National Standards Freedoms and Flexibilities Trial: YOT Management Board

1. National Standards Freedoms and Flexibilities Trial: YOT Management Board

2. Agenda • Why are we having a trial set of National Standards? • The drivers • The benefits • What is in scope? • How will the trial run? • What will the evaluation involve? • YOT Management Board Responsibilities • How will the YJB support the project? • How will we know if it’s been successful or not? • Next steps?

3. Why are we having a trial set of National Standards? The trial is an opportunity to test and evaluate the impact of: • Increasing opportunity for professional discretion in line with Justice Green Paper recommendations • Increasing local freedoms and flexibilities. • Delivery within the new environment of increased local accountability and local determination.

4. The drivers • The Justice Green paper • Localism agenda; professional discretion • Feedback from the field following implementation of the Scaled Approach • The National Offender Management Service’s (NOMS) Professional Judgement Project

5. The benefits • Increased time for effective interventions • Reducing bureaucracy • Increased time for more intense cases • Increased sense of value for YOT staff and their professionalism • Improved managerial oversight • More meaningful set of National Standards • Improved sentencer and stakeholder confidence • Greater alignment with current political landscape

6. What is in scope? The trial will cover all National Standards relating to: Prevention Pre-court Statutory community work

7. How will the trial run? • The trial standards will be available for YOTs to use from 1st April 2012 • The trial standards set out minimum requirements for YOTs • The YOT will have time to reflect on their practice and agree and implement changes according to local context • Evaluation of the trial will commence in October 2012 – Feb 2013 • Feedback through the evaluation process will be used to amend the Standards • Final set of Standards will be launched April 2013

8. What will the evaluation involve? • The ultimate purpose of the evaluation is to inform the development of a finalised set of standards for implementation in 2013/14. • The evaluation will draw heavily on the views of YJ professionals, their managers and key stakeholders and will include: • Impact upon delivery of YJ services • Impact upon the quality of YJ services • Impact upon current outcomes • Impact upon future outcomes • A review of the structure of the standards themselves

9. YOT Management Board responsibilities • Ensure that there is a clear policy for articulating how the transition to the new National Standards will be made and what, if any, local standards will be developed to ensure team consistency. . • Ensure that the local case management guidance articulates what are the practitioner and managerial expectations around case recording which will allow them to develop effective managerial oversight and exercise professional judgement. • Ensure quality assurance systems are amended where necessary • Ensure participation in the YJB evaluation

10. How will the YJB support the project? • A National Standards webpage has been created on the MOJ website. • A range of materials have been developed including briefing packs and information resources which are available to all through links on the webpage • Road show events being held in 5 locations to assist YOTs with implementation of the National Standards • A National Standards email box has been set up to deal with queries

11. How will we know if it’s been successful or not? • Delivery of the stated benefits • The findings from the evaluation process • Feedback from yourselves and other key stakeholders

12. Next steps • Agree reporting mechanisms to deal with issues & risks if and when they arise • Include the National Standards trial within your normal agenda • Clarify how you can best support your YOT manager during the trial and evaluation period

13. Thank You for Your Time,Any Questions?