A report proving an update on the progress of the 2025/26 Youth Justice Service annual plan and progress of the Improvement Plan.

The Committee received an update on the Reading Youth Justice Service (YJS) Annual Plan for 2025/26 and progress made against the Youth Justice Service Improvement Plan following the inspection by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation (HMIP) in September 2024.

The report explained that the Annual Youth Justice Plan was a statutory requirement under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and a condition of the Youth Justice Board (YJB) grant. The Plan was being finalised for submission to the YJB by 30 June 2025 and would be published on the Council’s website once approved. The Plan had been developed in collaboration with the multi-agency Youth Justice Management Board (YJMB), which provided oversight and strategic direction.

The report also outlined the progress made in response to the HMIP inspection, which had rated the service as inadequate. A comprehensive Improvement Plan had been developed and submitted to HMIP in December 2024. The Plan was structured around four key pillars: Governance and Leadership; Staffing and Workforce Development; Partnership and Services; and Processes, Systems and Quality of Practice.

Key highlights included:

·       27% reduction in first-time entrants to the youth justice system in 2024/25.

·       21% reduction in the reoffending rate, with a 46.5% drop in the number of reoffences per child.

·       No custodial sentences or remands to Youth Detention Accommodation in the 12 months to March 2025.

·       Strengthened governance through improved performance reporting and increased partner engagement.

·       Recruitment of qualified staff, including three new practitioners and ongoing workforce development.

·       Implementation of new partnership initiatives such as the Act Now project and enhanced substance misuse screening.

·       Development of a new Quality Assurance Framework and local performance standards.

The report noted that the strategic objectives from the 2024/25 plan would be retained for 2025/26, including reducing first-time entrants, reoffending, use of custody, ethnic disproportionality, and serious youth violence, while embedding child-first practice and improving outcomes for victims.

The Committee were informed that the service had moved to quadrant 3 of the YJB oversight framework following the inspection, indicating it was a priority service requiring improvement. However, the YJB had acknowledged the significant progress made and indicated that the service was on track to move to quadrant 2.

The Committee welcomed the report and the improvements being made since the last report. It was noted that work had been undertaken in May last year to reduce the amount of first time entrants into the system, the increase in the recruitment of professionally qualified staff and partnership working had supported the improvement work.

Resolved –

(1)  That the progress of the 2025/26 Youth Justice Service annual plan and timeframes for completion be noted;

(2)  That the progress of the Youth Justice Service Improvement Plan be noted.