Our very own Mrs Butler has taken the time to tell us all about her previous life as a Youth Offending Team Case Manager!
Case Manager – Youth Offending Team (YOT)
Get to my desk around 8am check my emails and my appointments for the day.
The appointments/meetings could be vary day to day , from 1:1 offending behaviour sessions with YP (Young People), Home visits, attending CP (Child Protection) meetings, monthly MAPPA (Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements) meeting, this particular meeting would focus on YPs who were classed as high risk of offending within the community this would take place on a monthly basis. If any of my allocated YPs had been given custodial sentences for their offences I would complete a welfare visit at the YOI (Young Offender Institute) and meet with their offender manger to discuss any issues or concerns.
To look at the arrest list from the previous night/ weekend Identify if any of the YPs arrested were open to the YOT, if so make my colleagues aware. Calls would be made to the duty custody sergeant to find out the details of the all the YPs arrested and the offences. If the YP’s were already open to the YOT, contact would be made with the parents/carer to arrange a home visit.
On a Tuesday and Thursday it would be Youth Court at Sunderland Magistrates Court, so it was always important to be appropriately dressed for court in very smart outfits, otherwise you’d face rude comments from the County Court Judge or the Local Magistrate.
Before any YP goes to court an YJB (Youth Justice Board) assessment is completed by their case manager, this assessment looks at their home life, education/training/employment provision, behaviour within the community, positive and negative peer relationships, any possible emotional/physical health issues and their attitudes to offending. This enable the case manager to put together in agreement with YP an offending behaviour intervention plan, this could include reparation hours which basically means pay back. So for example if a YP had committed criminal damage in school or within their local community, they would be expected to repair the damage (supervised of course!) all interventions would be proportionate to the offence.
As mentioned above unfortunately some YPS are given custodial sentences (sent to YOIs) this is always viewed as a last resort. This could be a YP consistently refusing to attend appointments, persistently offending within the local community, violent and sexual offences, being assessed as being a danger within the community not only danger to themselves but also to others.
At times my role could be very demanding and stressful with low points along the way however Im extremely proud of my contribution to the YOS.
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