I ntroduction
1.1 Government in Scotland has one overarching purpose: to create a more successful country, with opportunities for all of Scotland to flourish, through increasing sustainable economic growth. Young people, their families and communities are at the heart of this vision for Scotland. That is why we are jointly committed to giving children the best start in life and to improving the life chances of children, young people and families at risk. Tackling the causes and effects of offending by young people is key to building safe and strong communities, within which Scotland's future generation can fulfil its enormous potential.
1.2 As national agencies, we have developed this framework to tell the story - to our communities, our young people and their families, and the people that work with and for them - of what we want to do and how, working alongside them, we want to do it. The Framework is formally owned by the Scottish Government, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities ( COSLA), the Association of Chief Police Officers Scotland ( ACPOS), Scottish Children's Reporter Administration ( SCRA) and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service ( COPFS), as key delivery agencies. The Framework is also endorsed by the relevant inspectorates and professional organisations: HMIE, Care Commission, SWIA, HMIC; the Association of Directors of Social Work ( ADSW) and welcomed by a range of third sector organisations. All of these partners will have a part to play in taking the Framework forward through their strategic, operational and regulatory responsibilities. Audit Scotland was also represented on the group developing the framework. Our over-arching shared commitment is to work together as national and local partners to deliver real improvements on the ground.
1.3 There is a wealth of good practice across Scotland in tackling offending by young people. The challenge is to embed this as standard practice, and consistently to drive up our aspirations and performance. In driving forward our work, we will focus on the following areas:
- Prevention
- Early and effective intervention
- Managing high risk
- Victims and community confidence
- Planning and performance improvement
1.4 This framework is broad in its scope, spanning prevention, diversion, intervention and risk management, with reference to the individual, the family and the wider community. It reaches from pre-birth and early years to the transition to adult services. It is therefore no exaggeration to say that delivering this vision is everyone's job. Our organisations are united in our focus on tackling offending by young people, but in delivering under this framework we will be working with the wide range of public, voluntary and independent agencies who contribute to improving outcomes for children and young people, and our communities. Likewise, while concentrating our effort principally on young people between the ages of 8 and 16, we recognise the need to start our preventative work much earlier, and sustain attention on the successful transition to adulthood, particularly the vulnerable period between 16 and 21.