Performance management framework
We have a range of mechanisms for monitoring the performance and quality of services to ensure that performance management is central to service planning, delivery and commissioning.
The joint inspection
The outcomes from the inspection were very positive. The inspection covered five main areas; management, work in the courts, work with young people in the community, work with children subject to detention and training orders, and victims and restorative justice.
The youth justice planning tool
The strategic aims of the youth justice system are to:
- Prevent offending
- Reduce re-offending
- Ensure the safe and effective use of custody
- Increase victim and public confidence
Printable document
National standards
National standards are set by the Home Secretary on the advice of the youth justice board. They are the required standard of practice which practitioners who provide youth justice services are expected to achieve. They provide:
- A basis for promoting effective work with children and young people who have offended or who are at risk of offending, and also their families and victims.
- Benchmarks against which the effectiveness of youth justice services can be measured and inspected.
National standards cover:
- Preventative work
- Remand management
- Work in courts
- Assessment
- Restorative justice and work with victims
- Final warnings
- Reports for courts and youth offender panels
- Court ordered preventions
- Intensive surveillance and supervision programmes
- Secure accommodation
- Detention and training orders
- Section 90/91s
Effective practice quality assurance (EPQA)
This is the mechanism used to evaluate the quality of service provided by the Youth Offending Service. It is based on research of good practice - 'what works'.
It is based upon a self-assessment of our performance in pre-defined key elements of effective practice. The self-assessment is then validated by regional youth justice board staff.
The key elements cover all areas of the service's work including:
- Resettlement
- Substance misuse
- Remand
- Mental health
- Parenting
- Final warnings
- Education, training and employment.
For each of the key areas of effective practice there are core indicators of quality including:
- Individual needs
- Communication
- Service delivery
- Staff training
- Management
An improvement plan is submitted after the youth justice board has validated the self-assessment.
Printable document
Further information
Please see the youth justice board website.