The purpose of the Devon Youth Offending Service is to reduce offending by children and young people.

The Service comprises all the key local agencies with a contribution to make in reducing youth offending - police, social services, education, probation and health.

There are three teams whose areas are coterminous with District Council boundaries:

• North Devon Youth Offending Team - Torridge, North Devon and West Devon
• Exeter Youth Offending Team - Exeter, East Devon and Mid-Devon
• South Devon Youth Offending Team - Teignbridge and South Hams

Devon was one of the first areas to establish Youth Offending Teams. The teams are developing a range of services targeted at young people who have committed offences, or who may be at risk of doing so.

The Youth Offending Teams make young offenders face up to the consequences of their behaviour for themselves, their victims and the wider community. The Service seeks to turn young offenders away from crime towards more constructive activities, both inside and outside school.

It tackles issues like poor parental supervision, truancy and school exclusion and substance misuse - which can place young people at risk of becoming involved in crime.

Youth Offending Teams are involved in a number of projects working with schools (e.g. with young people who may be regarded as 'at risk' of exclusion or who are identified as 'vulnerable' at the point of transition from primary to secondary school) as well as with individuals and their families. Since the establishment of the three Youth Offending Teams there has been a marked reduction in youth crime in Devon.

See also:

• Background

Contact:

For more information contact the Youth Offending Team in your area:

• Exeter Youth Offending Team
  
  Ivybank
  45 St David's Hill
  Exeter
  EX4 4DN
  
  Tel. 01392 384978
  Fax. 01392 384985
  
• North Devon Youth Offending Team
  
  Barbican House
  5 Barbican Close
  Barnstaple
  EX32 9HE
  
  Tel. 01271 388150
  Fax. 01271 388155
  
  
• South Devon Youth Offending
  
  First Floor
  Bridge House
  Courtenay Street
  Newton Abbot
  TQ12 2QS
  
  Tel. 01626 202700
  Fax. 01626 202701