"Whole system approach" to be advanced to tackle youth offending

A renewed focus on a "whole system approach" was announced today by Justice Secretary Michael Matheson as he launched the Scottish Government's new strategy to prevent children and young people from offending.

Opening this year’s Annual National Youth Justice Conference, the Cabinet Secretary highlighted a big fall in the level of youth crime and said the time was right to build on the success of agencies around the country.

The strategy, Preventing offending: getting it right for children and young people, sets out three main priorities: advancing the whole system approach which has been in place since 2011; improving life chances for young people; and developing capacity and improvement throughout the youth justice sector.

The whiole system approach provides a clear focus on early and effective intervention and diversion, as well as appropriate support to improve outcomes for children and young people involved in offending.

An independent evaluation of the approach, also published today, found a clear commitment among practitioners to its principles, goals and values, with improved partnership working at local level.

"Practitioners believe that the [approach] facilitates improved outcomes for young people through closer multi-agency working, closer information sharing and the strong incorporation of welfarist values in decision-making and practice, although systematic evidence of individual outcomes was difficult to obtain", the evaluation states.

Figures published in the strategy document show big falls in the numbers of children either going through the court process or coming before the children's hearings on offence grounds. Since 2007 the number of under 18s in custody has reduced by 70%, the number of children referred to the children’s hearings system on offence grounds by 83%, and the number of children appearing in court by 74%.

In his address Mr Matheson said the figures represented "significant achievements which have also made a major contribution to overall crime reductions in Scotland with recorded crime currently at a 40 year low".

He continued: “We are not complacent though, and the new youth justice strategy launched today will continue to prioritise preventative approaches which confront offending in a constructive way – using an evidence-led, child-centred approach.

“I’ve seen various justice policies over the years labelled ‘tough’ or ‘soft’, but I think the time is right to move away from those kinds of descriptions. What we are doing in Scotland today – and will continue to do – is adopting ‘smart’ approaches, based firmly on evidence.

“If we are to stop young people going down the wrong path in life and into a life of crime we need to be smart in our response – ensuring timely, appropriate and effective interventions so that we can address offending behaviour at the outset and keep our communities and children safe from crime.

“Today’s independent evaluation of the whole system approach is very positive and confirms the tactics we have in place are the right ones."