To consider the draft Torbay Youth Justice Plan for 2026-2027 and make recommendations to Cabinet.

To receive an update on the Youth Service.

The Cabinet Member for Children’s Services – Councillor Bye, Director of Children's Services – Nancy Meehan and Head of Service, Torbay Youth Justice Services – Jon Ralph provided an overview of the submitted report on Torbay Youth Justice Plan 2026 – 27.  Key points included:

·        Key objectives include:

o   ensuring children were accessing appropriate education provision;

o   reducing the use of rolling targets;

o   lowering reoffending rates;

o   tackling criminal exploitation of children in Torbay; and

o   increasing support for victims.

·        The plan was due to be presented to Cabinet in June and must be submitted to Government by the end of June 2026 as part of a statutory requirement.

·        There are already positive outcomes from existing work, although challenges remain, particularly in bringing some facilities or services into full use.

·        First-time entrants into the justice system continue to be an area of concern, with offending rates fluctuating.

·        The “Child First” approach was being embedded, reflecting a national initiative to treat children as children, avoid criminalisation, and focus on keeping them in education.

·        Work was ongoing with education providers and children’s services to support school engagement and prevent exclusion.

·        Additional funding had been secured through community sources to support a summer activity programme for young people.

Members asked questions in respect of the following:

·        What impact did children not in education, including those who are home educated, have on the service?

·        To what extent were children excluded from schools, prior to becoming home educated and what opportunities exist for reintegration into schools?

·        How effectively did schools engage with the Youth Justice Service?

·        How would the Town Centre Manager role support the management of anti-social behaviour?

·        How were services responding to the high levels of child poverty among those children known to the service?

·        What evidence was there that demonstrated that current interventions were reducing offending and associated risks? and

·        What learning had been taken from other areas in reducing first-time entrants and addressing exploitation.

The following responses were received:

·        The number of home-educated children was relatively small locally, although this is a national issue;

·        Pilot schemes with specialist placements were supporting children at risk of exclusion, with a view to reintegration into mainstream education;

·        Dedicated support was in place to work with schools and re-engage young people in education;

·        The Town Centre Manager would work with partners to improve safety in key areas, although the impact is not yet known;

·        High levels of child poverty were influencing service delivery, with increased focus on basic needs and wellbeing;

·        Offending patterns, including theft and shoplifting, had been linked in some cases to lack of access to food or unstable home environments;

·        Initiatives such as cooking programmes, youth hubs and partnerships with local organisations were supporting young people with life skills and access to food;

·        Work was ongoing with partners to address exploitation, including targeted interventions and case reviews; and

·        Learning from other areas and detailed reviews of high-risk cases had informed future approaches to reducing offending and exploitation.

Resolved (unanimously):

That the Children and Young People’s Overview and Scrutiny Board noted the and recommended Cabinet to approve the Youth Justice Plan for 2026-27.