Youth Offending Team
The Kirklees Youth Offending Team (YOT) is a multi-agency team that is co-ordinated by Kirklees Council and overseen by the Youth Justice Board. It works with young people aged 10-18 who are involved with Police (pre-court) and those who have been ordered by the court to serve sentences in the community or secure unit.
Our main objective is to help and assist young people and their families through their current court orders and to prevent any further offending.
YOT's were set up following the 1998 Crime and Disorder Act, with the intention of reducing the rist of young people offending and re-offending, and to provide counsel and rehabilitation to those who do offend. Youth offending teams engage in a wide variety of work with young offenders in order to achieve their aims.
We work over two sites in the Kirklees area:
- South Kirklees YOT (Huddersfield)
- Address Somerset Buildings, 10 Church Street, Huddersfield, HD1 1DD
- Phone 01484 226263
- North Kirklees YOT (Batley)
- Address Young Batley Centre, Thomas Street, Batley, WF17 8RP
- Phone 01924 482118
The YOT is staffed by multiple agencies including:
The social workers main aim is to work with local authority's Multi agency Youth Offending Team which brings together various services to support young offenders, protect the public from high-risk offenders and tackle problems that can lead to youth crime by working with young offenders at various stages in the Youth Justice System.
There are currently 2 Stronger Families consultants that cover North and South Kirklees respectively. Their roles are to embed an assertive approach to working with families of young people, supporting colleagues and consulting with colleagues to find the right support for families.
The YOT have a specialist admin team for dealing with Court, Out of Court disposals Referral Order Panels as well as other admin functions, like ensuring Court files are prepared etc.
The practices employed by an employee in the YOT Police Officer role are vast. However, they all fall into five main themes. These are:
- Intelligence and information sharing
- Early intervention and prevention
- Community Resolution, Youth Caution & Youth Conditional Caution delivery
- Offender Management
- Partnership working
Probation Officer staff have the same role as YOT officers. However, they deal with older YP who are transitioning to the probation service.
Change Grow Live was developed in the 1970's by magistrates and former Probation Officers to support people leaving prison to resettle in the community. The services within the Youth Offending Team provide support around substance misuse treatment, prevention and early intervention and emotional wellbeing.
Our nurses work with young people aged between 10 and 18 who are already involved with either the Kirklees or Calderdale Youth Offending Teams.
The aim of the service is to promote health and wellbeing and contribute to the prevention youth crime in these areas.
Our Careers Officers have lots of useful information to help young people into higher education, apprenticeships and working, including:
- Careers and jobs
- Options after Year 11 and beyond
- Local vacancies
- Apprenticeships and training
- Sixth forms and further education colleges
- Higher education and more
If you are aged 16-25 and are experiencing homelessness, or at risk of becoming homeless then a YOT Housing Officer may be able to help you.
The Housing Officer can also offer help and advice around benefits and a whole range of other housing related issues, such as:
- Give you immediate, practical assistance
- Explain your rights
- Offer advice and guidance
- Suggest specialist or local support services to help you longer term