Troubled families programme should target siblings of offenders, MPs told
Neil Puffett
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Involving youth offending services with the government's troubled families agenda could help reduce numbers of young people getting in trouble with the law, MPs have been told.
As part of an inquiry into the future of youth justice, the justice select committee heard evidence from three youth offending team (YOT) managers on a range of issues including early intervention, the role of police crime commissioners and the use of custody.
Paul O’Hara, youth offending team manager in Bradford, told MPs there were “big opportunities” for YOTs working alongside the troubled families programme.
“I see this as a powerful initiative to tackle families in the whole, looking at different ways of trying to break the intergenerational cycle,” O’Hara, who has recently been appointed troubled families co-ordinator at his authority, said.
“It allows us to look at younger siblings and try to make sure they are not the next generation coming into trouble.”
O’Hara added that there had been a “huge shift” upward in the age of young offenders being dealt with by his team, as a result of successful diversion programmes for younger children.
There is an increasing need to now focus efforts to reduce offending on the “transition stage” when young people leave school, he said.
The select committee meeting is available to view below.
