Issue - meetings

[Report of the Director for Children’s Services. To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Children, Education and Families.]

Cabinet to consider scrutiny review findings and  agree responses to the recommendations.

(d)       Cabinet Response to Scrutiny Review on Restorative Justice

The Cabinet Member for Children, Education and Families introduced the report which provided strong evidence of restorative justice providing benefits as an approach and application across a range of settings for organisations engaging with young people, encouraging desistance from offending, and whom are at risk of school exclusions.

The Cabinet Member outlined that restorative justice had the potential to offer clear and measurable benefits to reduce young people’s involvement in crime whilst also reducing school exclusions. There was also evidence that restorative justice can provide value for money by reducing reoffending rates whilst at the same times providing tangible benefits to victims.

The Cabinet Member for Children, Education and Families looked forward to working with the Cabinet Member for Communities, Safety and Engagement in order to implement the recommendations of the review.

RESOLVED

To consider the Scrutiny Review Report in Appendix 1 and approve the responses to the Scrutiny recommendations as outlined in Appendix 2 of this report.

Reasons for decision

The evidence supporting the Panel’s recommendations on the potential for promoting and extending the use of Restorative Justice and a Restorative Practice approach in Haringey is outlined in the main body of the Report (Appendix 1).

Alternative options considered

The evidence supporting the Panel’s recommendations is outlined in the main body of the Report (Appendix 1). The Cabinet could choose not to accept the recommended response by officers to them, as outlined in Appendix 2. The potential implications of alternative courses of action are referred to within this, as appropriate.