Youth Offending Team

We are looking for committed volunteers who want to work with Slough YOT to help children and young people reach their potential. This role will give you an opportunity to improve your knowledge, learn new skills and develop positive partnership working with the community.

Examples of some of the work you might get involved in includes:

• Sitting on Panels for young people who are on court Referral Orders.
• Appropriate Adult (AA) – supporting young people at the police station or in court.
• Engagement in positive activities and programmes.
• Mentoring (young people).
• Supervising (reparation projects).

There are many benefits to being a volunteer and these include:

• Developing your skills, knowledge and experience.
• Meeting new people from different cultures and backgrounds.
• Making new friends.
• Getting to know your local community and give back to it.

Above all else, this is an opportunity to support children and young people in your community and give them a chance for a better future. Volunteers work with a wide range of professionals, young people, parents/carers, and those in the criminal justice system to prevent offending.

Are you looking to volunteer?

• Do you have an interest in working with young people who have offended (this can be challenging at times)?
• Would you like to help victims and repair the harm caused by crime?
• Would you like to help prevent re-offending?

If so, contact us by email at YOTeam@scstrust.co.uk

Below you will find some useful external links relating to youth offending and the support and advice available.

Youth offending teams (GOV.UK)
Young people and the law (GOV.UK)
Community sentences (GOV.UK)
Crime, justice and the law (GOV.UK)
Safer Slough Partnership (Slough Borough Council)
SEND information, advice and support (Information, Advice and Support Services Network)

SAFE! Is a charity in Thames Valley (Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire) that offers 1-2-1 support to young people, (age 8-18 or up to 25 years if they have additional needs) who have been affected by crime. You can choose where you feel most comfortable meeting your SAFE! worker; it could be at home, or somewhere like your school, college, youth or community centre. Your SAFE! worker will help you develop ways of coping for times when you don’t feel safe. You will not have to talk about what happened to you, unless you want to.

This service is free of charge and referrals can come from YOT, Schools, Police, Victim Support or via a self referrals. Young people attending YOTs are not referred, but victims of their offence or siblings can be referred. Victims are offered up to 6 or 12 sessions concentrating on protective behaviours.

Freephone: 0800 133 7938

Having a support network in place is important for every person, regardless of current or past experiences. However, we recognise that support from family and friends is not always what is needed, particularly when having experienced an offence as a victim. In fact, sometimes support from someone with similar experiences can be the most beneficial.

Here at Slough Youth Offending Team we want to make sure that the victims of crime are treated with dignity, kindness and respect. We aim to ensure that the victims of crime have as much support offered to them as is possible. One of the ways we offer this is through our Victim Support Circle:

• Runs on the first Wednesday of every month
• Voluntary group – attendance of one session does not necessitate attendance of every session
• Runs in conjunction with Windsor and Maidenhead Youth Offending Team
• Seeks to bring together people who have been victims of crime
• Seeks to offer people a safe place to talk through their experiences
• Seeks to allow people to gain support from those who have been through similar experiences
• Seeks to share relevant services such as other victim support agencies, counselling services, etc.

If you are interested in attending or would like more information about the Victim Support Circle, please contact Leah Robinson on 01753 690963 or at Leah.Robinson@scstrust.co.uk.

Victim Support Line: 0808 1689 111 (24/7 including holidays)

Victim Support Next Generation Text (for those who are deaf, hard of hearing, or speak English as a second language): 18001 0808 1689 111

MIND: call 0300 123 3393 or text 86463

Assist Trauma Care: advice line 01788 560 880

SAFE! – Support for Young People Affected by Crime: 01865 582 495

We at Slough YOT are keen to engage with the victims of crimes and believe this is a crucial element of helping repair the harm caused through offering extensive support and hopefully deter young people from future offences.

We want to offer an approachable service with which anyone who identifies as a victim can engage. This is focused around YOU and we therefore appreciate any feedback at any point. If it means we can better cater to victim’s needs, we want to hear it.

Restorative Justice: What you need to know

Restorative Justice is a voluntary process which focuses on the rehabilitation of young people who have offended, getting them to take responsibility for their actions, understand the harm they have caused and provide them with an opportunity to redeem themselves and reconcile with the victim(s).

Restorative Justice can be done through:

• Face-to-face conferences
• Shuttle mediation (indirect conversations)
• Reparation completed by the young person who has offended

Do I have to forgive them?

• No. Forgiveness is a personal choice and no victim(s) will ever be pressured to forgive the offender(s).

Is it safe?

• Yes. The Restorative Justice process will be handled by a trained facilitator.
• Confidentiality is taken very seriously and the facilitator would not allow the process without taking account of the participants’ safety.

What will I gain from this?

• Each person’s motivation is different but the trained RJ facilitator will discuss what each party wants to gain before starting the process, e.g.
  • More information about the crime
  • To explain to the offender how the crime affected them so they understand the consequences
  • To gain some closure