Issue - meetings

Following finalisation of the Plan by all our partners, to recommend to Council the approval of the Youth Justice Strategic Plan.

Reasons for Decisions:

The council has a duty under the Crime & Disorder Act 1998 to formulate a Youth Justice Plan setting out:

·         how youth justice services in their area are to be provided and funded; and

·         how the youth offending team or teams established are to be composed and funded,

·         how they are to operate and what functions they are to carry out.

The Cabinet Member for Children and Families informed Members that the Council had a duty under the Crime & Disorder Act 1998 to formulate a Youth Justice Plan setting out: (i) how youth justice services in their area were to be provided and funded; (ii) how the youth offending team or teams established were to be composed and funded, (iii) how they were to operate and what functions they were to carry out.

She said that she hoped that Cabinet would agree the Youth Justice Strategic Plan today so that it could then be approved at the County Council meeting on 10 December 2013.

She also said that in Surrey, the delivery of youth justice services was now embedded within the integrated Youth Support Service, following the transformation of Services for Young People that commenced 1 January 2012.

She highlighted the key achievements of the service in Surrey (as set out in paragraph 2 of the report) and made particular reference to Surrey’s restorative justice programme, which was nationally recognised.

She also confirmed that the Plan identified five (and not six) areas of risk.

Other Cabinet Members commented on the report and were very supportive of the work of the service and fully endorsed the Youth Justice Strategic Plan.

The Leader of the Council suggested that the Cabinet Member for Children and Families wrote to Chris Grayling, the Justice Secretary informing him of the notable achievements of Surrey’s youth justice partnerships.

Finally, she thanked Mrs Hammond, who had previously had responsibility for youth justice in her previous portfolio.

RESOLVED:

Following finalisation of the Plan by all our partners, to recommend to Council the approval of the Youth Justice Strategic Plan.

Reasons for Decisions:

The council has a duty under the Crime & Disorder Act 1998 to formulate a Youth Justice Plan setting out:

·         how youth justice services in their area are to be provided and funded; and

·         how the youth offending team or teams established are to be composed and funded,

·         how they are to operate and what functions they are to carry out.