Court services

Find out what court services and support we provide for young people.

Court services we provide

The court services we provide include

  • Appropriate Adult services (at police stations)
  • preparation of Pre-Sentence Reports
  • provision of direct support to young people and their families during the Court process
  • bail supervision and support and
  • remand management

Pre-sentence reports

What a pre-sentence report is

A pre-sentence report is an impartial report requested by the court, which gives information about the young person and the offence(s) that they have committed. It is important to co-operate with the Youth Justice Service (YJS) worker in the preparation of this, so that the court is given a fair picture of all the circumstances.

The court has to decide on the most appropriate sentence for the offence(s) that have been committed. This is based on:

  • the seriousness of the offence
  • the suitability of a particular sentence

Some community sentences cannot be given unless a report has been prepared first.

How the report is written

A worker from the young person's local YJS will write the Report (regardless of which court has asked for the report).

The YJS worker will interview the young person and will need to ask relevant questions. This would normally also involve discussions with parents and carers. Interviews may need to take place more than once to get enough detail for the report.

The YJS worker may also want to talk to other people that know the young person such as teachers, social workers, youth workers, health workers and any other professionals that may be able to provide specialist services to the young person.

What the report includes

The report gives information about:

  • the details and circumstances of the offence(s)
  • the seriousness of the offence(s)
  • an assessment of the consequences of the offence(s) including the impact it had on the victim
  • an assessment of the young person's attitude to the offence(s) and the consequences
  • personal circumstances which may be relevant to the offence(s)
  • the suitability of a particular sentence.

Personal information gained during the preparation of the report will be treated with the utmost care. However, the YOS cannot guarantee to keep all the information confidential. For example, if another offence was disclosed, or there was concern about the safety of other people the YOS worker may need to pass on the information. As far as possible, this action would be discussed with the young person first.

Who sees and comments on the report

  • the young person that the report is about, their parents / carers
  • the young person's Solicitor
  • the Judge or Magistrates
  • the Court Legal Advisor
  • the Crown Prosecution Service
  • the YOT worker at Court
  • the Prison or Secure Unit, if the sentence results in custody
  • the young person's Social Worker if they have one

The report will be shown to the young person before their court appearance. If they feel it contains anything that is unfair or untrue, they should say so. These comments can then be made to the court.

The report will not be read aloud in court, although the defence solicitor may refer to the contents. The court may also ask questions regarding the contents of the report, or make comments on it.

Bail supervision and support

The Youth Justice Service offers bail support services to young people, which means that the court can consider bail even if there are "substantial grounds" for refusal under the Bail Act. This option is offered as an alternative to remand in custody or remand to Local Authority accommodation.

Bail supervision and support is for young people aged 10 to 17 years most at risk of:

  • re-offending whilst on bail
  • failing to appear at court
  • remands to custody or secure accommodation

The Bail Support Programme

The Bail Support Scheme is run in partnership with Hove YMCA. A young person is required to have contact with the Bail Support Officer at least three times per week. A Bail Support Programme can provide help and advice on a range of issues including:

  • accommodation
  • education
  • careers/employment/training
  • drug/alcohol use
  • benefit entitlement
  • leisure opportunities
  • counselling
  • family mediation
  • independent living skills

Each programme is individually tailored to the needs of the young person.

The level of support provided will depend on:

  • the seriousness of the offence
  • the persistence of offending
  • accommodation needs
  • emotional or behavioural problems
  • education, training and employment requirements