Youth justice: Scottish Executive promises to boost youth justice workforce

The Scottish Executive's Youth Justice Improvement Plan draws heavily on a report from the Youth Justice Improvement Group, which includes representatives from the Scottish Children's Reporter Administration, local authorities and police.

The plan outlines what needs to be done locally and nationally to improve practice, performance, evaluation and management. It also sets out steps to improve information for victims, communities and offenders and to build skills in the sector.

The group highlighted six areas of improvement that the Scottish Executive has pledged to act upon. They are: earlier intervention to tackle problems caused by a small number of families; stopping persistent offending; ensuring young offenders engage in programmes to change their behaviour; reducing the risks posed to communities by high-risk offenders; boosting the capacity and skills of the workforce; and building confidence within the community that action is being taken.