Services for Young People
Children and Young People have a different pathway within the Justice System and the Children’s Hearing System and Children’s Reporter have important roles within this.
Some services will provide support to young people and adults but there are some that are specifically for set age groups. Also, as with others who become involved in the justice system, it is important to consider support for the life factors that are ongoing in the young person’s life which are contributing to offending behaviours.
Examples of the sorts of services children and young people may need:
- 1-1 counselling or befriending services
- Legal advice or advocacy
- Support to protect family access and relationships
- Educational or employability services
- Support to manage financially
Next Chapter Scotland
Next Chapter Scotland is here for anyone in Scotland who’s affected by the criminal justice system — whether that’s through a conviction, an ongoing investigation, or the impact on a loved one. We offer non-judgemental, rights-based support to help people navigate the stigma, isolation and barriers that too often come with justice involvement. Advice is provided via our helpline (including email and text/WhatsApp), our information website and our mutual support Facebook group. We support people with their own convictions or with a family member with a conviction, and we work with people related to all offence categories without exception.
Action for Children Scotland
Criminal Justice – Probation Service : Alternative to custody service supporting both males and females aged 16+ involved in offending behaviour. Programmes of support:
- Reduce further offending.
- 12-week offending behaviour programme (Offending Awareness Programme)
- 13-week addictions programme (SMART Recovery)
- 6-week coping skills and emotion regulation programme (Decider Skills)
- Deliver CBT support
- This is funded by Highland Council Criminal Justice Department.
The Promise Partnership: The service aims to support children and young people aged 11-18 years who may be at risk of, or coerced into, involvement with serious offending and criminal activity as a result of their exploitation. We seek to identify children and young people at the earliest opportunity to divert them away from exploitation or criminal pathways that could lead to escalation into the justice system.
Intensive Support Service: Supports young people aged 11-18 years. Aimed at both preventing placement breakdown and facilitating transitions returning to Highland from an out of authority living arrangements.
The main aims of the service are:
- To maintain young people in their placements
- Reduce anti-social/offending behavior
- Strengthen family relationships and support positive attachments.
The service is funded by Highland Council Children’s Services
Families Outside
Families Outside are Scotland’s national charity supporting children and families affected by imprisonment. We can offer practical, emotional and social support to children and adults through 121 and group work across Scotland. This support is open to anyone with a person in their life who is involved with the criminal justice system.
Barnardos
Barnardo’s HEAD2WORK through CashBack will deliver an integrated personal development, health and employability focussed project, meeting the aim of diverting young people from anti-social/criminal behaviour.
Our tailored activities/interventions have been co-designed with YP to address these barriers through intensive 1:1 support and an interactive 8-week programme for YP aged 14 – 21
HEAD2WORK will focus on three key areas of support:
- Health and Wellbeing – YP will participate in a range of activities that will promote their wellbeing.
- Money Management – We will explore budgeting, pay, and other areas of money management.
- Personal/Skills Development – Activities will build the soft/core/vocational skills of participants and will include work placements/volunteering opportunities; CV/interview techniques.
Victim Support Scotland
Victim Support Scotland provides victims and witnesses with free confidential, emotional and practical support, and information about the criminal justice system.
No one expects to be a victim of crime, but it can happen to anyone. Victim Support Scotland helps provides information, emotional support and practical assistance to help people affected by crime, including victims, witnesses and their families and friends.
ACI Recovery Services
We offer free, one-to-one, specialist addictions counselling, group recovery therapies, and recovery coaching. Additionally, we provide CRAFT training for family members affected by addiction, risk-taking workshops, and mindfulness programs. Our services are rooted in person-centred counselling and humanistic psychotherapy models. All services are available to individuals and families dealing with addiction issues. Eligibility criteria include residing in Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey or Easter Ross areas and a commitment to actively engage in the recovery process.
We also provide counselling online into HMP Inverness for people on remand, as well as support their recovery cafes.
New Start Highland
New Start Highland supports people from all walks of life to realise their potential. We offer supported placements in a range of activities which contribute to delivery of some of our services including:
Administration
Bike repair
Gardening
Retail – preparing and sorting goods, keeping the retail outlets well presented and dealing with customers.
Upcycling – painting, repairing and re-upholstering furniture
Warehousing – loading and unloading vans, cleaning and sorting donated household goods.
As an accredited SQA Centre, people can gain qualifications. We teach life skills including cooking, budgeting and IT and we offer training in Health and Safety and First Aid.
Civil Legal Assistance Office Highlands & Islands
The Civil Legal Assistance Office can help you with civil law problems in our core areas of work – Housing/Homelessness, certain Money/debt/welfare issues, Child Protection/Children’s Hearings, certain Family law, Mental Health/AWI and Vulnerable Adult Protection. We can represent you with expert civil legal advice if you are eligible for legal aid and resident in the Highland and Islands. We also operate a referral service to other providers of legal assistance when we cannot assist, and offer second tier support and training to advice organisations.