Police work with university to reduce youth reoffending

INNOVATIVE work by Devon and Cornwall Police aims to reduce youth reoffending and prevent children entering the youth criminal justice system.

Researchers at the University of Exeter are working with a policing team to support the development of better ways to engage, educate and support at-risk young people.

Evidence shows young people who are kept out of the criminal justice system are less likely to offend in the future.

A university review says the success of new “intervention clinics” is largely down to the enthusiasm, commitment and expertise of the officers involved in delivering them, and they are a leap forward in terms of dealing with young offenders.

Children involved in first-time offences are being dealt with through the ontervention clinics, where they receive educational and trauma-informed one-to-one sessions with a specialist police youth intervention officer. During the sessions, officers listen to the child and consider reasons behind their behaviour, referring them to specialist services if they or their families could benefit from further support.

Children have been referred to youth and family intervention teams, diversionary activity and sports groups, drug and alcohol support services, mental health and wellbeing services, safeguarding teams, Victim Support, domestic abuse support services, bereavement and loss support services and autism support.

Police and partner agencies have identified risk factors for children entering the criminal justice system. These include living with family members who offend or use substances, witnessing domestic abuse, experiencing bereavement or loss, being careinvolved, mental health challenges, missing episodes, peer group risks and moving area.

Inspector Lee Groves, who is overseeing the work, said: “By putting in place timely, child-centred support, we can address the causes which may lead a young person to become involved in criminal behaviour and keep them out of the youth criminal justice system.

“So far this work has increased the quality of intervention we have been able to put in place, gives specialist officers time to foster positive encounters with youth offenders and has improved multi-agency collaboration at these critical moments.

“What we want to do is to address the root causes of the behaviour and prevent re-offending. We know acting quickly is critical. Our early results are positive.”

University academics have reviewed and evaluated the intervention clinics and related literature to put together evidence for future development of the scheme. Their research is being used to inform how the clinics will run in the future.

Dr Thomas Ralph and Hayley Gains, from the university’s graduate school of education, have worked with those delivering the clinics to evaluatem and the impact of the current approach.

Dr Ralph said: “We are pleased to support this very important work which is helping to support young people and divert them from reoffending.

“Devon and Cornwall Police is working hard to put in place a system to meaningfully engage with young offenders earlier and help them to more easily assess children at risk of offending and refer them for support.”

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What we want to do is to address the root causes of the behaviour and prevent re-offending. We know acting quickly is critical

Inspector Lee Groves