Issue - meetings

To receive a presentation of the work of the Youth Offending Team

The Committee gave consideration to a presentation by P Sharland, Head of Service, Youth Offending Service (YOS). She in formed the Committee that:

The principal aim of the youth justice system was to prevent offending and reoffending by young people (Crime and Disorder Act 1998). Cheshire YOS’s vision was to have the lowest possible level of offending and anti social behaviour by young people in Cheshire.

The Chief Executives of local authorities were required to plan how youth justice services would be funded and provided, together with how the youth offending service was to be composed, organised and how it would operate. In Cheshire the Youth Offending Service covers two authorities – East and West.

In 2008/09 YOS worked with 445 convicted young people in the West and 425 convicted young people in the East. The service also worked with around 80 of those who were identified as being most at risk of entering the criminal justice system.

Last year first time entrants into the criminal justice system was down by 30% and youth offending by 18%. In 2009, YOS was inspected by HMI Probation and was found to be good overall and ranked third in the NW region. Partnership working was excellent in the East and the YOS was commissioned through the Children’s Trust.

P Sharland reported that the East was in urgent need of specialised accommodation for serious offenders as they currently had nowhere to be placed and could often end up in hotels or at friends.

Members discussed restorative justice, which gives victims the chance to tell offenders the real impact of their crime, to get answers to their questions and to receive an apology. It gives the offenders the chance to understand the real impact of what they’ve done and to do something to repair the harm. Members agreed that they would like to receive further information on this.

RESOLVED

1. That the presentation be noted

2. That Members receive further information on restorative justice