Key performance indicators for youth justice services
From 1 April 2023 youth justice services will report on 10 new key performance indicators (KPIs) as part of improved monitoring by the Youth Justice Board (YJB)
Applies to England and Wales
New key performance indicators were designed by the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) in consultation with the YJB, front line services, inspectorates and other government departments.
This data will be used by the YJB to monitor performance of youth justice services (YJSs) and by the MOJ to identify barriers to reducing reoffending.
In recognition of the important role of prevention and diversion activity carried out by YJSs, the MOJ and the YJB have determined that the data collected will include all children with whom the YJS is working, not just those with a conviction.
We aim to publish initial findings from national data on key performance indicators in spring 2025.
The 10 KPIs are:
| KPI | Description |
|---|---|
| KPI 1 - Accommodation | The proportion of children in suitable accommodation at the end of their intervention programme/order |
| KPI 2 - Education, training and employment (ETE) | The proportion of children in suitable ETE at the end of their intervention programme/order |
| KPI 3 - Special educational needs or disability (SEND)/Additional Learning Needs (ALN) | The number of children with a formal plan in place as a proportion of children with an identified SEND need (or ALN in Wales) |
| KPI 4 - Mental health and emotional wellbeing | The number of children with a screened or identified need for an intervention to improve mental health or emotional wellbeing at the end of their order as a proportion of children with an order ending in the period |
| KPI 5 - Substance misuse | The number of children with a screened or identified need for intervention/treatment to address substance misuse at the end of their order as a proportion of the number of children with an order ending in the period |
| KPI 6 – Out-of-court disposals | The number of children who completed intervention programmes in the period as a proportion of the number of children with an out-of-court disposal ending in the period |
| KPI 7 - Wider services | The proportion of children connected to/supported by wider care and support services at the end of their order |
| KPI 8 - Management board | The number of senior partners attending management boards (out of 5) |
| KPI 9 - Serious violence | The number of proven serious violence offences as a proportion of the 10 to 17-year-old population |
| KPI 10 - Victims | The number of victims engaged in restorative justice opportunities as a proportion of the total number of victims who consent to be contacted |
In addition to the 10 new KPIs listed above, the YJB will continue to report on the 4 current KPIs (first time entrants, reoffending binary rate and frequency rate and the number of children in custody). This is because they provide a helpful overview of how the youth justice system is delivering against its principle statutory aim of preventing offending by children.
Please also refer to:
Updates to this page
Published 8 March 2023Last updated 10 December 2024 + show all updates
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An error was noticed in the numbering of the KPIs: This error has now been corrected. The FAQs document has also been updated.
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Mental health section 4 has been edited to clarify definitions and what should be recorded. Headline measures have been added to each KPI section; these are to improve clarity but do not change the meaning of each measure. FAQ document has also been updated.
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Amended KPI guidance and KPI frequently asked questions.
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First published.