Sunderland 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: “Sunderland Youth Justice Service impressed our inspectors. They are a service that faces many challenges, not least that some children under their supervision are from abusive or complex backgrounds and require significant support to turn their lives around. We commend their hard work and determination to develop further.”

Inspectors noted that Sunderland YJS has a skilled and experienced workforce, and their commitment to finding interventions that work for the individual needs of children was evident. This was found to be particularly strong in their work with children serving out of court disposals. We were particularly impressed with the service’s approach to staff development and welfare. As a result, practitioners feel valued, are highly motivated, and child-centred.

Many of the children at the service have experienced trauma or adverse childhood experiences, such as domestic abuse or criminal exploitation. The report notes that the management board has secured funding for specialist support, which has led to creative and innovative programmes to deter children from crime, as well as address key issues such as substance misuse, emotional wellbeing and education, training, and employment opportunities.

The report makes five recommendations to Sunderland YJS, including that they improve their casework in the area of court disposals – the management of children serving court sentences – particularly in relation to the risk some children may pose to others.

ENDS

Notes to editor

1. This YJS works with children aged 10 to 17. The majority of children under their supervision are aged 15 to 17. The YJS 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).
4. The report is available on the HM Inspectorate of Probation website on 13 December 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 September 2022.
7. For media enquiries, please contact Head of Communications Diane Bramall media@hmiprobation.gov.uk (E-mail address)