The rate of children entering the youth justice system for the first time in Tower Hamlets has almost halved since 2021, after a major overhaul of a service whose leadership was rated ‘inadequate’ by inspectors.
The Youth Justice Service (YJS) in Tower Hamlets and the City of London has brought the first-time entrant rate down from 261 per 100,000 to 133 per 100,000 since April 2021, a 48.9% fall, by focusing on diversionary offers and specific interventions. The figures were in a report to the council’s Children and Education Scrutiny Sub-Committee.
In the last 12 months alone, first-time entrants fell by 31.5%, compared with an average fall of 11.5% across London and 19.3% across the service’s family average over the same period.
The term 'family average' is used as a benchmark to compare Tower Hamlets' performance against a group of similar local authorities.
Kelly Duggan, Head of Youth Justice and Partnerships, presented the findings to the Children and Education Scrutiny Sub-Committee, setting out the service’s improvement since its last inspection in 2022, which rated its governance and leadership ‘inadequate’. The Out of Court Resolution team needed a complete overhaul, and governance was redesigned to make the service more forward-facing and integrated. The service has since focused on a ‘back to basics’ approach and on embedding a ‘Child First’ philosophy.
The 'Child First' philosophy ensures practitioners communicate clearly with children and families about appointments and potential issues. This approach underpins the service's diversionary offers.
A pilot programme called 'Outcome 22', developed with the Met Police, focused on deferred prosecutions for children, particularly Black children and those from the global majority, to improve confidence in the police and reduce court escalations. This programme has now been implemented in every borough within the Met. The service also offers 'Outcome 23', which includes youth deferred prosecutions and cautions, allowing engagement in mandatory interventions without a criminal record. Furthermore, they have developed their own knife crime programmes and utilise the 'No Knives, Better Lives' programme from the Old Bailey, which involves children hearing from victims, surgeons, and mothers. Interventions are tailored to the individual needs, abilities, and understanding of each child.
The report also detailed progress in other key performance indicators. The re-offending rate, while showing a slight increase to 29.6% of the cohort, remains significantly low in absolute numbers, according to the report, with only 16 children re-offending in the latest reporting period. This increase is directly linked to the reduction in the first-time entrant rate. The service is collaborating with the Ministry of Justice to improve the measurement of the re-offending KPI. The service has also achieved a near-zero custody rate, with no children in prison for extended periods, a target that was considered ambitious when set five years ago.
Improvements have been driven by a co-designed Youth Justice Strategic Plan for 2026-2027, with priorities including 'Child First', 'Consistently Good Practice', 'Culture, Identity and Community', and 'Strength in Partnerships'. Feedback from children and parents has been positive, with many noting the supportive interventions and the positive impact on their lives.
The committee was also updated on the upcoming inspection framework by HM Inspectorate of Probation (HMIP), which will focus on four key domains including governance, work with children, and work with victims. The service expressed confidence in its readiness for inspection, noting the significant progress made in improving practice and outcomes.
Despite the successes, challenges remain, including the mandatory knife crime intervention and the complexity of the cohort, which includes issues of exploitation, SEND, poverty, and housing. There is a need to ensure that skills related to knife crime interventions are not lost and that interventions are appropriate for the maturity levels of children. Training is provided on the 'Child First' approach to enhance engagement with children. The service has a direct referral system managed by managers, allowing for immediate assessment. They also collaborate with police partners to downgrade certain offences by children in care, recognising potential underlying issues.
The service is working to ensure it does not lose existing skills, especially concerning custody, and is responding quickly to new national reforms. The service is participating in discussions for potential policy amendments, such as for reducing the criminalisation of children in care. The service's strong partnerships and integrated structure are key to navigating these reforms.
The committee welcomed the progress made by the Youth Justice Service and noted the importance of embedding these improvements and continuing to measure outcomes for children. They also highlighted the need for further information on interventions aimed at reducing re-offending and support for youth justice cohort members with mental health needs or those at risk of exploitation.
