The Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Cleveland has provided funding for the three Youth Offending Services operating across Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar & Cleveland and Stockton since 2015.
This is part of a joint commitment to tackle offending and re-offending and deliver better outcomes for young people.
Youth Triage
Youth Triage is an Out of Court Disposal (OoCD.) It aims to prevent the criminalisation of young people, aged 17 years and under, for low level offences. It does so by delivering targeted, needs-based and restorative interventions.
From 2015 to 2022, the PCC provided 12-month grant agreements, which were extended for a further 12 months annually.
In 2022, Youth Justice Services were given a three-year agreement. This is reviewed annually to consider funding and performance. This grant funding arrangement will end on 31st March 2025.
Between April 2022 and March 2024, more than 900 young people were referred to Youth Justice Services in Cleveland for an OoCD.
More than half (54%) of these referrals were to Youth Triage. As a result, more than 1,5002 bespoke interventions, including offending behaviour sessions, reparation/restorative justice interventions, victim awareness sessions, education training and employment sessions, were delivered.
Funding
Funding allocations for 2024/25 were as follows:
- Hartlepool: £37,920
- South Tees: £80,000
- Stockton: £57,640
During 2024, the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) undertook a review of all commissioned services – including Youth Triage. This was to inform future commissioning intentions,
The review concluded that re-offending rates following engagement in Youth Triage are low.
Less than a quarter of participants committed a further offence between April 2022 and March 2024. All three Youth Justice Services provided consistent and exceptional services.
Following consideration of the review findings, the PCC continues to recognise the important role of early intervention in diverting young people away from offending.
Grant renewal
He supports the renewal of grant arrangements to fund Youth Triage for an additional twelve-month period from 1st April 2025 and ending 31st March 2026.
The OPCC will work with the providers to determine appropriate grants for 2025/26. This will consider any reasonable increases in costs to maintain current service delivery levels.
The expectation is that this will put the overall cost in the region of £180k-£195k for 2025/26.
Decision 2024/2025 – 0018: Youth Triage Scheme Grant Arrangements (application, 222kB)