Youth Justice Strategic Plan Executive summary
Section 1 - Introduction
Foreword
I have the pleasure of presenting the Gateshead Youth Justice Plan for 2021/23. This plan sets out the strategic vision for the next two years, detailing the priorities the service aims to achieve to secure better outcomes for the young people we work with. The plan is part of our continued commitment to ensure the Youth Justice Board (YJB), Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Probation (HMIP), partners, stakeholders, employees, young people, their families and the public are informed of our work.
The plan covers the achievements of the service over the past two years; this includes the response to COVID-19. During the pandemic the Youth Justice Service (YJS) has continued to assess young people and deliver appropriate intervention to meet their needs and reduce re-offending. Throughout this unprecedented time, staff across the service have engaged with young people in creative ways including via technology, however where young people needed to have face to face contact this was also offered. Young people have been supported in the police station and at court whenever required. The commitment by partners and YJS staff to support our young people during this particularly difficult time has been appreciated.
Over the past two years the Gateshead YJS has grown from strength to strength, as we uphold our endeavour for continuous improvement. The Gateshead Youth Justice Management Board is committed to working effectively and collaboratively with all relevant partners and agencies to reduce the numbers of young people entering the criminal justice system and to reduce re-offending. The service continues to strive to maintain existing high standards and improve our performance against national and local performance indicators. This plan sets out how we will achieve these aims with our partners and how this will influence areas of future development and growth. Gateshead YJS remains committed and motivated to working with some of the most complex young people in our community and provide them with intervention that supports their needs and addresses their offending behaviour whilst maintaining a "child first" approach.
Some of the most notable achievements of the service is the introduction of Outcome 22 and the impact this has had on First Time Entrant (FTE) rates.
The development and implementation of Divert from Charge should see further decriminalisation of children in Gateshead. This process will ensure alternatives to court action are considered for every young person unless in extreme cases. Victims and communities will always be of paramount importance when working with young people who have offended. Restorative Justice continues to be a strong focus of the service and victims will continue to have their views heard and will be consulted with, in line with the Victim Code.
Over the next two years, the service has identified areas for development. These include understanding the health needs of our young people, promoting the decriminalisation of children by using Out of Court disposals, and ensuring our young people have access to suitable education that meets their needs. The voice of the child will be a key theme in all the work the service completes as we know that this is critically important in understanding the needs of children.
Through partnership working we can make a real difference to people in Gateshead. All public services continue to face challenges from the impact of COVID-19 and Gateshead YJS is no exception. However, the YJS and partners will continue to work hard to build on service successes and we will continue to be committed to working together to ensure the priorities within this plan are achieved over the next two years.
As an active member of the Gateshead Youth Justice Service Board I look forward to seeing the work of the partnership continue.
Councillor Gary Haley
Cabinet Member
Children & Young People
Introduction
The YJS is an integral part of the Children's Social Care and Early Help Directorate within Gateshead Council, and is accountable to the YJB. Putting the child at the centre of the work we do is key to understanding how we can improve our services. We have several ways in which we seek to obtain the views of our young people. If we record dialogue with the child from every activity this will evidence any changes that have been made because of what they have told us.
In difficult financial times there should be more emphasis placed on seeking the views of young people, as they are the experts in knowing what works best for them. Listening to young people tell us about the impact of COVID-19 is important, as it will help us to develop services that can help them recover from the pandemic. Gateshead YJS also seeks the views of parents and carers and, victims and volunteers within the community. By ensuring that everybody involved in the criminal justice process has a voice has enabled us to be able to make decisions on how we develop the service to meet the needs of individuals and local communities alike.
Vision and shared value statements
The vision statement was written by the YJS board members during a development session. A further consultation exercise took place with young people, their families, victims, staff, other services and organisations to ensure it was a shared statement and was understood by everyone.
'Making Gateshead a Place Where Everyone Thrives'
'We will ensure a child-centred approach recognising the needs and rights of every young person and their potential to make a constructive, positive change and engage with their community.'
Gateshead has made five key pledges to the people within the borough, to help us achieve our vision to make Gateshead a place where everyone thrives.
- put people and families at the heart of everything we do
- tackle inequality so people have a fair chance
- support our communities to support themselves and each other
- invest in our economy to provide sustainable opportunities for employment, innovation and growth across the Borough
- work together and fight for a better future for Gateshead
The vision of the Gateshead YJB will help us to achieve our vision for Gateshead's Health and Wellbeing Strategy. This is centred on tackling the inequalities that exist in Gateshead, in order to improve the outcomes and life chances of all Gateshead residents, including children and young people working with the YJS. We want to enable all children, young people and adults to maximise their capabilities and have control over their lives.