Contact: Philip Sutton, Manager, Wessex Youth Offending Team 01962 876100

1. Introduction

1.1 The Committee's work plan for 2001 includes an updated report on developments in the health authorities and trusts, which may impact on youth offending. This report briefly outlines three significant developments:

· The new strategic health authorities

· Mental health assessments on young offenders

· Drugs workers in youth offending teams

2. Strategic Health Authority

2.1 A new Strategic Health Authority for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight will become operational in April 2002. This coincides with the change of many primary care groups into primary care trusts, with additional responsibilities. Between them, the Strategic Health Authority and the Trusts will undertake the functions which are currently the responsibility of three Health Authorities.

2.2 The statutory duty to co-operate with local authorities in the establishment of youth offending teams and in the delivery of youth justice services rests with health authorities. In the absence of any formal guidance from either the Department of Health or the Youth Justice Board, it is assumed that these duties will transfer to the Strategic Health Authority. It is acknowledged, however, that the new Primary Care Trusts will have a more significant contribution to the planning and delivery of services than has hitherto been the case.

2.3 Within its work plan for 2002, the Committee may wish to seek further information about the impact of these changes on its own membership and on the work of the youth offending team.

3. Mental Health Assessments

3.1 There is well-documented research into the significant numbers of adult offenders in prisons who have long-standing mental disorders. For many of these prisoners, the symptoms of these disorders began to manifest themselves in adolescence. As one of the outcomes from its grants to youth offending teams, the Youth Justice Board requires there to be a written agreement between Yots and mental health services, setting out how young offenders will gain access to assessment and treatment.

3.2 In Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, mental health services are provided by Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). The youth offending team manager is meeting with managers of CAMHS on 20^th September and will advise the Committee verbally as to the content of the proposed agreements.

4. Drug Workers for Youth Offending Teams

4.1 Many young offenders, especially persistent offenders, have significant histories of substance misuse. Unlike adult offenders, who may develop addictions to specific types of drugs, adolescents who are at risk of later addiction, tend to experiment with a range of chemicals, including legal and illegal drugs and volatile chemicals.

4.2 The responsibility for overseeing the way in which drugs services are provided rests with the four Drug Action Teams (DAT's) for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. The DAT's are established in each local authority area. DAT's support the work of many different agencies in prevention and treatment.

4.3 The Youth Justice Board, like many Government Departments, received funding from the Spending Review 2000 in support of the strategy to tackle drug misuse. The Board's key objective with this funding is to ensure that every youth offending team has a specialist drugs worker attached to the team. The worker(s) will bring consistency to the teams' assessment processes and improve access to treatment.

4.4 Wessex Yot's share of the new funding is approximately £140,000 for the six months from 1^st October 2001 to 31^st March 2002. Further money will be provided for the following two financial years, although the exact amount will not be known until the autumn. The funding is expected to be sufficient to provide a fulltime drugs worker in each of the seven area teams, which make up Wessex Yot. The youth offending team Manager has provided the Drug Action Teams with the information they need to commission these posts from specialists local providers.

5. Recommendations

It is recommended that:

1. the Committee note the planned creation of a Strategic Health Authority for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight and requests a further report in Spring 2002 on the implications for youth justice services;

2. the Committee welcomes the developments to improve access to mental assessments for adolescent offenders and to appoint specialist drugs workers to youth offending teams.

Philip Sutton

12.9.00

cyjc3 2001

Section 100D - Local Government Act 1972 - Background Documents:

The following documents disclose facts or matters on which this report or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.

N.B. The list schedules:

i. Published works.

ii. Documents which disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act.

"Substance Misuse Intervention and Youth Offending Services"

Youth Justice Board, 29^th May 2001