Road from care to custody ‘too easy’

Government is continuing to fail looked-after children by allowing them to slip into the justice system too easily, a leading youth justice expert has claimed.

Chris Stanley, a member of the youth courts’ committee at the Magistrates Association, told CYP Now that children in residential homes were more likely to enter the justice system because carers and residents often reported them to the police for minor offences.

To counter this, protocols between police, children’s services and children’s homes have been drawn up in some areas to encourage a more “restorative approach” in residential settings. However, some areas were making less progress than others, he added.

“I am going to be lobbying after the election to get government to recognise that group,” said Stanley.

“They are thrust into the criminal justice system far too quickly. It is something about which the Magistrates Association is very concerned.”

The issue has previously been raised in a report published by The Adolescent and Children’s Trust (Tact) in October 2008. That report found nearly three-quarters of staff in youth offending and looked-after children teams believe children in care are at greater risk of committing crime.

Jon Fayle, head of Children Law UK, which is part of Tact, has also previously criticised government for failing to mention the link between care and custody in the Youth Crime Action Plan.

The Department for Children, Schools and Families declined an invitation to comment, citing the pre-election “purdah” period.