1. Inspecting to provide assurance and promote improvement
Children and Young People who commit sexual offences’ Thematic Inspection
Julie Fox
HMI Probation
Publication: 7 February 2013

2. Inspecting to provide assurance and promote improvement
Background
Thematic inspections as part of overall programme
Led by HMI Probation with full involvement from CQC, HMIC and Ofsted
Sample Areas
Seven youth offending teams visited following a pilot
Nature of Inspection
Examined individual cases
Group discussion with representatives from all the involved agencies
Spoke to young people and parents/carers about their experiences

3. Inspecting to provide assurance and promote improvement
There are effective national, regional and local strategic arrangements to ensure a coordinated multi-agency approach to the assessment and delivery of services
There is an agreed inter agency framework for referral and assessment of C&YP who commit sexual offences which results in an agreed multi agency plan to manager LoR, RoH and vulnerability
Effective use is made of a range of multi-agency interventions which are appropriate to the specific needs of young people who commit sexual offences, their families/carers and victims
Multi agency interventions have had a positive impact on reducing re-offending, addressing safeguarding needs and protecting the public and victims

4. Inspecting to provide assurance and promote improvement
To examine the quality of the assessment, planning, interventions and outcomes for children and young people who sexually abuse
Focus on the quality of the work undertaken with these children and young people – how the different agencies worked together and what had been achieved

5. Inspecting to provide assurance and promote improvement
Issues with the time between disclosure and conviction
Missed opportunities for early intervention
Reluctance to share information
Issues with specialist assessments and multi-disciplinary meetings
Underlying reasons for offending not fully analysed
Lack of robust quality assurance of assessments
Children and young people and parents/carers involved
Diversity assessed but not always addressed

6. Inspecting to provide assurance and promote improvement
Positive holistic interventions rare
Work not delivered as identified in various plans
Interventions lacked coordination
Denial proved a major barrier to provision
Good examples of health, education & family support work
Variations in management oversight and supervision
Good engagement and compliance
Child-focused approach and commitment
Progress on offending factors
Little routine evaluation
Variations in services to victims

7. Inspecting to provide assurance and promote improvement
Increase in monitoring and evaluation
Improve comprehensive, co-ordinated multi-agency work
Improve information-sharing
Close gap between policy and operational practice
Increase early intervention opportunities