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Action Plan Orders

What is an action plan order?

An action plan order is a Court Order which is made to help you to avoid any further offending. It lasts for 3 months from the date of the Order being made. This Order is supervised by a Youth Offending Service worker who is there to advise, assist and encourage you, and will help to prevent you re-offending.

What does it mean?

It means that you will be given:

  • Help in keeping out of further trouble with the Police
  • Advice in areas in which you may be having problems, e.g. at home, school/college or work, or with other people or with drugs
  • Support from your Youth Offending Service worker who is there to see you regularly and listen to what you have to say.
  • You will also be required to engage in a restorative process which will be victim led, and may include mediation and/or reparation in the form of voluntary work in the local area as a form of community pay back. This will be organised for you by the Youth Offending
  • Service Restorative Justice Team, and will be supervised.
  • A detailed plan for what is going to be done during your Order will be agreed with you and your parents/carers within the first week. This is called an Action or Supervision Plan. The Plan will be reviewed every three months.

What part do I play in the order?

Under an action plan order you will have to:

  • Keep your appointments with your Youth Offending Service worker, which will be twice a week in the beginning. These appointments will usually be at the Youth Offending Service Office or at your home
  • Work with them to look at why you offend and ways in which you can change your behaviour
  • Take part in Reparation activities as arranged for you by the YOS Restorative Justice Team
  • Carry out any other things you have agreed to do
  • Act responsibly whilst on supervision in your community and when attending for appointments
  • Keep to any additional requirements that have been agreed in your Supervision Plan

Other conditions may be attached to your Order. These will be explained to you separately by your YOS worker.

Who will know I am on this Order?

Under the action plan order there will be times when your Youth Offending Service worker will visit you at home and discuss your progress with your parents /carers. You may also be referred to see one of the YOS partner workers for help with a particular problem, e.g. drugs, health, accommodation or employment/training.

You may also be expected to participate in a group programme run by YOS workers to address aspects of your offending behaviour.

It may also be helpful to talk to your school, youth club, or employer. You will be asked what you think about this before it happens.

What can go wrong?

If you do not co-operate with your Youth Offending Service worker you will be taken back to Court for being in breach of the action plan order.

If the breach is proved, the Court may then deal with you in some other way, such as:

  • Giving you another chance under supervision on the Order
  • Making an Attendance Centre Order
  • Imposing a fine on you or your parents [depending on your age]
  • Re-sentence you for the original offence

What if I do well?

With an Order lasting three months, there is not enough time for your Youth Offending Service worker to consider applying to the Court for the Order to end early. However, the length of time you will spend in your Supervision sessions will depend on how well you are doing, and if you are doing well then your time in the Youth Offending Service Office will be less.

This page was last updated on 28 May 2008