A three-year plan for Medway’s youth justice service, developed in response to an HM Inspectorate of Probation inspection in May 2026, was considered by the Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 1 October 2026, with a recommendation that Full Council approve it.
Medway Council’s Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Committee considered the Medway Youth Justice Plan 2026–2029 at its meeting on 1 October 2026. The plan, which fulfils the council’s statutory duty under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, was developed by the Youth Justice Partnership Board alongside statutory partners including Children’s Services, Kent Police, Health, Education and Probation.
Inspection findings
The plan was developed in direct response to an HM Inspectorate of Probation inspection carried out in May 2026, the report of which was published in August 2026. Officers reported that the inspection recognised strengths in the service, including the commitment of practitioners and the positive relationships they build with children and families. However, it also identified areas where further improvement is required, and the plan sets out how the partnership intends to address those recommendations through stronger governance and increased accountability.
Who the service works with
During 2025–26, the Youth Justice Service worked with 178 children. Officers noted that many of those children had experienced significant adversity, including trauma, family instability, educational disengagement, social disadvantage, mental health concerns and special educational needs. The papers state that more than half of children supported by the service have identified SEND needs, and that children known to the service are disproportionately affected by deprivation compared with their peers.
Four strategic priorities
The plan sets out four strategic priorities for 2026–2029: preventing offending and reoffending; supporting victims and victim safety; addressing violence and harm, including serious youth violence and weapons-related offending; and tackling fairness, equity and inclusion. On the last of these, the board acknowledged the continued over-representation within the youth justice system of children from minority ethnic backgrounds, children in care, children with SEND and neurodiverse children.
Funding and approval process
The Youth Justice Board grant for 2026/27 is £369,532. Officers warned that submission of an approved Youth Justice Plan is a condition of receiving that grant, and that failure to secure Full Council approval could put the funding at risk. The plan is stated to be deliverable within existing approved budgets, with no new revenue or capital costs arising from its adoption.
The committee was asked to provide comments on the plan to Cabinet and to recommend that Full Council approve it. The council had not published the minutes of the meeting at the time of writing, so the committee’s decision is not yet on the public record.
Sources
- Medway Council — Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Committee, 1 October 2026 (agenda and papers)
- Medway Youth Justice Plan 2026–2029 — report to Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Medway Council)
- Medway Youth Justice Plan 2026–2029 — Appendix 1, full plan (Medway Council)
Top image: illustrative, computer-generated. Illustrative AI-generated image of a council chamber interior. This is not a photograph of any real Medway Council building or meeting room.