Issue - meetings

To disclose any pecuniary, other registrable or non-registrable interests as set out in the adopted Code of Conduct. In making their decision councillors are asked to state the agenda item, the nature of the interest and any action they propose to take as part of their declaration.

If required, further advice should be sought from the Monitoring Officer in advance of the meeting.

There were no declarations of interest

To consider a report by the Service Manager for Dorset Combined Youth Offending Service.

The Service Manager, Dorset Combined Youth Offending Service presented a report on Children in Care at risk of offending and of the work being carried out to address these issues.

Members were advised that the number of Dorset children in care entering the justice system for the first time had reduced in the last three years. There has also been a reduction in the number of children in care receiving a formal youth justice ‘outcome’.

No Dorset children in care had been remanded or sentenced to custody in the last two years. The Board discussed the report and asked a number of questions in relation to:-

·         Engagement with employees and unions in respect of health and safety issues and acknowledging the importance that employees feel safe in the work space.

·         It was noted that restorative justice approach should be a key element for victim led outcomes.

·         Further work on embedding restorative approaches would be carried out in the near future.

·         Members requested the figures of Dorset children in care provision outside of Dorset. They recognised the importance of each child either in the Dorset area or outside of it, was being treated equally.

·         Noted that following the first COVID lockdown the justice system backlog had been cleared locally.

·         Welcomed the approach to engagement through a combination of a speech and language assessment and a trauma formulation to enable YOS workers and other professionals to respond to individual(s) requirements.

·         The Service Manager confirmed that the approach of additional speech and language therapists had transformed the service.

·         Acknowledged that the local Protocol for Reducing the Criminalisation of Children in Care was working well and would be subject to ongoing scrutiny and improvement.

Decision

The Board noted and supported the work being carried out to reduce the criminalisation and offending of children in care.