Fewer young people offending and finding themselves in youth justice system in Dorset

Youth justice services in Dorset were previously delivered by the Dorset Youth Offending Team.

This service merged with the Bournemouth and Poole Youth Offending Service, which covered the Bournemouth and Poole areas, to form the Dorset Combined Youth Offending Service (YOS) in July 2015. 

Youth Offending Teams are required to publish an annual youth justice plan - this was discussed at Wednesday's Dorset County Council cabinet meeting. 

Youth Offending Teams continue to be judged against three key performance indicators: reducing first time entrants into the youth justice system; reducing re-offending by young people and appropriately minimising the use of custodial sentences.

In Dorset the rate of first time entrants into the youth justice system per 1,000 of the 10 to 17-year-olds have decreased from just over 300 in 2013 to just under 200 in 2016.

The figures are significantly better than the regional and national averages.

The per cent of young people re-offending within 12 months in Dorset was at 29 per cent in 2012, rising to 31 per cent in 2013 and 43 per cent in 2014 before decreasing to 37 per cent in 2015.

Across the south west region the percentage remained quite stable at around 33 per cent. 

A co-ordinated, multi-agency approach has been developed across the whole area to reduce the use of justice responses for behaviour by children in care, This led to the launch un January 2017 if a 'protocol to reduce the criminalisation of children in care'.

The report reads: "When a young person does commit an offence, Dorset Police work closely with Dorset Combine YOS to identify the best way to respond.

"Low level offending is assessed so that suitable cases can be dealt with through restorative justice approaches, avoiding the need for a formal outcome. More serious offences, or repeat offending, leads to a formal disposal and therefore leads to the young person entering the youth justice system."

Looking at its priorities the YOS aims to take a leading role in local initiatives including multi-agency work and further developments in local arrangements to keep young people safe from exploitation.

The YOS will also be striving to make better use of information to improve the impact of their work and improve the quality of its practice to achieve better outcomes for children, young people, families and victims. 

Speaking at the meeting, Cllr Steve Butler, cabinet member for safeguarding, said: "We are doing well with our first time offenders, they are offending again as figures show but we have fewer youths offending in the first place."

Sara Tough, director for children's services

Sara Tough, director for children's services added: "This is a really positive annual report. I think its something to recognise in light of changes we have made.

"We continue to be one of the highest performing services in the country. The annual report sets out all the achievements and its continuous intention to strive forward and achieve."

Chairing the meeting, Rebecca Knox also praised the report. 
She said: "The amount of work and partnership work has quadrupled but it has paid off."