Call for community volunteers in North Warwickshire
Warwickshire’s Youth Offending Service is calling on volunteers in North Warwickshire to help turn around the lives of young people.
Since 2002, youth courts across the county started to refer young people – who had appeared in court for the first time on a lesser charge and pleaded guilty – to Youth Offending Panels.
These are made up of trained volunteers from the local community and also a member of Warwickshire County Council’s Youth Offending Team.
The panel meets with the young person who has committed the crime, their parents or guardian and wherever possible, the victim, to draw up a tailor-made contract stating how they will make up for what they’ve done, and to stay out of trouble in the future.
Rose – not her real name – was having problems with her daughter who was often getting in to trouble, ending with an appearance in court and a referral to the Youth Offending Panel.
Rose said: “She had been pushing the boundaries and getting into trouble at school and at home and I was worried about where it would all lead.
“When we had to attend the youth panel meeting, I did now know what to expect. The panel was formal enough to give the message that the situation was serious but informal enough to give us the confidence to discuss the difficulties we were having that may have led, in part, to my daughter’s behaviour. A contract was set and she was expected to attend for regular sessions with her worker.”
As part of the referral order, Rose’s daughter wrote a letter apologising for what she had done. Rose added: “I am really grateful to the panel members who are unpaid volunteers from the community who help young people choose a different path and help them to try to make up for some of the harm done to victims.”
Heather Shilling, Operations Manager (Interventions) for the Youth Offending Service, said: “Panel members do a tremendous job in helping turn around the young person’s life, as well as helping the victim feel that the appropriate measures have been taken to ensure it won’t happen again.
“They are enthusiastic about youth justice, committed and spare a few hours a week to help the community, and we are always on the look out for more volunteers.”
If you would like more information about becoming a volunteer panel member or would like more information about the Youth Offending Service, visit http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/yot.