Agenda item

The Committee has requested to receive the Youth Justice Annual Plan.

The Committee has invited Cllr Sean Gaul, Cabinet member for Children and Young People, Lisa Lyons, Director of Children’s Services, Annette Perrington, Interim Deputy Director: Education, Jessie Dobson, Service Manager: Adolescence and Prevention, have been invited to present the report and to answer the Committee’s questions.

The Committee is asked to consider the report and raise any questions, and to AGREE any recommendations it wishes to make to Cabinet arising therefrom.

The Committee invited Cllr Sean Gaul, Cabinet member for Children and Young People, Lisa Lyons, Director of Children’s Services, Carol Douch, Assistant Director Safeguard Quality Assurance Partner, Annette Perrington, Interim Deputy Director: Education, Jessie Dobson, Service Manager: Adolescence and Prevention, and Delia Mann, Deputy Director Children’s Social Care, to present the report and to answer the Committee’s questions.

The Cabinet member presented the annual youth justice plan discussing challenges for youth at risk, and emphasising prevention and restorative justice, supported by a young person's account. The Deputy Director of Children’s Social Care described the plan as a multi-agency initiative, highlighted issues like first-time entrants, disproportionality, and education, explained the inspection framework's increased emphasis on victims, and stressed targeted interventions, partnership work, and data analysis.

The Committee raised the following questions and comments:

·       Regarding the increase in SEND numbers, the correlation with mental health concerns, and the role of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in supporting young people with these needs. The Deputy Director Children’s Social Care explained that early identification of needs was key to ensuring appropriate support, and that a speech and language officer had recently been recruited as part of a preventative approach. It was noted that previously there had not always been preventative support before children entered the criminal justice system, and that this approach now extended to mental health. Additionally, it was confirmed that a CAMHS clinician sat on the Youth Justice Board, providing both consultation and direct work with families, ensuring a strong connection between CAMHS and youth justice services.

·       How mental health concerns and difficulties were recognised and addressed for children at risk of entering the youth justice system. Officers outlined that Oxfordshire had developed a multi-agency early help and prevention strategy, involving CAMHS, health services, and youth support teams, to identify and support children early. It was highlighted that there was a continuum of prevention, including parenting groups, targeted youth support, and clinical psychological input, ensuring that mental health needs were addressed from early help through to more intensive interventions, with close collaboration between services to support children at each stage.

·       What the role of Oxford Health and other mental health organisations was in supporting children and young people, particularly those who might not be known to social care but were in the health system due to mental health concerns. It was explained that Oxfordshire was developing a network of family hubs, which would provide universal and targeted provision, including mental health support, through multidisciplinary teams and closer links with schools and community services. It was acknowledged that while the ideal system was not yet fully in place, there was ongoing work to design integrated early help and prevention strategies in partnership with health colleagues, aiming to expand capacity and ensure equitable input from mental health partners.

·       What factors contributed to historically elevated crime rates among individuals aged 18-21, the identified trend of criminal behaviour emerging at increasingly younger ages, and relevant prevention strategies and indicators of deprivation. The Service Manager described that recent analysis had shown a shift, with some offences now more common among 13–15-year-olds. This trend was linked to specific pockets of deprivation, children not attending school, and challenging upbringings. It was noted that while the issue was not widespread across Oxfordshire, these factors were significant predictors. Prevention strategies included early identification, targeted youth support, detached youth work in hotspot areas, and new intervention programmes funded by the police and crime commissioner, all aiming to address risk factors and support young people before they became entrenched in criminal behaviour.

·       Whether factors such as boredom or a lack of youth resources contributed, and whether interventions like school-based classes on conflict resolution and negotiation skills were in place. Officers confirmed that positive activities and youth provision were essential for prevention, making families aware of resources and ensuring free activities are accessible, particularly via holiday programmes. The youth service collaborated with schools and communities to coordinate provision, supported by recent government funding aimed at rebuilding local youth services. The importance of adapting strategies to Oxfordshire’s diverse geography was also highlighted, with rural isolation and local challenges informing the design of targeted interventions alongside those for urban areas.

·       The SEND quality mark process and the role of the SEND representative on the youth justice panel were discussed. It was clarified that the SEND quality mark was a recent initiative in Oxfordshire, intended to ensure the diverse needs of children are appropriately recognised and addressed. The process included self-assessment, supplemented by independent audits and external validation, thereby preventing potential bias. The SEND representative served as an advocate on the youth justice panel, contributing specialist knowledge to help address areas identified for improvement and was tasked with reporting on SEND-related activities between board meetings.

·       White children were most likely to have committed a serious offence, while children of mixed heritage were 1.4 times more likely to be cautioned or sentenced. Members were concerned by the apparent inequality displayed here. Officers confirmed that the data indicated a significant inequality, with non-white children more likely to be referred to the youth offending team and to receive formal orders. Work was underway with Thames Valley Police and the Youth Justice Board to better understand and address these disparities, including examining stop and search practices and the adoption of restorative approaches such as Outcome 22, which aimed to divert children from the criminal justice system.

·       A challenge was raised about the need for increased youth service funding, stressing youth development should be essential and widely accessible, with professional officers and greater government investment. The Cabinet Member agreed that there was now less universal youth provision in Oxfordshire than there had been in the past but confirmed expanding and coordinating provision was a strategic priority, with plans to support teenagers’ well-being and introduce adolescent and prevention services.