BCG have been invited to join this pan Dorset group, representing independent childrens homes across the county.
The purpose of this group is to create, implement and monitor a protocol that establishes how we can work with the police and the criminal justice system to reduce the criminalisation of young people in care.
Following the release last month of Lord Lammings report where he highlights the high proportion of young people in the criminal justice system are in care. However 94% of children in care do not get into trouble.
The protocol represents a pan-Dorset multi-agency strategy to prevent and reduce offending by CiC. It has been designed to provide an overarching set of principles to inform the processes that will ensure that CiC are kept out of the criminal justice system wherever possible and that those who do enter it, are provided with services that reduce the likelihood of them reoffending.
This protocol aims to reduce the criminalisation of CiC by encouraging the use of alternative resolution approaches wherever possible within the care setting, in response to low level incidents. This document builds upon the existing good practice within children’s homes and foster placements across Dorset, and sets out the roles and responsibilities of agencies in managing and reducing the offending of CiC. This document provides particular guidance to carers about when to involve the police.
The principles contained within this document will help to ensure a consistent response, aiming to strike a balance between the rights and needs of CiC, the rights of staff and foster carers and the decision to involve the police and/or Crown Prosecution Service.
This protocol underlines the importance of regular and effective liaison between children’s homes’ staff and managers, children’s social care, youth offending service and police, in fostering good relationships and working together to reduce the criminalisation of CiC.
This is an excellent opportunity for BCG and once the protocol has been agreed and circulated a workshop/briefing will be held to inform you of the details and how this will impact on our work in the homes with young people.