Issue - meetings

The Committee to consider the Youth Offending Service Annual Report.

The Committee received the Youth Offending Service Annual report which was set out in Agenda pages 27-43.  Sal Thirlway, Service Manager Disabled Children’s Team and Early Help presented the report.

Sal Thirlway stated that the statutory duties of the service were: to reduce the number of first time entrants to the youth justice system; reduce re-offending by those already within the youth justice system and reduce the number of young people receiving a custodial sentence.

Sal Thirlway stated that although there had been an increase in re-offending rates, Wokingham still compared favourably when compared to neighbouring local authorities and nationally.

Sal Thirlway stated that the report presented historical data from the Youth Justice Board as well as locally collected data.

Councillor Helliar-Symons pointed out that the graph on page 34 showed that Wokingham was well below the national average for first time entrants.  She believed that the number of re-offenders may have gone up as a result of a different tracking system.  She wished to congratulate the Youth Offending Service team on their work and in achieving such good results.

Members noted that it was frustration to have to work with old data.  Sal Thirlway explained that the Youth Justice Board had changed the way the data was tracked for the ‘First Time Entrants’ indicator half way through the year, which was not helpful.  The local indicator was tracked differently.

Sal Thirlway informed that the number of re-offender was very low, however the statistics were impacted by two prolific re-offenders.

In response to a question Sal Thirlway informed that ‘county lines factor’ (mentioned on page 33 of the agenda) referred to how gangs used young people to move into different areas to sell drugs.  He stated that there was national concern in relation to ‘county lines’.

Members wondered if the cut backs in youth services a few years back had had an impact in the number of youth offences.

Carol Cammiss believed that the issue was the increase in the number of Child Care Protection Plans (CPP).  As a result of cut backs in services, issues were not being picked up early and children were being put on CPPs later than they should have been, consequently having very demanding needs.

Councillor Bray stated that Winnersh Parish Council had been trying to set up youth services. The whole process had been very laborious, and communicating with Wokingham Borough Council had been particularly difficult.  She would welcome anything that could be done to facilitate the process.

RESOLVED That the report be noted.