Youth offending chiefs oppose YJB abolition as local teams restructure

The survey of YOT managers highlights the impact of cuts and their view of the coalition's policies to deal with young people at risk of offending.

One in three YOTs now lacks representation from one or more statutory partners. The 1998 Crime and Disorder Act identified the police, probation, health, social work and education specialists as potential partners.

Thirty-three YOT managers from across England and Wales responded to the survey. Of those that had not experienced structural change, 60 per cent reported that change is planned for the future, as the make-up of YOTs looks set to become increasingly different from authority to authority.

The position of local youth justice services in relation to others is also the subject of uncertainty and major structural change. One YOT manager said the team is being "integrated with the former youth service and Connexions, with a shared strategic manager and back office function".

Another said: "We have entirely lost our prevention arm and have reorganised how we deliver intensive supervision and support, having disbanded the team."

And another said the structure of their YOT is "constantly under review" based on various funding streams.

Teams on average have lost 4.4 staff in the past 12 months. Across the 33 YOTs that responded, a total of 147 full-time-equivalent posts have disappeared.

Seventy-three per cent of respondents predict the impact of policy and funding decisions on the youth justice system will be negative. Others identified payment-by-results as a positive step and one said: "The policy seems okay, but funding remains a possible problem."

However, 87 per cent believe that the Youth Justice Board should not be scrapped. "Why abolish a body that has performed well and assisted in producing real outcomes and improvements since its inception?" one YOT manager said. "This is not to say it cannot be improved and reduce costs, but the phrase 'baby and bathwater' springs to mind."

Meanwhile, 78 per cent said they did not believe the government reacted well to August's riots and the subsequent fallout.

"There appears to be a complete lack of interest in finding out why people rioted rather than giving headline-grabbing sentences," one respondent said. Another suggested the government had "played to the galleries" with its response to the troubles.

"This only encourages the courts to react in unconstructive and often destructive ways with those aged under 18," the respondent said. "Locking more children up for longer periods has worse re-offending and rehabilitation rates than any other youth justice initiative and also costs much more."

SURVEY OF YOT MANAGERS

Are you now without representatives from one or more partner agencies?

• No 67%
• Yes 33%

Has the structure or function of your YOT changed in the past 12 months?

• No 33%
• Yes 67%

If not, are there any plans to change the structure?

• No 40%
• Yes 60%

Do you believe government policy and funding decisions will have a negative or positive effect on the system?

• Unsure 12%
• Other 12%
• Positive 3%
• Negative 73%

Do you agree that the Youth Justice Board should be abolished?

• No 87%
• Yes 13%

Do you believe the government has reacted well to August's riots and the subsequent fallout/issues?

• No 78%
• Yes 22%

Source: CYP Now survey