Changing Behaviour and Enhancing Well-Being Policy (Youth Justice)
What's Important To Us
Our social work interventions acknowledge the child/young person as a member of their local community through carefully monitored and regularly reviewed restorative plans. These plans will reflect a genuine engagement with, and understanding of, the child/young person, their needs and how best to motivate them to change.
Timely assessment and engaging supports are an integral part of generating change and positive outcomes for children/young people. With these in place, Child, Youth and Family (CYF) can respond to a child/young person offending and work toward the prevention of re-offending.
This policy outlines the actions required to support a Court or family group conference plan for a child or young person.
Changes to the family group conference plan by Youth Court
Where a young person is before the Youth Court for sanctioning or review of the plan, the Judge may alter, add or delete tasks and conditions of the plan. The youth justice coordinator must ensure that those changes are communicated to the young person and the other entitled members of the family group conference. It is important that everyone is aware of what is expected from the young person and others to successfully complete his or her plan.
Assessment and planning to identify the child or young person's needs
All plans must be individualised to the specific child or young person. They must address the child or young person's offending related needs, other needs, and ensure that community safety is managed. Child, Youth and Family social workers will look to include and build on the child or young person's and their family's strengths.
All plans must focus on engaging the child or young person in education, training or employment.
Assessment and planning to implement the family group conference plan
Where relevant assessments have not been completed prior to the family group conference for a child or young person, or there is insufficient information to implement the plan or parts of it, the youth justice coordinator or the social worker will ensure that the identified assessments are completed before the plan is signed off as ready for implementation. Where a plan or order has been started the social worker, in conjunction with the youth justice coordinator, will need to consider how new information that may impact the effectiveness of the plan is then incorporated into the plan. This also applies to assessments and other information required for reconvened family group conferences.
Supporting the child or young person and their family with their individualised plan
The child or young person's individualised plan must be monitored and reviewed as per the agreed timeframes. Doing so will support the child or young person and their family to complete the plan and achieve its objectives. Contact with the child or young person and their family must occur at the frequency necessary to support the plan and the needs of the child or young person.
If the youth justice social worker was not allocated pre-family group conference, he or she will meet with the child or young person within five working days of the completion of the family group conference or where applicable the family group conference being approved by the Youth Court.
Supporting victims
Plans must have a focus on "putting things right" for the victim and reflect their expectations in the decisions, recommendations and plan.
The youth justice coordinator ensures that a copy of the decisions, recommendations and plans coming out of the family group conference are given or sent to the victim whether or not they attend (s265(1)(f)).
The youth justice coordinator or social worker must ensure that victims receive the updates they have requested in accordance with s269A to be kept informed of the young person's progress on the plan,
As a matter of good practice, the youth justice coordinator or social worker will ensure that the victim is informed of the outcome of family group conference plan, whether the plan has been completed or not. This information should be restricted to indicating whether the plan was completed or where not completed, advising what action has been taken to address this (e.g. reconvene, breach etc).
Reassessment
TRAX will be used to reassess children (aged 12 years and over) and young people who have offended where they have been subject to a TRAX as part of case planning. This includes at the following points:
- prior to case closure
- when a s334 Report by the social worker is required
- when a s308C Progress report is required
- when a s320 Effectiveness report is required
- when a child or young person re-offends during his or her current intervention
Where an application of TRAX has been completed within the preceding 3 months professional judgement will guide whether a re-assessment is undertaken. If a TRAX has been completed, but is more than 3 months old, a re-assessment is required (see Practice tools policy).
Reapplication of TRAX should focus on those dynamic risk factors that were identified and addressed, and any care needs that required actions as a result of the family group conference or a court order.
Management of high risk children and young people
See Management of High Risk Children and Young People Policy.
Review
The date and method of review will have been agreed at the conference and noted in the written plan sent out to entitled members.
It is the youth justice coordinator's responsibility to complete the review and to enter the result in CYRAS.
The review must record the outcomes of the tasks required by the family group conference and whether the plan has been satisfactorily completed. It will also state where the child or young person is living and how they are engaged in education, training or employment.
See Key Information: Making it work - Monitoring and reviewing the youth justice family group conference.
Updated 1 October 2010
