A campaign is underway in Neath Port Talbot to recruit local people to work with young people who have been in trouble with the police.
The Council’s youth offending team is calling for community volunteers to join a panel which supports young offenders, their families and their victims.
The aim is to help the young people, to try to put right the harm they have caused and to prevent them from offending again.
The youth offending panel meets twice a week for around two hours. It deals with young people, aged 10-17 years, who have committed crimes. Local people sitting on the panel take the lead in challenging them to take responsibility for their actions and help them to change their behaviour for good.
The panel also listens to victims who, if they wish to attend, can say how the crime has affected them and what might be done to put things right.
They will then agree with the young offender a plan of action to put right the harm already done and to try to prevent further offending.
Panel members go through a three day volunteer induction programme as well as four days’ specialist training. Additional training is also carried out in drug awareness, child protection and mental health awareness.
Each panel has a professional adviser from the youth offending team, a panel adviser and two community volunteers. All travel costs will be reimbursed in full.
Community Safety and Youth Offending Strategic Manager, Mike Goldman, said, “”Helping young people to stay on the straight and narrow can be very rewarding.
“Good support and wise guidance can be of huge benefit to young people caught up in a spiral of crime.
“Volunteers bringing their life experience can make a big difference both to the young people themselves, the victims and to the wider community.”
Anyone interested can ring Claire Owen on 01639 885050 or e mail [email protected]
