Agenda item

Report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services.

This report has large appendices, which will be circulated separately and added to the Sub Committee’s Web Page.

The Sub Committee received a report of the Executive Director, Community and Children’s Services, in respect of the YOS.  Members noted that the City of London Corporation commissions the London Borough of Tower Hamlets to provide this, as it is a statutory requirement for local authorities to provide a service to resident children who use offending behaviour.  In April 2022, an inspection of the commissioned service was undertaken by Her Majesty’s Inspector of Probation (HMIP). This report presented the inspection findings and the subsequent improvement plan.

During the discussion and questions, the following points were noted:

Since 2021, the entire management team had been replaced, there were now additional resources in the team, including an improvement officer.

There had been extensive consultation with staff and the wider service to ensure that all concerns were being captured.

The Governance Board had been split into Executive and Operational, which would enable it to hold the Management Team to account.  The Executive  Board is multi-agency, comprising of Youth Justice, the Metropolitan Police, City of London Corporation, Tower Hamlets, Public Health and schools.   Board Members are being offered enhanced training and a new handbook, setting out expectations in terms of disproportionality and all aspects of prevention.

There had been considerable investment in data, with a new analyst joining the team in January.

Out of Court Disposals had been re-designed, using turnaround funding.

There had not been any City children in custody over the past 3 years but the improvement plan will ensure the service is prepared.

There are 3 KPI’s measuring:

Re-offending - one of lowest rates in London.

Numbers in custody – one of the lowest rates in London.

The number of first time entrants – this is relatively high and the team are using a triage resolution, from turnaround funding, to divert children away from the criminal justice system.

In 2021-22 there were 72 children in the system and at the same point this year it had reduced to 25. 

RESOLVED, that – the report be noted.