Source · Select Committees · Justice Committee
Recommendation 5
5
Accepted
Paragraph: 42
We note that there are inconsistencies in the provision and practice of diversion schemes across...
Recommendation
We note that there are inconsistencies in the provision and practice of diversion schemes across England and Wales. We recommend that the Ministry of Justice and Youth Justice Board work together to set out national guidance on out-of-court disposal work. As suggested by the Centre for Justice Innovation, this guidance should include an evidence base for out-of-court disposals, examples of good practice and a framework for data recording.
Government response summary AI-generated
The government states that statutory guidance for youth out-of-court disposals already exists and is kept under review. The YJB has also published additional guidance, which is currently undergoing revision, and hosts a resource hub with best practice examples.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Paragraph Reference:
42
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government · verbatim extract
Accepted
16. There is already statutory guidance in place for youth out-of-court disposals,3 which we keep under review. While some variation in use of out-of-court disposals will arise from appropriate differences in local practice, it is important that there is clear guidance for practitioners and officers about the framework they should be operating in. We are interested to hear about ways in which guidance could be clarified to better meet the needs of practitioners. In addition to the national guidance, the YJB has published a number of key pieces of guidance covering out-of-court disposals including Standards for Children in the Youth Justice System4 and Case Management Guidance: Section 1,5 which are currently undergoing revision. 17. In addition, the Youth Justice Resource Hub hosts various sources of published information relating to out-of-court disposals, including examples of best practice from YOTs across England and Wales. The YJB is committed to building the range of practice examples available via this site to support practitioners and local services in developing their own practice. As set out above, the YJB has been collecting data on Community Resolutions and other informal outcomes with YOT intervention since April 2020.
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