West Yorkshire's Immediate Justice scheme has anti-social behaviour offenders give back to the community through unpaid work, restorative activities and repairing the damage they have caused.
In March 2023, the Government launched a National Antisocial Behaviour Action Plan. This plan outlines how they will work with local agencies to tackle anti-social behaviour (ASB) across England and Wales. It also introduces the Immediate Justice service.
West Yorkshire was awarded £2 million over two years from the Home Office to pilot Immediate Justice methods.
Our approach offers tailored services for both adults and children, benefiting victims. This includes unpaid work, damage repair, and restorative justice, allowing victims to communicate with the offender.
Victims of ASB can access direct support through a West Yorkshire-wide victim support service.
Once an offender is identified, restorative workers will consult victims about the reparative activities. They will also provide feedback after offenders complete ASB awareness courses.
Restorative Practitioners organise community conferences involving victims and offenders. These meetings aim to address incidents affecting many people.
The goal is to let victims, offenders, and others discuss the consequences and agree on how offenders can repair the harm done.
After a police investigation into ASB, a Community Resolution, an Outcome 22, or a Conditional Caution may be given. If suitable, offenders will enter the Immediate Justice scheme. They may do supervised unpaid work, an ASB Awareness Course, or both.
In Immediate Justice, the police will refer offenders to supervised unpaid work through the Probation Service.
If they receive a Community Resolution or an Outcome 22, they will complete one 7-hour day of unpaid work.
If they receive a Conditional Caution, they will complete two 7-hour days of unpaid work.
Unpaid work occurs in public spaces affected by the crime. Exceptions are made for those with disabilities, injuries, or neurodiversity.
Unpaid work happens every day across West Yorkshire and includes:
These activities help individuals make positive changes and reduce reoffending.
Restorative Justice workers in West Yorkshire's Youth Justice Services support children aged 12 to 17 with reparative activities.
Positive activities focus on health and wellbeing, educational sessions and involvement in community groups and activities that will foster empathy for victims and the need to repair harm.
These activities are strengths-based and promote good behaviour, inclusion, and the children’s valuable role in their communities. This approach aims to divert children from further ASB or crime that impacts their communities.
Restorative Justice workers also connect with victims to ensure their views are included. They consider victims' thoughts on suitable activities and keep them informed about outcomes.
As Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, I welcomed the chance to pilot the Immediate Justice approach in West Yorkshire.
Our communities tell us that tackling place-based crime that harms daily life, such as serious violence, ASB and dangerous driving including speeding is a priority.
Safer Places and Thriving Communities is a priority in the Mayor's Police and Crime Plan. This focuses on harmful and unacceptable behaviour targeting various communities in West Yorkshire, through an ongoing commitment to Neighbourhood Policing and partnership working in localities.
Our pilot, successfully delivered with partners, offers tailored services for adults and children trialled to benefit victims. It includes unpaid work, damage repair, and restorative justice, allowing victims to communicate with offenders.
It is vital to provide services that support those harmed and reduce reoffending. Our approach in West Yorkshire is trauma-informed and follows the Child First approach.
We work closely with West Yorkshire Police, HM Prisons and Probation Service, Youth Justice Services, and our Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise Sector organisations. This initiative recognises and prevents trauma, responds early, and mitigates harm.
I welcome this evaluation report to highlight our pilot's success and how together we can make West Yorkshire a safe, just, and inclusive place.
Alison Lowe OBE
West Yorkshire Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime (DMPC)
A webinar on partnership working to support Immediate Justice in West Yorkshire has shared learnings and key findings. The 30-minute recording is available on YouTube.
ASB is defined as behaviour by a person which causes, or is likely to cause, harassment, alarm, or distress to persons not of the same household as the person.
A Community Resolution is a method of restorative justice that is an alternative way of dealing with less serious crimes and incidents. This allows officers to use their professional judgement when dealing with offenders. A Community Resolution does not constitute a criminal record.
A Conditional Caution allows the police officer or a relevant prosecutor such as the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to decide to give a caution with one or more conditions attached. A Conditional Caution does constitute a criminal record.
Outcome 22 is a Home Office administration code that the police use to indicate that no further action has been taken in response to an offence, but some form of diversionary or educational activity has taken place.
For adults, this is a victim-focused approach that empowers victims of crime by giving them the opportunity to communicate with the person responsible for that crime. For children, it supports each child to develop a ‘pro-social’ identity, and to help them to take a positive place in society. It can help children to see the value of good behaviour, promote inclusion, and help them to move forwards and recognise their valuable place in their communities.
For adults, this means putting things right through repairing or making good the damage caused by an offence. For children, this means activities to help them to recognise and make a positive contribution for themselves and others in their community.
Working with the West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership Adversity Trauma and Resilience, we have placed a trauma-informed lens on the Government’s ASB Action Plan to support our delivery approach and external communications. Our trauma-informed approach in West Yorkshire will mean services will see and understand what has happened to people, rather than what is wrong with people.
A multi-agency West Yorkshire ASB Steering Group supports the approach and delivery of the Immediate Justice services. Delivery partners include HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS), West Yorkshire Youth Justice Services (YJS) – Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield, Restorative Solutions CIC, Victim Support and West Yorkshire Police.
