Agenda item

That the strategic and operational priorities in the Youth Justice Plan be noted.

            The Senior Manager, Youth Justice and Flintshire Sorted provided an overview of the statutory work undertaken by the Youth Justice Service in Flintshire. The Annual Youth Justice Plan was attached to the Plan which was required to be submitted to the Youth Justice Board annually. The Plan incorporated the shared Welsh Government (WG) and Youth Justice Board ‘Child First’ vision and Trauma Informed organisation with the support of partners in Public Health Wales and Glyndwr University. The service had previously been involved in a pilot in Wales using the Trauma Informed Model through the Enhanced Case Management pilot, and this was building on the success of the pilot and the positive results received. The service wanted to ensure that participation within the operational strategic objectives enabled the voices of the children and young people to be heard to inform the service direction, approaches and resources moving forward. These were included in the Participation Strategy which were agreed last year, and the report provided outcome information on the children and young people who came into the Criminal Justice System and the support they received from the dedicated team.

            There were also changes in the type of offences which were committed last year with the Covid pandemic impacting the data which was able to be collected. There had been a reduction in public order offences, increases in theft offences but violence remained the number one offence and was given additional priority. This coincided with the statutory Service Violence Duty and Youth Action Plan around violence and work was ongoing with the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Office to dovetail this within the Serious Violence Strategy. Serious violence referred to a small proportion of the cohort but remained a concern. Another concern for the service was the increased use of custody and remand, with the rates in Flintshire remaining quite low but there had been a slight increase within the last 12 months which related to more serious offences. As a service the use of custody was viewed as a last resort but unfortunately in some circumstances it had to be used as there were challenges around the social care sector for appropriate placements for children and young people. There was a need for a balance between supporting a young person and keeping the community safe.

            The Senior Manager reported on the future plans for the service and the impacts on the cohort to ensure they all received a positive experience together with addressing issues of disproportionality within the wider Criminal Justice System.

            In outlining the challenges for the year ahead, the report outlined the resource implications and the unique way the service received grant funding. This was provided by WG, the Ministry of Justice, Youth Justice Board and statutory partners such as Police, Probation Service, Health and other services. The Senior Manager explained how the efficiencies and the cost-of-living challenges encountered by the Council’s partners had impacted the budget which the service received. Recruitment remained a challenge with people less likely to take short term funded positions. The measures put in place by the Management Board and Chief Officer Team had enabled a stable and supportive workforce. The service had also undertaken work on a Workforce Succession and Development Plan which would ensure that staff were supported, trained and undertook development opportunities. All Youth Justice Services in Wales had experienced changes in Governance, Oversight and Leadership together with the requirement to report on key performance indicators, which came into force in April 2023. Previously the service had requested a peer review around management and governance from the Youth Justice Sector Improvement Partnership. This supported the service by remaining strong to deliver the services to children and young people in advance of a HMRP inspection within the next 12 months.

            In response to comments made by Councillor Dave Mackie around the funding for this service the Chief Officer (Education & Youth) outlined the frustrations around the funding situation and meant that the service was unable to plan strategically for a very vulnerable cohort of young people. Recruitment into that service was challenging which was why the Chief Executive and the Chief Officer Team had made the decision to appoint permanent posts on a risk basis for these specialist roles. The Chief Executive, as the Chair of the Management Board, had written to the Youth Justice Board stating how unacceptable it was at this point in the financial year that it was still now known what the core funding allocation was.

            The Chair thanked the Senior Manager and his team for the detailed Plan and was glad that they embraced constructive reviews from colleagues which improved overall services within the constraints of the budget. She felt that they were at the top of their game.

The recommendation, as outlined within the report, was moved by Councillor Dave Mackie and seconded by Councillor Gladys Healey.                   

RESOLVED

That the strategic and operational priorities in the Youth Justice Plan be noted.