Support for young people

We need to hear your voice. 

Without it, how can we truly understand you; your life and the journey that brought you to the youth justice service?  This could take time-but we’re here for you. 

You have your own case manager who is your ‘go to’ person, but also you may also be supported by other members of our team. The support given will depend on what help you may need. Our team will work hard to provide a safe and trusting space for you to give your story. They will also plan for the work together that will ensure you can have a positive and successful future.

The issues we might identify and help you with include:

• bad things that have happened in the past (trauma)
• Problems with emotions and feelings
• People are taking advantage and forcing you to do things you do not want to: Intimately (CSE); criminally (CCE)
• Drinking and taking drugs too much and/or too often
• Finding relationships hard: abusive; destructive; hard to maintain
• School is not going well: poor attendance; struggling to manage the work; problems with other people; bullying
• Struggling to get education, training, employment after leaving school
• Challenges at home: having to care for my family/parents; not getting on with family; my home isn’t safe
• Homelessness issues

Find out more about support for young offenders.

Support for children attending court

We know that attending court can be stressful for the child, and their parents/carers.   So we ensure that you have some additional support during this time.

Our staff will support you through the process by:

• being at all youth court hearings
• Taking time to speak to the child (including visiting the child in the cells if appropriate)
• Checking on the welfare of all present
• providing information about the proceedings
• offering advice and support to the young person and their parents/carers
• offering advice to the magistrate and recommending an appropriate sentence
• supporting the young person if they receive a custodial sentence. They will assess how vulnerable they are and whether they are at risk of self-harm. They will then share this with the receiving establishment
• Ensuring child, parents and carers have all the information they need after the hearing has taken place. This will include: next court date; next appointments; explain the outcome; provide details of the custodial establishment if the child is detained.
• collecting and processing information about the court results
• Seeking feedback on how we can improve our service to all

At least one of your parents or carers must attend court to support you.

• Find out more about support for young people attending court.
• Find out more about information about young people in custody.

Bail and remand support service

The youth court will try to deal with court cases as soon as possible. If, for some reason, the magistrate is not able to deal with the case right away you may be put on bail (with or without conditions).  If the magistrates are worried that you may commit further offences while on bail, they may ask for a support programme to be provided.

We can offer support to you while you are on bail. Taking into account your circumstances, we help the magistrates to decide if you should be put on bail or remanded in custody.

If you are remanded to Youth Detention Accommodation, you will go to a secure home or young offender institute.  We will help and support you while you are on bail or remand, to keep you out of trouble and make sure you attend your court case.

Support with transitions

Every young person has to manage changes in their lives. Some of these transitions are formal and shared by most leaving school at 16, becoming an adult at 18 and others are unexpected or are driven by circumstance.

We will seek to plan with the child and their parents/carers to ensure they can maximise the planned transitions. We are also there to provide support and guidance so other transitions are managed as positively as possible.

Additional information