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Home Office

Answer

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he plans to take to improve the understanding of youth offending teams of their role. [219318] Paul Goggins: The Youth Justice Board (YJB) oversees the operation of the youth justice system, including ensuring that Youth Offending Teams (YOTs) understand their role and how best to carry it out. It has established a performance management framework, designed to ensure local services work together to prevent children and young people from offending in the first place and to reduce the risk of further re-offending by existing offenders. It has introduced effective practice principles based on research evidence of what works in reducing offending and this is being rolled out across England and Wales. This is being supported and underpinned by the development of a National Qualification Justice professionals. The YJB is committed to ensuring that 80 per cent. of the youth justice workforce has benefited from professional training by March 2006. The YJB has also been working worked closely with the antisocial behaviour unit in the Home Office to ensure that YOTS along with their local authority partners and the police put in place targeted prevention programmes aimed at diverting children and young people from antisocial and sub criminal activity. The YJB has developed guidance for YOTS for dealing with antisocial behaviour issues, which is due to be published shortly. Also the forthcoming draft Youth Justice Bill proposes to clarify the YOTS' role in supporting Antisocial behaviour initiatives.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

431 c1626W;431 c1621-2W; 219318

Session

2004-05

Subjects

Crime prevention Anti-social behaviour Functions Offenders Young people Young offenders Youth offending teams

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk