Safeguarding the Future A review of the Youth Justice Board’s Governance and Operating Arrangements PHOTO REDACTED DUE TO THIRD PARTY RIGHTS OR OTHER LEGAL ISSUES Safeguarding the Future – A review of the Youth Justice Board – A review of the Youth © Crown copyright 2010 The text in this document (excluding the Royal Arms and other departmental or agency logos) may be reproduced free of charge in any format or medium providing it is reproduced accurately and not used in a misleading context. The material must be acknowledged as Crown copyright and the title of the document specified. Where we have identified any third party copyright material you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned. For any other use of this material please contact the Office of Public Sector Information, Information Policy Team, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 4DU or e-mail: [email protected]. ISBN: 978-1-84775-684-8 8621-DCSF-Safeguarding Future COVER ARTWORK.indd 1 24/03/2010 12:08 The foundation ‘ ‘ ‘ of every state‘ Youth is the ‘‘ trustee of is the education ‘‘prosperity of its youth Benjamin Disraeli Diogenes It is easier to build ‘ ‘‘strong children‘ than to repair In youth broken men ‘ we learn; Frederick‘ Douglas ‘‘in age we understand The interests Marie von Ebsner–Eshenbach of childhood ‘‘and youth ‘ We cannot always are the ‘ build the future for ‘ ‘ interests ‘‘our youth, but we can build our youth of mankind for the future Franklin D Roosevelt Edmund Storer James Contents Foreword 1 Executivesummary 3 Introduction 7 Chapter1:Roles,relationships,powersandlevers 14 Chapter2:Publicprotectionandconfidence 28 Chapter3:Prevention 36 Chapter4:Secureaccommodation 43 Chapter5:Reducingreoffending 56 Chapter6:Resources 62 Annexes 71 i  Foreword by Dame Sue Street Iamgratefultohavehadtheopportunitytoconduct thisreviewoftheYouthJusticeBoardwhichhas .provedtobebothfascinatingandchallenging Thereformsof1998areamongstthemostsignificant evermadetothecriminaljusticesystembecausethey createdadistinctyouthjusticestrand,recognisingthe .opportunitytochangethebehaviourofyoungpeople Thisremainsimportantandrighttodayinmoral,social andeconomicterms.Theprogressthathasbeen madesincethenisgood,andrecenttrendsinrelation .toreducingyouthcrimeareencouraging TheYouthJusticeBoarddeservescreditforitspartinthisprogress.Butwe stilllockupmorechildrenthananyotherWesternEuropeancountry,public confidenceinthesystemislow,individualcasescauseunderstandablepublic andmediaconcern,andreoffendingratesarehigh.Aftertwelveyears,theYJB nowneedstobuildonitssuccess,takeafirmergripofitsresponsibilities,and provideclearerdirectionandleadership.Thecurrentleadershiphasalready graspedthescaleofthischallengewiththefullsupportoftheboard.Thosein .thefieldwillwelcomeit WedonotmakemachineryofgovernmentrecommendationsbutIshouldlike toseefargreaterHomeOfficeinvolvement,particularlybecausethepoliceplay acrucialroleindecidingwhetherandwhenayoungpersonenterstheyouth .justicesystem ,Mypersonalmainmessagesarethatpublicprotectionmustbeatoppriority entirelyconsistentwithsupportingyoungpeople,andcommunicatedmore effectively,thattheworkforceinallcustodialsettingsmustbewelltrained andqualifiedtoworkwithyoungpeople,thatonlythemostcosteffective programmeswhetherincustodyorinthecommunityshouldbefunded,and thattheYJBshouldhaveaclearerroleinadvisingMinisters,includingtheHome .Secretary,onmattersrelatedtoitsexpertise Ishouldalsoliketoseemoreaccountabilitybylocalauthoritiesforprevention workwithchildrenatriskofcriminality,particularlychildrenincare,childrenof offenders,andchildrenexcludedfromschool,aswellasforstableresettlement .arrangementsfollowingacustodialsentence ForewordbyDameSueStreet 1  OurreportcontainsmanyotherrecommendationsandIhopeMinisterswillfeel abletoacceptthemallinthespiritinwhichtheyareoffered.Thishasbeena collaborativeexercise.Bringinganindependentview,Ihaveworkedwiththe ChairoftheYJB,FrancesDone,andwithasteeringgroupofofficialswhohave focusedonmakingsurethatourrecommendationsaresufficientlyboldand hardhittingtomakeadifference.Totheextentthattheyare,thisisatributeto thehighlyconstructiveapproachandprofessionalismdemonstratedbyallthose