Peterborough City Council Youth Justice Service has been rated ‘Good’ by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation, with inspectors praising strong, child-centred practice, skilled practitioners and effective partnership working to support children, victims and the wider community.
The inspection, which looked at work with children and victims, awarded the council an overall score of 10 out of 12. The service was rated ‘Outstanding’ for assessing children’s needs and risks, ‘Good’ for planning, ‘Outstanding’ for delivery, and ‘Good’ for work with victims.
The report recognises significant progress, describing the Youth Justice Service as child-centred and outcome-focused, with effective arrangements to support positive change and manage safety. Inspectors found children were supported by skilled practitioners with high aspirations, helping them recognise their potential.
Key strengths included well-informed, personalised and analytical assessments; strong partnership working with social care, schools, health, police and specialist services; and high-quality interventions tailored to children’s needs, communication styles and lived experiences.
Inspectors also highlighted specialist support, including psychology, speech and language therapy, education support, restorative justice and targeted interventions for children with complex needs. The report found practitioners built trusting relationships, adapted their work to help children engage, and supported improved confidence, wellbeing, education and relationships.
The inspection also recognised improvements in work with victims, following a service review. Inspectors noted that the victim policy had been revised, engagement had improved, and restorative justice approaches were helping to repair relationships and support safer communities.
The council acknowledges there is always more to do. The report makes three recommendations: further action to reduce disproportionality for children from global majority backgrounds, reviewing restorative justice and victim worker capacity, and improving information shared about victims’ individual needs. The Youth Justice Service has identified these as priorities and has action plans in place.
Cllr Katy Cole, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, Peterborough City Council, said: “This positive inspection outcome is a testament to the dedication, skill and compassion of our Youth Justice Service and the partners who work alongside them every day.
“The team works with children at some of the most difficult and complex points in their lives. Their work is about understanding each child’s experiences, building trust, supporting families, protecting victims and communities, and helping children make positive changes.
"I would also like to thank the dedicated volunteers who give up their time as community panel members for the Youth Justice Service. They play a key role by supporting children and young people who have received Referral Orders in court, helping to oversee their rehabilitation.
“We are pleased inspectors have recognised the strength of this work, including the outstanding quality of assessment and delivery. We also recognise where further improvement is needed and are committed to working with partners to address this and keep improving outcomes for children, victims and residents.”
The inspection found the Youth Justice Service is well led, with a shared child-first approach embedded across the partnership. It also noted a positive learning culture, where performance information, quality assurance and reviews are used to drive improvement.
Peterborough City Council Youth Justice Service works with children and young people who have come into contact with the criminal justice system, supporting them to move away from offending, strengthen relationships, engage in education and positive activities, and build safer futures. It also works with victims, families, carers and partner agencies to reduce harm and support community safety.