waltham forest yos strategic plan 2017-18...feedback from service users p19 11. management board...

Waltham Forest YOSStrategic Plan 2017-18

Contents

2017-18 Youth Justice Strategic Plan

1. Foreword P32. Waltham Forest YOS 2017-18 Priorities P43. Evidence of Partnership Effectiveness P54. Resourcing, Value for Money and Risks P85. Structures and Governance P106. Partnership Arrangements P117. Performance Management P128. Outcomes against the 3 National Indicators: P13

I. Reducing First Time Entrants P13II. Reducing Reoffending P14III. Reducing the Use of Custody P15

9. Outcomes against 3 Local Priority Areas: P16I. Effective Safeguarding P16II. North East London Resettlement Consortia P17III. Use of Restorative Justice P18

10. Feedback from Service Users P1911. Management Board Signatures P20

Appendix A – Waltham Forest YOS Budget Plan P21 Appendix B – Waltham Forest YOS Staffing P22

Foreword


Welcome to the 2017-18 Waltham Forest Youth Justice Strategic Plan. The Plan gives an overview of the work of the Youth Offending Service in Waltham Forest and also sets out details of performance over the past year and our priorities for the coming year.

In Waltham Forest we continue to work together in partnership to make our communities, families, children and young people safe; the Youth Offending Service has a key role to play by:

Diverting young people away from the criminal justice system, where appropriate

Helping prevent offending and reoffending Reducing the use of custody Contributing to multi-agency public

protection and safeguarding Adopting a whole family approach

The YOS does this by working together with its key partners – the Police, Children’s Services, Health Services, Probation, Community Safety and both voluntary and private sector providers - to deliver high quality and effective services to young people, their families and the victims of offending.

The overall effectiveness of the YOS continues to be monitored by the Government against three key national indicators which are linked directly to the Service’s core aims.

2016/2017 has seen the continuation of positive performance results against two of these indicators with an area of concern for our binary Reoffending:-

2016 saw a continued reductions in first time entrants into the youth justice system since the recording of this measure began at 386 per 100,000. This rate is lower than our comparable Boroughs in the North and East of London.

Waltham Forest also maintained a low rate of custodial sentences last financial year. The YOT again performs significantly better in this measure than our comparable North and East London Boroughs.

The latest re-offending figures available also demonstrate an increase in the reoffending rates to 46%. With a much smaller cohort being measured, we are wary of “spikes” in perofrmamce and note that the current “tracker” performance suggests 41%. We will of course continue to monitor closely the rate of reoffending.

The YOT budget had to manage a £186 000 cut in 2016/2017. Whilst partnership contributions will largely remain the same in 2017-18, further budgetary reductions are anticipated. As in previous years the YOS Management Board and Team will attempt to minimise the impact to frontline services. It is a credit to the staff that the quality of practice continues to be high despite such cuts.

In 2016-17 the main YOS priorities will include:

Continue to perform well against National and Local Indicators of performance and seek to address the “spike” in reoffending.

Take a lead role in tackling knife crime within the borough.

Develop a response to address the racial disparity in the YOS custodial population.

Embed the use of ASSET Plus and review the Quality Assurance Framework to reflect the new assessment system.

Embed Motivational Interviewing techniques and “trauma-infomed” approaches for all case managers.

Undertake a review to identify how we might deliver services differently to manage the on-going reductions in the YOT budget.

As always, the Management Board is extremely grateful for the skill and dedication of our youth offending service team in supporting young people who are offending and at risk of offending in Waltham Forest.

On behalf of the Management Board I am pleased to present the Youth Justice Strategic Plan for 2017-18.

Cllr Grace Williams, Chair of Waltham Forest YOT Management Board.

Waltham Forest YOS Priorities 2017-18


The following priorities have been identified by the YOS Partnership for the next 12 months:

1. Ensure reducing reoffending underpins all of the operational and strategic work of the YOS, whilst maintaining a strong drive on reducing first time entrants into the youth offending service and reducing the number of young people entering custody.

2. Take a lead role in the response to tackling Knife Crime.

3. Continue to consolidate the positive outcomes from the Thematic Inspection into Public Protection and the Short Quality Screening (SQS) inspection, by ensuring a robust mechanism for assuring and overseeing the quality and performance of the youth offending service.

