§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what action he intends to take following the publication of his Department's report on the practice of supervision of juvenile offenders.
§ Mrs. CurrieThis report was the result of a joint inspection by Her Majesty's inspectorate of probation and the inspectorate of social services on practice and supervision of juvenile offenders in two non-metropolitan counties in England. The inspection was designed to obtain information about the effectiveness of the supervision order; to assist those agencies involved in the inspection of the future development of their services; and to provide material to assist other social services departments and probation services in their work.
The report was drawn to the attention of directors of social services by the chief inspector of the social services 253W inspectorate on 16 December 1987. In doing so he highlighted a number of matters of concern both in the treatment of young offenders and in maintaining the confidence of courts in making supervision orders to reduce the numbers sentenced to custody, and drew attention to the recommendations related to these points included in the report. Copies of the report were sent also to the relevant local authority and professional associations.
The social services inspectorate continues to follow-up the implications of the inspection report in discussions with the two local authorities who participated in the study. The Department will continue to draw on the conclusions and recommendations in the report in considering future policy on supervision orders for juvenile offenders.