Contact: P. Sutton, Head of Youth Offending Services, Tel No 01962 876100

[email protected]

1. Introduction

1.1 Within its plan of meetings for 2002, the Committee asked for a report in September 2002 about youth crime prevention and the Youth Inclusion Programme.

2. Youth Inclusion Programme

2.1 Youth Inclusion Programmes continue to operate in specific wards of Southampton and Portsmouth cities. (The Southampton scheme operates under the name "Baseline" and is provided by Crime Concern; the Portsmouth scheme is provided by Portsmouth Community Safety Partnership). Both projects are jointly funded by the Youth Justice Board and local agencies, and receive significant support from local Area Managers of Wessex Youth Offending Team. Y.I.P.'s provide activities and support targeted on the 50 young people who are identified as being most at risk of offending. The identification process involves sharing information across agencies. The Youth Justice Board's evaluation points to significant early success in reducing levels of youth crime in the targeted areas.

3. The Youth Crime Prevention Strategy

3.1 Youth Inclusion Programmes form one part of a broader strategy of preventing youth crime. The Government's Spending Review 2002, places even greater emphasis on the development of preventative services. New measures include additional resources for the Children's Fund, (5-13 year olds), and piloting of "At Risk Panels". The latter would require schools, parents, social services and others to develop support programmes where young children are at significant risk of offending. Portsmouth's Persistent Offender Project provides an example of what can be achieved through such inter-agency activity.

3.2 The development of a local strategy needs to be linked to the emerging national strategy, (Appendix A). At this stage, the Committee is asked to be aware of the emerging national strategy and encourage the statutory agencies to contribute to the development of a comprehensive local youth crime prevention strategy. The development of such a strategy will be taken forward by a sub-group of the Chief Officers' Group. The reduction of youth crime is one of the four strategic targets of the Chief Officers' Group.

4. Recommendation

The Committee is asked to:

i. note the report concerning youth crime prevention;

ii. encourage partner agencies to contribute to the development of comprehensive local strategies across the four local authority areas;

iii. receive further reports as the strategy is developed and put into effect.

P. Sutton

12.9.02

cyjc youth crime prevention

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.

NB. The list schedules:

(1) Published works.

(2) Documents which disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act.

i. The Annual Report of the Youth Justice Board for

England and Wales, 2001/02.