Centre for Mental Health

Sainsbury Centre welcomes government health strategy for children and young people in youth justice system

8 December 2009

Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health today welcomed the publication today of Healthy Children, Safer Communities: A strategy to promote the health and well-being of children and young people in contact with the youth justice system.

Sainsbury Centre associate director of prisons and criminal justice Graham Durcan said: "This strategy acknowledges the full extent of the complex vulnerabilities faced by people who end up in the youth justice system. It makes a commitment to seize the opportunities to identify and address, at any stage, the needs of young people with complex needs who are at risk of offending or re-offending.

"Children and young people in the youth justice system have three times the average rate of mental health problems. Many also have learning disabilities, communication difficulties and a history of family problems. Too often these difficulties are missed in schools and other mainstream services and vulnerable young people end up in a youth justice system that struggles to support them.

"We hope that today's strategy will result in changes at ground level for children, young people, families and communities. In these economically challenging times for public services, it is more important than ever that government drives forward this evidence-based and cost-effective approach to reducing offending and protecting communities.

"We also need to see much more investment in very early intervention to strengthen families and to address the barriers which limit children and young people's success and life opportunities."