YOT Prevention Projects

The Youth Offending Team (YOT) is working to develop a range of prevention activities which try to identify young people at risk of offending or becoming involved in anti-social behaviour in order to provide support as early as possible. Two main initiatives are currently under development.

The Youth Inclusion Support Programme (YISP) is a multi-agency panel at which professionals come together to address the needs of children and young people who have been referred because they are at risk of beoming involved in offending or anti-social behaviour. The YISP will run in the area covered by the Royston, Cudworth and Dearne Safer Neighbourhood Teams (SNTs).

The YOT is also working with the police, the local authority and schools to develop a programme of Safer Schools Partnerships (SSP). The SSP will work together to improve the safety of the school environment, including the local community, by identifying and working with young people involved in crime, anti-social or harassment behaviour (including bullying and truancy). The project will also support those children and young people who are vulnerable to or victims of such forms of behaviour. The project will use restorative justice practices, such as mediation and reparation, to deal constructively with conflict issues and behaviour problems

Procedure

Once identified (either by the SNT or agencies participating in the YISP) the young people and their parents or carers will be contacted, the project explained to them and they will be invited to participate. An assessment is undertaken of the key needs and issues to be addressed and an intervention plan is agreed by the YISP which supports the young person, their family and addresses the main issues which put them at risk of becoming involved in offending or anti-social behaviour.
Details of the SSP procedure are given in the preceding section

Helplines

More details can be obtained from the Youth Offending Team, McLintock's Building, Crookes Street, Barnsley, S70 6BX.
Telephone: 01226 774986
The YOT is open 9.00am to 5.00pm - Monday to Friday

Colin Barnsley
YOT Manager
Telephone: 01266 774986
Email: colinbarnes@barnsley.gov.uk 

Legislation

Crime and Disorder Act 1998
Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003

 Related Links

• The Youth Justice Board