About the Hampshire Youth Justice Service (HYJS)
Youth Offending Teams or Youth Justice Services were set up by the Crime and Disorder Act 1998
- Youth Justice Service
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Hampshire Youth Justice Service (HYJS) is a multi-agency team comprising of staff from Children's Services, Probation, Police, Health and volunteers.
- Aims of HYJS
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HYJS’s ambition is to see fewer children and young people involved in the criminal justice system. This will reduce the number of potential victims of crime and promote the confidence and safety of our local communities.
We aim to maximise the potential of every child and young person, delivering quality assessments and interventions which will prevent offending and protect the public.
- All children and young people have the ability and capacity to change and should be given every opportunity to do so
- Effective role modelling of all HYJS staff
- The importance of early help and prevention
- The value of difference, respect, partnership and participation
- Victims should be given the opportunity to have their say and be involved in restorative processes where appropriate
- The importance of keeping the public safe and reducing future victims
- What we do
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HYJS work restoratively, with our partner agencies, to prevent children and young people from offending and re-offending. We also work with the victims of their offences. We try and repair the harm caused to them and the wider community as a whole.
Our Youth Crime Prevention Officers (YCPs) work with young people aged 10 to 16 who are at risk of offending and have not been to court.
If a young person has been involved with the police at a low level, YCP aim to divert them from developing patterns of persistent and more serious offending in the future. Engagement with YCP is on a voluntary basis agreed with the family.
- Parenting support
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Often the parents of young people working with the YJS also require support.
Among the YJS staff is a specialist parenting support coordinator who works with parents who attend a programme either voluntarily, or as a condition of a court order.
