Cwm Taf Youth Offending Service (YOS) has a ‘Child First’ approach which treats children as children and ensures that interventions offered treat children in a holistic way responding to their specific needs and help them to positively move forward.
Cwm Taf YOS is appealing for volunteers to help support the service by representing the community at Referral Order Panel meetings and create constructive opportunities for children to realise their potential and reduce re-offending.
Victims are at the heart of our interventions and panel members play a crucial role in bringing together those harmed by crime or conflict, and children responsible for the harm, into communication, enabling everyone affected by an incident to play a part in finding a positive way forward.
Referral order panels take place in Merthyr Tydfil and Pontypridd, therefore volunteers will be required to travel.
If you are over 18, live in the Merthyr Tydfil and RCT area and want to make a positive difference to children, victims, and the local community - becoming a Referral Order Panel member could be for you.
A Referral Order is a statutory community-based order in which the court ‘refers’ the child to a youth offender panel, which is convened by volunteer members of the community and held at an informal venue. The panel along with the child will agree a contract of work with which the child is expected to comply. There is a distinct focus on restorative justice. Compliance is regularly reviewed by the panel. Referral Orders were introduced in the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 (and are now provided for in the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000) and is the community-based order most often used by the courts when dealing with 10- to 17-year-olds, particularly for first time offenders who plead guilty.
More information on Referral Orders… Referral orders - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
What will I get in return?
- As a volunteer you will get: Training and Support
- Reimbursement of expenses related to your volunteering
- To make a difference to children’s lives
- The chance to improve your skills.
Who can volunteer?
- People from all backgrounds
- You must be over 18 and live or work in Cwm Taf
- You don’t need qualifications, just an ability and strong commitment to work without prejudice towards people of different ages, ethnic, cultural, and social backgrounds
- You will need to complete an enhanced DBS check
Ring 01685 724960 or email YOSVolunteering@rctcbc.gov.uk to request an application form and to ask for further details
Posted on Friday 3rd February 2023