A new court order for young people came into practice in April 2002. Most young offenders aged between 10-17 who are convicted by the courts for the first time plead guilty be given a Referral Order, unless the charge is not so serious as to warrant a custodial sentence.

Under the new order the young person will be referred to a Youth Offender Panel, made up of two trained volunteers from the local community and an adviser from the Youth Offending Team, trained in working with young offenders.

These panels in conjunction with the parents/guardian of the young offender and the victim of the crime will agree a tailor-made contract aimed at putting things right. This may include a letter of apology to the victim, removing graffiti or cleaning up estates. The programme will also include activities to prevent further
offending.

Volunteers are required for Referral Panel Volunteer – working on referral order panels discussing offences with young people, their parents and sometimes the victim and agreeing a plan of action to repair the harm and prevent re-offending.

Skills Acquisition – there are 6.5 days of training for volunteers followed by regular training and supervision. There are opportunities to link into OU and Youth Justice Board training.

You will see a side of youth justice which is usually restricted unless you are employed in this area. 

We require a commitment of 2-3 hours fortnightly on a Monday-Thursday Evening

Interested? Contact us.