Community Resource Team (CRT)
The CRT performs two primary roles within the Youth Justice Strategy providing a service at both ends of the tariff.
The majority of Initial Assessment Reports (IAR's) into the circumstances of young people who are alleged to have committed an offence are undertaken by the Community Resource Team. Of the 130 IAR's completed last year only 7 (around 5%) resulted in a Children's Hearing being convened and 75% have been recorded as going on to not commit further offences within the year. 95% were either considered not to require intervention, were diverted to the most appropriate service provider or received a service direct from the team on a voluntary basis. The close links established between the various agencies involved with the Youth Justice Strategy allows the CRT to act as conduit between the early intervention providers such as Restorative Justice and LMART and the more specialist services such as the Youth Justice Team. This goes some way to ensuring that young people who are committing offences in Angus receive an appropriate and proportionate service at a time when it will be most effective.
The team also work directly with young people and their families where offending behaviour or other presenting concerns are placing them at risk of being removed from their community. This takes the form of 1-2-1 intervention and group work. Over the past year there has been a rolling programme of group work that has involved over 40 young people. The Community Resource Team run an Offending Group work program during the school holidays at Easter and during the Summer. This is specifically designed to address issues pertaining to youth offending and is an integral part of reducing offending behaviour and maintaining young people in the community. The majority ofparticipants were not subject to statutory measures and, to date, have been kept out of the Children's Hearing system.
During the summer the CRT is also involved in the provision of a diversionaryactivity programme in conjunction with other partnership agencies.