'Appropriate adults' wanted (From Watford Observer)

'Appropriate adults' wanted

7:30am Tuesday 23rd September 2008

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Hertfordshire Youth Justice Service is looking for volunteers with an interest in the criminal justice system to help young people who find themselves on the wrong side of the law.

Those who are interested in helping young offenders take responsibility for their actions and change their behaviour can become an "Appropriate Adult" or a Youth Offender Panellist.

Volunteers are called on when a young person under the age of 17 is arrested by the police and a parent or carer is unable to attend.

The law requires an adult to be present during interviews and appropriate adults are called on to provide support and ensure the child is treated fairly.

Youth Offender Panels are run by local volunteers and deal with young first time offenders. They are designed to give communities a say in how young offenders can repair the harm they have done and positively help them not to offend further.

Each panel is made up of two volunteers and one member of the local Youth Offending Team and works with the young person and his or her family to draw up a programme aimed at tackling their behaviour.

Jane Pitman, Hertfordshire County Council's Lead Member for Children’s Services, said: “This is a great opportunity for people interested in the needs of young people to contribute to their community. Supporting young people can be highly rewarding and volunteering with Hertfordshire Youth Justice Service also allows you to find out more about the criminal justice system."

Anyone over the age of 18 and interested in volunteering as either a Youth Offender Panellist or Appropriate Adult is invited to an introductory evening on Wednesday 29 October 2008 at the Jim MacDonald Centre, MacDonald Court, High View, Hatfield, AL10 8HR, starting at 6 pm. Formal training will follow on the evenings of November 12 and 19 (also at the Jim MacDonald Centre), with a visit to a police custody suite on a further date.

For this role, the Service is looking especially for candidates who may be free on weekdays. Youth Offender Panel candidates’ training begins early in 2009. This involves four weekday evenings and two Saturdays, all in separate weeks. The training venue will be close to the centre of the County.

To find out more about volunteering for the Youth Justice Service go to www.yjb.gov.uk.

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