Here is a list of our achievements at Sunderland Youth Offending Service.

National Training Award 2010

Sunderland Youth Offending Service in partnership with Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Brigade have won both a Regional and National Training Award 2010 in the category of partnership and collaboration for the Phoenix Fire Safety Programme.
The Phoenix course offers a range of activities for young people including classroom-based learning, health and safety, team building tasks, work experience, problem solving, equipment use and skill-based work.
For more information about the Phoenix programme visit our projects page.
 

Anti Knife Crime YJB Film Award 2010

Sunderland YOS in co-operation with The Bunker was awarded 1st place in the Real Stories category of the Anti-Knife Crime Film Awards, for a film which explores first hand 'real life' implications of knife crime for both victim and perpetrator.

The competition, held on 16th March was judged by the Home Office, the Youth Justice Board and the professional anti-knife crime film maker Mo Ali. Read more about the film project here.
 

The YOS will receive a 2 day film production course facilitated by the Media Trust as well as 10 Vue film tickets and a flip camera for use in future film projects. You can view the film on our projects page under the Be-Safe Weapons Project, or go to the It Doesn't Have to Happen website to read more on knife crime.

North East Youth Justice Forum 2008

On Friday 24th October 2008 the North East Youth Justice Forum was held at Durham County Cricket Club.
Several staff and young people from the YOS were short-listed and the following awards were won.

Eric Hodge – Individual Award in the outstanding contribution to tackling young crime category.
Resettlement and Aftercare Programme – Team Award in the innovation category.
The ISSP Consortium were Runners up in 'Partnership of the Year' award and Highly commended in Working with Young Offenders Team award.
Ontrack were highly commended in the category Team of The Year - Innovation.

One young person from the YOS won the Young Person Award in the getting ahead category, with a further two highly commended.
 

Beacon Award for Reducing Re-Offending 2008
Sunderland has been awarded the prestigious Beacon award for its ability to deliver innovative, award-winning and nationally-recognised approaches to criminal justice. The application, lead by the YOS, on behalf of the range of partners working in Sunderland to Reduce Re-offending, was announced as a winner at the gala awards ceremony held at the Royal Horticultural Halls in London on 4th March 2008.

The event was hosted by former BBC news presenter Martyn Lewis CBE, who upon presenting the Reducing Re-Offending Beacon Award to Sunderland said "Sunderland has demonstrated improved outcomes on youth offending, and against the national trend, the rate of custody for young offenders has dropped from 12 per cent in 1999 to a current figure of 2.8 per cent, with no negative impact on levels of offending. This has been achieved through tackling issues such as access to accommodation and mental health services. There are also increases in the number of adult offenders accessing services and the authority has demonstrated innovative actions for both adult and young offenders, and a willingness to re-shape services to meet the needs of service users."


Councillor Bob Symonds, Leader of the Council said “reducing re-offending is a key commitment for the Council, and Sunderland YOS delivers highly effective services which aim to prevent offending and reduce re-offending by young people. It also works to support victims of crime and help make Sunderland a safer place to live ...I’d like to say well done to all the staff, volunteers and partners involved and thank them for their hard work which has been recognised as best practice."

To find out about the Beacon Award and view the Beacon Reducing Re-Offending Theme Guide click here >> ( pdf 953k)
 

North East Youth Justice Awards 2007
Sunderland YOS proved once again that we have all the correct ingredients for a successful service. At this year’s 2nd North East Youth Justice Assembly, Sunderland achieved many accolades including two winners trophies and two runners up. The awards recognise the innovation and dedication shown by workers within the youth justice service across the region.

The team award went to the ‘On Track’ team, a multi-agency co-located team from Washington. The team were recognised for the innovation of practice, with special mention of the development of the new board game intervention that helps young people explore risk-taking behaviour, its consequences and solutions. On Track works with children between the ages of 4 and 13, and their families, with the aim of intervening at an early stage to reduce risk.

Runner up in this category was the YOS Wear Kids Looked After Team. Working with Children Looked After was mentioned throughout the event and Sunderland were praised for the innovation of practice they had developed in tackling this issue and the impact the team are having locally.

