Youth offending

The Derbyshire Youth Offending Service aims to reduce offending by children and young people aged between 10 and 17, and to prevent offending by all young people.

The Youth Offending Service (YOS) consists of representatives from social services, the Police, Probation, Health, Education and other local organisations.

This multi-agency approach is designed to address the risk factors associated with offending and to meet the holistic needs of young people.

The Youth Offending Service is part of the Derby Community safety partnership and is headed by Bob Smith.

The Derbyshire Youth Offending Service has reduced the rate of robbery, burglary, and violent crime re-offending.

The YOS provide a wide range of community alternatives to custody ranging from prevention to intensive supervision.

Parenting orders

Parents have a critical role in teaching their children the difference between right and wrong.
Parenting orders are imposed by a criminal court, family court or magistrate's court, acting under jurisdiction when there has been a problem with a young person's behaviour.

They allow parents to build their skills so that they can respond more effectively to the challenges of parenting.

Parenting orders can consist of the following elements:

A parenting programme designed to meet parents' individual needs to help them address their child(ren)'s misbehaviour. This is not a punishment but a positive way of bolstering parental responsibility and helping parents develop their skills so they can respond more effectively to their child(ren)'s needs.
The second element specifies ways in which parents are required to exercise control over their child(ren)'s behaviour to address particular factors associated with their offending. Examples would be escorting their child(ren) to and from school every day to ensure attendance, or ensuring that a child is at home during certain hours.
As from 27 February 2004 the courts can require parents to attend a residential parenting course provided that it is likely to be more effective than a non-residential course and that any interference with family life is proportionate (section 18 Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003).

Parenting orders are available in a variety of circumstances and are designed to encourage parents to take responsibility for and help improve their child's behaviour.

Parenting orders (s8 and s9 as amended) of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998) are available in any court proceedings where:

A child safety order has been made
An anti-social behaviour order (ASBO) or sex offender order has been made in respect of a child or young person
A parent has been convicted of failing to ensure their child attends school
A child or young person has been convicted of an offence
When a referral order is made and a Youth Offender Panel refers a parent back to court for failing to attend panel meetings.

Changes introduced in the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 (ASBA) mean that parenting orders are available on application to the adult magistrate's court by:

The Youth Offending Team (YOT), where a child or young person has engaged in criminal conduct or anti-social behaviour
A Local Education Authority (LEA), where a child or young person has been excluded (permanently or for two fixed periods) from school for serious misbehaviour.

These powers became available from the 27 February 2004.

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