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Seen and heard: supporting vulnerable children in the youth justice system
- Author:
- TALBOT Jenny
- Publisher:
- Prison Reform Trust
- Publication year:
- 2010
- Pagination:
- 92p., bibliog.
- Place of publication:
- London
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.
Vulnerable defendants in the criminal courts: a review of provision for adults and children
- Authors:
- JACOBSON Jessica, TALBOT Jenny
- Publisher:
- Prison Reform Trust
- Publication year:
- 2009
- Pagination:
- 68p., bibliog.
- Place of publication:
- London
The focus of this report is the treatment of vulnerable defendants within the criminal courts of England and Wales. In Chapters 1 to 4 existing provision for vulnerable adult defendants, especially those with learning disabilities, are reviewed. Chapters 5 to 9 concentrate on child defendants aged between 10 and 17, all vulnerable because of their age but many due to, for example, communication and emotional difficulties can be viewed doubly vulnerable. Integral to the Prison Reform Trusts’ No One Knows’ and ‘Out of Trouble’ programs and in the context of the Bradley review and ‘Improving Health, Supporting Justice’ both published in 2009, this report considers to what extent offenders with mental health problems or learning disabilities and children, who may find the language of court difficult, can be protected from standard proceedings by implementing court liaison and diversion arrangements which will support them through the criminal justice system or into health and social care. Seven recommendations to improve are made for vulnerable adults and ten for vulnerable children. The Norwich Combined Courts Assessment scheme, mental health courts pilots in Brighton and Stratford, the Liverpool Investigations Support Unit and the youth justice liaison and diversion pilots are presented, by the authors, as examples of good practice.