To receive an update on the Youth Justice Service and consider the Youth Justice Service Annual Plan and make recommendations to the Cabinet.

The Cabinet Member for Children’s Services – Councillor Bye and the Head of Torbay Youth Justice Service – Jon Ralph presented the report on the new Youth Justice Plan for 2025-26 and responses to key lines of enquiry around actions to reduce antisocial behaviour in Torbay and responded to Members’ questions.  The Plan had been submitted to the Youth Justice Board by the statutory deadline of 30 June 2025, with a note that it would be reviewed by the Children and Young People’s Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Board and ratified by the Cabinet.

It was noted that good progress had been made since the last update on the Youth Justice Plan with a single action remaining as red relating to accommodation, which had now been approved but would not be operational until Autumn due to adaptations required and delays as asbestos was found on site.

Members noted that Hayley Costar from Devon and Cornwall Police was unable to attend the meeting but had provided a statement that she had considered the Youth Justice Plan and confirmed that the Police had played an active part in shaping the document and therefore were in broad agreement with its aims.

Sadie Hall, Assistant Director for Women, Children and Young People, NHS Devon (Integrated Care Board – ICB), welcomed the ICB being part of a partnership working together to help reduce youth offending.  Sadie advised as well as working with Torbay Council that she also sat on the Youth Justice Boards in Plymouth and Devon County Council and was committed to working together as part of the ICB’s statutory duties.

Members asked questions in relation to the following:

·                was the antisocial behaviour real or a perception;

·                the data sets were small e.g. 36% of children known to the Service have special educational needs or an Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP), what was the reoffending rate of this cohort (it was noted that this was one of the areas that was disproportionate often due to speech and language difficulties - a written response would be provided);

·                feedback from young people was that there was a lack of things to do in Torbay, meetings had been held with the Divisional Director of Economy, Environment and Infrastructure about using some of the empty shops in Torquay Town Centre for cafes and spaces for young people and how was data being used to create better opportunities for young people, and young people want to know what progress had been made;

·                how much was it a perception from young people that there was not enough to do and how much was the Council not getting the message out to young people;

·                70% of child First Time Entrants (to the formal youth justice system) young people had experienced one or more fixed term exclusions prior to their offence, how many of these had an EHCP (a written response would be provided);

·                there had been a rise in theft and handling stolen goods in 2024/25 with this being the most prevalent category of offending, how many of these cases related to food theft and what proportion of the 73% of children working with the Service in 2024/25 were on free school meals (a written response would be provided);

·                was there a reduction in numbers coming through the Service when the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme was running;

·                could the shoplifting figures be higher with some chains not taking action;

·                what support was offered to the family if a young person was caught stealing food; and

·                was there a problem with county lines and young people getting involved.

Members received the following responses:

·                there were low numbers of young people behaving in an antisocial manner coming through the system.  The focus was around prevention and linking with the work of Operation Town Centres.  The feedback from young people was they would like more things to do, and this would be picked up by the new Youth Hub Manager.  The Youth Justice Service had started providing their own activity programmes and linked into others due to a maximum of five young people on activity programmes.  There was some funding through the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme and Community Safety and this would be used to extend a programme of support to young people.

·                there had been discussions with traders in Fleet Walk but further work was required about the potential impact of different uses and how it may impact on the businesses (a written update would be provided by the Director of Pride in Place). 

·                the report referred to several activities including camps and water sports available for young people but Kole Gjikolaj (Torbay Youth Parliament) advised that he was unaware of them and that some of these activities were less attractive to 15 year olds and over.  It was recognised that there was a need to develop a strategy and ensure better communication of activities to encourage more young people to participate in them;

·                there was praise for the Youth Justice Service and the work they do with young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) as part of the recent SEND Area Inspection report;

·                the theft and shop lifting incidents included some stealing alcohol with the highest amount being food.  It was acknowledged that more work was required to explore the route cause and challenges for people living in deprived communities and what deprives them of outcomes for a better life to see where work could be targeted;

·                there was no obvious change in numbers coming to the Service when HAF programmes were running.  There was a need to build on the strengths of the HAF programme, with the Service taking young people to activities until they were able to go to them on their own as they do not always have family networks or support to take them to activities.  There was also an impact on the young people due to an absent father or lack of positive male adult role models.  The Police Intervention Clinic look at all factors and what else was happening in the young person’s life and look at appropriate intervention to support the individual;

·                not all shopkeepers were reporting theft, especially where there was insufficient evidence to prosecute.  All the prevention work was voluntary so young people only engage with the Service it they want to.  It was noted that the Police in Paignton were working with local supermarkets in Paignton as they had seen a spike in shoplifting.  Whilst there had been a spike in 2024/25, Members were advised that there had not been many thefts reported to the Service in the last two months;

·                a lot of families were known to Children’s Services and the Youth Justice Service would liaise with the Social Worker to identify appropriate support.  The Parenting Support Worker would look at what support was being provided to the family from Children’s Services, but do not have any cash to support the families financially.  They would signpost and use other provisions to support families, including helping to ensure they have access to relevant benefits and support.  Some of the offending was influenced by people outside the family who may not been known.  Exploitation was linked to those young people who were not attending school; and

·                young people were at risk of county lines activities, including moving of drugs but there was a higher risk of five or six young people involved in high end vehicle theft involving domestic burglary breaking into people’s houses to steel the car keys and taking the car, this could also lead to young people driving cars without licences and had contributed towards the increase in theft occurrences.  There was a Police operation targeting adults and young people involved in these crimes.

Resolved (unanimously):

1.       that the Children and Young People’s Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Board welcome the progress made by the Youth Justice Service and partners and thank them for their work in implementing and updating the Youth Justice Service Plan 2025-26; and

2.       that the Cabinet be recommended to approve the Youth Justice Plan for 2025-26.