Buckinghamshire Youth Justice Strategic Plan 2026 to 2029

Buckinghamshire YJST is committed to putting children at the heart of everything the service does. The Child First model is recognised nationally as best practice for supporting children within the youth justice system and is based on the following principles:

1. Treating children as children
2. Supporting children to develop their individual strengths and identity
3. Collaborating with children
4. Promoting a childhood away from the criminal justice system

By adopting this approach, the service contributes to keeping children, families and the wider community safe.

Our children tell us that they would like “less chatting, more doing”. Building on the existing activities on offer will be a key focus moving forward.

One of the key developments over the last 12 months has been the introduction of a Child First Practice Group to support staff to embed these principles, share solutions and identify good practice.

Examples from the last 12 months include:

• The way sessions with children are recorded has changed. These are now written directly to the child
• Having identified that the child’s voice is sometimes missing in meetings about them, the service has introduced a way for individuals to attend meetings or, where they do not feel able to, to contribute their views. An example of this is the YJST Safety Panels, where professionals meet to discuss the safety of the child and the community
• A locally designed intervention plan has now been embedded. This focuses on the fresh AIR model and positive identity shift
• Practitioners are trialling writing to the child within their assessments
• The YP4All participation group have developed a Charter that outlines how this forum collaborates with children
• The High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire asked to attend the YP4All group to explore with children their experience of challenges locally, including those around education
• Established the Aylesbury YJST office as an Exam Centre, enabling children worked with by the service to sit Functional Skills exams in a place they would identify as familiar
• Children have been actively involved in the recruitment of YJST staff, designing their own questions and interviewing candidates
• Developed opportunities for children to be involved in summer holiday activities