Inspectors highlight good work with young offenders

The joint inspection of the service – carried out by HM Inspectorate of Probation along with Ofsted, the Care Quality Commission and HMI Constabulary – rated its work to protect children and young people as “good”.

Inspectors said youth offending staff are “excellent motivators for children and young people” and assessments prioritise work to reduce young people and children’s vulnerability and ensure they are safe.

They commended a “traffic light” toolkit to help staff distinguish between healthy and harmful sexual behaviour as one example of good child protection practice.

Work to ensure sentences were served was also rated as good. Inspectors noted a strong relationship between case managers, young people and their families or carers. This significantly improves young offenders' chances of completing their sentences, said inspectors.

Chief inspector of probation Paul McDowell said: “Children, young people, parents and carers consistently complimented the work of the youth offending service. Staff were actively and creatively working with children and young people to bring about lasting change.”

He also praised the service for its work with partners in health, social care and the police to prevent reoffending.

However, the inspection also highlighted areas where further improvement is required. These include support for young offenders with drug and alcohol issues; and how the service measures the impact of its work and collects data about young offenders’ education, training and employment.

Joint inspections usually take place when probation inspectors have concerns about a youth offending service, but Peterborough was selected as one of a small sample of high-performing areas to act as a benchmark.

This inspection took place in February.