Youth Justice Liaison and Diversion Scheme

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Youth Justice Liaison and Diversion Scheme

• YJB and Department of Health lead by Sainsbury
  Centre for Mental Health

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YJLD Pilot Site

• The Youth Justice Liaison and Diversion (YJLD)
  pilot scheme was developed in 2008 to enhance
  health provision within the youth justice system
  and facilitate help for children and young people
  with mental health and developmental problems,
  speech and communication difficulties, learning
  disabilities and other similar vulnerabilities at
  the earliest opportunity.

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Objectives for the Pilot Sites

• The specific objectives of the YJLD pilot scheme
  are
• To improve early identification at the point of
  entry into the youth justice system (YJS)
  (usually the police custody suite) of under 18
  year olds with mental health, learning,
  communication difficulties or other
  vulnerabilities affecting their well being
• To enhance access for these groups of vulnerable
  young people in the YJS to multi agency support
  equipped to meet their needs
• As appropriate, to divert young people either
  from the YJS towards personalised packages of
  health and social care or, within the YJS, to
  services better equipped to meet their health,
  emotional well being and welfare needs

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Objectives for the Pilot Sites

• To promote more timely and cost effective
  disposal of cases within the court system and
  quicker and earlier linkage to appropriate
  services
• To reduce longer term offending
• To reduce health inequalities
• To support joined-up working between the YOS, the
  police, the local authority, the CPS,
  magistrates, the PCT, CAMHS, and the voluntary
  sector.

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Pilot Sites

• Halton Warrington
• Wolverhampton
• Royal Kensington Chelsea
• Peterborough
• South Tees
• Lewisham

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HWYOT Criteria

• First time entrants
• Young People who have received a Reprimand or
  Final Warning who may not have been involved with
  the police for at least 2 years
• Young people who have been dealt with by
  Restorative Justice
• 10 -17 Years of age

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HWYOT Referrals

• Referrals are received from the following sources
  -
• The Police for young people in custody or being
  processed via Green Book
• CAVAS / PENYS / Restorative Justice
• The Courts / YOT Court Team
• Social Care and other agencies

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HWYOT What Happens Next?

• Social Care / CAF and Camhs checks completed.
• Divert Worker contacts the Parent / Young Person
  and arranges a home visit.
• Assessment is completed and any issues/needs
  identified.
• Referrals made to relevant agencies for
  additional support if appropriate.
• Feedback to be provided to the police via Atlas
  prior to a disposal decision being made.

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HWYOT Partnerships.

• Signposting to other agencies
• Liaising, updating and informing partner
  agencies.
• Working closely with the police

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HWYOT Interventions

• The Diversion Project can provide interventions
  covering areas such as
• Consequential thinking
• Victim awareness
• The Law
• Drug Alcohol Issues
• Anger management

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University of Liverpool Evaluation Report

• Vulnerability area N Example
• Behavioural 709 28
  Anger/aggression
• Social 530 21 Family conflict
• Safeguarding 377 15 Domestic
  violence
• Mental health 291 12 Suspected diagnosable MH
  problem
• Developmental (exc. LD) 149 6 Poor school
  attendance
• Wellbeing/confidence 124 5 Low self-esteem
• Substance misuse 120 5
• Suspected LD 48 2
• Physical health 10 lt1
• Other issues 18 lt1
• None 117 5
• Total 2493 100
• ADHD (49), Conduct Disorder (19),
• Autism Spectrum (19), Depression (15)

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Re-offending Findings

• Results from findings found no statistical
  differences in re-offending between YJLD and
  control sites.
• However, findings found statistically significant
  results to desistance/time to re-offending. There
  is a significantly longer time that elapses to
  the first re-offence for YP who have been
  through the YJLD scheme compared to the control
  sites.
• This raises the prospect of reductions in
  societal and monetary costs of offending

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Re-offending Limitations of Research Sample

• Small sample sizes in individual comparisons
• Low numbers to enable correlations re what works
  for whom
• 4 sites only
• Limited matching between YJLD sites and control
  groups.
• No calculated predicted reconviction rates (no
  Asset or Onset info)
• Other potential confounding factors not taken
  into account (e.g. police, courts, CPS, YOS
  practice other interventions)

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Service User Views Research Study

• 24 in depth face to face interviews (Feb-Sept11)
  
• YP male (n16), female (n8) average age 14.5
  (11-17)
• 11 interviews at YPs home, 13 at YJLD office and
  2 at school

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Service Users Emerging Themes

• Social strain, areas of multiple socio-economic
  deprivation, single parent families, household
  disharmony (incl. as a result of their contact
  with the YJS)
• Disruption of education and difficulties with
  mainstream schools
• Offending appears to be relatively normal
  within YPs peer groups
• Majority report not using alcohol and/or drugs
• Small minority - excessive alcohol consumption
  related to outbursts of serious violence.
• A large number of YP reported difficulties in
  controlling anger, often with violent
  consequences.

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Service Users - Emerging Themes

• YP in contact with and/or receiving services from
  a wide range of professional agencies, e.g. YOT,
  CAMHS, social services.
• YP appear confused about their contact with the
  YJLD (and the YJS in general)
• YJLD - positive, as it appears to meet their
  desire to be understood and helped, especially
  through focused attention and periods of
  one-to-one contact with YJLD practitioners.

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Stakeholders Views Emerging Themes

• All of the professional staff interviewed
  recognised the importance and value of diversion.
  
• Effective referral mechanisms to the YJLD scheme
  are critical for its success.
• Greatest barrier to the implementation of the
  YJLD scheme derived from different competing
  priorities and agendas of partners involved in
  the delivery of the project.
• Different degrees of buy in from partners, even
  though all signed up originally to the scheme.

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Stakeholders Views Emerging Themes

• Relationships with CAMHS were seen as essential
  to addressing mental health, learning
  disabilities and specific vulnerabilities for
  young people referred to YJLD.
• Universal support for making diversion systematic
  or compulsory within police practice.
• Strong expression of opinion that the police
  should be trained to identify, appreciate and
  understand the significance of mental health
  issues in young people.

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Research Recommendations

• Develop a clear and uniform diversion policy and
  practice
• Integrate diversion scheme with existing services
  
• Facilitate appropriate training to YJLD staff
• Promote systematic screening and assessment
• Match interventions to YPs characteristics
• Incorporate youth diversion into police practice
• Promote an outreach, family and community centred
  approach
• Monitor progress and effectiveness
• Encourage dissemination of current results

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HWYOT Divert Project - Future

• HWYOT along with the other 5 Pilot Sites became
  one of 37 Pathfinder Sites across the country at
  the end of 2011.
• These sites continue to receive funding from the
  department of Health whilst the Business Case for
  national rollout is developed and presented to
  the to the Ministers.