Issue - meetings

This report presents the Brent Youth Justice Plan 2024-25, which includes an overview of local youth justice progress, priorities and arrangements for monitoring performance.

Following its submission to the Youth Justice Board and consideration by Cabinet on 9 September 2024 Council is being asked to formally adopt the Plan.

The Mayor invited Councillor Grahl, as Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Schools, to introduce a report from the Corporate Director of Children & Young People presenting the Brent Youth Justice Plan 2024-25.  In introducing the report members were advised that the Youth Justice Plan included an overview of local youth justice progress and priorities along with the arrangements for monitoring performance, with the Plan (in accordance with statutory requirements) having been submitted to the Youth Justice Board for review and approval prior to its formal consideration by Cabinet in advance of its recommended adoption by Full Council.

In recognising the commitment and achievements of the Youth Justice Service and the wider partnership work being undertaken to support children and young people who were at risk of or had entered the youth justice system, attention was also drawn to the overall performance achieved by the service particularly in respect of the reduction in number of young people entering the criminal justice system for the first time and low numbers of young people in custody.  The strong performance identified was attributed to the Council’s focus on prevention and engagement with children and young people, with the positive feedback provided through young people and their parents and carers and partnership work on early intervention and preventative support highlighted and thanks expressed to all those working within the Youth Justice Service for their efforts, diligence and innovation in supporting young people.

The Mayor thanked Councillor Grahl for introducing the report and then opened the debate for contributions from other members.

In supporting the proposals outlined as a professional who had worked in the criminal justice system, Councillor Dixon took the opportunity to commend the positive outcomes being achieved within such a challenging context in seeking to provide early intervention and divert young people from entering the criminal justice system and need for continued investment in the engagement and intervention process.  As such she hoped all members would join her in supporting the recommendations within the report.

As no other members indicated they wished to speak the Mayor thanked members for their contribution and invited Councillor Grahl to exercise her right of reply.  In closing the debate, Councillor Grahl took the opportunity to thank members for their support and the Mayor then moved on to put the recommendations in the report to the vote which were declared CARRIED.

Council therefore unanimously RESOLVED following its referral by Cabinet on 9 September 2024 to approve formal sign off and adoption of the Brent Youth Justice Plan 2024-25 as detailed within Appendix A of the report.