When you are discussing youth offending jobs, a lot of the time, you are mostly thinking about a role such as a probation officer who works with minors. However, there’s actually a lot more roles than this. Some of which form the integral youth offending teams across the UK. In this article, we will look at what roles and responsibilities youth offending teams have and who they work with.
To put it simply, youth offending teams work with young people that get into trouble with the law. This will often mean looking into the background of a young person who has offended in some way or another and actively work with them to deter them from going further down that path. Alongside this they will also run local crime prevention programmes, which are voluntary programmes for youths to attend after violating the law, performing antisocial behaviour, or seen at risk of committing a crime.
Another responsibility of youth offending teams is to help young people at a police station if they get arrested. As well as helping young people and their families if they go to court. If a young person is sentenced to custody, then youth offending teams will also keep in contact with the young offender until they are released. If a young person has received a community sentence, then it is the role of youth offending teams to supervise this sentence.
Usually it will be the police that get in contact with youth offending teams. This will happen if a young person gets in trouble and/or are arrested by the police. If parents or carers have concerns about a young person’s behaviour however, they too can get in contact with youth offending teams.
In terms of how youth offending teams fit into the criminal justice system, it is important to be aware that they are part of a local council and separate from the courts or the police. Yet they will often work alongside the police, as well as with probation officers. Away from the criminal justice system, youth offending teams will also work regularly with children’s services, schools, charities, and the local community. These lines of communication allow problems to be raised before they snowball. As well as having an extensive network to help with various forms of rehabilitation and other aid.
Overall, these teams allows children and young people a support network separate from the justice system. They offer help and direction in a young person’s most troubling experiences, playing a key role within youth offending issues.
