children and Families

·  Councillor Helen Hayden, Executive Board Member for Children and Families

·  Farrah Khan, Chief Officer Family Help

·  Benjamin Finley, Head of Service Corporate Parenting

·  Helen Burton, Youth Justice Service Delivery Manager

The Director and Executive Board Member introduced the item noting the comments made in the recent Joint Targeted Inspection in terms of the partnership working that goes on in Leeds working jointly towards delivering the best outcomes for children and young people in the Youth Justice System.

In response to comments and question from the Board the following areas were covered:

·  On re-offending linked to questions under the previous performance item, the Board were informed of the first time entrant rate reducing which means that there is a small cohort of quite prolific offenders. It was also noted that the re-offending data does have a time lag. The Board heard in more detail about the Turnaround team who work with offenders to reduce re-offending and who currently have a less than 1% re-offending rate amongst the children they work with, so it is having an impact. The Turnaround Team is funded by the Ministry of Justice with the funding due to end in March 2025.

·  Other approaches such as Outcome 22 were referenced which is an initiative that has been used in Bradford and works with young people on re-offending and is expected to create a downward trajectory in re-offending rates. This is targeted at children and young people who are seen as unlikely to re-offend and aims to keep them from entering the criminal justice system again.

·  Members requested a breakdown of data In terms of age and gender, this will be provided to the Board outside of the meeting, but the Board was assured that the data is interrogated and is part of the work of the service.

·  Serious Youth Violence was raised as an issue and it was acknowledged that in a lot of cases these are first time offences. The Board heard that frequent offenders often have a different profile to those committing more serious offences.

·  The Board asked for more information on caseloads and how many in a caseload are new offenders and re-offenders. It was explained that the Turnaround offer, which works with children who would previously not have been in caseloads, has led to some of the increase.

·  In response to questions on staff training and apprenticeships the Board were informed that the service is trying to grow and skill up unqualified staff into qualified staff over time.

·  In respect of Priority 5 in the plan on attendance, achievement and attainment members were keen to ensure that the offer and examples set out in the report are being offered to all children and young people who the service works with. In response the board were assured that all children in the service have access to an education officer who works with the case holder to work with the child and family to ensure education outcomes. There are also plans to develop individual Education Plans targeted at those with increased risk and children in custody.

·  Responding to questions linked to the experience of children and young people in custody it was noted that this is the first version of the plan that looks specifically at the experience of young people in custody, and it was recognised that it was a possible area of work on how best to support young people through what is a difficult experience for them.

·  The Board heard about the impact of Early Help Hubs in terms of de-escalating, on a multi-agency basis, anti-social behaviour and targeting resources at individuals causing the most concern in specific areas.

·  The Board noted the positive outcome of the recent JTAI (at Appendix 2) despite this being one of the most complex and dynamic areas of our work undertaken by the Council.

·  The Board discussed Equality, Diversity and Inclusion with children and young people from ethnically diverse backgrounds being over-represented in the youth justice system and the work ongoing to ensure that services and agencies involved in youth justice work are aware of this issue and are working towards reducing this disproportionality.

·  In relation to serious youth violence the Board asked about whether services have learned from experiences in other areas and how services are targeted at particular areas of the city. In response the Board were informed of both city wide approaches and resources being targeted at specific areas for example work in Harehills which is a multi-agency local approach, there are also city wide measures such as Operation Shield and approaches on child sexual exploitation which are taken forward on a trends and themes basis, city wide.

·  The importance of multi-agency work was set out as a key learning point, working together on a local and regional basis through partners such as Police, Health anti-social behaviour teams, early help colleagues and the Youth Justice Service. It was also noted that the Youth Service are fully embedded in the multi-agency approach.

·  In response to questions around self-harm at the Wetherby Youth Offenders Institute the Board were informed that the issues identified are being dealt with through the Leeds Safeguarding Children’s Partnership Executive and involving leaders from the Youth Offenders Institute.

Resolved

The Board:

a)  Acknowledged the strategic framework in place in order to prevent children from entering the youth justice system, and to support and divert those who have entered into the youth justice system in order to have a positive impact on the lives of children, their families and communities, and the work being undertaken by the council and other partners in key areas of activity.

b)  Acknowledged the need to promote the work of the Youth Justice Service Plan across the city, across council directorates and wider city partnerships in order to reduce offending behaviours in children across the city.

c)  Noted the impact of disproportionality on children from Black and Ethnic minorities within the youth justice cohort and that the Youth Justice Service seeks to address disproportionality within the youth justice system.

d)  Noted the Youth Justice Plan will be taken to Executive Board in July 2024 to recommend that it is taken to Full Council in September 2024 for adoption.