Havering Youth Justice Service (YJS) has received an overall rating of ‘Good’ following an inspection by HM Inspectorate of Probation.

Chief Inspector of Probation Justin Russell said: “We were impressed with many aspects of Havering Youth Justice Service’s work, not least their ability to focus on children’s diverse needs and understanding of how to divert  them away from further offences. They have specialists available, such as mental health and education staff, to provide support and keep children safe, which  ensures the safety of other people and victims.”

Havering YJS is particularly strong at managing children who go through the courts, and in helping them move away from crime. However, inspectors reported that improvements are required to how they assess the needs and risks of children involved in  out-of-court cases (dealt with outside the criminal justice system) – where an equal focus must be given to children’s safety and wellbeing and their risk of harm to others.

The inspection also found evidence of missed opportunities, by the service, to speak to children and their parents or carers about their supervision. Doing so would help youth justice workers to gain a fuller understanding of each child and make decisions that benefit all concerned.

The report commends Havering YJS for achieving an overall rating of ‘Good’, despite being significantly impacted by Covid-19 and the continued recovery from the pandemic which has directly affected staff shortages and recruitment. We have made seven recommendations, including that the management board puts contingency plans in place to deal with these ongoing challenges.

ENDS

Notes to editor

1. Youth offending services work with children aged 10 to 17 and supervise children with complex needs and some in the care of the local authority.
2. The Inspectorate uses a four-point scale: ‘Outstanding’, ‘Good’, ‘Requires improvement’ and ‘Inadequate’, rating specific aspects of each service and giving an overall rating.
3. The inspection looked at standards of organisational delivery (leadership, staffing and facilities), their management of children serving court sentences (court disposals) and children serving cautions or community sentences (out-of-court disposals). It also rated the quality of resettlement work as ‘Good’.
4. The report is available on the HM Inspectorate of Probation website on 01 November 2022 00.01.
5. HM Inspectorate of Probation is the independent inspector of youth offending and probation services across England and Wales.
6. Fieldwork for this inspection took place in August 2022.
7. For media enquiries, please contact Head of Communications Diane Bramall media@hmiprobation.gov.uk (E-mail address)