Bigger role mooted for voluntary sector

More youth justice services could be provided by charities under guidance to be rolled out shortly by the Youth Justice Board.

Brendan Finegan, the board’s director of policy, said its forthcoming service delivery guidance for local management boards may set a percentage for the amount of services that should be provided by voluntary organisations.

He told a Community Care conference on the youth green paper that there was nothing in legislation to stop a management board from commissioning a youth offending team from charities.

And he said the government needed to help such organisations to build up their capacity.