Preventing Offending in young people

How Does the Youth Justice System Work?

The aim of the Youth Justice System is to prevent offending by children and young people so they can have more fulfilling lives, families are strengthened and communities feel safer.

Preventing Crime by Children and Young People

Nearly everyone has been affected by crime,through relatives, friends or acquaintances. Many children and young people get involved in crime. The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 has completely reformed the Youth Justice System.  Now young people are:

• assessed;
• appropriately punished;
• helped and directed to change their behaviour; and
• encouraged to compensate the victims of their crimes

Their parents are more fully involved in the Youth Justice system.  

Stoke-on-Trent Youth Offending Services 

In Stoke-on-Trent there is the Youth Offending Services (YOS) managed by a Director assisted by a Deputy Director, Strategic Managers and Team Managers.

How does the Youth Offending Services work?

The Stoke-on-Trent Youth Offending Services were set up as a multi-agency organisation under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998.

The role of the YOS work is to intervene early to work with children and  young people who have already offended to stop them re-offending.

Stoke-on-Trent YOS primarily work with childrena and young people aged 8 to 17 years of age. There is also a team who work within Stoke Heath Youth Offending Institute supporting young people in custody.

The YOS comprises of officers from the :

• Police,
• National Probation Service, Stafford, 
• Children and Young People's Services,
• Substance Misuse Workers,
• Health Services,
• Connexions (training and employment).

These teams provide a variety of interventions either on a one to one basis or groupwork basis with children, young people and their families.

Parents and Victims

Support is also provided to parents and victims of youth crime.

Other Services

Services are also commissioned from the voluntary sector to provide:

• Mentors to be reliable role models for children and young people,
• Appropriate adults to accompany young people to Police interviews when it is alleged that they have offended,
• Referral Order Panel members,
• Youth Inclusion Programmes.

Other services are commissioned, as required, to provide consultancy, interventions and training.

Prevent and Deter

To prevent and deter offending, the YOS are in contact with children primarily from eight years of age who are at risk of offending.  This area of prevention work comprises of the Youth Inclusion Programmes and working in partnership with local schools and parents to address anti-social behaviour in young people at risk of exclusion.  

Partnership Working

Partnership working is the key to the success of the Youth Offending Services.

Because the YOS works as one unit providing "joined up services" they are better able to tackle youth offending together.

Where Can I Get More Information?

To find out more click on to the links