The Staffordshire youth pathway has been nominated in the Liaison & Diversion and Children & Policing categories.
This project helps to identify children and young people whose health needs may have an impact on their offending behaviour. It aims to reduce health inequalities, which in turn helps reduce the risk of reoffending. Team members offer health assessments and short-term support and can refer on to other health and social care professionals such as learning disability, speech and language or drug/alcohol services.
Nicola Forster, Team Leader, Children’s Community Offender Health Team said, “The service nurtures the principal of ‘child first, offender second’, acting to ensure that the voice of the child and their carer is heard in professional forums. The service continues to grow and develop, offering support and assessment to divert more young people away from the criminal justice system”.
The Howard League for Penal Reform annual awards celebrate best practice in diversionary work and champion work in the community that challenges and changes people for the better – be it with children, women, mental health programmes or restorative approaches. The awards recognise projects and organisations whose work and practice is delivered above and beyond normal service delivery.
The awards will be presented at a national conference on Tuesday 12 November 2019 by Prue Leith, broadcaster and writer and TV star