4. Embed Waltham Forest’s commitment to “Children First, offenders second” culture, managed through a “trauma-informed” approach to understanding youth crime

5. Consolidate the national Asset Plus framework, ensuring cultural, technical and practice changes support a more comprehensive response to the complexity of individual young people.

6. To ensure Restorative Justice approaches are utilised to prevent unnecessary criminalisation of Children Looked After and an improved response to dealing specifically with adolescents who are offenders and victims. Also on this theme, to ensure Restorative Justice approaches are embedded within service delivery throughout the youth offending service.

7. Further develop our multi-agency working to focus on achieving a whole family approach to understanding and responding to the complex needs of the young people with whom the partnership are working. To include a specific focus on all areas of exploitation e.g. child sexual exploitation, children missing from education, radicalisation and gang related behaviour that crosses geographical areas.

8. Improve criminal justice pathways by contributing to the transformation programme for children and young people coming into contact with the Youth Justice System. Waltham Forest will specifically look to strengthen its mental health pathways thrugh the new Liaison and Diversion provision.

Evidence of YOS Partnership Effectiveness


FIRST TIME ENTRANTS: The number of young people entering the youth justice system for the first time in Waltham Forest has seen a reduction to fewer than 400 per 100,000 for the first time since this measure was monitored. In terms of actual numbers of young people this rate is representative of 97 young people and again reflects the lowest number of young people since the measure was first monitored.

The most recent data indicates that at 386 per 100,000 ten to seventeen year olds, Waltham Forest continues to have a lower number of First Time Entrants than across London generally.

A focus on the whole family approach and continued work in partnership with the Police and Early Help 11 to 18 to develop the triage programme further has assisted in the reduction of this figure. Priorities for 2017-18 include further integration with Troubled Families services, the development of a liaison and diversion practitioner and a consolidation of the roll out of a preventative restorative justice programme into schools and housing settings. We have also introduced a new dedicated post to support the Triage process and have conducted a review of our Triage and Youth Conditional Cautions to ensure the process is working as effieciently and effectively as possible. We will seek to strengthen the process by working with an authority who are participating in the HMIP thematic.

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Jan 13 - Dec 13

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Series 1 439 393 415 386

Waltham Forest FTE per 100,000

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RATES OF CUSTODY:Waltham Forest has seen a slight increase in custody from 0.66 per 1,000 of population in the caledar year of 2016 to 0.95 per 1,000 of population in 2016. Whilst it is disappointing to see a slight increase in custody levels this figure remains significantly lower that our comparable boroughs in the north and east of London. Furthermore, the overall throughput of sentencing has reduced so the percentage of custodial sentences is within a smaller cohort of cases.

The YOS continues to take a number of steps to reduce the need for custodial sentences. Firstly via a proactive and positive relationship with Court staff and professionals. Waltham Forest also has a dedicated Intensive, Supervision and Surveillance (ISS) team of practitioners who provide a robust and rigorous ISS programme. Having a dedicated ISS team provides assurances to the Court that



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2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17Series 1 1.08 0.45 0.86 0.95

Custody Rate per 1,000

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the ISS package offered at Waltham Forest can offer the Court a direct alternative to a custodial sentence.

In 2017-18 the YOS will continue to develop staff court skills, buildimg on the strengths of the ISS service that were recognised by the HMIP Thematic intom Public Protection.

REOFFENDING RATES: The most recent figures for July 14 to June 15 reveal an increase in the published proved rate of reoffending. Our local analysis using the YOS’s live tracker suggest this is a “spike” year and the recent figures are 41%.

The YOS is committed to ensuring the overall numbers of young people reoffending continues to fall and a robust Reducing Reoffending action plan was developed. Central to this has been the implementation of the Youth Justice Board’ live tracker reoffending tool which has allowed “real-time” identification of those young people reoffending from current caseloads. Whilst the toolkit has provided some real time information, it is imperative that this information is utilised to inform both individual intervention and wider service delivery.

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10.0%15.0%20.0%25.0%30.0%35.0%40.0%45.0%50.0%

Jul 10 - Jun 11

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Jul 14 - Jun 15

Series 1 44.8% 42.3% 48.0% 37.6% 46.0%

Waltham Forest Proven Reoffending Rate

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Future Risks to DeliveryFirst Time Entrants Waltham Forest, along with the rest of London, has seen a dramatic reduction in First Time Entrants over the past 5 years and figures are now starting to plateau, as

predicted. Whilst Waltham Forest remains committed to reducing the number of First Time Entrants further, small fluctuations in the numbers are inevitable. The roll out of the new range of out of court disposals is a risk to FTE numbers and the local partnership must remain committed to informal restorative solutions to

problematic behaviour.Rates of Custody The number of young people receiving custodial sentences remains low comparable to our North and East London Boroughs. That said, when dealing with such low

numbers of young people in custody, small fluctuations are likely. It is also difficult to project the nature of serious offending in the year ahead. A key focus will be the racial disparity in custodial sentences.

