YOT leaders unconvinced by youth justice transition protocol

The Youth Justice Board, the National Probation Service (NPS) and the National Offender Management Service have published a joint national protocol for managing the transition of young offenders to adult services when they reach 18. This promotes a duty of care around the safety of young people and also encourages flexibility around the transition to better meet the needs of each young person.

It also has strong focus on early planning when moving a young offender between YOTs and adult provision, with further guidance due to be published this month to ensure that transition planning starts as soon as the young person is referred to a YOT.

In addition, a dispute resolution process is also in place for YOTs who disagree with a decision around moving a young person to adult probation services.

Such disputes could involve whether a young person should be placed under the supervision of the NPS, which takes on high-risk cases, or community rehabilitation company (CRC), where lower risk cases are dealt with.

But Gareth Jones, chair of the Association of YOT Managers (AYM), said that while the bulk of the protocol is “easy to follow and very clear” the section on conflict resolution lacks detail.

He said: “In some parts of a country a case may be sent to a CRC or the NPS but if a YOT disagrees with that the conflict resolution side of the protocol is unclear. It says that a meeting should take place. But at what level will that take place and who ultimately decides on the issue?”  

The protocol also specifies that each YOT should have a "qualified probation officer to act as the lead contact” with the NPS “to provide advice and recommendations on transitions to adult services”.

However, Jones believes that financial cutbacks across youth justice services could mean many YOTs miss out on having this role within their team.

He said: “It is good to see in the protocol that they are talking about a qualified probation officer in YOTs. But how many will have this if resourcing is reduced?”

Earlier this year, the AYM warned that many YOTS were keeping hold of cases when a young person reached 18 even if they were not receiving funding for them due to concerns around the quality of care some CRCs provide. 

Financial pressures rather than trust in the protocol are more likely to drive YOTs to hand over cases to adult services, Jones believes. “I don’t think there will be more confidence to transfer,” he added.

Last month, inspections of YOTs were suspended to help them cope with £9m of in-year cuts rubberstamped by the YJB.