Tag: Children and Families
Youth justice: new strategy announced
‘If we are to stop young people going down the wrong path in life and into a life of crime we need to be smart in our response’ – Justice Secretary Michael Matheson
Scotland’s new strategy to prevent children and young people from offending has been announced by Justice Secretary Michael Matheson as latest figures show the number of under 18s in custody has reduced by 70%.
Opening this year’s Annual National Youth Justice Conference, the Cabinet Secretary paid tribute to huge falls in youth crime and the work of agencies across the country, saying that the time was right to build on the success through a new strategy for Scotland.
Around 200 youth justice practitioners were in attendance at the launch of the two-day long event which will also feature leading professionals discussing current issues in the field.
‘Preventing offending: getting it right for children and young people’ builds on recent progress made in the youth justice sector and sets out three main priorities to take forward.
These include advancing the Whole System Approach which ensures young people receive the right help at the right time, improving life chances for young people and developing capacity and improvement throughout the youth justice sector.
The announcement coincides with the publication of a new independent evaluation of the Whole System Approach which has been in place since 2011. The approach provides a clear focus on early and effective intervention and diversion as well as appropriate support to improve outcomes for children and young people involved in offending.
Speaking at the Conference this morning Mr Matheson said: “We have already seen dramatic and positive changes in the youth justice sector since our decisive shift towards prevention in 2008 and on a recent visit to Polmont YOI I was extremely encouraged to learn that the population there has more than halved since 2007.
“The number of under 18s in custody has reduced by 70%, there has been an 83% reduction in the number of children referred to the Children’s Hearings System on offence grounds and there has been a 74% reduction in children appearing in court over the last seven years.
“These are significant achievements which have also made a major contribution to overall crime reductions in Scotland with recorded crime currently at a 40 year low.
“We are not complacent though and the new youth justice strategy launched today will continue to prioritise preventative approaches which confront offending in a constructive way – using an evidence-led, child-centred approach.
“I’ve seen various justice policies over the years labelled ‘tough’ or ‘soft’ but I think the time is right to move away from those kinds of descriptions. What we are doing in Scotland today – and will continue to do – is adopting ‘smart’ approaches, based firmly on evidence.
“If we are to stop young people going down the wrong path in life and into a life of crime we need to be smart in our response – ensuring timely, appropriate and effective interventions so that we can address offending behaviour at the outset and keep our communities and children safe from crime.
“Today’s independent evaluation of the Whole System Approach is very positive and confirms the tactics we have in place are the right ones.
“The report makes clear that our approach has been a major factor in enabling partnership working, information sharing and shared learning across youth justice agencies offering an all-inclusive service for young people at risk of offending.
“Scotland already has a proud record of taking an evidence-based approach to the needs of children and young people as part of our Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) program. By keeping this method at the heart of youth justice we can continue to reduce crime, improve life chances and make good use of public resources.
“Preventing offending is integral to GIRFEC and I look forward to playing my part in helping to ensure Scotland is the best and safest place to grow up.”
The new strategy has been widely welcomed across the spectrum of organisations with a role in the youth justice system.
Assistant Chief Constable Malcolm Graham, Police Scotland said: “Police Scotland welcomes the publication of Scotland’s new youth justice strategy
‘Preventing offending: getting it right for children and young people’ which sets out a clear framework to build on the progress that has been made in reducing offending and improving life chances.
“The evaluation of the Whole System Approach reaffirms the direction of travel being taken in Scotland and we are committed to working ollaboratively with partners to promote, support and safeguard the wellbeing of children and young people.”
The Lord Advocate, Frank Mulholland QC added: “The Crown welcomes the new Youth Justice Strategy and is committed to working with others to make sure that cases involving young people are considered in an effective and proportionate way.
“As Scotland’s Prosecution Service, we are committed to the prosecution of crime when appropriate and recognise the impact that involvement in the criminal justice system can have on young people. We will make the best use of alternatives to prosecution where appropriate to ensure that young people are treated with dignity and respect whether they are accused of crime or are victims or witnesses of crime.”
Claire Lightowler, Director Centre for Youth and Criminal Justice said: “We welcome the commitment in this strategy to further develop the culture
of continuous improvement across the youth justice sector.
“The Centre for Youth and Criminal Justice will continue to work with the youth justice sector to identify and deliver on actions to improve practice and ensure the strategy delivers real change.”
