Youth offending team inspections suspended as YJB confirms £9m cuts

The YJB said HMI Probation has agreed to remove three "short quality screening" inspections that had been scheduled to be carried out before January, as part of a range of measures designed to help YOTs adjust to the sudden drop in funding.

"This will enable those YOTs which were due to be inspected to manage the impact of cuts without concurrently being subject to inspection," a statement issued by the YJB said.

The YJB is also set to issue guidance to YOTs on how to merge services with neighbouring areas and has said it is exploring removing ringfencing of grants to enable YOTs to have "more flexibility in managing their budgets".

In addition, reporting requirements on YOTs will be relaxed for the rest of the financial year.

The YJB's decision to plough ahead with significant cuts to YOT funding follows a consultation on proposals to reduce its overall spending by £12m for the current financial year after it was ordered to make emergency savings by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ).

YJB chief executive Lin Hinnigan said proceeding with the cuts had been an "exceedingly difficult" decision.

"We share the concerns of respondents to the consultation that reductions to the YOT grant will put the successes seen in the youth justice system – including the savings they have generated – at risk," she said.

“We also recognise that these budget reductions falling as they do in-year are going to be particularly difficult for the YOTs locally to manage and will ultimately impact on outcomes for some of the most vulnerable children in our society.

“We are acutely aware of the impact these reductions are going to have on YOTs and in response to the requests made through the consultation will support them to minimise the impact.”

In addition to reducing the youth justice grant, the YJB will delay introduction of a new restraint minimisation system in Parc Young Offender Institution by two months until April 2016.

Other savings will be made from staffing budgets for YOIs and measures employed by the YJB to reduce its internal costs.

The Association of Directors of Children's Services (ADCS) and the Assocation of Youth Offending Team Managers have previously warned that cuts to the youth justice grant will have a direct impact on youth offending services.
 
“The YJB grant has already been significantly reduced in recent years and some local areas have already lost up to 40 per cent of their overall funding,” a joint submission by the two organisations to the YJB said.
 
“There is quite simply no more fat to trim.”