Reoffending Rates The number of young people subject to statutory orders has significantly reduced over recent years, and thus with fewer individuals in the system reoffending rates may

continue to appear inflated, despite the actual number of young people re-offending reducing. Whilst the cohort size has reduced, the youth offending service are now managing young people who invariably all have very complex risks and needs. Thus a reduction

in budgets coupled with a more complex cohort may result in a risk to the oversight and support that young people can be provided.

Resourcing, Value for Money and Risks


YOS Partnership contributions are essential to the effective running of the multi-agency Youth Offending Service.

Partner Contributions 2016-17 Staffing Costs (£) Payments in Kind (£) Other Delegated Funds (£) Total (£)Police 150,000 150,000Police Crime Commissioner 58,500 58,500Probation 45,000 45,000Health 45,000 45,000Local Authority 527,940 527,940YJB Youth Justice Grant 408,100 408,100Other 180,000 180,000TOTAL 240,000 0 1,174,540 1,414.540

Budgetary Summary for 2017-18 The YOS Partnership will fund the Youth Offending Service for 2017-18 as detailed above, with the changes summarised as follows:

Funding from the Police, Health and Probation remains the same as 2015/2016.

Contribution from Troubled Families and Community Safety also remains the same

The contribution from the Youth Justice Board has stayed the same. The contribution from Waltham Forest Local Authority has also been

reduced by £68,000. In total the overall budget for 2017/18 is £1,414,540 compared to last

year’s budget of £1,601,082. This year’s total budget is therefore indicative of a reduction of £186,542.

See Appendix A for details of the projected expenditure against the YJB grant for 2017/2018

.See Appendix B for details of staffing within the YOS.

The YOS Demonstrating Value for Money

The reductions for this year from the YJB amount to £40,563 (9%). In addition the YOS has had to make savings of £186,542 which came as budget reductions from the Mayor’s office and and then in year cuts in 2016/17.

Waltham Forest has and is in the process of adopting a plethora of partnership initiatives to ensure the youth offending service can demonstrate value for money. These include the following:-

The Early Help Division’s commitment to try to intervene early, or at the earliest available opportunity, to reduce the likelihood of escalation of need into high cost acute services in the future.

The progression to adopting a whole family model of intervention The success of our Troubled Families and Gang Violence Programmes will continue to

bring about investment from within the Local Authority and Government initiatives. Conitnuing elements of the North East London Resettlement Consortia has attracted

additional funding and services to Waltham Forest’s Youth Offending Service The borough has and will be utilising a number of accredited and evidence based

programmes such as Functional Family Therapy (FFT) and Aggression Replacement Training (ART) for youths, which have a research proven cost benefit ratio.


Risks There are likely to be one-off costs associated with the restructuring of the wider

Early Help Division (0-18), which the Youth Offending Service is part of.

There is limited scope to respond to any unexpected financial demands.

Waltham Forest currently ranks as the 35th most deprived borough in the Country and the GLA predicts the population of 5-15 years olds in the borough will exceed both London and National projections by increasing 9%. Clearly if this increase materialises then the additional pressure on services in Waltham Forest including the YOS will be difficult to manage within the climate of reduced budgets.

Structures and Governance


The Youth Justice Service sits within the Youth Crime and Gangs sub-board of the Community Safety Partnership, known locally as “Safety Net”. Youth Crime and Gangs assumes the statutory role of the YOT Management board. The YOT Management Board is the strategic partnership body that oversees the local delivery of responsibilities under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 for youth justice services and the Youth Offending Service. The YOT Management Board is responsible for the governance of the service and monitors and challenges the functions and performance of the YOS, this part of the meeting is chaired by Cabinet Member, Cllr Grace Williams.

What the Board does to ensure effective governance:

The YOT Management Board is chaired by the cabinet member for Children and Young People to ensure the most rigorous of oversight.

The Board sits bi monthly allowing for close monitoring of YOS performance against both National and Local Indicators.

