Bwrdd Cyfiawnder Ieuenctid
Introducing trauma-led practice to Welsh youth
offending teams
Lynzi Jarman, Head of Effective Practice, YJB Cymru
•
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Bwrdd Cyfiawnder Ieuenctid
Fewer Welsh children with a criminal record
84%
Decrease in First Time
Entrants
Total full year figures for each financial year 2008 - 2015
Fewer Welsh children in custody
75%
Decrease in custody
occupancy
Snapshot occupancy comparing end of each July from 2008 - 2015
Bwrdd Cyfiawnder Ieuenctid
But – A smaller more complex (??) court cohort with
higher recidivism
Bwrdd Cyfiawnder Ieuenctid
What convinced us to try something different?
• 269 / 89% boys
• 245 were 15 – 17
• binary reoffending
rate: 83.6%
• frequency rate:
3.68
• 3 Black and 1
Asian boy
• 34 / 11% girls
• 33 were 15 – 17
• binary reoffending
rate: 64.7%
• frequency rate: 3.50
• 1 Black girl
It ain’t what you do,
it’s the way that you do it (and when)
Children whose
development has been
damaged need time to
recover lost ground
Children need the
consistency of a safe and
trusted adult in order to
develop properly
Developmental
problems do not always
respond well to “talking
therapies.”
Enhanced Case Management
• What the project looks like?
– TRM & associated training
– Multiagency team formulation meeting
– Clinical psychology case formulation
report
– Clinical supervision &
management support
So far, so good (??)
• Interim evaluation report:
• High degree of shared understanding about the
model
• Mixed success at involving YOTs in the trial
• Lower than expected numbers of referrals
• Training is valued and seen as a good “refresher”
• Clinical supervision is viewed positively
• Participation by other agencies is good
• ECM has improved YP engagement with YOTs
• Overall attrition rates are described as low (detailed data
pending)
• High level of fidelity to the model
So far, so good (??)
• Interim evaluation report:
• Positively impacted on YOT practice
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–
–
–
–
More effective at identifying underlying needs
Better understanding of impact of early life problems
Plans better tailored to needs around development & MH
Increased confidence in sequencing interventions
Staff are better equipped to engage young people in interventions
• Impact on relationships is a particular benefit
• Positive impact on management practices for ECM
cases
• Attribution of changes in YP to ECM approach is still
tentative with most stakeholders – i.e. “too early to
Other findings
- Improved engagement by young people
“The formulation gives us the evidence we need to
advocate for the young people.”
“What helped John was him knowing we were really
there for him. He had a felt experience of this through
the relationship.”
“Alex, and others under the ECM project, turn to us more
quickly.”
Other findings
• - Empowerment of YOT practitioners
•
•
“The formulation gives us the evidence we need to advocate for the
young people.”
“Having previously got frustrated by him the ECM has allowed us to
feel less frustrated, to understand his past and previous trauma.”
“The ECM work allowed the evidencing of his needs and the
acknowledgement that there wasn’t a service available to meet his
educational needs, rather than putting him in an unsuitable
educational placement and allowing him to fail.”
Other findings
• - Use of formulation report more
widely:
“Other agencies have been able to use the
formulation report also for their purposes; e.g.
applying for additional funding for education.”
“Using the ECM to speak in Court has prevented
another order being placed on him, which would
have been detrimental to him and to his progress.”
- Supporting YOT referrals to CAMHS
Where next?...