Carmarthenshire Youth Justice Team (YJT) has received an overall rating of ‘Outstanding’ following an inspection by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation as part of its programme of Youth Justice Service (YJS) inspections.

The YJT was rated across three broad areas – the arrangements for organisational delivery of the service, the quality of work done with children sentenced by the courts, and the quality of out-of-court disposal work. The quality of resettlement policy and provision was also inspected, and separately rated as ‘Outstanding’.

Martin Jones, Chief Inspector of Probation, said: “There is a high level of care and dedication to the staff, children, and victims accessing the service, which extends from senior leaders to operational staff.

“Staff are motivated, passionate, and their hard work is routinely acknowledged and rewarded. The management board is invested in the YJT; it has continually advocated for the service and proactively supported it in achieving the best outcomes for children, families, and victims.”

The report noted that the YJT is highly respected within the partnership, with strong, vibrant and consistent leadership which has enabled the service to operationalise its vision and strategy effectively.

It also praised the mature and cohesive partnership arrangements which enable children and families to access a range of services, including speech, language, and communication therapy, wraparound education support, and specialist intervention for children involved in sexually harmful behaviour.

Mr Jones added: “The YJT’s reparation provision is impressive – the service has worked with the community to identify and deliver meaningful and impactful projects, and children have been able to develop skills as well as engaging in restorative justice.

“It also proactively seeks opportunities to learn and improve the services it provides from the wider sector, including work with police partners in adopting and localising an approach for care-experienced children to avoid unnecessary criminalisation and contact with the justice system.”

ENDS

Notes to editor

1. Carmarthenshire is a county in the southwest of Wales. It is bordered by five neighbouring authorities: Ceredigion, Powys, Neath Port Talbot, Swansea, and Pembrokeshire.
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 report made four recommendations that the Inspectorate believes, if implemented, will have a positive impact on the quality of youth justice services in Carmarthenshire.
4. The report is available on the HM Inspectorate of Probation website on 19 March 2024 at 00.01.
5. HM Inspectorate of Probation is the independent inspector of youth justice and probation services across England and Wales.
6. Fieldwork for this inspection took place in November 2023.
7. For media enquiries, please contact Louise Cordell, Head of Communications 07523 805224 / media@hmiprobation.gov.uk (E-mail address)