Youth Offending Service - Update
To receive an oral report from the Head of Children’s Services.
Minutes:
Back in September 2014 concerns had been raised with the Sub-Committee regarding the quality of Youth Offending Service provided by Barking and Dagenham since October 2012. The main area of concern had been the management of the Referral Order Process.
Officers advised that since the service was taken back in house all the issues raised had been addressed. Training for the volunteers had been reintroduced, a larger pool of volunteers had been recruited and most recently the volunteers had received training in restorative justice.
In February 2015 the Ministry of Justice had commented favourably on the council’s decision to place the Youth Offending Service within the Early Years Team. At a recent seminar organised by the Ministry of Justice one of the cases discussed had been one of the councils. An example of good practice.
The Service was working with the Youth Justice Board to introduce a live tracker protocol.
The Sub-Committee were pleased with the progress being made and were assured that the decision to bring the service back in-house was the correct decision.