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Evaluation Report on the Community Resolution and Prevention Service (CRPS) (October 2023)

Published:

Summary:

The aim of the CRPS is to offer a programme of support for children following their first community resolution, or they have been identified as being at risk of offending. This is an independent evaluation of the service completed by Rocket Science.

Description:

The CRPS programme was funded by the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland (LLR) Violence Reduction Network to offer a programme of support and intervention for children who have received their first community resolution from the police, or they have been identified as a potential risk of offending.

The programme triages all children who meet the criteria and if they do not have any concerns identified from a screening process they are offered an ‘opt in’ service for support.  For other children, there was an offer of a support delivered through a team of prevention workers. On average children who engaged in the programme received up to 10 sessions of further support designed to meet the child- needs and help them to improve on their outcomes.

The evaluation found that the most frequent offences that led to a referral to the programme was criminal damage and assault. The analysis also indicated that the most frequently occurring areas of concern for the children before entering the programme were; known to be offending, known the YJS, persistently absent from school, known to use drugs and known to have a neurodevelopmental condition.

Following completion of the programme children reported a rise in their confidence, self esteem, positive relationships and ability to manage their anger.

The report makes a number of recommendations

  • Review thresholds for referral
  • Review onward referral routes
  • Better use of evidence to demonstrate outcomes
  • Development of a defined and tiered package of support

Please follow this link to the report.

This programme was delivered by seven prevention workers who worked with the children, families and schools to engage with the children and support them with the offer of the programme of support. The offer of support was entirely voluntary and so the workers used their engagement skills to work with the children and families.

This programme has now been mainstreamed into the core youth justice offer for children.

Contact

Organisation: Leicester City Youth Justice service
Name: Ivor Sutton
Email:  ivor.sutton@leicester.gov.uk