It is well established that high numbers of children who come to the attention of youth justice services have complex support needs, low levels of educational attainment, and far more unmet health needs than other children. An online survey was undertaken between October and December 2009 to investigate how staff from youth offending teams (YOTs) identify and support children with particular impairments and difficulties, and what support they in turn receive. Responses were received from over half of YOTs in England and Wales; there were 208 responses from 89 YOTs. The impairments and difficulties included were: mental health problems, IQs of less than 70, communication difficulties, ADHD, autistic spectrum disorder, low levels of literacy, special educational needs, and specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia. The research identified a lack of routine screening and assessment to identify children’s support needs. Although YOT staff spoke highly of specialist services and support, many reported gaps in provision. The survey found that: only around half of YOT staff said they received any training to help identify when children might have particular impairments and difficulties; most YOTs did not use screening or assessment tools or procedures to identify children with learning disabilities; fewer than 1 in 10 staff said their YOT kept statistics on the number of children with disabilities serving court orders; and more than 1 in 5 staff said their YOT did not have a mental health worker. Most YOT staff reported that children with these impairments were more likely to receive a custodial sentence. This report also includes the findings of 3 focus groups, which took place in July 2010, looking specifically at the issue of custodial sentences.
It is well established that high numbers of children who come to the attention of youth justice services have complex support needs, low levels of educational attainment, and far more unmet health needs than other children. An online survey was undertaken between October and December 2009 to investigate how staff from youth offending teams (YOTs) identify and support children with particular impairments and difficulties, and what support they in turn receive. Responses were received from over half of YOTs in England and Wales; there were 208 responses from 89 YOTs. The impairments and difficulties included were: mental health problems, IQs of less than 70, communication difficulties, ADHD, autistic spectrum disorder, low levels of literacy, special educational needs, and specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia. The research identified a lack of routine screening and assessment to identify children’s support needs. Although YOT staff spoke highly of specialist services and support, many reported gaps in provision. The survey found that: only around half of YOT staff said they received any training to help identify when children might have particular impairments and difficulties; most YOTs did not use screening or assessment tools or procedures to identify children with learning disabilities; fewer than 1 in 10 staff said their YOT kept statistics on the number of children with disabilities serving court orders; and more than 1 in 5 staff said their YOT did not have a mental health worker. Most YOT staff reported that children with these impairments were more likely to receive a custodial sentence. This report also includes the findings of 3 focus groups, which took place in July 2010, looking specifically at the issue of custodial sentences.
Subject terms:
learning disabilities, mental health problems, screening, special educational needs, vulnerable children, young offenders, youth justice, youth offending teams, assessment, autistic spectrum conditions;