1. Preventing offending: getting it right for children and young people
whole system approach
making a
difference
Preventing offending:
getting it right for children and young people
Youth Justice Team and Children’s Hearings
Scottish Government

2. whole system approach
making a
difference

3. whole system approach Aim of today
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Aim of today
Explain the reasons for refresh of strategy
Highlight key findings from WSA Evaluation
Brief look at Preventing offending: getting it right for children and young people
Explore moving from strategy to implementation
Listen to your views on how we can support this

4. whole system approach Youth Justice Strategy Refresh Why? making a
difference
Youth Justice Strategy Refresh
Why?

5. whole system approach
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Collaborative Approach

6. whole system approach
making a
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Youth Justice: Fixed in the past or fit for the future?
“Strategy is not the consequence of planning, but the opposite: its starting point”
and
“Planning doesn’t produce strategy - it produces plans”
Henry Mintzberg

7. whole system approach In 2012-13,
making a
difference
In ,
4% of 8-17 year olds or 1 in 25 were found to have committed a crime or offence
Other stats:
Number of young people 16/17 year olds serving a sentence on 13 November – SPS stats 2011 – ↓ 47%
Number of young people 16/17 year olds on remand on 13 November – SPS stats 2011 – – 20 ↓ 60% 7

8. whole system approach
making a
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9. whole system approach
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10. whole system approach
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11. whole system approach making a difference
This is a real good demonstration that fewer young people are ending up with convictions, therefore less will end up with a criminal records leading to better chances of education and employment opportunities. 11

12. whole system approach WSA Evaluation Broad Objectives:
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WSA Evaluation
Broad Objectives:
Assess the progress towards short and medium term outcomes
Establish areas of success and challenges to achieving self-sustainability
Examine mechanisms of partnership working and flexibility of approach
Assess whether there has been change or realignment in the use of resources and drivers for change
Demonstrate whether WSA is delivering better outcomes for young people
Establish the lessons learnt for sustainability of WSA to share widely

13. whole system approach WSA Evaluation
making a
difference
WSA Evaluation
Practitioners expressed a clear commitment to principles, goals and values of the WSA.
WSA has been a galvanising factor in driving improvements in partnership working, information-sharing and shared learning across agencies and in turn improving outcomes for children and young people.
Flexibility in implementing WSA across local authority areas may be necessary to adapt to different conditions and local demands, including variations in local authority size, scale and structure.

14. whole system approach WSA Evaluation
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WSA Evaluation
WSA operates within a broader landscape – in both policing and social work - where working practice and arrangements may differ from the WSA ethos. There is a difficult balance for practitioners between responding to young people’s needs, as per the WSA, and reacting to offending behaviour.
Long term sustainability of WSA in any given authority is predicated upon staff expertise and their dedication to WSA. Champions are important resources in this context.
‘Buy-in’ to WSA policy and practice cannot be assumed; ongoing work is required to sustain WSA values across and within partner agencies

15. whole system approach Youth Justice Strategy
making a
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Youth Justice Strategy
WSA evaluation indicates that we are on the right direction
Priority themes –
Advancing the Whole System Approach
Improving Life Chances
Developing Capacity and Improvement

16. whole system approach Advancing the Whole System Approach
making a
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Advancing the Whole System Approach
Develop, sustain and improve WSA
Encourage and support WSA leaders and practitioners to promote good practice and highlight the benefits achieved through this approach, support partners to embed preventing offending work in Community Planning following changes in Community Justice
Support partners to integrate Early and Effective Intervention (EEI) with the implementation of the 2014 Act, including development of EEI practice to ensure consistency and appropriate involvement of the Named Person

17. whole system approach Advancing the Whole System Approach
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Advancing the Whole System Approach
Effective interventions
Maximise the opportunities for diversion from the Criminal Justice System and formal processes to respond swiftly and bring action on offending much closer to the offence and to encourage greater use of diversion across the Criminal Justice System
Minimise delay in proceedings involving children. Continue to improve the exchange of information between Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) and (Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration (SCRA) in relation to jointly reported cases involving children

18. whole system approach Improving Life Chances School inclusion
making a
difference
Improving Life Chances
School inclusion
Work with school professionals to build capacity and awareness about working with young people involved/at risk of involvement in offending and share good practice throughout Scotland in approaches to school inclusion with a focus on preventing offending
Strengthening relationships and engagement
Help create the conditions for children and young people to be active participants in change and improving youth justice, promote positive relationships between young people, their families and communities to help develop social networks and build resilience
Support workers to build quality and consistent relationships and enable gender specific approaches where appropriate, recognising strengths and needs in relationships as part of part of focus on tackling inequalities.