Oversees the effective delivery of youth justice services by monitoring the implementation of the annual Youth Justice Strategic Plan.

Diligently monitors the YOS annual spending against the forecasted budget to ensure that all core YOS services are delivered on budget and in accordance with the Youth Justice Board’s grant conditions.

Ensures that membership of the board is at an appropriately senior level with statutory partners in regular attendance.

Key Outcomes for 2017-18:

Ensure the YOS 2017-18 Youth Justice Strategic Plan is fully implemented as agreed.

Specifically:-

A 5% reduction in First Time Entrants into the Criminal Justice System.

Re-offending rates for young offenders to be no more than 40%.

ETE rates for young offenders to be 70%.

Use of custody to be reduced and bed nights to be reduced by 10%.

80% of YOS cases reviewed in QA to be rated as ‘Good’.

80% of practitioners who receive training to report an increased understanding and competence in safeguarding.

Key Outcomes for 2017-18:

A base line of Restorative interventions delivered across the partnership to be established for LAC young people and to drive down the number of LAC young people who are unnecessary criminalised.

80% of practitioners who receive training to report an increased understanding and competence in restorative practices.

Fewer young people involved in drug running either locally or in county lines scenarios.

Prevent young people from becoming involved in gang violence and or radicalisation.

Safeguard victims of gang violence.

Interventions with young people to take place in a whole family context.

Contribute to broader safeguarding agendas specifically CSE and Children Missing Education.

Partnership Arrangements


Effective and integrated partnership arrangements sit at the heart of Waltham Forest YOS Effectiveness

Waltham Forest YOS values the benefits achieved by effective and integrated partnership arrangements. This is evident in the demonstrable work that has been undertaken to embed multiagency working at the heart of YOS operational and strategic delivery. Examples of the aforementioned partnership working include but are not exclusive to the following:-

Safeguarding – There is a joint protocol between Children’s Social Care and the YOS in addition to membership from YOS senior management on the Safeguarding Children board.

Looked After Children – YOS senior management representation at the Corporate Parenting Board and operationally attend LAC meetings as necessary. There is a joint post between the LAC and YOS which focuses on the needs of the LAC cohort

CSE – YOS senior management representation at the CSE strategic group, which sets the direction of the CSE agenda for the borough. This group will shortly be amalgamating with Children Missing and again there will be senior management YOS representation.

MASE - YOS management attendance at the operational MASE meetings to directly share information regarding young people at risk and or perpetrating sexual exploitation.

PREVENT – There is an operational representative from the YOS that works directly with those delivering the Prevent agenda and YOS senior management co-charir the Prevent Steering group.

MARAC – Following the reduction in age to 16, YOS also now attend MARAC operational meetings, when young people known to the service are being discussed. MAPPA – The level 3 Mappa chair is a member of the YOS Management Board. In addition to this there is YOS management representation at MAPPA level 2 meetings

where young people from the YOS are being discussed. The seconded Probation officer has the “Mappa Lead Role”. Troubled Families – The YOS has Senior representation on the troubled families steering group. Gangs Programme – There is YOS management representation at the Gangs Operational Group (AKA: Bronze Group) and there is senior management representation

from the YOS at the Strategic Gang’s meetings (AKA: Silver group). Finally a senior management representative sits on the reducing offending board, which has overall responsibility for the gang’s programme.

CAMHS – Strong strategic partnerships exist between CAMHS and YOS through a dedicated co-located mental health professional as well. There is also management representation at the CAMHS Health Strategic Group.

Substance Misuse – Senior management representation on the substance misuse partnership board, 722 is the service that delivers substance misuse interventions to young people from the YOS.

IOM – YOS senior management representation at this group. Also the IOM strategic element sits in Reducing Offending Board also, where there is senior management representation.

NELRC – YOS operational manager, with a lead for resettlement, sits on the operational manager’s meeting and the Early Help Divisional Director, Co-Chairs the strategic group for this consortia.

Performance Management


What are we doing well in Waltham Forest?

The YOS was subject to a successful Short Quality Screening Inspection by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation (HMIP) in March 2015 and the report was published on 11th May 2015. This inspection reported the following: - “Waltham Forest YOS is part of an ‘Early Help’ Division which brings together different voluntary and statutory partners to tackle youth offending in a comprehensive way within the borough. During this inspection we found that this approach is working very well despite the challenging local environment which included significant issues of gang affiliation and serious offending. We saw clear evidence of partners such as the police, children’s services, child and adolescent mental health services and education collaborating to deliver effective interventions. Overall, we found the performance of the YOS to be very creditable”.

