Careers: YOT police officer

What is the role of a YOT police officer?
Each youth offending team (YOT) must have at least one YOT police officer, who works with children aged 10 to 18. In 2010, the Youth Justice Board and the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) published a review of the core role and function of the YOT police officer; it found a “large disparity between the scope and scale of work conducted by police officers, not only from force to force, but sometimes within the same force area”.

The report stated that YOT police officers should administer final warnings – a last resort before court – to young people who admit the offence they have been charged with. They should also share information with other police officers, such as neighbourhood police teams, to help identify young people who are at risk. Other duties may include delivering reparation activities such as weapons awareness courses.

What qualifications and training are necessary?
The Acpo report said the role is suitable for officers from all policing backgrounds. To become a police constable in the first instance, applicants must take a number of tests, including written tests, role plays, agility tests and an interview. Successful applicants then face a medical examination and a fitness test, as well as security vetting. A two-year Initial Police Learning and Development Programme follows, including the completion of a Level 3 Diploma in policing, after which a trainee’s appointment as police constable is confirmed.

There are no special qualifications or training required to gain a job as a YOT police officer; officers will undergo training on the job, including safeguarding training. However, an enhanced CRB check is required.

What is the salary like?
Police officer salaries vary by force, generally starting at around £23,000 a year and rising with every year of experience, according to the Home Office.

Police officers benefit from paid overtime, a minimum of 23 days annual leave and fully paid sick leave.

Does a YOT police officer work with other professionals?
Absolutely. The YOT is the “epitome of multi-agency teams”, according to the Acpo review. Although YOT police officers are employed by, and report to, their police force, they are based in a team of other professionals including health workers, social workers, education welfare officers, the youth drug and alcohol service, and youth advice workers.

What skills does a YOT police officer require?
They need to be able to “work unsupervised, be self-motivated and possess good problem-solving and communication skills”, according to Acpo.

What are the challenges of the role?
Police officers can sometimes feel isolated in the YOT, and experience a conflict between their policing role and the children’s services roles of their YOT colleagues. PC Jules Willis, YOT police officer at Colchester Youth Offending Team, says: “You really are on your own. I am having to make on-the-spot decisions and stand by my decisions. It is quite challenging when you are a police officer in an office of about 20 people from various agencies, because at the end of the day, when someone has committed an offence, I’m a police officer.” 

There are also challenges related to the sharing of information, with police officers and their social work colleagues unable to share everything. “There is conflict at times,” says Willis.

What are the rewards?
According to the Acpo report: “The environment provides excellent opportunities of career and skills development that police officers would otherwise struggle to gain in traditional roles.”

Willis says building a successful rapport with a young person is the main reward, especially if they say thank you or do not reoffend.

How is the role changing?
YOT police officers are increasingly focusing their attention on young offenders who are most likely to reoffend, in order to target resources where they are most needed. The early intervention and prevention role of a YOT is increasingly being taken up by neighbourhood policing teams.


MY JOB
PC Jules Willis, Colchester Youth Offending Team

A police officer for 12 years, Jules Willis had not worked directly with children and young people before she joined Colchester Youth Offending Team (YOT) two years ago. “It was something I could really get my teeth into,” she says. “I like working with other agencies and with young children.”

PC Willis is seconded from Essex police force to a multi-agency office, but is sometimes called away to other duties within the force. Within the YOT, she delivers weekly final warnings at two police stations, also carrying out checks beforehand to ensure young people meet the criteria. Willis also delivers weapons awareness sessions, one-on-one or in groups, and has weekly meetings with young people who have been released from young offender institutions – she currently has four such young people on her books.

She attends a weekly multi-agency meeting discussing the progress of the highest-risk young people, as well as other meetings in prisons and with her police inspector. “I go to child protection meetings if the young people have children themselves,” she says. “You have got a job to do guarding that baby as well.”