Praise for youth justice staff’s support of children subject to out-of-court disposals
Fiona Simpson
Friday, March 15, 2024
Staff at a Berkshire youth justice team have been praised by inspectors for going “above and beyond expectations” to support young people.
Bracknell Forest youth justice team (YJT) has received an overall rating of ‘good’ following an inspection by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation in November last year.
The YJT was rated across three broad areas – the arrangements for organisational delivery of the service, the quality of work done with children sentenced by the courts, and the quality of out-of-court disposal work.
Sue McAllister, interim chief inspector of probation, said: “The quality of intervention children receive when they have a court or out-of-court disposal in Bracknell Forest is impressive. There is a real understanding of ‘child first’ principles, but this is not at the expense of managing risk to others effectively and maintaining a good recognition of the needs of victims.”
The report noted the team’s practitioners often went “above and beyond expectations, displaying high-quality assessment skills and a keen ability to analyse risks and support strengths effectively”.
It also praised the skilled and enthusiastic management team and wider, often integrated, partnership approach aimed at delivering the best outcomes for children with the “right intervention at the right time”.
However, the report highlighted the need for all strategic partners to improve their understanding of “the profile and needs of children open to the YJT”, and for work to be done to maintain the effectiveness of out-of-court disposal delivery.
McAllister added: “Crucially, the police need to develop a more coherent child-first approach to this activity, working collaboratively with both the YJT and other youth justice services in the Thames Valley area as a matter of urgency to improve operational delivery and ensure proportional outcomes for all children.
“If these actions are addressed with pace, the children in Bracknell Forest may well experience an even better offer of intervention than the high-quality one they are already receiving.”
