Islington Council’s Youth Justice Service (YJS) has today been hailed by inspectors as among the best in England and Wales.
The YJS, which supports diverting children away from harmful activities and behaviours, has been awarded an ‘Outstanding’ rating from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation (HMIP).
The award marks what the council describes as ‘a complete turnaround’ for the YJS after it was placed on special measures in 2014.
The HMIP report’s score of 34 out of 36 for the service is the best result in London to date and the third highest in all of England and Wales.
Cllr Michelline Safi-Ngongo, Islington’s executive member for Children, Young People and Families, said: ‘The work of our Youth Justice Service is critical to our mission to make Islington a more equal place, using innovation and research alongside early intervention and prevention tactics to support children and families, many of whom are among the most vulnerable in the borough.’
She added: ‘I’m extremely proud to be able to say we are among the very best at this in the country.’ In his foreword to the report, Martin Jones CBE, Chief Inspector of Probation for HMIP, praises the ‘tenacious and innovative approach’ of the service as well as its ‘knowledgeable and passionate’ senior leaders.
