Plans have been approved in Cumberland Council’s Executive meeting today outlining how the Youth Justice service will build on their successful work tackling criminal behaviour. The plan will now go for approval to the Youth Justice Board.
The Youth Justice Plan makes clear the importance of listening to children and managing the individual causes of offending to prevent children escalating into the criminal justice system. The success of the service has gained backing from central government and resulted in increased funding to continue to improve impact.
Cumberland’s Youth Justice Service has been transformative for many young lives and helped to foster safer communities. The multidisciplinary team is highly effective, achieving below-national-average crime rates and significantly decreased reoffending rates through their commitment to following a proven model and strong partnership working.
Most recent figures show:
Rate of reoffending for January 2021 – March 2021 was 20.6% a significantly lower reoffending rate than the England and Wales average for the same period which stood at 31%
Low rates of reoffending for young people subject to Out of Court disposals 1 October 2021 – 31 March 2022 12-month reoffending rate 13.8%, in comparison to 1 April 2021-30 Sept 2021 19%
Continued low numbers of young people being given custodial sentences – only 4 sentences imposed, in 2022-2023, in a population of over 42,000 young people aged 10-17 in Cumbria
Deputy Leader (Non-Statutory) of Cumberland Council and Executive Member for Children, Family Wellbeing and Housing, Cllr Emma Williamson, said:
“I fully support the new plan; it is ambitious and comprehensive. The behaviours leading to children being involved with the service cannot be condoned however the causes can be complex. The plan proactively puts the child at the centre and empowers them to change their lives and positively reengage with their communities.
“The impact from the work of the team is clear to see and the collaboration between young people, the youth justice service and external agencies is having an incredibly positive impact on both the young people and their communities, making Cumberland a better place to live for everyone.”
Martin Birch, Cumberland Council’s Director of Children and Family Wellbeing said:
“It is great that the plan has been approved and the team can continue to deliver results for the people of Cumberland and give our young people a second chance.
“By looking at a child holistically, the team create individual plans to address the factors that caused the initial offence, whether that be supporting them to return to education or helping to support parents and gain skills to reduce reoffending.
“The service also has strong links with communities and our young people have an opportunity to learn and reintegrate with their community positively through giving back.”
The service is well rated by children involved, with all respondents to a survey carried out between July 2022 and March 2023 saying they felt they were treated with respect and listened to, and 93% saying things had changed for the better since they started working with the Youth Justice Service. Young people have also been, helping to shape the future direction of the service including being asked to speak to senior leaders.
Cumberland’s Youth Justice Service (YJS) is a partnership, created by the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, and made up of a range of statutory and other key partners. The council, under the auspices of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 are responsible for establishing and maintaining a Youth Justice Service in partnership with core agencies (Police, Probation and Health). As such the YJS Strategic Plan needs to be informed by the priorities and cross cutting themes of a range of organisations and partnerships, and in particular:
Cumberland Council
Cumbria Safeguarding Children’s Partnership
Safer Cumbria Partnership