1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
This report presents the findings of the Scottish Government's Workstream on Young Offender Learning and Skills. This is one of three independently chaired workstreams established by the government following a commitment made in Skills for Scotland, the national skills strategy.
That commitment was to "identify how best to deliver effective integrated learning, skills and employability provision for young people and adults who are in or leaving the justice system with a view to producing an effective learning and skills strategy." 1
For the purposes of this work, our focus has been on young people aged 16-18 who have been involved in the Scottish justice system 2. We have also been interested in those people deemed to be at risk of offending. Consequently, we have considered a broad spectrum of young people.
The focus on the 16-18 age range is designed to provide a good fit with the Education and Skills faultline, and in particular the statutory school leaving age which is acknowledged as a key transition point.
The workstream has been independently chaired and has drawn upon the knowledge and experience of a wide range of experts in this field. Details of the workstream membership are attached as Appendix 1. We are grateful to all of those who have given up time to contribute to the workstream process 3.
Finally, we would like to particularly thank the many young people who have contributed to this study and given us their insights. In particular, we are grateful to the 4 young people who agreed to share their stories through our case studies.
1.2 Why this matters
Young people are our future. Nurturing them and supporting them to reach their full potential is in the interest of us all.
However, the transitional period of adolescence is difficult for many young people. It is a point where boundaries are pushed and risks taken as part of preparing for independent adulthood. This is healthy and appropriate. However, it can lead some young people towards offending behaviours, where the risks can be harmful and can bring long term negative consequences.
A high proportion of young people who offend aged 16-18 in Scotland are from our most vulnerable homes and communities. Prior to attending the Children's Panel or Court hearing, the majority have already been identified at a younger stage as requiring care and support.
Successfully intervening to deter them from further trouble is in line with several of the Government's stated outcomes:
- Our children have the best start in life and are ready to succeed
- We have improved the life chances for children, young people and families at risk
- Our young people are successful learners, confident individuals, effective contributors and responsible citizens
- We live our lives safe from crime, disorder and danger
The evidence presented in this report confirms that engaging in learning promotes desistence amongst younger offenders and encourages the prospect of a successful transition to adulthood.
It is therefore important that we raise the number of all young people participating in learning and ensure that a rising proportion move into positive and sustained destinations.
1.3 Who needs to read this report?
This report is relevant to young people in Scotland and everyone working with them. It is pertinent at both national and local levels, and cuts across a wide range of policy areas.
Within the Scottish Government, civil servants in a range of departments will find it useful, including Education, Justice, Health and Lifelong Learning. At the national level it will also be important for decision makers in Skills Development Scotland ( SDS), The Scottish Prison Service ( SPS), Jobcentre Plus and NHS Scotland.
Due to their pivotal role linking the national and local spheres the report will also be relevant to COSLA staff covering a wide range of responsibilities. It will also be of interest to local authorities and all organisations involved in the More Choices More Chances ( MCMC) partnerships. In particular it will be of value to professionals working in employability, justice, education and care settings.
Throughout this report we underline the importance of the voluntary and community sector ( VCS) in supporting vulnerable young people. As well as people working in this sector, service commissioners who purchase services from these organisations should also read it.
1.4 What does success look like?
The final section of the report describes what success looks like for this agenda. It presented 9 points which form the basis of our Action Plan, which is attached in the appendices.
The key features of success would be:
- More young people actively engaging as learners with appropriate support - particularly those from deprived backgrounds and from high risk groups such as looked after children
- Fewer young people out of school and at risk of offending
- Better sustained outcomes for young people aged 16-18 involved in the justice system whether in the community or in custody
1.4 What needs to change?
In the short term, we must work more effectively to promote the value and relevance of learning and skills to young people involved in the justice system. Currently, too many are switched off by their school experience and there is a major Information Advice and Guidance ( IAG) job required to sell the benefits of learning and skills development.
There is also a need to provide a more flexible and supportive offer where the starting point is the young person and their support needs. There are several examples of good practice already in place - mentioned in this report - but provision is not universal, even for those in custody. This needs to change and a number of recent established drivers are helpful - including the concept of 'entitlement' within Curriculum for Excellence and the development of 16+ Learning Choices.
Given the numbers of young people cited in the workstream report this short term work is vital and it must start now.
At the same time, there needs to be a continued focus on more effective upstream prevention targeted at those most at risk, including young people who are looked after as well as the children of prisoners. Targeted early intervention with vulnerable families is one of the keys to success in the longer term and again we identify examples of this which are already in place. Another is retaining more young people in mainstream secondary education. This study suggests that a high proportion of young offenders are excluded from the education system - either by schools or as truants - by the age of 14. Making the curriculum relevant and attractive, with the right supports in place, is at the centre of this change agenda, which is entirely consistent with the principles of CfE.
As the Scottish Prisons Commission noted, Scotland locks up a disproportionately high number of young people aged 16 to 18. Apart from the financial costs 4, the social and economic consequences for these individuals, their families and communities is enormous. This needs to change, and learning and skills acquisition has a central role to play in this transformation process.
1.5 Language and terminology
Throughout this process we have expressed discomfort with the term 'young offender'. This labelling is unhelpful as it is negative and implies that those young people with experience of the justice system will struggle to move on. As we show in this report, many make great progress and we hope that this work will help even more to do so in future.
Our approach has been to discuss the characteristics of the 'young offender' group in section 2 of this report. After this point we tend to refer to 'young men' 'young women' and 'young people' although we would stress that the UN Convention on the rights of the Child assert that anyone under the age of 18 is considered to be a child.