| Youth
Offending teams and Juvenile Justice |
The
Crime and Disorder Act 1998 placed a joint responsibility on local
authority Chief Executives and local partners (including schools)
to plan strategic work and target interventions with the aim of preventing
offending.
Youth Offending Teams were created by the Act and include workers
from statutory and voluntary sector agencies working with young people
and families to prevent offending by children and young people. Six
principle objectives are central to this aim:
- The swift administration of justice - so that every young person
accused of breaking the law has the matters dealt with as quickly
as possible.
- Confronting young offenders with the consequences of their
actions to help them develop a sense of responsibility.
- Focussing on particular factors that increase the risk of a
young person offending.
- The punishment is proportionate to the persistence and seriousness
of the young person's offending.
- Encouraging reparation to victims by young offenders - either
directly or indirectly.
- Reinforcing the responsibilities of parents, ensuring that
they help and support their son/daughter to stop offending.
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| The
YOT and schools: partner in preventing youth offending |
Success in education is one of the most important
protective factors in preventing offending by young people. The difficulties
young people can have in schools can be an antecedent or precursor
to offending, and, in some cases, young people who have committed
offences can experience difficulties accessing learning opportunities.
Staff in schools and in the YOT all have a shared role and statutory
responsibility in preventing young people on the fringes of anti-social
behaviour being drawn into committing offences, and in supporting
the educational progress of young people who are offending. However,
this does not carry an expectation that teachers will be juvenile
justice workers, nor that staff at the YOT will assume the roles of
teachers or educational psychologists.
A joint approach by schools and the YOT not only supports young people
to access education, but also enables schools and the YOT not only
supports young people to access education, but also enables schools
to drive up standards and raise attainment through social inclusion.
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| The
role of the senior practitioner in the Education Social Work service
within the YOT includes: |
Being a point of contact between the education
service and the Youth Offending Team, offering high quality information
about the juvenile justice system to education staff, and assisting
YOT staff to liaise with the individuals in schools and Services within
Education. Liaising with schools and LEA Services to gain information
for inclusion in reports to the Courts about the educational attainments
and progress of young people.
Providing information to young people and their parents about schools
and the education service.
|
| The
role of the youth worker within the YOT includes: |
Engaging young people who have offended in
a broad spectrum of learning opportunities as a way of stimulating
their personal development.
Encouraging young people's involvement in challenging and enjoyable
events in youth centres and on the streets (e.g. award schemes, youth
exchange and residentials).
Liaising with young people, their parents, staff at the YOT and Kirklees
Young People's Service about offending prevention and providing support
in addressing issues that might trigger or maintain patterns of offending.
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