involved. WehavesoughtwrittenevidenceandIhaveundertakenafullprogrammeof .visitsandinterviews.Mythanksgotoeveryonewhoofferedmetheirviews IwanttorecordhowimpressedIhavebeenwiththeremarkablededication ,andmotivationofthefrontlineworkersdealingday-to-daywithdisadvantaged .damaged,andsometimesdangerousyoungpeople Specialappreciationisduetothesmallsecretariat,ledbyAbigailPlenty,with .talentandtactinequalmeasure Weareconfidentthatourrecommendationswilldeliverbettervaluefor ,money.AndtheprizeofamoreeffectiveYJBisinvaluable.Strongleadership anexcellentboardandahighlyprofessionalorganisationwithclear strategicdirectionfromgovernment,willhelpprotectcitizensandreducethe damagecausedbyyoungoffenderstothemselvesandtoothers.Iknowthatthis .isachievable Dame Sue Street SafeguardingtheFuture 2 Executive Summary Introduction TheYouthJusticeBoardwascreatedin1998todriveandoversee .1 thesignificantreformsmadetotheyouthjusticesystem.1Itsfounding legislationgaveitthefunctions,andnecessarypowers,tomonitorthe operationandperformanceoftheyouthjusticesystem,advisethe governmentonthisandidentifyanddisseminategoodpractice.The additionalroleofcommissioningandpurchasingcustodialplaceswas grantedin2000,givingtheYJBawideremitovertheprovisionofyouth justiceservices.Sincethen,majorimprovementshavebeenmadeinthe approachtopreventingcrime,dealingwithyoungoffendersincustodyand .thecommunityandreducingreoffending Progress and challenges TheYJBhasplayeditspartintheseachievements,overseeingtherollout .2 ,(ofthelocaldeliveryofyouthjusticethroughyouthoffendingteams(YOTs raisingstandardsofprovisioninthesecureestate,establishingtargeted preventionprogrammesandprovidingamuchneededoverallcoherence tothesystem.Muchhasbeenachieved,particularlyinrecentyearswith encouragingfallsinthenumberofyoungpeopleenteringthecriminal justicesystemforthefirsttime,reductionsinthenumberofyoungpeople incustodyandimprovementsinthereducedfrequencyandseriousnessof reoffending.Andmuchhaschanged.Thepolicyanddeliveryenvironment inwhichtheYJBoperatesisnowverydifferenttothatwhichexistedtwelve yearsago.Forexample,thepolicyapproachhasseenagreaterfocus onprevention,whilethecreationofChildren’sTrustsinEngland,means thatthedeliverysystemhaschangedsignificantly.ThismeanstheYJB nowoperatesinaverydifferentlandscape.Coupledwiththesignificant challengesthatremain,includinghighnumbersofyoungpeopleincustody andthefactthatyouthcrimeremainsamajorsourceofconcern,nowisa goodtimetoreviewtheroleoftheYJBandtheimpactithashad,andcan .haveonimprovingoutcomes Inthetwelveyearssinceitwassetup,asthelandscapeinwhichit .3 wasestablishedhaschanged,sohastheYJBitself,evolvingfroman organisationthattookatop-downapproachtoestablishingadistinct focusonyouthjustice,toonethatenabledlocalinnovationanda diverseapproach.Butalongthewayitsrolebecameuncertain,itsvoice .fragmentedanditsrolewithingovernmentandwithstakeholdersstrained TheYJBwasestablishedbytheCrimeandDisorderAct1998,Section41 1 ExecutiveSummary 3  Tomakefutureprogress,buildonitssuccess,andadapttothe .4 changingworldinwhichitoperates,theYJBneedstotakeafirmgrip ofitsresponsibilities,provideclearerleadershipanddirectiononthe deliveryofyouthjusticeandprioritisepublicprotectionalongsidethe welfareofyoungpeople.ThismeanshavingastrongYJBwithclarityof roleandrelationships,deliveringbetteroutcomesforyoungpeopleand theircommunities,usingitsuniquepositionbetweencentralandlocal governmenttoprovidetrustedandexpertadvicetoMinisters.Thecurrent .leadershipoftheYJBiswellplacedtorisetothischallenge Thisreportssetsoutaseriesofrecommendations,addressingtheYJB’s .5 role,relationships,powersandlevers,thepartitplaysinthekeystagesa youngpersongoesthroughastheyjourneythroughthecriminaljustice systemandhowallthiscanbedeliveredinawaythatmaximisesvaluefor .moneytothetaxpayer Roles, relationships, powers and levers Makingfurtherprogressdependsonhavingaclearroleandstrong .6 relationshipswithlocalpartners,ensuringthattheyplaytheirpartin ,reducingyouthcrime.TheYJB’sobjectivesarepreventingoffending reducingreoffending,increasingvictimandpublicconfidenceand ensuringthesafeandeffectiveuseofcustody.Ithassubstantialpowers todriveandincentiviseimprovementsacrosstheseareasandtohold localauthoritiesandprovidersofcustodialandcommunitysentences