Suffolk Youth Justice Service FAQs

What is a youth justice service?

The youth justice service is part of the Youth Justice System and is available in every local authority in England and Wales. In some areas the service is referred to as a Youth Offending Team or Service (YOT/YOS). Please see the Youth Justice Board website for more information.

Why do children commit offences?

Children and young people might offend for a variety of reasons, including:

• Problems with family or friends
• Peer group pressures
• Social exclusion
• Barriers to accessing education
• Criminal exploitation
• Substance misuse
• Mental health issues
• Other issues

How can Suffolk Youth Justice Service help me?

Our youth justice teams’ offer knowledge and experience that can support children who have come into contact with us whatever the reasons. However, we don’t claim to have all the solutions to why children commit offences.

We work together with different agencies, charities, and professions to support the needs of each child we are in contact with and their family.

By having this approach and working together, we want to make Suffolk a safer place and improve the life opportunities for children we work with, helping them live a life free from offending.

For more information please see 'what we do'.

Who works in the youth justice service?

We have:

• Youth justice specialists
• Social workers
• Probation officers
• Police officers
• Restorative Justice specialists
• Drugs and alcohol advisers
• Health professionals
• Reparation workers

Together they form a team that supports children who are at risk of offending or have already committed an offence.