Purpose

The Crime and Disorder Act 1998
places a statutory obligation upon each Local
Authority to create a local
Youth Justice Team, whose primary aim is to prevent and
reduce the offending behaviour
of children (aged 10–18-year-olds) alongside key
partners. A further obligation
is placed upon each local Team to create a yearly Youth Justice
Plan setting out strategic and operational objectives for the
forthcoming 12 months. This plan follows the prescribed approach
set down by the Youth Justice
Board.
 
The plan celebrates many
successes and demonstrates how the partnership has
worked together to improve
outcomes for children involved with the criminal justice system, by
offering a range of services and provisions to address the causes
of crime.
 
The plan details both statutory
and non-statutory interventions that have helped reduce
re-offending rates and seen a steady decline in the use of custody.
Re-offending rates in Croydon are lower than both the regional and
national levels. The latest data from the Youth Justice Board
(proven re-offending) shows Croydon at 29.1% in comparison to the
London average of 30.4% and the national average of 32.1%. The plan
also details the Youth Justice’s contributions to the Local
Authorities Youth Offer including the delivery of Youth Clubs and
specialist group work and how the service aligns with the voluntary
community sector and local resource to help children re-integrate.
The plan also provides detail of the Services prevention and
diversion offer including the use of custody suite Youth Work and
the Turnaround Project.
 
The Crime and Disorder Act 1998
require each plan to have Council approval and
endorsement. Historically this
endorsement has been sighted and governed through
the local Youth Justice Crime
Board. However, the Ministry of Justice has reverted to
the Act and has requested that
given the public nature of this document such plans are approved at
Council. Youth justice plans must be signed off by the Full Council
in
accordance with Regulation 4 of
the ‘Local Authorities (Functions and Responsibilities)
(England) Regulations 2000’.

Content

For the reasons set out in the
report and its appendix the Executive Mayor and Cabinet is
AGREED:
 
2.1 To agree the plan and recommend that the plan be referred to
Full Council with a recommendation for approval - in line with
statutory obligations detailed in the Crime and Disorder Act
1998.