Better joint working needed to stop young people falling into cycle of crime

A strategy is needed to improve joint working between government departments and public services to rehabilitate young people with multiple needs and help them escape a life in the criminal justice system, a charity has claimed.

Charity Revolving Doors Agency, which works to help people with mental health problems caught in a cycle between homelessness, prison and mental health problems, has put together a case for reforming public services after consulting with service users and frontline workers.

The report Case for Change calls on parties to consider changes to policy including the introduction of a green paper that addresses a joined-up, cross-departmental “multiple needs” strategy to drive the reform of public services and a new crime and reoffending strategy that focuses on people who are in repeat contact with the criminal justice system.

It also demands that improvements be made to help offenders on short prison sentences access services that can help them with housing, health and treatment needs, especially directly after their release from prison.

Toni, a 19-year-old member of the Revolving Doors Agency’s service users forum, said: “I have been through the system — police, mental health teams and have been in a lot of trouble in the process. I think if the help was there earlier then I think I would be much more stable now.

“I want to help others in the future. I want to be a youth worker so that I can tell young people who are going off the rails not to follow my path but to learn from my mistakes.”

The report highlights particular problems with the lack of co-ordination between children’s and adult services, which allows young people to fall through the gaps of support services.

The charity’s chief executive, Dominic Williamson, said: “The new Parliament will have to think more creatively than ever to solve social issues while at the same time saving public finances. We think you can do both if you are prepared to break down barriers between public services and genuinely work to rehabilitate and support ex-offenders and those in contact with the police with low-level mental health problems and multiple needs.”