Support for young people involved in crime

Services and prevention programmes that have been created to help young people stay away from a life of crime and avoid reoffending.

The Youth Offending Service (YOS) helps prevent children and young people aged 10 to 18 from offending and re-offending.

The service is made up of trained Social Workers, Probation Officers, Police Officers and staff with health and education backgrounds.

The Youth Offending Service:

• works with those at risk of entering the criminal justice system for the first time, delivering interventions to try and divert them from offending behaviour
• assesses young people who have received a Police or Court disposal, designing an individual intervention programme to address the issues that have led them to offend
• engages with parents and carers to help them support their young person in moving away from offending behaviour
• prepares reports for the court to advise on what services are available and to assist in decisions about sentencing for young people.
• works with victims of youth crime, offering advice, information and opportunities to share with the young person the effect of the offence on them, either directly or indirectly.

Email [email protected] or 01296 434 624.

The Family Support Service by Buckinghamshire Council provides 1 to 1 support to families and young people to help stop problems becoming bigger.

This includes working with those

• involved with the criminal justice system
• excluded from school or having difficulties engaging with education
• demonstrating risk-taking behaviour
• impacted by substance misuse
• affected by domestic abuse or parental conflict
• affected by poor mental health
• impacted by poor attachments or relationships within the family

Request support from the Family Support Service

The Family Support Service also runs the Family Centres and their sessions, provides parenting support and youth work programmes.

Firewise Scheme by the Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service educates young people and sometimes adults who

• have been involved in firesetting behaviour
• are at risk of becoming involved in firesetting behaviour
• are considered to have an ‘unusual’ or ‘unhealthy’ fascination with fire
• have any other specific issue related to fire or firesetting

Contact [email protected] if you have concerns about a child or young person and their relationship with fire. You should provide details of your concern and request a referral form.

Nacro is a national social justice charity. They house, educate, support, advise, and speak out for and with disadvantaged young people and adults.

Trailblazers Mentoring support young people just before they are released from prison and help them once they are released. They run projects in Aylesbury, Brixton, Isis and Brinsford.

They mentor and encourage young offenders to make a positive change and provide them with the tools, support and opportunities they need to continue on their new path when they are released.

YMCA work with prisons and probation services, providing citizenship and training opportunities pre-release.