Since their establishment in 1998, YOTs have developed in structure and purpose, in response to changing legislation and targeted government funding. As a result, and over the last five years in particular, the YOT workforce has grown significantly: there are over 10,000 staff across England and Wales, who are supported by a volunteer workforce that may equal that number.
Against the background of the creation of national workforce strategies, the challenge for YOT managers is to ensure that these diverse and complex teams are represented within local workforce strategies, so that:
- the needs of YOT staff are met, and their strengths recognised
- the YOT retains its integrity as a successful multi-agency working model, and is not diluted in the process of establishing broader multi-agency structures
- the crucial role of the YOT as the balancing point between the children’s and correctional services’ agenda is asserted
- managers can attract and retain a strong and suitable workforce
- YOT staff can access the new development training and opportunities.
This area of the website outlines how the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) developed by the YJB can be used to help integrate the YOT into the strategies, and gives examples of ways that YOT managers around the country have creatively used this tool to place their teams in a prominent position within local workforces.
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Wales
In recognition of the different circumstances in Wales, separate content is currently being prepared by the YJB National Manager and HR and Learning Adviser for Wales, in collaboration with Welsh YOTs and other key agencies.