Bolton Youth Justice Service (YJS) has received an overall rating of ‘Good’ following an inspection by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation.
Chief Inspector of Probation Justin Russell said: “We were impressed by Bolton YJS. Children under their supervision have access to a range of services to help them lead better lives, away from crime. Staff at Bolton YJS are committed to the future of every child and have a determination to achieve the best possible outcomes for the children they are supporting.They undertake good quality and timely assessments, which decreases the chances of them committing further offences – keeping children safe and protecting victims.”
Inspectors praised the health services available to children, from physical to mental wellbeing. Bolton YJS has commissioned a knife crime prevention programme, which has been well received by children, has had a positive impact, and is now under consideration to be rolled out to more children.
The report made three recommendations, including for Bolton YJS to review and monitor the outcomes and experiences of children from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities, to make sure that any disadvantage is identified and mitigated.
There is also a recommendation for Greater Manchester Police (GMP). The inspection found there were unnecessary delays, by the force, in referring children to the YJS due to the length of time between arrests and charging decisions or convictions. This was impacting negatively on the service’s ability to help children at the earliest opportunity. We have recommended that GMP address this issue as a priority.
The inspection concluded that Bolton YJS is performing well in all areas and are particularly strong in dealing with children who have been in custody. Their work to resettle these children back into society, such as where they will live and returning to education, was rated separately as ‘Outstanding’.
