Issue - meetings

To seek endorsement of the improvement plan developed in response to HM Inspectorate of Probation’s inspection of Gloucestershire’s Youth Justice arrangements in October 2019.

Cllr Richard Boyles, Cabinet Member for Children’s Safeguarding and Early Years, sought endorsement of the Youth Justice Plan for Gloucestershire 2019/20.

Having considered all of the information, including known proposals, alternative options and reasons for recommendations, Cabinet noted the report and,

RESOLVED to:

Endorse the Improvement Plan developed by local partners in response to the HM Inspectorate of Probation’s inspection of Gloucestershire’s Youth Justice arrangements in October 2019.

Cllr Richard Boyles, Cabinet Member for Children’s Safeguarding and Early Years, sought to endorse the Youth Justice Plan for Gloucestershire 2019/20.

Cllr Boyles informed members that, in October 2019, Her Majesty’s Inspection of Probation, (HMIP), had undertaken an inspection of the Gloucestershire Youth Offending Service as part of a four year programme. The inspection considered three broad areas, comprising; the arrangements for the organisational delivery of the service; the quality of work undertaken with children and young people receiving court sentences, and the quality of the out of court disposal work.

A final inspection report, (published in January 2020), had classified the Gloucestershire Youth Offending Service as ‘requiring improvement’. Feedback from the inspection, (in November 2019), indicated that Gloucestershire’s multi agency out of court work, (delivered by the Children First Programme), was inadequate. Cllr Boyles explained that work undertaken as part of the Children First initiative aimed to divert children and young people away from the criminal justice system before receiving a formal caution and a criminal record.  Adopting this approach involved consulting with communities and victims, as well as partner agencies, prior to taking decisions on individual cases.

Cllr Boyles reported that, under the old system, Gloucestershire had recorded a re-offending rate of 44% post caution. In Year 1 of the Children First Programme, this had reduced to 13% and in Year 2 to 9%. It was felt the reduction represented the success of the Gloucestershire Youth Offending Service in taking a diversion and community and multi agency approach, an achievement that had been recognised by the award of a Howard League Criminal Reform Prize for the council’s out of court disposal work in 2019.

The council had been required to produce an Improvement Plan. The plan had been submitted to HMIP and had been considered to be “timely and thorough”.

Cllr Boyles stated that the council would not be altering the current direction of the Children First Programme. He also stated that questions had been raised following concerns about the national inspection framework and the suggestion that the framework had not kept up with national standards with regard to proportionality.  

Cllr Mark Hawthorne, Leader of the Council, expressed his satisfaction at the outcome of the appeal and in the national recognition accredited to the council regarding delivery of its Youth Offending Service.

Having considered all of the information, including known proposals, alternative options and reasons for recommendations, Cabinet noted the report and,

RESOLVED to:

Endorse the Improvement Plan developed by local partners in response to the HM Inspectorate of Probation’s inspection of Gloucestershire’s Youth Justice arrangements in October 2019.