The principal aim of the Youth Justice system, established by section 37 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, is to prevent youth offending and work with young people who offend.
Since April 2000, the government has required every area in the country to set up a Youth Offending Service. The Youth Offending Service brings workers from Probation, Social Services, Police, Education, Health and other local agencies. It also replaces the former youth justice team.
The Youth Offending Service is a multi-agency team brought together to work with young people who offend and to prevent youth offending.
In order to achieve this we have established a range of targets, which include:
reducing the time it takes to deal with a young person from arrest to sentence
reduce rates of re-offending
developing strategies to combat discrimination
reduce truancy and exclusion
ensuring comprehensive resettlement plans for young people leaving custody
working to reduce offending by looked after children
The Youth Offending Service is for all local communities in the borough of Islington Council who are:
young people between 10-17 yrs old
resident in London Borough of Islington
involved in offending
at risk of offending
Appropriate Adults - These are trained volunteers to ensure a young persons rights are observed when they are detained and interviewed by the police.
Final warnings - Assessment Programmes. The Youth Offending Service will assess the risk of re-offending and where appropriate provide a diversionary programme.
Bail support - The Youth Offending Service will provide programmes to support young people who are bailed either at court or on police bail. It includes activities/programmes to prevent re-offending whilst the case is being processed.
Placement in accommodation - Where a young person has been remanded in local authority accommodation.
Pre-Sentence Reports - Provide reports to the courts about young people and the causes of their offending.
Supervising Community Orders - these include supervision orders, reparation orders and action plan orders, probation and combination orders
Detention and Training Orders - This is a new custodial order. Half of the time spent is in custody and the other in the community. The Youth Offending Service will supervise these orders.
Parenting Orders - This requires parents to attend programmes arranged by the Youth Offending Service. The Court can make this order or parents can attend voluntarily.
When working with young people on the above orders the Youth Offending Service will address a range of issues, often in partnership with other agencies. These include:
Office address: 27 Dingley Place, London, EC1V 8BR
Telephone: 020 7527 7050 / 7060
Fax: 020 7527 7066
The office is open 9.30am - 5.30pm, Monday to Friday.
An Islington Youth Offending Service worker is on duty on Islington weekly court day at Thames Youth court.
Ask any member of the court staff for details.
After 5.30 pm and at weekends, Youth Offending Services work is covered for emergencies only by the Emergency Duty Team - contact them on 020 7226 0992 .
Page Last Updated: 31 October 2008