Ongoing budget cuts are affecting the quality of work with troubled children and young people in Walsall, according to inspectors.

Walsall Youth Justice Service is facing a second year of cuts and has the lowest budget of any such service in the West Midlands. Wider services that provide purposeful activity and help to reduce anti-social behaviour and some crime have also been cut; in 2016, there were 13 youth centres in the town and only one is open today.

HM Inspectorate of Probation conducted a routine inspection of the service, which supervises 10 to 18-year-olds who have either been sentenced by a court or who have committed minor offences and are being dealt with outside the court system.

Chief Inspector of Probation Justin Russell said: “Walsall Youth Justice Service is attempting to minimise the impact of these savings but the effects are becoming clear to see. Key posts and facilities have been lost and the workforce has been operating at, and on occasions beyond, capacity.”

The Inspectorate has given Walsall Youth Justice Service an overall rating of ‘Requires improvement’, its second-lowest mark.

Mr Russell expressed concern about the service’s work to manage risks and protect the public. He said: “Work to identify and manage risk of harm to others and the protection of victims needs to improve, as it has lost focus and receives very little attention at strategic or operational level.

“As the service no longer has a victim worker in post and there is no lead for this area, it is easy to understand how this has happened. It is difficult to see how the situation will improve without additional resources.”

Inspectors found better performance in some areas. The service’s work to prevent children and young people reoffending is strong, and is assisted by good relationships with local partners. Staff, managers and partners are committed to providing an effective service and to improving the lives of children and young people.

However, Inspectors also found that too many children and young people supervised by the Youth Justice Service are not in school, training or employment.

Mr Russell said: “As we have noted in other regions, children and young people need to be able to access education, employment and training because it is the key to their futures. Progress in this area has been too slow and we urge Walsall Council to work with partners to address this gap. There has not been a suitably senior, dedicated representative from the education service on the Management Board in the past year.”

The Inspectorate has made four recommendations, with the aim of improving the quality of Walsall Youth Justice’s Service work.

ENDS

Notes to editor

1. The report is available at justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprobation on 27 June 2019 00.01.
2. HM Inspectorate of Probation is the independent inspector of youth offending and probation services across England and Wales.
3. Youth Offending Teams, which deliver youth offending services, supervise 10-18-year olds who have been sentenced by a court, or who have come to the attention of the police because of their offending behaviour but have not been charged and instead are dealt with out of court.
4. Fieldwork for this inspection took place in April 2019.
5. Funding for Walsall Youth Justice Service comes from a variety of sources including the Youth Justice Board, Walsall Council, West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner and other partners.
6. For media enquiries, please contact Head of Communications Catherine Chan on 07889 405930 or media@hmiprobation.gov.uk (E-mail address)