Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of children being supported by Youth Offending Team services have (a) had a speech, language and communication assessment and (b) have access to specialist speech, language and communication support.
Although the Ministry of Justice does not centrally collect data on this, we are working to improve the outcomes for children with these needs.
Youth Offending Teams (which sit within local authorities) are at the forefront of working with vulnerable children. The Ministry of Justice and the Youth Justice Board have sought to build the knowledge of sector professionals in speech, language and communication needs. For example, the Youth Justice Board has worked with the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists to develop guidance for practitioners and managers in Youth Offending Teams. It has also created additional guidance for Youth Offending Teams in using the AssetPlus screening tool, to identify and analyse speech, language and communication concerns.