Cllr Douglas Chapman, COSLA Spokesperson for Education, Children and Young People, also supports the stategy, saying: “COSLA is supportive of the new Youth Justice Strategy particularly as it builds upon the good progress of recent years at a local level led by councils with their community planning partners in relation to youth justice. I am also pleased to note that it also continues with a focus on prevention, early intervention and providing
appropriate support to divert young people from offending to improving outcomes that has proved to be an effective approach. We look forward to working with the Scottish Government and other partners to implement the new strategy.”
Neil Hunter, Principal Reporter, Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration (SCRA) said: “SCRA welcomes the launch of the new strategy ‘Preventing offending: getting it right for children and young people’.
“We are pleased that it reaffirms Scotland’s integrated approach to youth offending, responding to deeds while taking account of the wider needs of young people, with the Children’s Hearings System at the heart of that approach.
“We look forward to working with partners to ensure children and young people who offend receive effective and timely interventions to address their offending behaviour and its causes.”
Michele Burman & Susan McVie, The Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice
Research said: “We very much welcome the commitment in the new Strategy to advancing the Whole System Approach as a means of both preventing the unnecessary use of formal measures, and for ensuring that young people in Scotland receive timely and appropriate interventions that aim to keep them away from formal criminal justice processes.
“Our research showed that closer multi-agency working, closer information sharing and the strong incorporation of welfarist values in decision-making and practice are important for ensuring better outcomes for young people.”
Brian McClafferty, National Youth Justice Advisory Group Chair said: “The National Youth Justice Advisory Group (NYJAG) wish to commend the 2015 – 2020 National Youth Justice Strategy for its continued focus on developing a ‘Rights Based’ approach to young people who offend while also taking into account the key drivers emerging from the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 (the 2014 Act).
“The strategy builds on the substantive progress of the last seven years through its continued commitment to the core elements of the ‘Whole System Approach’ and in specific the continued development and implementation of Early and Effective Interventions.”
Inverleith’s Summer Programme’s here!
The Inverleith Summer Programme is packed with things to do over the summer holidays (see details below)
Registration is on Monday 22 June 6pm at Broughton High School so get your skates on!
Summer Fun at North Edinburgh Arts
Come and help celebrate the start of summer with us on Saturday 20 June (of course it will be sunny!)
All events in or near to North Edinburgh Arts:
Porridge and Play at the new Centipede play area at Muirhouse Drive, meeting at North Edinburgh Arts from 9.30am; for more, see
http://www.licketyspit.com/happening/porridge-play-312
Free family performances of Calvinball at 10am and 11.30am in the garden here at North Edinburgh Arts by Ipdip Theatre, particular geared towards those of us under 5 and our families
And the Power of Food Festival open day, see https://poweroffoodfestival.wordpress.com/news/ for more
All we need is you!
Calvinball is inspired by the game played by Calvin and Hobbes in their comic strip it’s part Mornington Crescent, part Caucus-race; we’re on a quest to find the rules and the only way to do it is to play and see. The action and materials are chosen to appeal to the youngest of audience members and the open, outdoor setting frees parents from that particular theatre worry – will they sit? Lively, musical, slightly wild, and this time – outdoors!
Ring the box office on 0131 315 2151 or email
admin@northedinburgharts.co.uk
to book your free spaces for the 10am or 11.30am show.
Leith Festival: follow the parade
Leith Festival set to kickstart summer
Sunny Leith’s all set for nine days of festival fun
Nine days of fun, entertainment, exhibitions and performance kicks off in Leith tomorrow with the Gala Day and pageant from midday.
There’s been a festival in Leith for over a hundred years and this year’s programme is as bold and ambitious as it’s ever been with a range of events and activities to suit all tastes.
Dave Carson, Chair of Leith Festival, said: “Leith is one of the largest community festivals in Scotland, with a regular attendance of between 11, 000 – 15,000 local people and families participating on Gala Day, and many more besides during the following week of activites in our comunity.
“Leith Festival celebrates and reflects the cultural diversity amd richness we have in Leith, acting as a facilitator to celebrate our community assets and seeking to promote a sense of community, neighbourliness and connectedness with each other.”
To see the full Leith Festival programme visit
www.leithfestival.com
Benji’s coming back!
Family-friendly: funding for flexible working doubled
Funding to promote flexible working has more than doubled, the Acting Minister for Children Fiona McLeod has announced.
The Family Friendly Working Scotland Partnership, a coalition of organisations which encourage and help businesses become family friendly workplaces, will receive £250,000 – up from £100,000 funding last year.