19. whole system approach Improving Life Chances
making a
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Improving Life Chances
Victims and community confidence
Encourage use of restorative approaches where appropriate, ensure that victims’ rights and needs are systematically reflected in the work undertaken with young people who offend
Encourage better and more regular engagement with communities about youth justice to build awareness of, and support for, the Scottish approach
Improving health and wellbeing
Build on the work already undertaken on substance misuse to include New Psychoactive Substances. Improve understanding and enhance capacity in relation to mental health and trauma through practice development and supporting services for young people
Improve awareness and support of speech, language and communication needs of children involved in offending

20. whole system approach Improving Life Chances Opportunities for all
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Improving Life Chances
Opportunities for all
Ensure that low level offending as a child does not negatively affect opportunities for securing education, training or employment as an adult by implementing changes on disclosure of childhood offences
Build relationships with employers, to help them see the strengths and potential of our children and young people including those who may have a criminal record
Transitions
Support reintegration of young people from custody and secure to allow them to move onto and sustain positive destinations
Improve transitions between children’s and adult justice systems, where needed. Transitions must be planned and supported and take account of Corporate Parenting responsibilities, including the extension of rights of previously looked after young people

21. whole system approach Developing Capacity and Improvement
making a
difference
Developing Capacity and Improvement
Support workforce development linked to implementation of the 2014 Act
Build a more collaborative approach to enhance training and workforce development opportunities founded on common core skills
Develop appropriate forums for youth justice practitioners, policy makers and others to share knowledge and good practice
Build the confidence of youth justice practitioners in their skills and abilities to support our children and young people
Refresh training for Children’s Panel Members taking account of the 2014 Act
Develop leadership development opportunities at all levels but particularly for front line managers

22. whole system approach Developing Capacity and Improvement
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Developing Capacity and Improvement
Improving systems
Improve systems of information capture to support improvement including national information on EEI and diversion
Strengthen the evidence base about the needs of young people at risk of or involved in offending behaviour and complexity
Ensure that good practice and evidence is shared and that youth justice practice and policy is informed by the best knowledge and evidence
Develop a shared dataset and performance framework to monitor trends and assist in targeting of resources, workforce development and practice

23. whole system approach Any Questions Any questions or views on what you
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Any Questions
Any questions or views on what you
have heard so far on the WSA evaluation
or the Youth Justice strategy?
What are the key opportunities and challenges to build on the progress that has been made?
What are your views on the areas that need most support in implementation?

24. whole system approach Care and risk management CARM Attentive Aware
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difference
Active
&
Alert
Care and risk management
CARM
Attentive
Aware

25. whole system approach Getting it Right for Every Child
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Getting it Right for Every Child
The Children and Young People (Scotland)Act 2014 legislates for the implementation of GIRFEC through
Parts 4 – Named Person
Part 5 – Childs Plan
Part 18 – Wellbeing
A named person made available to every child 0-18 years (and beyond if still in school)
A legal requirement to share information with the Named Person as appropriate
A single system for assessment and planning through the Child’s Plan

26. GIRFEC is coming are you ready ..or not?
Communication and Change plan developed and agreed
Right messages shared at the right time with the right people
Partners/colleagues/staff are fully and engaged and involved
New processes and procedures developed
New processes and procedures agreed and documented
Our management structure and network support the named person
Senior managers fully support and endorse new ways of working
Have organised workshops to review processes and procedures with out key partners / colleagues
Policies / guidance updated to reflect GIRFEC compliance
MA training agreed / developed
Have identified Key partners / colleagues we need to communicate with
Stakeholders kept informed of changes and on-board with new ways of working
MA training delivered
Policies and guidance do not reflect GIRFEC compliance
New processes/ procedures implemented
Have not considered / reviewed our EEI processes and procedures to support the named person
Staff on-board with new processes/
procedures
Little / no engagement with our key partners
/colleagues / staff
We have implemented our new processes
Procedures and working practices
Not ready
Making progress
Making good progress
Ready to go
Aug 2016

27. whole system approach Useful links
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Useful links
Preventing offending: Getting it right for children and young people
Preventing offending: Getting it right for children and young people – strategy summary
Evaluation of the Whole System Approach to Young People who Offend in Scotland

28. whole system approach www.gov.scot
making a
difference
More detail on preventing offending by
young people and the whole system approach:
David Doris – Youth Justice Team Leader, Scottish Government
Liz Murdoch– WSA Policy Lead, Scottish Government
Chris Wright – Professional Advisor, Scottish Government
Colin Johnston – Professional Advisor, Scottish Government