More recently in 2017, a thematic inspection into Public Protection identified key strengths in the management of high risk cases with particular reference to our specialist health, gangs and Harmful Sexual Behaviour input.

Quality Assurance meetings take place on a monthly basis and performance outcomes are reported directly into the YOS Management Board, which sits within the Youth Crime and Gangs Board.

The Youth Offending Team has been fully trained and is embedding the roll out of the new Asset Plus system.

Waltham Forest’s has adopted a learning culture, with the ethos to innovate, reflect and review within the Youth Offending Service.

Waltham Forst YOS Youth

Justice Plan

Priority areas 2016/2017

Performance and Quality Monitoring

Innovate, Reflect and

Review

Changes to Practice

What are our key areas for improvement in 2017-18?

Undertake a review of the Youth Justice Board live tracker to ensure this informs intervention planning within the borough.

Design and implement quality assurance processes for Asset Plus, ensuring practitioners are fully supported in developing their assessment skills.

All staff to be trained in Motivational Interviewing Training.

Outcomes Against the 3 National Indicators: – 1. Reducing First Time Entrants



The numbers of first time entrants in Waltham Forest are at their lowest rate since the recording of this measure begun, with fewer than 400 per 100 000 (the YJB measurement) of first time entrants into the criminal justice system in 2016/2017.

There are a number of initiatives being undertaken in Waltham Forest in order to further reduce the number of first time entrants coming into the Youth Justice System. These include the following:-

Increasing the use of Restorative Justice (RJ) as a preventative tool in the borough. This includes deploying RJ interventions in schools and housing settings in addition to embedding the RJ policy framework.

The Waltham Forest YOS have been working closely with the Intensive Adolescent Service Team (IAST). The IAST work with young people aged 11 and up to 18 and their families. The aim of the team is to prevent young people and their parents’ difficulties escalating into family breakdown where the young person could need to go into care. They provide support to young people and their families to develop new skills that will help them to communicate better with others.

Waltham Forest YOS have also been working closely with the Family Functional Therapy (FFT) team. FFT is a short-term, high quality evidence based treatment model that works with families where there is a young person (10 to 17 years old) presenting with significant emotional, social and/or behavioural difficulties. This is a whole family intervention and its core philosophy is based on a respectful way, a non-judgmental attitude and a strength based approach. Again this intervention is utilised as a means to prevent young people coming into the youth justice system.


Improve criminal justice pathways by contributing to the transformation programme for children and young people coming into contact with the Youth Justice System. To work with NHS England to implement a Liaison and Diversion worker. This role will focus on the diversion of individuals, where appropriate, out of the youth justice systems into health, social care, education and training, or other supportive services.

Continue to support the local authority Early Help process by screening panel referrals and providing information and support where appropriate.

Outcomes Against the 3 National Indicators: – 2. Reducing Reoffending



Waltham Forest YOS, along with its partners, are committed to continuing to develop interventions, which directly tackle the risk factors linked to young people offending. Examples this year include:-

Waltham Forest YOS also works with Early Help partners to deliver Functional Family Therapy (FFT), as described in the First Time Entrant’s section above. FFT is also an evidenced based programme, which specifically targets risk areas that can be linked to young people’s offending behaviour with a proved high “Return on Investment” ratio.

In addition to the evidence based accredited programmes above Waltham Forest also deliver a number of targeted offending behaviour programmes including a weapons awareness programme; a general offending behaviour programme; a dedicated girls only group and a cultural diversity group.

Waltham Forest YOS have implemented the use of the YJB’s, live tracker re-offending toolkit and also operate monthly multiagency high risk panels and gangs meetings to monitor the risk factors of those most likely to re-offend and or cause serious harm.


Develop further the use of the live tracker reoffending toolkit to enhance understanding of the factors leading to reoffending and to ensure this is effective in developing interventions that reduce this risk.

Colocation of the Integrated Offender Management (IOM) Service within the YOS will further support sharing of information to manage the risk of serious harm and re-offending that young people present.

