Flexibility in the use of prevention funds
The following applies to all YOTs except those who have been identified for potential inclusion in the 100% pooling pilot – they will receive specific guidance.
Since 2006/07, we have required that set amounts of prevention funding be used for specific programmes. This has led to over 400 evidence-based youth crime prevention programmes being set up across England and Wales, delivering tailored interventions to those at risk of entering the youth justice system or progressing through it.
However, during 2008/09, prevention funding will be non-programme specific, allowing some flexibility between prevention programmes. YOTs should note the following.
- You must continue to adhere to established project models in order to reduce the number of first-time entrants in line with the public sector agreement, ‘Increasing the Number of Children on the Path to Success’, and, in England only, relevant local area agreement targets. If you would like to depart from the programme models used in 2007/08, you must contact your YJB regional or Wales team, who will consult with colleagues in YJB Programmes and Innovation team to decide whether the request is acceptable.
- YOT prevention schemes must be operationally integrated or aligned with other prevention initiatives for children young people and their families (including Integrated Youth Support Service arrangements in England services co-ordinated by Children and Young People’s Partnerships in Wales).
- In summer 2008 the Home Office, Ministry of Justice and the Department for Children, Schools and Families are expected to produce a Youth Crime Action Plan, which will include prevention. This may mean future changes to prevention services that would need to be accommodated by YOTs. In Wales any changes resulting from the Youth Crime Action Plan will be mediated by the delivery of the All Wales Youth Offending Strategy and aligned with the Youth Crime Action Plan, where appropriate, through joint working between the Welsh Assembly Government, Home Office, Ministry of Justice and the Department for Children, Schools and Families.