Bexley Youth Justice Service rated good in inspection

The rating comes after a recent inspection from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation (HMIP) in April this year, with some areas of work rated as outstanding.

The report highlighted the team’s exceptional efforts and successful strategies in delivering effective youth justice services across Bexley borough.

Bexley’s Youth Justice Service works with children aged 10 to 17 and provides a range of services and activities for children in their facilities, along with support for young offenders by helping them to contribute to their community.

The inspection assessed The Bexley Youth Justice Team across three key areas: the organisational delivery of the service, the quality of work with children sentenced by the courts and the quality of out-of-court work.

The report found staff and volunteers at the Bexley Youth Justice Team receive “comprehensive” induction, training and support, enabling practitioners to respond to the “diverse and changing” needs of children and their families.

The report found staff and volunteers at the Bexley Youth Justice Team receive “comprehensive” induction, training and support. (Image: London Borough of Bexley)

Chief Inspector of Probation, Martin Jones, said: “Bexley YJS has a strong and committed partnership board which is authentic in its prioritisation and care for children. Staff, volunteers and managers are passionate about improving outcomes for children, and the workforce is highly skilled, knowledgeable, and feel valued for their work.”

Inspectors were impressed by practitioners’ ability to understand a child’s trauma and how this influenced behaviour, motivation, and attitudes to offending.

The report also noted practitioners’ skills at identifying individual needs, which contributed to their understanding of each child’s lived experience.

Inspections found that planning for children subject to court disposals was an area that required improvement, with inspectors identifying instances where planned interventions were not always responsive to the presenting risks.

The inspection also found that there was limited planning to promote understanding of the impact on victims and to keep victims safe.

The report highlighted the team’s exceptional efforts and successful strategies in delivering effective youth justice services across Bexley borough. (Image: London Borough of Bexley)

Five recommendations were outlined in the report, including the development of an overarching strategy to address and respond to disproportionality and diversity, with recommendations that the Metropolitan Police should work with the team to ensure all children are offered and supported to access appropriate interventions early on.

Bexley’s Director of Children Services, Stephen Kitchman said: “Bexley Youth Justice Service is a robust service operating in a challenging environment.

“The team should be proud of its achievements and we trust the inspection findings and recommendations will further aid them in consistently delivering high-quality services for all the young people in their care."