Inspectors praise youth offending team's progress

A re-inspection of Portsmouth Youth Offending Team (YOT), praised the YOT’s work in reducing reoffending and the work being carried out to protect the public and actual or potential victims – receiving a “satisfactory” rating.

The inspection report rated the YOTs work in protecting children and young people and ensuring sentences were served as “good”, while governance, partnership arrangements and the delivery and management of interventions also received a satisfactory rating.

The praise comes just a year after inspectors found serious failings within the service in terms of its work to reduce reoffending, protect the public, and the effectiveness of management, with all three categories receiving a “poor” rating.

Paul Wilson, chief inspector of probation, said the YOT and its partners had worked hard to raise performance standards.

“The improvements achieved were significant and in every criterion that was inspected, progress had been made,” he said.

“The YOT management board had set an ambitious improvement plan following the last inspection and this had required the full engagement of YOT staff and stakeholders.

“The resilience shown was impressive and the platform for achieving better outcomes for children and young people had been laid.”

Neill Young, Portsmouth City Council’s lead member for children and young people said the report findings were a credit to the team and broader partnership behind the YOT who had worked hard to improve outcomes for young people.

“The inspectors have been clearly impressed with the relationship not only between the YOT and young people, but also the effective joint working with children’s social care, the police and other colleagues,” he said.

Portsmouth YOT has been given a list of recommendations to work on over the next 12 months, including giving children, young people, and parents, a greater input into plans for young offenders.

“We understand parents and carers need to be involved more and we also want to increase the number of young people taking up employment, training and/or education,” Young said.

“Our priority is to support young people and prevent reoffending and I’m delighted that we’re heading in the right direction.”