Issue - items at meetings - Youth Justice Strategic Plan 2012-13

Joint report of the Strategic Directors; People and Communities (copy attached).

(1)         That the Youth Justice Plan 2012-2015 as detailed in Appendix 1 to the report be agreed; and

(2)         That Cabinet authorises the Strategic Director of People to proceed with the Youth Justice Plan for 2012-2015.

225.1    Councillor Shanks introduced the report which set out how the Youth Offending Team (YOT) would be resourced and the services that would be available in relation to the statutory primary aim of YOTs to prevent youth offending in the area.  She stated that the team had been recently restructured and was working closely with other agencies to ensure a comprehensive service was provided.  She noted that there had also been a recent peer review and as a result changes to the service were being implemented on an ongoing basis.

225.2    Councillor Mitchell noted the report and expressed her concern over the information provided and lack of detail that was available to Members.  She believed that there was a need for further information to be made available and hoped that this could be addressed as currently it appeared that there was a lack of support to the young people that should be provided for.  She was concerned about the lack of individual support plans and smart targets to ensure progress could be identified.

225.3    Councillor Shanks acknowledged that the report could have had more detail, however there had been changes made to the team and its role which were only just beginning to settle in and she would be happy to ask officers to provide separate briefings for Members on how things were progressing.  There was a need to develop a strategic plan for 2012/13 and to seek council approval of that plan and this was the essence of the report.

225.4    Councillor G. Theobald stated that he felt that the report could have had more information but noted that his colleagues who had a direct interest in Children’s Services had met with the service manager and were very positive about how the team was moving forward.

225.5    The Service Manager informed the meeting that following the recent peer review an agreed programme of improvement had been identified and would be taken forward.  There had been a need to prepare the strategic plan for the current year and it was then intended to develop targets and on-going objectives that would feed into an action plan and a more comprehensive strategic plan for 2013/14.

225.6    The Chair noted the comments and suggested that officers provide a separate briefing for Councillor Mitchell, and therefore put the recommendations to the vote.

225.7    RESOLVED:

(1)         That the Youth Justice Plan 2012-2015 as detailed in Appendix 1 to the report be agreed; and

(2)         That Cabinet authorises the Strategic Director of People to proceed with the Youth Justice Plan for 2012-2015.