Who we are and what we do
The Youth Justice Board for England and Wales (YJB) is an executive non-departmental public body, comprised of around 100 staff plus a number of Board members with our headquarters based in London. We are sponsored by the Ministry of Justice and are responsible for overseeing the youth justice system in England and Wales.
Our vision is for a youth justice system that sees children as children, treats them fairly and helps them to build on their strengths so they can make a constructive contribution to society. This will prevent offending and create safer communities with fewer victims.
Our statutory functions
Our responsibilities
Within England and Wales we’re responsible for:
Our priorities
Our values
- Inclusive – challenging discrimination and promoting inclusivity and equity in all that we do, as well as eliminating bias within the YJB and the youth justice system
- Collaborative – collaborating with our youth justice partners and encouraging partnership working to meet the needs of the children, victims and their communities
- Integrity – showing integrity by fulfilling our duties responsibly and always behaving in a professional manner
- Accountable – being accountable in our actions and our performance in supporting the sector to improve
- Bold – ensuring we remain evidence-based and boldly championing the voice of the child
Vision
Our vision is for a Child First youth justice system: a youth justice system that sees children as children, treats them fairly and helps them to build on their strengths so they can make a constructive contribution to society. This will prevent offending and create safer communities with fewer victims.
Mission
The YJB is the only statutory body to have oversight of the entire youth justice system. We provide independent, evidence-based advice and leadership to drive improvements that increase children’s positive outcomes and prevent offending.
A few words from the Youth Justice Board…
Stephanie Roberts-Bibby, Chief Executive Officer
A Child First approach is a priority that shapes our organisation, how we operate, and we work to pursue this ideal being reflected in the youth justice system. We want to improve outcomes for children in order to prevent offending and create safer communities, so effective collaboration with our partners will help ensure the justice system is fair, treating children as children and we can influence positive outcomes for children entering, during or leaving the justice system.
Keith Fraser, Chair of the Youth Justice Board
A collaborative approach helps evoke change. Sharing research, intelligence and knowledge can all help to shape recommendations to prevent harm through exploitation and reduce over-representation of children in the youth justice system – two of our YJB priorities. It also supports in developing strategies for early intervention and preventing children entering the system. Once a child enters the criminal justice system they are changed for life. Working with our partners in the youth justice sector and having a platform to share wider expertise, we can help positively impact change for children.