Content

The Cabinet Member for
Children’s Social Care and Disabilities presented the Barking
and Dagenham Youth Justice Plan for 2023/24, which set out
the work and achievements of the service over the last 12 months
and how it had impacted first time entrants into the criminal
justice service, re-offending of children and young people and
reduced the numbers of children in custody.
 
The Cabinet Member was pleased to report that,
overall, the service had positively impacted all three areas, with
all three performance indicators decreasing over the last five
years.  Whilst Barking and Dagenham
remained higher than London and National averages with regard to
use of custody and first-time entrants, the Cabinet Member
clarified that the Borough had the highest proportion of 0-16 year
olds in the country as well as high levels of deprivation.
 
The Cabinet Member highlighted other
achievements within the service and confirmed that the Plan had
been agreed by the local multi-agency youth justice management
board and submitted to the Youth Justice Board in line with the
conditions of grant and national expectations.
 
Assembly resolved
to adopt the Barking and Dagenham Youth Justice Plan 2023/24, as
set out at Appendix 1 to the report.