Call for standard youth offending team qualification

Youth offending team managers are calling for a standard qualification to be introduced for youth offending team (YOT) staff.

Currently there is no routine way to qualify as a YOT worker. This has led to fears about what would happen in the event of a youth offending team becoming involved in a serious case review following the findings of Lord Laming’s report on safeguarding.

The Association of Youth Offending Team Managers has written to the Youth Justice Board (YJB) asking for clarification on the issue.

Gareth Jones, Halton and Warrington YOT manager, who wrote the letter, said unqualified staff could come in for professional and personal criticism if their training is called into question as a result of an inquest or review.

“The major concern of YOTs is that there’s no clear indication about what constitutes a qualified YOT officer,” he said.

“In some YOTs only those with a social work qualification would be regarded as a YOT officer although you can be a YOT officer without having any specific training about child development.

“A statutory social work qualification would be ideal but that could create a lot of problems because there is already a shortage of qualified social workers as it is.”

The YJB was unavailable for comment.