South Gloucestershire Council

Published: 16/10/2015

South Gloucestershire’s Youth Offending Service has received a very positive inspection report from HM Inspectorate of Probation (HMIP).

HMIP carried out a Short Quality Screening (SQS) of youth offending work in South Gloucestershire between 14 and 16 September. Overall the service was found to be delivering excellent work to reduce reoffending, protect the public, keep children and young people safe, and to ensure that sentences were served.

The inspectors praised staff describing them as skilled, with a good knowledge of the children and young people with whom they were working. They also felt that managers were enthusiastic, dedicated, well-trained and skilled reflective practitioners, who provided high quality and effective management oversight to support good outcomes.

Inspectors also stated that case managers were highly skilled at keeping children and young people safe, and that supervisory arrangements were excellent. In addition, risk of harm assessments were consistently thorough and the quality of risk management plans was consistently good.

Chair of the Children & Young People Committee Cllr Jon Hunt said: “I was delighted to hear the excellent results of this inspection, congratulations to the whole Youth Offending Service for such a positive and well deserved outcome. The team do a lot of important work to improve the outcomes for young people in South Gloucestershire, and it’s great that their efforts have been recognised in this glowing report.”

The inspectors recommended just two areas that require further strengthening, suggesting that there should be collaborative engagement with every child, young person and parent/carer in the completion of all assessments and plans, and that diversity needs identified should be fully integrated into how work is carried out.

To view the full report visit www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprobation/inspections/southgloucestershiresqs/