National Standards for Youth Justice Service 2013: Summary of the key changes

1. National Standards for Youth Justice Service 2013:Summary of the key changes

2. Contents • The key changes introduced by National Standards for Youth Justice Services 2013 • Some information about the impact for case management recording

3. Statement of purpose Description This section describes in unambiguous terms the policy and operational foundations upon which the standards have been developed.

4. Strategic management standards Description This section gathers in one section all the expectations for the strategic management and governance of youth justice services. It is divided into 3 sections: • generic standards (which apply to all such management and governance activities); • community specific standards; and • custody specific standards.

5. National Standard 1: preventing offending Description This section defines expectations in relation to ensuring that the YOT is equipped to deliver effective interventions if and when children / young people are referred to them, before they enter the criminal justice system. There have been significant changes in relation to the prevention landscape over recent years, in particular the transfer of funding to police crime commissioners and the consequent diversity in how such services are delivered. In consequence, these standards are limited in scope to the core expectations of youth justice services when they are involved in this delivery

6. National Standard 2: out of court disposals Description This section defines expectations for when and how youth justice services become involved in the delivery of out of court disposals. It also includes expectations for the police in relation to the timescales within which they should inform the YOT of any relevant disposals. This section reflects the changes within the LASPO Act. The revisions place a greater emphasis on professional judgement in determining when YOT intervention is required and what the intervention will deliver

7. National Standard 3: bail and remand management Description This section defines expectations for the delivery of bail and remand services to children / young people in the criminal justice system. These standards have been considerably revised to take account of the changes brought in by the LASPO Act. A greater emphasis has been placed on the role of the Court in defining expectations for the delivery of bail packages.

8. National Standard 4: assessment for interventions and reports Description This section outlines expectations for when and how assessments of children / young people in the youth justice system are carried out. The revisions introduce additional flexibility into the assessment framework, with greater emphasis upon professional judgement in determining when and how assessments should be delivered. The revisions also facilitate the introduction in relation to Asset Plus (the planned replacement for Asset).

9. National Standard 5: reports for courts and youth offender panels Description This section outlines expectations for the production and quality of youth justice reports. The revisions remove much of the process and timescale expectations which featured in the 2009 set. A greater emphasis has been placed upon the role of courts and youth offender panels in defining the quality and timescales required for the production of reports. The revisions also include new expectations in relation to the production of reports for civil courts.

10. National Standard 6: work in courts Description This section defines expectations for youth justice practice in court. There have been no substantive amendments to this section.

11. National Standard 7: work with victims of crime Description This section outlines expectation for the work of youth justice services with the victims of crime committed by children / young people. This section has been updated to cover recent developments in relation to the delivery of restorative justice interventions. This is the only standard for which the individual expectations have increased in number.

12. National Standard 8: planning and delivering interventions in the community Description This section outlines expectations surrounding the formulation, delivery and enforcement of youth justice interventions which are delivered in the community. The revisions place greater emphasis on the role for professional judgement in the delivery of interventions. The Scaled Approach model has been amended. There have been no changes made to the Intensive Supervision and Surveillance model.

13. National Standard 9: planning and delivering interventions in custody (including resettlement) Description This section outlines expectations surrounding the delivery of youth justice interventions which in custody. The revisions reflect changes to case management practice introduced in September 2012. They place greater emphasis upon education and resettlement. They also mend established problems with the schedule of meetings during periods of youth detention, and facilitate the introduction of the AssetPlus.

14. National Standard 10: long-term custodial sentences Description This section outlines expectations for for the management of long-term sentenced prisoners.

15. Local case recording implications • The YJB recognises that there will be some implications for case recording • No major impact evident from its analysis of these or from the feedback gathered during the trial of these standards in the community • The YJB will be working closely with services and suppliers to scope these additional requirements • The YJB will advise services further over the coming year of the delivery plans for any necessary case management changes