Youth Offending Services in Surrey Are ‘Good’ Says Inspector

Published on: 21 Mar, 2022
Updated on: 21 Mar, 2022

Image: National Probation Services

Youth offending services in Surrey have been graded as “good” overall, and “outstanding” in three areas by HM Inspectorate of Probation (HMIP).

The Surrey Youth Offending Service, who work with young people involved in criminal behaviour and youth crime prevention, has made significant progress since the last inspection in 2019.

Inspectors noted that the leadership team have been central to improvements and “are to be congratulated on the progress made in the last two years”. They have developed a “well-motivated and knowledgeable service” backed up by “robust and targeted training opportunities” and the creation of a “well-resourced” specialist hub.

The outcome report noted that the quality of the casework inspected in both court and out-of-court work was “impressive” and “the management team and practitioners know the children well and have access to an impressive range of services to address their needs”.

The provision for resettlement was also found to be good, with “innovative practice” and effective ways of intervening with children at an early stage.

Cllr Clare Currang

Commenting on the service turnaround, Surrey County Council lead cabinet member for Children and Families, Clare Curran said: “I am delighted that HM Inspectorate of Probation has recognised our fantastic youth offending service with a ‘good’ grading.

“The report is extremely positive and illustrates the service transformation over recent years, with much promise for continued improvement. I’m so pleased about the work our service and partners are doing to support some of Surrey’s most vulnerable young people and to prevent criminal behaviour. We will continue to work closely with partner agencies to improve services and outcomes for young people even more.”

“We continue to have brilliant engagement with the young people we support and I would like to thank them for their help with making our service the best it can be. I would also like to sincerely thank our youth offending workforce, who all work with the utmost professionalism to ensure no young person in Surrey is left behind.

“Our staff have shown true passion and commitment in improving practice and supporting many children with turning their lives around.”

Chief Inspector of Probation, Justin Russell, commended the service.