‘Stable and fairer funding’ needed to improve youth justice services, says YJB
Joe Lepper
Thursday, April 11, 2024
The Youth Justice Board (YJB) has called on the government to improve the distribution of funding to youth offending services.
The body tasked with overseeing the youth justice system in England and Wales is prioritising its call on ministers for revisions to grant awards “to enable a fairer distribution of funds”.
This includes “consideration of awarding multi-year grants” to help local services better plan long-term support.
The call is part of the YJB’s new three-year strategy, which also prioritises measures to divert young offenders away from court and criminal proceedings and towards action such as community resolutions.
Action to tackle serious violence is also being pledged including ensuring “intelligence is shared appropriately” and better record keeping and monitoring of data around incidents.
Improving support for victims of crime is another priority for the YJB over the next three years.
Another is to better support children when they leave youth custody including improving their housing options.
Tackling racism and other forms of discrimination in the youth justice system is also listed as a priority in the YJB’s strategy.
Over the next three years it pledges to publish regular data on disparities in youth justice so that "targeted action can be taken”.
In addition, it will work with youth justice partners to ensure that referrals for action to divert young people away from court are being “applied fairly and without prejudice to children from minority ethnic groups”.
It also pledges to target funding to develop action to cut disparity locally and promises to be an “anti-racist organisation” by championing inclusion.
“The YJB is committed to recognising and addressing inequality and the children who are involved with the youth justice system reflect a range of social inequalities,” states its strategy.
“There is over-representation of children in care, children living in poverty, those with neurodivergent conditions or speech and language difficulties, and those who have experienced trauma.
“However, the most persistent and significant overrepresentation is children from minoritised racial communities.”
