The number of children in Nottinghamshire entering the criminal justice system continues to be below the national average.

Figures published in the Nottinghamshire Youth Justice Strategic Plan 2024/25 show that the number of first-time offenders, aged 10 to 17, reduced to 130 per 100,000 of the population in the last financial year compared with 144 in 2022/23.

Meanwhile, the number of children in Nottinghamshire being remanded to youth detention accommodation or sentenced to custody has reduced year on year and is well under the national average – building on the ongoing drive to support children through community orders.

The aims of the Youth Justice Service (YJS) are to focus on reducing the number of children offending, reducing the frequency and rate of reoffending, and to keep children’s experience of custody to a minimum.

Nottinghamshire County Council plays a key role in the multi-agency partnership, with the plan outlining progress against last year’s priorities:

  • Developing a shared diversionary vision across the partnership;
  • Improving arrangements for children on multiple pathways;
  • Strengthening the approach to addressing serious youth violence and exploitation;
  • Improving access to mental health and speech and language provision.

 

Councillor Tracey Taylor, the county council’s Cabinet Member for Children and Families, said it was once again ‘encouraging’ that Nottinghamshire continues to perform better than the national average in key areas.

She said: “This is really encouraging news and the good outcomes build on the dedication and hard work of the teams who are involved in diverting young people away from the criminal justice system.

“However, as I have said previously, while I welcome the figures, it is important to remember that this is not about numbers but making a difference to people’s lives.

“Many of these young people have experienced significant neglect, trauma or exploitation and often have multiple and complex needs.

“Therefore, it is vital that we continue to build on the strong foundations as a partnership to ensure we further improve the difference we make to our children and young people’s lives and the experience of our wider communities.

“One of the most important ways to divert a young person away from offending is by making sure they have an appropriate education and employment path.

“We want to ensure that, where there are behaviours which place children at risk of coming into contact with the police, they are identified early and there is support in place to enable them to safely remain in education and be diverted away from the criminal justice system.

“I am proud of the work that has taken place through the Youth Justice Service in developing and delivering this strategy.

“The outcomes from the last year have been very positive and we will be continuing the work to ensure that we keep seeing these changes and continue to reduce the number of young people entering the youth justice system.”

Moving forward, the partnership has identified the following key priorities for 2024/25 which are detailed within the plan:

  • Education to be an increasingly protective factor for children: working with schools and settings to make sure children get the right support at the right time;
  • Improve the health outcomes for children working with the Youth Justice Service;
  • Work with partners to identify and meet the needs of children in the community, reducing vulnerability;
  • Ensure that children who are subject to bail and remand processes receive a high quality of service;
  • To develop and implement a diversity strategy and framework to support staff in assessing and delivering interventions that reflect children's protected characteristics.

 

The partnership will also be working to increase its understanding of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) who are working with the service and to strengthen the autism pathway for those children who are struggling to access services.

One teenage girl, who assaulted another individual in a fight which was shared on social media network Snapchat, has spoken about the support she has received from the YJS.

She sees a mentor once a week and they talk about her emotions and her anger, while she has also received education in relation to the dangers of social media.

The teenager, who was excluded from school following the incident, said: “I learned about how to stay safe and not give my personal information to anyone I didn’t know.”

She has also received help to access support from other services, including a youth club, health services and education.

“My worker helped me see a nurse and that helped me feel better,” she said. “She even helped me get a school offer.”