Agenda item

Consideration was given to the report presented by the Head of the Youth Offending Service (Integrated Youth Support Service, Schools and Lifelong Learning, Children and Young People’s Services Directorate).  The report gave a quarterly update on the Service’s direction of travel and, where necessary, outlined the details of actions to maintain and/or improve performance across the Service. 

The performance indicators that were used within the Youth Offending Service were outlined (YOS1 to YOS9), along with any ‘related measure’, such as a National Indicator, the ‘target’, ‘performance’, ‘definition/comments’ and the current RAG status. 

Exception reporting was used for the 9 performance indicators when performance was rated as amber or red.  Exception reporting had been used in this Quarter’s report for YOS1 (First Time Entrants) and, although not currently judged to be amber or red, YOS7 (Quality of Cases). 

This was the first Quarter since the inception of the YOS1 target in 2007/2008 that Rotherham had experienced an increase in the rate of first time entrants compared to the previous period.  Rotherham’s performance had outpaced national and regional trends but the gap was beginning to narrow.  Rotherham’s performance was now more aligned to national trends but better than regional average.  This area had been judged to be amber based on local judgement, but remained on-line to meet the national target.   

Cases were continuing to be subject to management audit (YOS7).  There were examples of very good case management but some cases were not updated soon enough.  Some assessments remained descriptive rather than analytical.  This would be addressed in future training provision. 

Information about the 12 new referrals (between October, 2013 – December, 2013) to the Service of under-18s who were misusing substances was also considered. 

Other factors for the Youth Offending Service: -

·         Service reductions due to Central Government funding reductions and the likely impact on staffing;

·         The role of ‘continual provision’ within the Integrated Youth Support Service where young people would work with the same worker as far as possible;

·         The contribution of the Youth Justice Grant for 2014-2015 had been announced as the same amount as the previous year’s funding;

·         The timetable for full joint inspections would be announced on 25^th April, 2014;

·         The Annual Youth Justice Plan would be submitted to a future meeting of the Youth Offending Service Management Board;

·         The Police and Crime Commissioner had opened the Integrated Youth Support Services Conference held on 8^th February, 2014, and he had promoted the ‘See Something, Say Something’ campaign;

·         The Youth Justice and Restorative Justice Workshop was successful and over 40 delegates had signed-up;

·         The Youth Justice Board had asked Rotherham’s Youth Offending Service to take on additional responsibilities around the use of unsupervised unpaid work as a restorative measure for young people who had committed a crime.  Historically Rotherham had not used these placements for 16 and 17 year olds.  Magistrates did have the option of this measure.  Further information from the Youth Justice Board regarding specification and available funding was awaited. 

Resolved: -  That the information shared be noted.