GovWire

The YJBs Strategic Plan 2024-27 sets out our approach for how we will work with others to realise our vision for a Child First youth justice system, and deliver services that promote positive outcomes for children, by reducing offending, supporting victims and making communities safer.

YJB Chair Keith Fraser sets out the YJBs strategic objectives for 2024-27

Video transcript

I am Keith Fraser, the Chair of the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales.

Today we have the results of the elections for local government, Mayors and Police and Crime Commissioners. Today is likely to cause change for the delivery of youth justice services and police services. As you begin to understand what these potential changes mean for your services, and for the children and communities you serve, we hope that our shared vision will provide you with consistency, and our recently published three-year Strategic Plan can help you navigate any change.

As stewards of the youth justice system, the Youth Justice Board, or YJB as many of you know it, has a duty to be transparent about our goals, strategies, and outcomes. By holding ourselves accountable to measurable objectives and regularly reporting on progress across the sector, we aim to build trust and confidence in our strategic direction.

Our new Strategic Plan directs how we will achieve this over the next three years, laying out our priorities to deliver a more impactful Youth Justice Board. One that is more efficient, more inclusive, and more effective. The strategic objectives support this direction.

Firstly, we will support the improvement of youth justice services in local communities.

Secondly, we will focus on addressing persistent disparities across the youth justice system, including those that reflect childrens racial heritage.

Our third objective is to influence policy and practice to increase the adoption of the Child First framework throughout the youth justice system.

To deliver on these objectives, we must ground our approach in data that demonstrates effective practice and sound research. This underpins our approach in the Strategic Plan.

We will continue to contribute to the effective resourcing of youth justice services, to set clear standards for justice to support improved performance across the sector.

We will use our data and evidence to identify opportunities to innovate and improve, while promoting and strengthening engagement with communities and victims.

We will continue to monitor services, constructively challenging our statutory partners and agencies. We will ensure that they have a clear focus on how they are going to respond to the needs of children in their area.

We will also inform and influence practitioners and policy makers about the operation of the youth justice system and how best to apply the Child First framework to deliver positive outcomes.

This strategic plan requires a commitment to continuous improvement and collaboration. We must be willing to adapt and evolve our approaches in response to changing needs, emerging evidence and varying resources. In achieving this, we can ensure that our efforts are targeted and impactful in preventing offending, reducing reoffending and promoting positive outcomes for children.

We strongly encourage you to embrace these priorities, embed them into your local strategies and work with the YJB to make a meaningful difference in the lives of children and the communities we serve.

Thank you.