Almost 13% drop in young people reoffending across borough
Wirral has seen a drop in the rate of young people reoffending by almost 13% in 2024 compared to the previous year.
The fall is attributed in part to a number of supportive and preventative approaches run by the Wirral Youth Justice Service (YJS), according to a report published ahead of Wirral’s next Children, Young People and Education committee.
The service, recently rated ‘Good’ overall, ‘Outstanding’ in some areas by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation (HMIP), is a statutory partnership between the council, Merseyside Police, Probation Service and health partners.
According to the report Wirral YJS has prioritised reoffending in its intervention and management strategies – addressing different facets of a young person’s offending to help them make positive lifestyle changes and choices.
The data is shared in a report, titled ‘Wirral Youth Justice Service Annual Plan 2025/2026’, which covers a range of issues relating to youth offending and prevention work including achievements, challenges, and priorities for the next year. The 12.83% drop in reoffending occurred between the periods 2021/22 and 2022/23.
The report, which will be considered by councillors on Monday 22 September, 2025, also discusses preventative work and projects undertaken by Wirral YJS which, according to the plan, have made real progress in reducing young people’s offending and reoffending.
Some of these initiatives include:
No Comment Pathway
The 2017 Lammy Review, which highlighted racial disparities in the criminal justice system, noted that Black and minority ethnic youth, as well as those from Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller backgrounds, are less likely to admit offences or engage in interviews due to mistrust or poor legal advice. This often leads to ‘no comment’ interviews (NCIs), limiting access to diversion and Out of Court Disposals (OOCDs), which are often used to resolve low-level crimes and anti-social behaviour via community resolutions or other means without taking the matter to court. This can result in harsher outcomes. A 2023 Centre for Justice Innovation review reinforced these findings, citing additional factors like criminal exploitation and social influences.
To address this, Wirral YJS, in collaboration with Merseyside YJSs, Merseyside Police, and the Violent Reduction Partnership, launched the No Comment Pathway (NCP) in June 2024. This pathway provides more opportunities for young people to be diverted from court/custodial proceedings, with specific consideration for diversity, neurodiversity, and disproportionately represented groups, including ethnically diverse communities, Children Looked After, and those with SEND. Aligned with the award-winning Operation Inclusion programme (see below for details), the NCP has diverted 12 Wirral children from the statutory justice system in 2024, with quarterly oversight and data reporting by the Violent Reduction Partnership.
Operation Inclusion
Operation Inclusion is a programme that lasts up to 12 weeks, working with young people who are already known to the YJS and their families to reduce offending behaviour and address the underlying issues. Funded through the Violent Reduction Partnership the programme, initially piloted in Wirral, was rolled out across the Merseyside region due to its success.
In 2024/25, Operation Inclusion supported numerous young people, with only one reoffending to date. Operation Inclusion received national recognition from the Howard League for Penal Reform, receiving the ‘Community Award’ under the category of ‘Policing and Children’.
Youth Justice Mentoring and Peer Mentoring
These programmes allow adults and other young people to become mentors for children who are working with the youth justice service. Mentoring involves spending time, usually around three hours a week, with a young person who may have committed an offence, or been put on an intervention programme.
Over a number of weeks, mentors build meaningful connections with at-risk youth to help steer them away from serious violence and crime. Recent funding has been secured to retain the current cohort of participants, transition them into educator roles, and leverage their expertise to train and support a new cohort of mentors.
Learn more
The report will be discussed by members of Wirral’s Children, Young People and Education Committee at their next meeting on Monday 22 September, 2025 at 6pm. Read the report, or view the webcast, here.
Wirral Family Toolbox website is available for anyone to access and offers a range of information and links to many agencies that parents and carers can contact for support and guidance: www.wirralfamilytoolbox.co.uk.
Families can also access Zillo, a bespoke website co-produced by young people, for young people, for information or support on a range of topics: www.zillowirral.co.uk.
