Vital work keeping the East Riding’s young people out of court and on to the right path has been highly praised by a council cabinet member.
Councillor Victoria Aitken, cabinet member for children, families and education at East Riding of Yorkshire Council, commended the partnership work actively helping to keep youngsters out of trouble and the court system, in her report given to yesterday's (Wednesday 26 February) full council meeting.
Councillor Aitken said the commitment and teamwork of the council’s education, health, children's social care, early help services and community safety teams, together with the police, probation service, the voluntary sector, and the Youth Justice Board, was ‘making good progress’ and helping to make ‘a real difference in the lives of young people in our community’.
She said the teams’ efforts were aimed at young people who are at risk of entering or are already involved in criminal justice services.
Councillor Aitken said: “One of our key achievements is reducing the number of custodial sentences for children across the East Riding.
“At the moment, we have no child or young person serving a custodial sentence or remanded to custody.
“This is due to the intensive support our youth justice practitioners offer including working evenings and weekends to support young people and demonstrates our ability to manage risks effectively and provide the right support at the right time, in the right place.”
She praised the partnership’s early intervention for showing positive results.
She said the mobile youth provision, Our Place, had reached more than 600 children since August 2024, offering a safe space and essential support four nights a week.
Councillor Aitken said: “This initiative has been recognised as a finalist for the Local Government Chronicle Awards 2025, which is great recognition for our dedicated staff.”
She also praised the partnership’s work on speech, language, and communication needs.
She said: “With NHS England's support, we have a speech and language therapist in our Youth Justice Service team, ensuring children receive the specialized help they need.
“Nationally, over 60% of young people in justice settings have speech, language, and communication needs.
“A child’s poor choices often start with frustration and an inability to make their voices heard and understood.
“Our Youth Voice initiatives have had a huge impact on how we formulate the offers and provisions available to prevent children’s poor choices from escalating into bigger problems for them and the wider community.”
Councillor Aitken also paid tribute to the important work being carried out to support victims of crime, saying: “We've seen some truly inspiring examples of restorative work and conferences.”
She said the partnership also recognised the need to support children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), who made up 51% of young people in the local youth justice system.
She said: “Ensuring these children receive the right support and opportunities to reach their full potential remains a priority.”
Councillor Aitken said the partnership was committed to improving the lives of the area’s young people.
She said: “We are committed to tackling the challenges ahead.
“Together with our partners, we will continue striving for a future where every child enjoys good physical, mental, and social health and wellbeing, feels safe, develops the skills and knowledge to achieve their full potential, and receives the right support at the right time and in the right place.”
PICTURE CAPTION:
Councillor Victoria Aitken with the mobile youth bus.
