Report by Executive Director for Children’s Services

Further to Minute 23 of the Adult Social Care, Children’s Services & Education Committee held on 16 October 2024, the Executive Director for Children’s Services submitted a report on the Youth Justice Plan 2024-25.  The report explained that the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and a condition of the Youth Justice Board Grant, had placed a duty on the Local Authority to produce an annual Plan and for it to be ratified by Council.  The Plan had already been signed off by the Youth Justice Partnership through the Youth Justice Management Board, which was independently chaired. The plan reported the performance of the Youth Justice Service for 2023/24 against the national and statistical family comparators in the period.

The annual report identified the following areas as priorities for 2024-25:

• Reducing first time entrants into the criminal justice system
• Reducing reoffending
• Reducing the use of custody
• Addressing disproportionality within the criminal justice system
• Reducing the impact of serious youth violence
• Embedding Child First and Identity Development Practice as the practice model across the partnership
• Improving outcomes for victims of youth crime.

It was reported that the Youth Justice Management Board had oversight of the Plan and performance against the targets, and these were reported through the mechanisms of the management board structure.  A copy of the Plan was appended to the report for Council’s formal approval.

The following motion was moved by Councillor Griffith and seconded by Councillor McEwan and CARRIED:

Resolved –

That the Youth Justice Plan 2024-2025 be adopted, as attached to the report at Appendix 1.