Youth Offending Service

Sunderland City Council is responsible for a range of services in respect of Youth Offending. 

The principal aim of Sunderland Youth Offending Service (YOS) is to prevent offending and re-offending by children and young people. The Sunderland YOS is a multi agency partnership between Sunderland City Council, Northumbria Police, Northumbria Probation Service and Sunderland Health Authority. It aims to prevent offending and re-offending through the provision of intervention programmes in support of court orders under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 as well as the delivery of innovative projects aimed at early intervention.

As part if it's duties the YOS is  responsible for the following:

Preventative Services
Sunderland YOS has brought together a range of existing preventative services as well as developing new initiatives to develop their Preventative Strategy. Wear Kids is a free voluntary support scheme for young people aged 8-13 and their families in Sunderland. The main aim is to help young people stay out of trouble and prevent anti social behaviour. Young people can refer themselves directly to the scheme or can be referred by parents, carers, teachers or other professionals. Wear Kids work with young people to organise support and access to other services. These could include; health advice, family and parenting support, mentoring, education, local projects.

Final Warning
A Final Warning is for young people who have already received a Police Reprimand or because the offence is so serious a Final Warning is given instead. Final Warnings are not made in Court but are issued by a uniformed Police Officer who will refer the young person to the YOS. Young people who receive a Final Warning will usually be required to undertake a programme of work to address the reasons for their offending.

Court Procedures
The Youth Court differs from the Magistrates Court as it deals with young people aged 10-17 years. In deciding how to deal with young people it must look carefully at how the young person's welfare will be affected. The Youth Court will not normally deal with a young person unless their parents attend. Usually three Magistrates will be present and will decide if an offence has been committed and how it should be dealt with. If a young person thinks their conviction or sentence is unfair they can apply to have their case reconsidered at the Crown Court.

Implementation of Orders
Young people made subject to an order will be referred to the YOS. They will be required to keep regular contact with a member of the YOS throughout the period of the order. If a young person does not keep to the conditions of an order they may be taken back to Court for breach of the order. The Court can either warn the young person, impose a fine, vary/extend the order, or cancel the order and deal with the young person in another way.

Parenting Orders
A Parenting Order is designed to offer parents support, guidance and training to prevent their child from re-offending or to help with regard to their attendance at school. Parents will attend weekly counselling sessions for up to 3 months.

Supervision Orders
A Supervision Order is made by the Court for young people aged between 10-17 years and can be made for up to 3 years. A member of the YOS will see the young person and parent/carer to set down the Supervision Plan highlighting the work to be completed during the order. This may include work on substance misuse, victim awareness, schoolwork, training, careers, and offending behaviour.

Reparation Orders
The Reparation Order is intended to show the young person the harm they have done to the victim of the offence and or the local community. The order requires the young person to make reparation (amends) to the victim(s) or to the community and can last up to 24hrs of reparation, completed within 3 months.

Referral Orders
The Referral Order is made by the Court for young people aged between 10-17 years, who are appearing in Court for the first time and who plead guilty. Referral Orders will last between 3 and 12 months depending on the seriousness of the offence. The young person will be referred to a Community Panel who will agree what needs to be done for the order to be completed.

Action Plan Orders
The Action Plan Order is made by the Court for young people aged between 10-17 years, convicted of a relatively serious offence. The order is a short but intensive community based sentence and lasts for a period of 3 months.

Community Punishment/Rehabilitation Orders
A Community Punishment and Rehabilitation Order, made by the Court requires the young person to pay something back to the community for their offence and aims to avoid further offending. It combines elements of both Probation and Community Service where the young person will work to benefit the local community under the supervision of a Probation Officer and at the same time, work with the YOS to tackle their offending.

When receiving enquiries about YOS the Council will refer them to the appropriate professional service, who will carry out assessments, plan the care and either provide the service direct or commission it from an appropriate agency or organisation.  Reviews are undertaken to make sure that the young person is receiving the appropriate service and support.

For more information you can contact the Youth Offending Service in one of the following ways:

Lambton House (main office premise)
145 High Street West, Sunderland SR1 1UW
Tel: 0191 566 3000/1 
Fax: 0191 566 3002

St Cuthbert's House (main service user premise)
East Cross Street, Sunderland, SR1 1XB
Tel: 0191 566 3099/3100
Fax: 0191 566 101

Email:  yos@sunderland.gov.uk

Website: http://www.sunderland.gov.uk/yos/

You may find the following external site of interest.

Youth Justice Board

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