Agenda item

To receive the report of the Group Director, Community and Children’s Services providing Members of the Board with an update on the work of the Cwm Taf Youth Offending Service (YOS) for 2020/21.

The Head of Cwm Taf Youth Offending Service referred Members to his report which provided an update on the work of the Cwm Taf Youth Offending Service (YOS) for 2020/21. The report before Members included a summarised response to the Covid 19 pandemic and sought to inform members of future service challenges/risks.

The Head of Service provided Members with a detailed overview of the report outlining past and current positions of work including collaborative partnership working. Members were reminded that the service was running day to day tasks remotely and were advised of the difficulties that this created in the first instance, as everyone got use to the new way of working. However, during this time, YOS staff continued to support young people who appeared in the law courts (including a Remand court based in Cardiff), who required an appropriate adult (AA) at the police station when arrested, or who agreed to attend for interview on a voluntary basis. Face to face contact with young people assessed as ‘high risk’ or subject to ‘intensive supervision and surveillance’ also continued during this time and the input of experienced sessional workers ensured that contact with this cohort took place during evenings and weekends as necessary. Importantly, since May last year, the YOS has continued to work with a skeleton staff from its office base in the Merthyr Tydfil Law Courts and this arrangement provided invaluable managerial and peer support for those who most required it.

Members were informed that at the present time, all YOS staff are equipped with the resources to function more effectively and most staff can see the benefits of working in a more flexible and agile manner. However, the onset of Covid has brought new challenges in relation to managing risks both to the public and to the children known to our service, and more recently there has been a significant increase in referrals for prevention services. Following a lengthy delay as a result of Covid, the YOS has now completed the process of restructuring the service in order to meet future demands on the service. Details of the new structure were provided to Members.

Going forward, the monitoring of the National Standards for Youth Justice in Wales alongside partners will be central to the future effectiveness and governance of the service and improve accountability for ASB and offending across the partnership. It was advised that the YOS also recognises that it needs to develop better communication and awareness raising both ways between operational practice on the ground and how it relates to the work of the Offender Management Board, and wider elected members.

The Chair thanked the Head of Service for the detailed report and overview and spoke positively of the continuation of the face-to-face communication with young people over such difficult circumstances in respect of the pandemic.

The Vice Chair took the opportunity to query how the service was doing in relation to the provision of service to children looked after and those children and young people already know to the service.  The Head of Service advised of the positive collaborative work with partners and the consistent work across the Board to ensure the best outcomes for young people. The Head of service suggested that future report brough before the Board highlighting the number of children Looked after who enter the youth justice system and whether there was any correlation between the two.

One Member referenced the recently negotiated CAMHS provision with Senior Health Managers and the Head of Service advised that this was to provide increased support for staff dealing with young people who present with more complex well-being issues, and informed Members that work continues in order to strengthen links with psychology, neuro development and speech and language provision. Members queried whether the Board could assist in ensuring that this service was provided and were advised that although previous there were concerns in relation to this provision strengthened working arrangements in this area were now proving successful following support from the Offender Management Board.  The Director, Children’s Services referenced discussions in relation to CAMHS provision at scrutiny.

With reference to a query about Court delays, the Board were advised that there was no delay with Court proceedings and that these had continued, due to strong links with the Courts to ensure efficient and timely service.

Following discussions, it was RESOLVED:

1.    To acknowledge the proposed/potential changes within the Youth Justice System and potential impact upon the work of the YOS.

2.    To receive further reports in due course in order to be satisfied of the progress and improvements being made as a result of the service restructure.