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=pictures+of+young+offenders&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=W206aw5zNXJbBM&tbnid=rvnaiB6RDmRlhM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/advice/factfile_az/crime_young_offenders&ei=byg_UYLINKLZ0QW_m4CwCg&bvm=bv.43287494,d.ZGU&psig=AFQjCNEcZsoj68LPJacW9_jmN3XKyNN1cQ&ust=1363179885487987

Outcomes Against the 3 National Indicators: – 3. Reducing the Use of Custody



Waltham Forest has seen a slight increase in custody from 0.66 per 100,000 of population in 15/16 to 0.95 per 100,000. Whilst this figure remains significantly lower than our comparable boroughs in the north and east of London, Waltham Forest remain committed to reducing the number of young people entering custody and have consequently applied the following:-

A reducing custody action plan has been implemented, which has resulted in a reduction in total use of secure beds for remanded young people.

A plan to liaise with the Courts and the corresponding YOS’ that share Stratford Youth Court has been undertaken.

Following the one recommendation from Waltham Forest’s SQS, the YOS has now implemented a new system to ensure information is received in a timelier manner when Court Duty Officers are not in Court.

Part of the North East London Resettlement Consortia (NELRC). Also the Project Manager regularly attends practice meeting to ensure staff are aware of the enhanced resettlement offer for young people leaving custody.

Waltham Forest has a dedicated team of ISS practitioners, who collect young people on a bus to attend appointments (due to travelling in the borough with gang issues), which facilitates increased compliance with ISS.

All PSR’s with an ‘all options’ indication from the Court are discussed in management meetings and where applicable high risk panels.

Waltham Forest has a dedicated bail and remand worker, who ensures that robust bail packages are offered to the court when remanded young people have a bail application.


Review national research around the ethnic disproportionality of those receiving custodial outcomes to identify best practice in working with these young people.

Development of more robust pre-court quality assurance processes for those young people at risk of custody.

Outcomes Against 3 Local Priority Areas: 1. Effective Safeguarding


What are we doing well in Waltham Forest? The SQS Inspection found positive safeguarding practices at Waltham Forest YOS.

“Staff recognise that many of the children and young people known to them are vulnerable to harm themselves and work in partnership to safeguard them”.

The YOS are part of the Early Help division and have successfully contributed 37% of troubled families Payment By Results (PBR) outcomes.

In 2016/2017 The Families Directorate continued to operate a “Single Front Door’, which is a single point of contact within MASH for all referrals coming into Children’s Social Care and Early Help, which is a single request form to be used to determine if the request is for a)help and support or b)for protection.

A joint protocol with social care is in place to manage the interface and practice for children and young people subject to remand and clear guidelines and policies in place for children in care subject to community and custodial sentences.

A jointly funded senior practitioner role has been identified to manage both the children in care cohort and those children who become LAC due to remand status.

Following significant work with performance, a Children Looked After tracking mechanism is in place to ensure we monitor numbers of LAC young people within the CJS in Waltham Forest.

The Youth Offending Service is co-located with the Prevent Team and the YOS have access to the on-going programme of training for Prevent related issues.

The pathways to Prevent Case management and Channel have recently been re-launched and is clear and accessible

Children and Social Care (CSC) attend the YOS’ high risk panels conversely the YOS caseworkers will always attend those meetings arranged by CSC. Also strong relationships with the NPS has resulted in MAPPA eligible cases being safeguarded.


Develop a good practice guidance for YOS Officers working with Out of Area Children Looked After

Continue to work with the Police and local accommodation providers in order to support the decriminalisation of Children Looked After in residential care, diverting vulnerable young people from the criminal justice system where appropriate.

Ensure the new QA processes (which will be updated due to the new ASSET plus framework) sufficiently examines the joined up working with the YOS, Children and Social Care and other partners to safeguard young people.

Outcomes Against 3 Local Priority Areas: – 3. Use of Restorative Justice



A Restorative Justice (RJ) project, funded by the Mayor of London Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC), was driven by Waltham Forest YOS to expand the RJ offer across the Local Authority. 67 members of staff were trained in RJ across a variety of departments including:- Youth Justice, Police, Schools, Children and Social Care, Housing, Neighbourhoods, Community Safety, Anti-Social behaviour teams, Care Homes and a number of corporate organisations.

Best practice was examined at Local and National levels and the Waltham Forest Families’ leadership team visited Leeds City Council where Restorative Approaches have been firmly embedded in the way of working within the organisation and with children, young people and families. This was followed by a policy workshop with stakeholders from across the Council, to identify areas where RJ could be used as a preventative tool and how it could be implemented. As a result, the LBWF RJ Policy framework has been developed and is being proposed as a basis to take Restorative Justice forward as one of the key tools in the Families Vision 2020 to build resilience in families.

