Resettlement provision for children and young ... - Ministry of Justice

‘I had no choice. I was told in the meeting and not given a chance to say anything.’
4.17 Of note, 81% of those who felt they had had a say in their targets said they tried to achieve
them, compared with only 37% of those who said they had not had a say. Young people were
also asked if they had received any help to meet their targets and, if so, from whom. Of the 36
young people who knew what their targets were, just over half (58%) said that they had been
given enough help to achieve them. Young people listed wing staff, case supervisors,
education staff, personal officers, social workers and YOT case managers as helping them to
achieve their targets. Comments included:
‘Education staff here are always pushing to see if you’re ready to go on to the next
level or do a test. They’re quite good here.’
‘Certain things are hard to improve on and meet your targets but in a way they help
you – the officers on the wing.’
4.18 Statements from the half who felt they had not been given support included:
‘I had a warning from the education teacher over something silly. She gave me work
to do that I had already done the week before – she told me to do it again anyway.’
‘They tell you what you need to do, then it's up to you.’
‘It takes two days to get to see your case supervisor so you don't see them that often.
I ask quite a bit to see them but I don't see them that often.’
4.19 Targets should be SMART, yet analysis of case files and the interviews with young people
found that targets were often broad, vague and non-specific and did not provide clear direction
for the young person. For example, several of the broad targets were along the lines of:
maintain family contact
attend education or work towards individual learning plan
good behaviour on the wing to get or stay on Gold (the top level of the rewards and
sanctions scheme).
4.20 These generic targets provided little direction for the young person in terms of the steps
needed to achieve them. Although case supervisors said that targets were reviewed at
meetings, where targets were broad it was often unclear as to how progress was being
assessed with targets usually noted as ‘ongoing’ rather than being updated and changed.
However at two establishments more specific ETE targets were set, based on the young
person’s individual learning plan. Targets were broken down into achievable goals, for
example, ‘attend the tiling and plastering course full-time and complete the following units…’
These were then updated when the young person completed each module and a new target
was set.
4.21 Case supervisors told us that resettlement plans were usually considered from an early stage
in a young person’s sentence. Targets, however, often focused on the young person’s time in
custody rather than plans for release and were aimed at the young person, despite the
likelihood that the YOT case manager and social worker, where applicable, would have action
points to ensure arrangements were in place for the young person on release. Resettlement
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