Issue - meetings

The Crime and Disorder Act (1998) places a statutory requirement on local authority youth offending teams to publish an annual Youth Justice Plan which must provide specified information about the local provision of youth justice services. This report summarises the Youth Justice Plan for 2026/27, with a copy of the Plan appended. The Youth Justice Plan needs to be approved by the full Council.

The Youth Justice Plan shows strong performance by the service. Achievements include diverting children from the justice system, avoiding the use of custody for children, and the quality of work to reduce the likelihood of reoffending and to repair the harm caused to victims.

Priorities for the year ahead are to respond to national and local reform programmes, enhancing ‘Child First’ practice, developing work with victims, reducing the over-representation of some groups of children in the justice system, and making best use of available resources.