West Mercia youth offending service, which was formed following a merger of the youth offending teams of Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin in 2012, will be transferred to West Mercia's Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) next April.
Worcestershire County Council, which is currently hosting the service, said the move will save money through economies of scale, while at the same time "strengthening links with the police and other regional and national criminal justice partners".
It added that the move would allow the service to respond with flexibility and innovation to the rapidly changing policy context for both criminal justice and children’s services.
The decision to transfer youth offending services to the area's PCC, currently Bill Longmore, comes as youth offending teams across England and Wales are facing increasing financial pressure.
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