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Celebrating the best in communication work, the Communicating Youth Justice Awards showcase some of the most creative and exciting work done every day in the youth justice system. The awards were presented by Frances Done and Polly Toynbee, political and social commentator for the Guardian.

Best Media Coverage - Winner

Swindon Youth Offending Team

Swindon won for negotiating a series of positive stories about the youth justice system that ran in their local paper, the Swindon Advertiser. The twist was that all of these pieces were written by young people who have offended. This novel approach is part of the team’s drive to involve young people in the delivery of its services and to give them a voice. The team also hopes to boost public confidence in the youth justice system by raising awareness of how it works. Frances Done said:

"I was extremely impressed with the creativity behind Swindon YOT's winning entry. It was inspiring to see their young people challenge the public's assumptions of them through articles in the local paper and it came as no surprise to learn that the YOT won following a unanimous judge’s decision."

Best Promotional Work – Joint winner

Warwickshire Youth Offending Service

Warwickshire YOS won for their well crafted ‘Actions bring consequences’ workbook. This resource is part of the YOS’s strategy to target anti-crime messages at schools. It features some highly innovative ideas to engage children and young people of all ages at school and in the community. Frances Done said:

"I was delighted to see the strong partnership working behind Warwickshire YOS's winning entry. With the creation of their ‘Actions bring consequences’ workbook the service is using great ingenuity to target schools and help nip crime in the bud."

Best Promotional Work – Joint winner

Birmingham Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Programme (ISSP)

Birmingham ISSP used their initiative to deliver their messages to the general public through an art show. Despite very limited resources the team enabled the young people to see their ideas and creativity appreciated and exhibited locally while raising the profile of the work that is going on. Frances Done said:

"It was wonderful to see the excellent teamwork behind Birmingham ISSP’s winning entry. The team used fantastic initiative to boost the profile of their work while enabling their young people to see their ideas and creativity appreciated and exhibited locally."

Ends

Note to editors

1. The Youth Justice Board for England and Wales (YJB) oversees the youth justice system in England and Wales. We work to prevent offending and reoffending by children and young people under the age of 18, and to ensure that custody for them is safe, secure, and addresses the causes of their offending behaviour.
2. Specifically, we advise the Secretary of State on the operation of, and standards for, the youth justice system; monitor the performance of the youth justice system; purchase places for, and place, children and young people remanded or sentenced to custody; identify and promote effective practice; make grants to local authorities or other bodies to support the development of effective practice; commission research and publish information.