Service Manager, Community Justice, Neighbourhoods, Regeneration & Sustainability (NRS)
In 2021/22, through funding from Community Justice Glasgow, a 10-minute video explaining the type of support EEI can provide was developed by StreetCones.
North United Communities -who provide community-based youth and family support services in the North of Glasgow – were excited for their young actors to volunteer to be involved in dramatising some case studies for the film.
The video will appear on our EEI Website, allowing us to signpost children, young people and their parents / guardians to the resource when they are referred. We have also developed a bite-sized social media version. You can access the video and bite-sized versions by CLICKING BELOW.
Early and Effective Intervention (EEI) is a national framework for working with young people of 12 – 17 years who have come into conflict with the law or have been referred by police Scotland on grounds of risk and concern for 8-12 year olds. You can read more about that framework by CLICKING THE PICTURE LINK BELOW.
Link 1
You also can read more about how EEI fits into the wider One Glasgow whole system approach to reducing re-offending amongst young people in the 2019/20 Annual Reporter article ‘Youth Justice at a Glance – Service Highlights’.
Link 2 – Youth Justice at a Glance
Glasgow City Council’s EEI Team deal with around 70 -90 referrals from Police Scotland each month. Our team focus on engaging with the child, young person and their support networks i.e. parent or significant adult or School Pastoral Care – to build up a picture of why the child / young person has been involved in offending and/or risky behaviour and look at achieving the best outcome or proportionate intervention for that child / young person. EEI takes a person-centred approach to providing support, referrals or interventions to that child or young person.
Chart 1
Chart 1 above shows the referral numbers over time. For 2021/22 there was an increase in referrals from 580 in 2021/21 to 713 in 2021/22 – an increase of 22.9%. *These referral figures are not individual people, rather concerns that are referred, an individual can be referred for multiple concerns – so in 2021/22, 522 young people were referred for a total of 713 concerns – Figure 1 below shows the referral process and Figure 2 below shows the numbers referred to different pathways for the 3-year periods between 2019 and 2022.
Figure 1 – EEI Process
Figure 2 – Onward Referral Pathways EEI – 2019 – 2022
Chart 2 below shows the successful completion rate for those who fully engaged with the NRS Intervention team. As shown in figure 2 above, not all referrals are assessed as appropriate for Intervention. All concerns are screened by the EEI Co-ordinator in the first instance, those not referred for Intervention will be signposted to another service / partner agency or have not further action taken.
Chart 2 – Successful Completions
Early & Effective Intervention delivers against the Prevention priority theme for the Community Justice Glasgow Partnership – We will continue with the development of earlier intervention and prevention within the justice system, capitalising on opportunities at the first points of contact with Community Justice partners – as set out in Community Justice Outcome Improvement Plan. More specifically delivering against the objectives set out in the Community Justice Glasgow Outcome & Performance Improvement Reporting Framework 2018 – 2023 including:
- Community Justice Structural Outcome 4 – Effective Interventions are delivered to Prevent and Reduce the Risk of Further Offending:
- SO4(a) – Targeted interventions have been tailored for and with an individual and had a successful impact on their risk of further offending.
- Community Justice Person-Centric Outcome (PCO) 1 – Life Chances are improved through Needs, Including Health, Financial Inclusion, Housing and Safety Being Addressed:
- PCO1(a) Life chances are improved through needs, including health, financial inclusion, housing and safety being addressed.
- POI1(c) Individual’s resilience and capacity for change and self-management are enhanced.
The film itself, which explains to children, young people and their parents / guardians and the wider community what to expect when children they are referred to Early and Effective Intervention, will contribute to delivering against the Communication priority theme – we will establish an effective approach to communication, with a focus on continuing communication between partners, the wider group of stakeholders and communities. Improved communication will stimulate dialogue, enhance knowledge and further develop confidence in justice systems for the public and for key stakeholders, such as the judiciary:
- Structural Outcome (SO) 1 – Communities Improve their Understanding and Participation in Community Justice
With recent policy changes, notably the focus on children’s rights and the change of legislation regarding the age of criminal responsibility, we are expecting to see an increase in referrals to our EEI Service.
Sergeant Michael Fletcher, Police Scotland, One Glasgow Reducing Offending, explains:
“Previously, referrals from Police Scotland were made to EEI when a child or young person was charged with a crime. However, due to the change in age of criminal responsibly in Scotland from 8 to 12, children and young people can now be referred to EEI on grounds of concerning behaviour and do not need to be charged with a crime
This allows the EEI team to provide early engagement and support before problematic behaviour develops further.”
