Court Services

Court Officers
Court Officers from the Youth Offending Service attend youth court to inform young people and parents of the procedure if they receive a sentence, who to report to, where and when.  They make assessments on suitability for bail and remand, present reports and inform the court of the progress of young people on orders.  They also present information on breaches of court orders on behalf of the Youth Offending Service.

Pre-Sentence Reports
The Youth Offending Service provides information and assessments for court to inform sentencing decisions.  Pre-Sentence reports are requested by the court and include an analysis of the offence, the young person’s circumstances and the reasons for their behaviour, the impact on the victim and a proposal for a suitable sentence.

Bail and Remand
The court may decide to bail a young person to attend a future court hearing with conditions including a curfew, to stay away from prosecution witnesses, restricting their movements, reporting to the police station at certain times, and a programme of support from the Youth Offending Service.  Contact on bail support is offered three times a week to address welfare concerns and help prevent reoffending. 

The court may remand a young person to the care of the Local Authority, in which case they become a Looked After Child for the remand period.  The Youth Offending Service direct the young person to live where their needs will best be met, and in the interests of protecting the public.  This can be with a family member or with specially recruited and trained foster carers, with support from the service.  If the Court orders a secure remand, officers liaise with the Youth Justice Board to find a bed space and ensure that the young person is safely escorted there.