Building relationships with young offenders to encourage positive choices is a key part of the Youth Offending Service (YOS) work, a visit by Sir Bob Neill MP has shown.

The visit, led by Councillor Peter Fortune, Deputy Leader and Executive Councillor for Children, Education and Families gave first hand insight to Sir Bob.

Sir Bob Neill, MP for Bromley and Chislehurst, who was recently appointed Chairman of the Justice Select Committee heard that the team not only worked with young offenders and their families to reduce offending and advocating positive life choices but pioneer early intervention as a prevention to offending and this is reaping good rewards. Both of these areas are a key aim of the team.   

"We are ambitious for all our children, which is part of the reason that our YOS building is a registered examination centre thereby helping encourage these young people to get qualifications which could prove to be life changing. If we can build relationships, then we can really help show that there are different life choices to be made that are ultimately more appealing and this, badly needed hope springs forward" said Councillor Peter Fortune, Deputy Leader and Executive Councillor for Children, Education and Families.

Sir Bob met some of the young people being supported by YOS and heard directly about their experiences and what they were doing now, including gaining qualifications, with the intention of gaining employment.

One of the YOS team’s projects, the creation of a short film written by young people and supported by the team was envisioned to be a discussion tool about choices, has attracted over one hundred thousand views on You Tube. The film, ‘Take Me‘set within a family, examines the relationships of different family members and the choices they make. Not only is the film an example of the collaborative work style approach and the impact of different choices, it is also having an ongoing impact as more viewers continue to see the film, as well as young offenders with the YOS setting. 

ENDS

Editor’s notes: The Youth Offending Service (YOS) is a statutory service created under the auspice of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. The service works with young people aged 10-17 years old, providing assessments, interventions and support to children and young people who committed offences as well as support to their families and victims of crime.

For media enquiries, please contact Andrew Rogers, Communications Executive, on 020 8461 7670 or email andrew.rogers@bromley.gov.uk

Published: 24th February 2020