The YOS have dedicated RJ Police Officers and RJ is explored for all Youth Crime. Contact is made with the victim for Referral Orders, YRO’s, DTO’s, YCC and Youth Cautions and the offer to meet with the offender is made in all circumstances. The YOS also offer ‘Alternative Restorative Practice’ i.e. shuttle mediation when face to face meeting is declined.

Victim representation for referral orders at Waltham Forest YOS is currently at 35%.

The dedicated RJ Police officers are also working closely within care homes to prevent placement breakdowns by using Restorative Practice.

Finally the YOS continue to deliver a range of RJ projects including litter picking in local parks; growing vegetables which are sold to staff (with the proceeds donated to victim support) and a number of restoration projects to name but a few.

What are our key areas for improvement in 2017-18? To review YOS policies in line with the Restorative Justice Council’s best

practice guidance, as part of working to achieve the RJ Quality Mark.

Evaluate the effectiveness of restorative justice interventions for both victims and young people, identifying potential developments to improve services.

Embed restorative justice principles throughout all Early Intervention services, increasing the effectiveness of these programmes for both victims and offenders.

Establish mechanisms for victim’s to nominate RJ projects

Feedback and Participation of Service Users



Waltham Forest commission Diverse Voices in addition to employing a dedicated participation worker to ensure the feedback and participation of service users is central to the work of the YOS. Voices In Partnership (VIP) meetings take place weekly to enable young people to express their views and provide feedback.

Diverse Voices delivers a bespoke programme which focuses on developing young people's public speaking and presentation skills to equip them to contribute to service delivery and build employability skills.

Young people have subsequently felt supported to offer their views and feedback of the YOS in a variety of settings including:- To councillors of the Local Authority; To the Home Office for consultation on drug dealing, gangs and running County Lines; to the YOT Management Board (which sits within the Reducing Offending Board); to the IOM regarding co location and even the Deputy Mayor of London.

The VIP regularly sit on recruitment interview panels, having a 30% stake in the decision of appointing staff members and formulating their own questions. For larger recruitment drives the VIP have their own separate panel which they chair and formulate questions for.

The dedicated participation lead has also worked closely with the NELRC. Following the concerns raised in Medway, the participation lead visits young people in custody to discuss their safety as well as ascertain their views on the NELRC and resettlement planning.

The YOS also facilitate parent and carer consultations groups’ bi annually to ensure parent’s views are considered and their feedback can be received.


Following feedback from young people regarding the longer term benefits, or lack thereof, from reparation activities within the YOS, The VIP group are subsequently working toward having reparation accredited by the duke of Edinburgh Award scheme.

Introducing a peer mentor scheme with young people who have now left the YOS and have achieved positive outcomes.

Consider ways to increase the participation of victims in service development.

Management Board Signatures


NAME AND ROLE SIGNATURE

Cllr Grace Williams, Chair of YOS Management Board

Alastair Macorkindale, Head of Community Safety

Andrew Blight, Head of Haringey, Redbridge and Waltham Forest National Probation Service – London

Appendix A – Waltham Forest YOS Budget Plan


Total grant to be used exclusively for the delivery of youth justice services and for the purposes of the following outcomes: Reduction in youth reoffending

Reduction in the numbers of first time entrants to the youth justice system Reduction in the use of youth custody

Effective public protection Effective safeguarding

Expenditure Category Description £

Staffing Based on FY1617 Staff plans + 1 Health Practitioner £1,028,500

OverheadsPremises Cost - £3,187

Transport cost - £33,380 £36,567

Equipment Photocopier - £1,145 £1,145

Activity costs Supplies & Services - £83,777 £83,777

Total Controllable Costs only £1,149,989

Appendix B – YOS structure embedded within the Early Help Division’s services for adolescents


Glossary:-

EH:- Early Help Division

YOS:- Youth Offending Service

FTE:- First Time Entrant

YJO:- Youth Justice Officers

ISS:- Intensive Supervision and

Surveillance

FPT:- Family partnership Team

ODW:- Opportunities and

Development Workers

IAST:- Intensive Adolescent

Service Team

waltham forest yos strategic plan 2017-18...feedback from service users p19 11. management board...

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