To receive an oral report.
Minutes:
The Service Manager Early Help, Youth Offenders Service and Troubled Families provided the Sub-Committee with a presentation outlining the inspection feedback on the Havering Youth Offending Service. He stated that the Youth Offending Team had been move back in-house in December 2014, and in that time an inspection and feedback on how the service was performing and any challenges were raised.
It was explained that 20 statutory cases were randomly selected which would include both community and custodial sentences. The case files would be assessed to see what the plan contained, if the outcomes were SMART and if the parent/ carer had been involved in the process. These were looked at over the course of a week, and interviews were held with case managers. Prior to this preparation with staff was carried out so that when interviews took place they were able to provide positive feedback as well as provide honest opinions on the challenges that they faced.
From the inspection there were a number of key strengths identified, including effective assessments of offending behaviour and risk of harm to other, as there were established links and joint working with the police and community safety. Parents/ carers were fully involved in assessment and planning, and were seen as being a central support to the child or young person; case managers’ detailed knowledge of barriers to working with the YOS and individual preferences of children and young people had led to effective compliance and engagement; children and young people having access to a range of specialist service including substance misuse, emotional and mental health and mentoring.
The Sub-Committee noted the headline score performance for 2014/15, it was noted that the overall scores in the last year were between 40-50% however there was a positive increase in these scores for 2014/15. The figures for reducing the likelihood of reoffending was 85% in Havering (73% average), protecting the public was 85% (average 70%), protecting the child or Young Person was 70% (average 68%) and ensuring that the sentence is served was 90% (average was 82%).
The feedback from children and young people that had been received over the last year was generally very positive about the service they received. Officers informed the Sub-Committee that the staffing levels had not changed since the last inspection, and the team was made of permanent stable posts, with a good mix of staff. Succession planning was in place and recruitment into posts in previous years had not been an issue. This was attributed to the good clear direction vision and outcomes from managers together with increased knowledge.
The challenges in the future would be down to budgets. In the last year the service had to make 12% cost savings, and the budgets for the next financial year had not yet been announced. Across London the case load was becoming more complex, with Havering having 28% of reoffenders, which was lower than our neighbours statistically.
The Sub-Committee stated that live data of the youth service would be beneficial and could then be used to lobby for additional funding given the Central London displacement of youth offenders.
The Sub-Committee noted the update and requested that the outcome of the budget announcement be circulated.