Supervision Orders
A Supervision Order is a Court Order, which is made to help you to avoid any further offending. It can last up to three years. 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 you will be given:
- Help in keeping out of any further trouble with the Police
- Advice in areas in which you may be having problems, e.g. at home, school or work, 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 payback. This will be organised for you by the Youth Offending Service Reparation Co-ordinator 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 a Supervision Plan. The Plan will be reviewed every three months.
What part do I play in the Order?
Under a Supervision Order you will have to:
- Keep your appointments with your Youth Offending Service worker, which will be twice a week for the first three months. These appointments will usually be at the YOS 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 that you have agreed to do
- Act responsibly whilst on supervision in your community and when attending for any appointments
- Keep to any additional requirements that have been agreed in your Supervision Plan
What else can I be asked to do?
Other conditions may be attached to your Order. These will be explained to you separately by your YOS worker.
You may also be expected to participate in a group programme run by YOS workers to address aspects of your offending behaviour.
Who will know I'm on Supervision?
Under the Supervision Order there will be times when your Youth Offending Service worker will visit you at home and discuss your progress with your parents/carers.
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 Supervision Order. If the breach is proved, the Court may then deal with you in some other way, such as:
- Giving you another chance on Supervision
- Making an Attendance Centre Order
- Imposing a fine, either on you or your parents [depending on your age]
- Re-sentence you for the original offence.
What if I do well on Supervision?
When this happens, your Youth Offending Service worker will ask the Court to end the Order early. This cannot happen until at least half of the Supervision Order has been successfully completed. To do this you will go back to Court with a report from your Youth Offending Service worker saying how well you have done.