Mission Statement: 'Partnership to Prevent Offending by Young People'

Key Objectives:

• Tackling delays, speeding up justice for all young offenders.
• Confronting young offenders with the consequences of their offending and helping them to develop a sense of personal responsibility.
• Intervention which tackles the risks associated with offending; personal, family, social, education and health.
• Punishment proportionate to seriousness and persistence with a range of penalties open to the courts.
• Encouraging reparation to victims by young offenders.
• Reinforcing the responsibilities of parents.

The statutory responsibilities:

The principle aim of the Youth Offending Team is set out in the 1998 Crime and Disorder Act, S37:

1. It shall be the principle aim of the youth justice system to prevent offending by children and young persons.
2. In addition to any duty to which they are subject, it shall be the duty of all persons and bodies carrying out functions in relation to the youth justice system to have regard to that aim.

The principle duty of the Youth Offending Team S39 (7):

1. to co-ordinate the provision of youth justice services for all those in the local authority's area who need them: and
2. to carry out such functions as are assigned to the team or teams in the youth justice plan formulated by the authority.

Links for further reading:

• Youth Justice Board
• Stockport Council - YOT