Agenda item

To consider and comment on the Haringey Youth Justice Strategic Plan 2022/23, including the effectiveness of interventions with young people.

Jackie Difolco, Assistant Director for Early Help and Prevention, reported there was a duty for each local authority area to produce an annual youth justice plan.  This was to include details of how youth justice services were funded and delivered.

The report highlighted achievements during 2021/22.  There had been reduction in serious youth violence offences of 25% and of 12% in knife crime.  There had been a specific focus on mental health and well-being in order to address the increase in such issues.  As part of this, there was now a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) practitioner in the service who could also support staff in their work.  There continued to be a strong focus on disproportionality, which enabled practitioners to obtain a better understanding of their cohort.  In addition, there was also a range of identity based work taking place. 

There was a continuing and increased focus on health, well-being and substance abuse, including systemic training for all front facing staff.  The service was also working with other colleagues in Children’s Services as part of an exclusions working group to ensure that there was a joined-up approach.  A pledge was being created that all Haringey schools will be encouraged to sign up to.  The Service’s office had remained open for five days a week to during the pandemic but services had also been made available in community settings.  71% of young people that the service worked with were supported to remain in full time education.  Community reparation projects had been expanded and this included a recent partnership with the food bank at the Selby Centre.  The service had been proactive in involving fathers of young offenders and would continue to be a priority in the 2022/23 plan.  Overall performance was high, with plans, interventions and home visits undertaken in a timely manner and to a high standard.

In terms of the cohort, half of those were young black men.  The overall number of offences had reduced by 37%.  Drugs offences had overtaken violence for the first time.  44 young people had entered the youth justice system for the first time. The percentage of young people who reoffended was higher than in comparable local authorities but had come down.  Audit activity concluded  that, in over two thirds of the cases audited, work with young people  was graded as  either good or outstanding.  There had been a drop in young people staying on in full time education post 16 and this would therefore be a key focus of the new plan.

There had been a strong focus on systemic training and evidence based interventions. Three members of staff had also taken part in Your Choice cognitive behavioural therapy training with the aim on reducing serious youth violence via therapeutic skills and sessions.  The service had undertaken two participation initiatives; Think Space was aimed at young people and their families whilst Team Space involved staff.   Feedback from young people was obtained regularly, responded to and incorporated into service planning. 

Key priorities for 2022/23 were:

·         Reducing poor outcomes, particularly for the most vulnerable young people;

·         Reducing serious youth violence and knife crime;

·         Continuing focus on stop and search;

·         Resettlement;

·         Statutory Key Performance Indicators:

o    Reduction of first time entrants

o    Reduction of reoffending

o    Prevention of custody.

In terms of progress to date, positive feedback had been received from the Court on the service’s pre-sentencing template and the child first, offender second principle.  Work was also taking place to develop a prevention service and engaging with young people who were at risk but had not been formally referred to the service yet.

 A successful application had been made to the MOPAC for a joint project with Islington that would focus on disproportionality and include mentoring.  A new resettlement policy had been drafted to ensure that young people were supported well when they returned to the community after being in custody.

In answer to a question, Ms Difolco stated that workshops had been held with young people and the Police regarding stop and search.  These allowed young people to raise awareness, explain to Police officers how it had made them feel when they were stopped and searched  and to ask questions.  It also enable Police officers to respond in a safe environment.  In respect of the gaps in speech and language therapy that were being addressed, these were aimed at older young people who did not currently have access. 

She reported that approximately 8% of the youth justice cohort were young women.  There were female staff within the service and efforts were made to match staff appropriately to young people.  There was also a girls group.  The format of the strategic plan was standardised and set out by the National Youth Justice Board.  She was nevertheless happy to consider producing a summary version alongside the statutory plan next year. She was also prepared to take a summary of the report to any group or organisation that might be interested. There was not currently a schools representative on the Youth Justice Board and this was something that they were currently seeking to address.

In answer to another question regarding data on ethnicity and, in particular, the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller IGRT) community, Ms Difolco reported that the recording of ethnicity categories were pre-determined. .  However, the service ensured that more detail ethnicity data was collected in case notes so that this could be reflected in interventions.   The Panel was of the view that such data was vital.  In particular, it provided the opportunity to undertake preventative work with specific communities.

Councillor Zena Brabazon, the Cabinet Member for Children, Schools and Families, stated that she felt that the report was very young person centred and this was reflective of the current culture of the service.  The plan also demonstrated the child first, offender second approach that was now followed.  She felt that it was important that schools were represented on the Board.  She also felt that summarised version of the plan could be provided for schools.  There was a need to involve governors and consideration would be given to how this could best be done. 

AGREED:

That consideration be given to the production of a more accessible and/or summarised version of the Strategic Plan in future years.