‘Inspirational’ leadership team working with young offenders on Teesside praised by inspectors

Staff working with young offenders in Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland have been praised for their “tenacious efforts” to achieve “aspirational outcomes” for children. The South Tees Youth Justice Service supervises children aged ten to 17, some of whom have complex needs and may be in local authority care.

The service has now been rated overall ‘good’ after an inspection which looked at leadership, staffing and facilities; and the management of children serving court sentences, along with those having been given cautions or community-based reparation.

Children were encouraged to have aspirational goals, and they were supported in identifying and accessing provision that could help them to achieve these goals, often beyond the duration of a court disposal they were subject to or other order. The inspection by Inspector Caren Jones, of His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation (HMIP), which took place in July, also described an “inspirational” leadership team.

Chief Inspector of Probation, Martin Jones, said: “This inspection took place at a time of change within South Tees YJS and despite increased workloads and the impact of short-term funding arrangements, leaders and practitioners were tenacious in their efforts to achieve aspirational outcomes for children.”

Staff workloads were described as “busy but manageable” with the recruitment of an additional case manager and victim worker alleviating some pressures.

Improvements were, however, needed in some areas. Gaps in statutory service provision were identified, hindering efforts to support children to achieve positive change and keep communities safe.

Health services to support children’s physical, emotional, mental health and wellbeing were limited, a subsequent report said. The management board, meanwhile, needed to have a more tangible impact and governance arrangements required further development since there was an over-reliance on the steer provided by the service’s leadership team.

The report highlighted “high quality” work with young people, although improvement was required in developing engagement with victims, something recognised and forming part of an action plan.

The report said: ”Inspectors noted several examples of effective planning that focused on the needs and wishes of the victims. However, victims’ needs and wishes were not consistently considered in all cases and there were missed opportunities to plan for victim safety measures.”

Eight recommendations in all were made, including:

• Consistently capturing and analysing the voices of children, parents and carers, and victims to inform reviews of policies, processes and provision

• Continuing to prioritise the strategic oversight of work with victims and ensure there are effective links between victim services in South Tees

• Continuing to improve healthcare provision across the full range of mainstream and specialist health pathways, to ensure that children’s physical, emotional, mental health and wellbeing needs are met

• Ensuring all statutory partners are consistently represented on the management board, and are of sufficient seniority to provide effective oversight and strategic decision-making.

Mr Jones added: “What we found at South Tees YJS was encouraging and I believe the recommendations made in this report will enable the service to build on its existing strengths and make the important improvements needed.”

The report referenced the violent riots that took place in Middlesbrough in August 2024 when a number of children and young people were identified as being involved. It said the local youth justice service and Cleveland Police had worked together to develop a measured and cohesive response to supporting children, while keeping communities safe from further harm.

Councillor Philippa Storey, Middlesbrough Council ’s executive member for education and culture, said: “The work we and our partners do with children involved in the criminal justice system could not be more important, and it’s essential that we get it right. These are critical moments in young people’s lives and ones that can have a lasting impact on their life chances.

“The findings by HMIP are overwhelmingly positive and are a clear indication that the service is well run and making a real difference. There can never be any room for complacency, but this is a really solid foundation on which we can build for the future.”

Councillor Carrie Richardson, the deputy leader of Redcar and Cleveland Council, said officers working for the service were highly dedicated and carried out “very challenging” work. She said further improvements would help towards a “positive impact on individual lives and the wider community for decades to come”.

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