Accommodation Officer, Alison Minniss won the prestigious Individual Award at the North East Youth Assembly Awards. Alison works directly with individuals to help them apply for accommodation and is also involved in developing measures to avoid homelessness and the use of temporary accommodation. Alison was nominated because of her outstanding commitment to preventing homelessness for young offenders.


Runner up was Volunteer Mentor Jane Raffell who is one of our many valued volunteers who give up their spare time to help young people stay on the right side of the law. She said “initially when I started volunteering I did it to give a young person a chance. I didn’t think I would get much out of it, but it really is a two-way process. You get a great deal of satisfaction to see someone develop and try new things and really overcome barriers”.  

Award for Ministry of YOS
The ‘Ministry of YOS’ is a project set up by the RAP Team in partnership with The Bunker with the aim of giving young people the opportunity to develop new skills, form friendships and become part of a group. During the summer of last year, young people participating in the project produced their own music CD. At The Youth Achievement Awards which took place on 6th March 2008 the ‘Ministry of YOS’ was highly commended in the music category for their CD.

 

Big Wins for Recycling
Sunderland Youth Offending Service Restorative Justice Programme had been active in supporting the national ‘Big Recycle’ week. We have since learned that our efforts have earned us first place in the Regional Monitor Excellence Awards for Recycling Initiative of the Year! Thanks go out to the Restorative Justice Team and our partner in recycling, Alex Smiles Recycling Plant.

Howard League for Penal Reform Award 2007
The Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Programme (ISSP) scheme, ‘A New Direction’, has won a Howard League for Penal Reform Community Programmes Award. In writing to invite the YOS to a celebratory award event at the House of Lords on 24th July 2007, the Howard league for Penal Reform said, “the judging panel decided that ‘A New Direction’ should be recognised as an Outstanding Scheme”.

Alarm Risk Management Award 2007
Sunderland City Council scooped 2 of the 5 Alarm Risk Management Awards 2007 and Sunderland YOS was one of them. The YOS in partnership with the Council’s Risk Management Section has won the ‘highly commended’ category in the Alarm Risk Management Awards 2007. Winners were announced at the Alarm National Conference dinner at Cardiff on Monday 2nd July and members of the Sunderland City Council Risk Management Section attended to collect the award on behalf of the YOS.

The YOS risk management innovation includes cutting edge internal risk management systems to reduce risks for young people, a Youth Offending Service Media and Communications Strategy to drive down the fear of crime and a scheme whereby highly trained volunteer mentors work with young people at all stages in the Criminal Justice System.


For more information on the Howard League for Penal Reform visit www.howardleague.org

North East Youth Justice Award 2006
John Pirrie, a Final Warning Support Worker at the Youth Offending service, won a North East Youth Justice Award in November 2006 for his ‘outstanding contribution’ to youth justice. John has a unique understanding of both sides of youth justice i.e. from the victims perspective having been a victim of crime himself which thus inspired him to join the service and go on to develop an understanding from the young offenders perspective. John is able to offer his co-panel members an insight into the experience of being a victim whilst also supporting them in coming to appropriate decisions about what young people need to help them prevent offending in the future and tackle youth crime.
 

Respect for Taking a Stand Awards

Eddy Moore, Community Payback Volunteer has been announced as one of the 350 national winners of the Home Office Respect for Taking a Stand Award after he was nominated by Simon Smart, manager of Restorative Justice at Sunderland YOS. Simon nominated Eddy for his considerable support to Community Payback, particularly in relation to the Hendon 100 day clean up campaign.

The award is expected to generate local media interest and publicity giving the Youth Offending Service an opportunity to highlight to the public the importance of getting involved, making a difference and volunteering opportunities within the YOS.

Public Servant of the Year Award 2005
Judith Hay, Sunderland Youth Offending Service Manager is one of only five people nationally to be short-listed for the Guardian Public Servant of the Year Award 2005. The award recognised and rewards outstanding individuals working across the public sector in the United Kingdom and aims to instigate improvement, innovation and effective change.

Further information on this award can be found at http://society.guardian.co.uk

Certificate of Appreciation for Sunderland YOS Prevention Manager
Alan Scott, Sunderland Youth Offending Service Prevention Manager was award a certificate for the "appreciation of sustained commitments of reducing social exclusion among young people".

This certificate of appreciation was from the Home Office in relation to the work that Alan Scott has undertaken in setting up and managing youth inclusion projects over a number of years.