Combined Youth Justice Standing Conference Item 6

6 October 2004

Standing Conference's work plan for 2005

Report of the Head of Youth Offending Services

Contact: Phil Sutton, Head of Youth Offending Services 01962 876100

[email protected]

1. Background

1.1 Members of the Standing Conference were invited to identify topics for debate and discussion in 2005. These would be in addition to the standing items, which are the annual youth justice plan and the quarterly performance report. This report proposes topics for meetings based on Member's views.

2. Summary of responses

2.1 Ten Members took the opportunity to make suggestions, and a summary of the responses is attached (App. A). Members will note that the topics most frequently chosen by Members from the list provided were:

· school exclusion and non attendance

· self-harm and suicide among young offenders in custody

· restorative justice, and

· the supervision of community penalties

In addition there were significant numbers of requests for discussion about:

· Parenting programmes and parenting orders, and

· The work of social services departments (or children's services departments) to prevent offending by looked after children, including children who are remanded to local authority accommodation.

2.2 Restorative justice is to be the subject of a presentation by managers from SOVA at today's meeting. It is therefore proposed that the remaining five topics should be the subject of presentations at the three meetings in 2005. The number of presentations at any one meeting would be restricted to not more than two. This would allow time for full discussions with presenters, and for additional items to be added in response to significant developments locally or nationally.

3. Recommendation

3.1 It is recommended that the Standing Conference adopt the plan to receive presentations during 2005 on the topics outlined in this report.

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 of schedules:

(1) Published works

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

None