Every local authority must set up a youth offending team under section 39 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. Working Together 2026 still uses that name (paragraphs 341 and 342), but many areas have renamed their team the youth justice service, so you may see either. The names mean the same thing.
Working Together paragraph 341 describes YOTs as multi-agency teams that supervise children on pre-court interventions and statutory court sentences. They are subject to the section 11 duty to safeguard and promote children's welfare, and are well placed to spot children most at risk and the contexts in which they may be harmed. Local authorities must also provide appropriate adults for children detained or questioned by the police (paragraph 342).
For schools:
- A pupil working with the youth justice service still needs a safeguarding response. Children who offend are often victims too, for example of criminal exploitation.
- The DSL and the youth justice worker should share information to support the child, following local procedures.
- KCSIE 2026 paragraph 586 lists youth offending teams among the targeted early help services in Family Help.
Working Together 2026 paragraph 219 notes that children in the youth justice system can be seen as older than they are.