The Youth Justice Board for England and Wales ANNUAL REPORT and ACCOUNTS 2015/16 the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales ANNUAL REPORT and ACCOUNTS 2015/16
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The Youth Justice Board for England and Wales ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2015/16 The Youth Justice Board for England and Wales ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2015/16 Report presented to Parliament pursuant to Schedule 2, paragraph 8 (2) of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 Accounts presented to Parliament pursuant to Schedule 2, paragraph 9 (4) of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 Ordered by the House of Commons to be printed on 21 July 2016 HC 544 © Youth Justice Board for England and Wales copyright 2016 The text of this document (this excludes, where present, the Royal Arms and all departmental or agency logos) may be reproduced free of charge in any format or medium provided that it is reproduced accurately and not in a misleading context. The material must be acknowledged as Youth Justice Board for England and Wales copyright and the document title specified. Where third party material has been identified, permission from the respective copyright holder must be sought. Any enquiries related to this publication should be sent to us at: Youth Justice Board for England and Wales 102 Petty France London SW1H 9AJ Tel: 020 3334 5300 Email: [email protected] This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications Print ISBN 9781474135856 Web ISBN 9781474135863 ID 05071613 07/16 Printed on paper containing 75% recycled fibre content minimum Printed in the UK by the Williams Lea Group on behalf of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office CONTENTS Section 1 Performance Report 2015/16 04 Overview 05 • Foreword 05 • Who we are and what we do 07 Performance analysis 09 Our work in 2015/16 12 Section 2 Accountability Report 18 Corporate Governance Report 19 Remuneration and Staff Report 35 Parliamentary Accountability and Audit Report 45 The Certificate and Report of the Comptroller and 46 Auditor General to the House of Commons Section 3 Financial statements 48 Notes to the accounts 53 Annual Report and Accounts 2015/16 SECTION 1 PERFORMANCE REPORT 2015/16 • Overview • Performance analysis • Our work in 2015/16 4 Section 1 Performance Report 2015/16 OVERVIEW Foreword This year the YJB started the For work with young people to roll-out of the AssetPlus assessment be effective we need to hear and The principal purpose of the youth and planning interventions framework understand their needs, and this justice system, of which the YJB to YOTs, with the intention of year we have increased our effort is a key component, is to prevent completing this in 2016/17. This to make sure that the voice of the offending. We are therefore rightly is a key tool in enabling effective young person underpins all the proud to report that this financial information sharing and continuity work of the YJB. We have consulted year there has been a continued for children and young people young people as part of our business reduction in the number of young across both custody and community planning process and the YJB people entering the youth justice settings. AssetPlus will assist YOTs in enabled young people to give their system for the first time, together completing high quality and consistent views to inform the government’s with a reduction in offending and the assessments of the young people youth justice review. number of offences by young people. they are working with and taking The number of first-time entrants has steps to reduce offending. We have The successes that have been now reduced by 83% since its peak been hugely encouraged by the very achieved this year are all the more in 2006 and the number of reoffences positive reception that the framework notable in that they come in the face committed by young people has is receiving from practitioners. of substantial financial challenges reduced by 70% since its peak in that are being felt across the whole 2007. Numbers in custody fell this In response to feedback from the public sector; challenges which are year to a record low. sector, and requests to further equip not only felt in continued reductions practitioners in the challenging work to the YJB budget but also by partner Partnership working continues to they undertake, this year we launched organisations whose contributions are be core to the success we have the Youth Justice Resource Hub. so critical to addressing offending by achieved in the youth justice system, Developed with the sector’s input, young people. both at a local and national level. The this will help practitioners to have a reasons why young people offend solid understanding of what is likely The YJB has to play its part in are complex and therefore society’s to deliver most results in their work meeting the Government’s austerity response is necessarily complex also, with young people and facilitate measures. We started this financial requiring work with young people and collaboration and innovation across year with a lower budget than their families, courts, police, health, youth justice. expected, and then faced a £12m education, victims, and third sector in-year budget cut. The end result organisations to name just a few. In Wales, we have been working was that the YJB’s budget was We have once again played a critical closely with the Welsh Government reduced by £28m (11%) compared role this year in sustaining these and three YOTs to test a new to the previous year; continuing the relationships at a national level and approach which addresses childhood trend of year-on-year reduction. encouraging effective partnerships, trauma, which is a common with the local authorities’ youth underlying issue for many young offending teams (YOTs) an important people who are involved in offending component, at a local level. behaviour. This approach has been informed by international experience and current indications are that this can be an effective approach for dealing with the most difficult-to- engage young people. 5 Annual Report and Accounts 2015/16 Our organisation was deeply affected Both the YJB and the youth justice this year when in January 2016, sector have been heavily engaged the BBC Panorama programme this year with Charlie Taylor’s review highlighted practices at Medway STC of the youth justice system. We in respect to children in their care have been hugely encouraged by which were totally unacceptable. As the focus on youth justice, and the soon as the YJB was made aware successes of recent years mean it of the findings of the Panorama is the right time to consider reform. programme we carried out an While we can be proud of what we immediate review into why neither have achieved, there remains much we, nor others, had identified the still to be done, including addressing totally unacceptable behaviour by the disproportionate number of young staff at Medway STC. In addition people from Black and Minority to the immediate actions taken, Ethnic communities at all stages of we strengthened our approach to the youth justice system; developing monitoring to apply lessons from a new secure estate suitable for the this incident. We have reviewed our smaller, more challenging group of approach across the secure estate to young people sent to custody; and help us get a better understanding of continuing to reduce reoffending by practice in all establishments which young people. As we enter a year hold young people remanded or which is likely to see significant sentenced by the courts. It has been change in the youth justice sector, a sobering time for the organisation the YJB will continue to take a and we are not complacent about the leadership role, drawing on Charlie huge challenges that remain. Taylor’s review and the Government’s response to it, working with our partners to support the continued reduction in offending. Lord McNally Chair Lin Hinnigan Chief Executive 6 Section 1 Performance Report 2015/16 Whoe we ar and what The youth justice system in England Our key mission for 2015‒2018 is: we do and Wales is made up of a network of organisations that work together to develop and champion a child- The Youth Justice Board for to administer justice and support centred and distinct youth justice England and Wales (YJB) is a non- children and young people. This system, in which a designated youth departmental public body created network consists of: justice service keeps children and by the Crime and Disorder Act young people safe and addresses 1998 to oversee the youth justice youth offending teams (YOTs) – local the age-specific needs of the child, system for England and Wales. We partnerships made up of partners to the benefit of the community are sponsored by the Ministry of from the police, probation, local to develop a ‘centre of excellence Justice and our Board members are authority children’s services and approach’ in youth justice which appointed by the Secretary of State health services will support innovation by using for Justice. the police and the Crown and interpreting available evidence Prosecution Service to support the delivery of youth The Act states that the principal aim of the courts and the judiciary justice services in custody and the the youth justice system is to prevent secure accommodation providers – community. Also, more effectively offending. The YJB contributes under-18 young offender institutions drawing on the contribution of towards that aim as it influences, (under-18 YOIs), secure training academic institutions and other shapes and advises across the youth centres (STCs) and secure children’s relevant bodies justice system for the benefit of homes (SCHs). to drive continuous improvements children and young people, and their in youth justice services delivered in communities.