This service works with children aged 10 to 17 and aims to prevent them from becoming involved in further anti-social or criminal behaviour
Generic shot of a youth court
The East Riding of Yorkshire Youth Justice Service has been rated ‘Outstanding’ after a recent inspection. The service was praised for its “child-first, trauma-informed approach” in the report by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation.
As a Youth Justice Service (YJS), the organisation works with children who may be subject to bail or remand, or out-of-court disposals. It aims to help children understand their behaviour and prevent reoffending.
The report, published on Tuesday, March 24, was made following an inspection of the service over a week in January 2026. Inspectors found staff “were committed and motivated to achieving positive change for children and knew them and their families well”.
It added: “They identified children’s strengths and worked creatively alongside them. This ensured that children’s opinions and voices were heard, and positively influenced the work undertaken with them.”
The report said work to keep children and communities safe was “exceptional” and practitioners knew how to recognise factors that affected safety. “They considered changes in children’s behaviour and understood their vulnerability to exploitation,” it said.
Inspectors found workers had a “depth of understanding of how children’s lived experiences impacted on their emotional wellbeing”. The report said they prioritised “building trusting relationships with children from the start”.
The East Riding of Yorkshire YJS was also praised for its “impressive” collaborative work with parents or carers. The report said: “Practitioners created opportunities for children to take part in meaningful interventions to build their engagement and resilience.
“They enabled children to attend activities that were adapted to meet their needs, innovative, and tailored to engage them. At the end of their interventions, children helped to create their own Journey Boards to showcase the progress they had made.”
Work with victims was also commended and the service was described as “passionate and committed to this area of work”. The report commented: “Victims had a high profile in the service, and their safety, needs and wishes were considered consistently by all staff across the organisation.”
Chief Inspector of Probation, Martin Jones, said: “I am delighted East Riding YJS have once again been rated ‘Outstanding’ for their impressive work with children, communities, and victims.”
He added: “It was encouraging to see prioritisation given to building trusting relationships with children right at the start of their involvement with the YJS. Staff worked creatively and passionately, and I look forward to seeing what this service accomplish next.”
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