Speaking Out Briefing No. 12: HM Government Youth Crime Action Plan
The Home Office, Cabinet Office and Ministry of Justice have jointly published the Youth Crime Action Plan which sets out how government, working with communities, parents, schools and others, will tackle youth crime. This briefing sets out the main elements of the Action Plan and considers the implications for the children and young people’s voluntary and community sector. In July 2008, the Government launched the Youth Crime Action Plan (YCAP) which aims to achieve a ‘truly comprehensive integrated approach to youth crime’. The YCAP sets out a ‘triple track’ approach of enforcement and punishment where behaviour is unacceptable, non-negotiable support and challenge where it is most needed, and better and earlier prevention. As well as immediate actions, the YCAP contains a set of questions proposing longer term approaches to youth crime which are being consulted on until 17 October 2008. The YCAP encompasses a range of issues connected to youth crime including police powers, provision of youth centres, safeguarding and family intervention schemes. The document also commits to working in partnership with communities, health services and schools. This is the Government’s first joined-up strategy on youth crime, reflecting a higher profile and broader shift towards cross-government departmental working. Youth crime has moved up the Government’s agenda, coinciding with the increasing public and media focus on young people, anti-social behaviour and crime. In February 2008, Speaking Out jointly held a roundtable discussion with representatives from member organisations, working specifically around youth justice and youth crime prevention, and officials from the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), Home Office and Cabinet Office working on the YCAP. The majority of the organisations who attended deliver direct support and development services for children and young people, either directly within the youth justice system or working with young people at risk of entering the justice system. The meeting provided government officials with a children and young people’s voluntary and community sector (CYPVCS) perspective on measures which will help prevent young people from entering the criminal justice system and delegates shared their experience of doing this at the frontline. Agencies shared experiences of using preventative approaches steering young people away from the justice system but quite often receiving no official recognition of this role. It will be important to ensure that the views of the CYPVCS are now reflected in the implementation of the
plan. This briefing paper provides some policy context to the YCAP and summarises its content, highlighting particularly pertinent areas of interest for the CYPVCS. To download the full briefing: Speaking Out Briefing No. 12: HM Government Youth Crime Action Plan (PDF)
Published September 2008 To download the policy roundtable that led to this briefing: The Youth Crime Action Plan Round Table Discussion
Published February 2008 To request free hard copies of this or any other Speaking Out briefing paper, please contact us on 020 7278 1041 or email speakingout@ncvys.org.uk |