A brief guide to supervision in the community

The information below explains what supervision in the community involves, for you and your family.

What is community supervision?

Community supervision is a kind of criminal sentence made by a court. The youth rehabilitation order is the normal community sentence for young people who offend. The youth rehabilitation order provides an individual approach, helping courts to address your risks and needs. Courts may also add special requirements to youth rehabilitation orders, for example a night-time curfew (time that you must be home by), that you go to school or that you do not spend any time with specific people who are thought to be a bad influence.

What does it involve?

When you are placed under youth rehabilitation order supervision, you must:

1. Attend regular appointments, at times and places set by your supervisor. How often you have appointments is defined by the Youth Justice Board’s national standards, under a system called “scaled approach”. If you have lots of risks and needs, you will be seen more often and given more support
2. Inform your supervisor of any changes of address or employment.
3. Comply with any conditions or requirements stated by the court.

What happens next?

Your supervisor will talk to you and your family, and then write an Intervention plan for you:

• this says how you will be helped to stay out of trouble, who will help you, and what you are expected to do
• it will include meetings to talk about your offending, and exercises to help you to improve your behaviour and lifestyle
• it may include help for your education, health or social needs, and it will usually include activities to make up for the trouble you’ve caused (reparation)
• it will also give the details of any additional requirements

What happens if I don't co-operate?

If this only happens once or twice, your supervisor is allowed to give you warning letters. If you don’t comply after that, it must be reported to the Court.

You and your parents will have to attend another hearing and explain why you are not co-operating. The Court may decide to punish you or your parents.

What happens if I do co-operate?

Firstly, you will get some really useful help. You will be able to sort out your problems and have a happier life. Secondly, we will help you to make up for the trouble you caused, so that you don’t have to feel bad about it forever. Thirdly, if you do really well, we will ask the court to cancel the order early.

The North Yorkshire Youth Justice Service is:

• made up of expert staff from children’s social care, police, probation, education and health
• working in active partnership with local agencies and communities to prevent offending by young people
• committed to rigorous national standards for the supervision and management of young offenders in the community
• sensitive to the needs and rights of victims and working to the code of practice for victims of crime
• committed to treating all service users with respect, fairness, honesty and dignity
• committed to fair treatment regardless of race, religion, culture, disability or sexual orientation

If you would like more information, or if you wish to complain about any service you have received, please contact us.