Ms McLeod visited Badenoch & Clark, winners of Best Small Employer at the Scottish Top Employers for Working Families Awards 2015, to meet employees who benefit from flexible work arrangements.
She said: “We know many parents and carers have to juggle work with family commitments and this can be challenging. This government is committed to promoting flexible working across both public and private sector employers. That is why we fund the Family Friendly Working Scotland Partnership and I’m pleased we have been able to more than double the funding this year.
“We want more organisations to embrace flexible working arrangements for parents and carers as it benefits both employers and employees. It can boost productivity and performance, improve morale and wellbeing, as well as enhancing staff retention and recruitment.
“Badenoch & Clark is an excellent example of a business accommodating its employees’ needs for flexible working patterns and as a result, retaining talented and loyal staff. It is also proof that it’s not just large employers who can do so. I hope to see more businesses across Scotland develop similar approaches to flexible working.”
Bonnie Clarke, Director of Badenoch & Clark, said: “At Badenoch & Clark, we are fully committed to a family friendly working environment and were delighted to be recognised for our progressive policies by winning one of the inaugural Scottish Top Employers for Working Families Awards.
“We believe that working environments that help employees find a good work-life balance are the most productive and high performing and it’s great to see that the Scottish Government also recognises this through its increased funding for the Family Friendly Working Scotland partnership.”
Nikki Slowey, Programme co-ordinator for the Family Friendly Working Scotland (FFWS) programme said: “We are delighted to receive continued funding for the FFWS programme. FFWS supports employers to embed family friendly working practices, which have proven benefits for employees, employers and wider society.
“The Scottish Top Employers for Working Families Awards recognise best practice in this field and we are delighted that Ms McLeod will have the opportunity to hear first-hand from one of our inaugural award winners about how creating a family friendly workplace has benefitted employees and has been good for business. We hope to work with as many Scottish employers as possible during the coming year to make a real difference to working families across Scotland.”
Chain reaction: Community rallies to support Forthview following bike thefts
Mackenzies serves up support for school hit by robbery
The Forthview Primary School community was devastated when their storage shed was broken into over a holiday weekend in May. Thieves stole bikes which had been borrowed to help teach pupils cycling proficiency, leaving the school facing a potential bill of one thousand pounds it could ill-afford to pay.
Forthview’s Tracey Berry said at the time: “Bikes that we had borrowed, so that Bill Stobie could teach bike ability to P6, have been stolen, along with footballs and gardening equipment. We are responsible for the bikes: it will cost us about £1000 to replace the them!
“Our fundraising is meant to be for outings and activities for Forthview children, not replacing things that thoughtless people have stolen. If you find one please hand it to the school – the more we find, the less money we have to pay out from the school funds.”
An appeal went out to trace the stolen bikes (see NEN blog ‘Forthview break-in: can you help trace bikes?, 11 May) – and the community response has been nothing short of remarkable!
Forthview head teacher Eileen Littlewood said: “Not only have parents, grandparents and their friends rallied to make donations for us, but a fairly new restaurant in Davidson’s Mains contacted us when they heard about the theft. They are very eager to support the community in any way they can and they offered to hold a fundraising night where staff and other people could come and enjoy a taster menu with wine for £30 a head.
“Staff who went along had a wonderful evening and the food was delicious. We enjoyed 8 courses and half a bottle of wine each. The cuisine was superb and at the end of the evening, Grant and Jamie who are the partners in the business gave us every penny back – £550!
“They did not even want to cover the costs of the food. We have been overwhelmed by their generosity. As one staff member said: ‘what a fundraiser – we made a lot of money, had a brilliant meal and wine as well!’The business in question is Mackenzies Restaurant and Bar in Davidson’s Mains, which opened under new management at the end of April. Mine hosts Grant and Jamie are local lads- from Granton and Wardieburn – and together with Grant’s partner Trisha pledged to help a local school in need.
The Mackenzies team’s tremendous support is greatly appreciated by all at Forthview – and they may just find that their generosity is reciprocated by a grateful community. Well done, Mackenzies!
PS: And the icing on the cake – a number of the missing bikes have been recovered too!
Free Father’s Day fun at the Museum
Award-winning charity Dads Rock is taking over the Museum in Chambers Street again for a Father’s Day festival of fun …
Great News!…along with our friends we’re heading back to the National Museum of Scotland (Museum) for more free fun on Father’s Day (21 June)!