Hounslow Youth Justice Service Receives Second Lowest Rating

Inspectors identify weaknesses in risk assessment and safeguarding

Cllr Samia Chaudhary said 'there is work for us to do'. Picture: Hounslow Council

January 30, 2026

Hounslow’s Youth Justice Service (YJS) has been rated ‘Requires improvement’ by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation. The inspectors’ report highlighed committed staff and strong work with victims but identifying significant weaknesses in risk assessment, management oversight and safeguarding practice.

The inspection, published on 27 January, examined the Service’s work with children who offend and with victims. Chief Inspector of Probation Martin Jones said staff were effective at identifying children’s strengths and listening to their views, and praised efforts to build trusting relationships. However, he said the overall quality of casework was “variable”, leading to the Service receiving the second-lowest rating.

Inspectors found that recent changes to the YJS management structure had disrupted the quality of assessments. In a number of cases, potential risks to the public were not fully analysed, and previous concerning behaviour was not always taken into account. Approaches intended to be child-centred and trauma-informed were described as needing further development.

Assessments did not consistently identify safeguarding concerns or set out the support and interventions required to keep children safe, the report said.

In contrast, work with victims was identified as a clear strength. Inspectors commended the Service’s “individualised, responsive” approach, noting that children who were victims could access the same services and activities as those who had offended. Leaders acknowledged, however, that strategic oversight of victim work needed strengthening to improve evaluation and feedback.

Mr Jones said the Service understood the areas requiring improvement and that staff were “committed and passionate” about raising standards. The report makes eight recommendations, including three directed at the YJS itself and five for the management board, such as improving assessment quality and strengthening oversight of victim services.

Cllrr Samia Chaudhary, Cabinet Member for Education, Children, Skills, and Employment at Hounslow Council, said, “We acknowledge the findings and recommendations of the report in full, which identify our strengths and sets out the areas for development and improvement, which were recognised by us and were part of the overall improvement work within the Service.

“It’s positive that our work with victims was rated ‘Good’ as this is a priority in Hounslow and a new area of focus for HMIP.

“We know there is work for us to do. We have already consulted with partners on a robust new plan that is underway and it includes a renewed focus on improving partnership working and how we assess young people.

“The improvement plan will be monitored closely by Hounslow’s Youth Crime Management Board and reported to the Children’s Safeguarding Partnership Board, and an update on progress will be published in due course.”

Hounslow’s Conservative opposition said the findings revealed more serious weaknesses than the council had acknowledged. Cllr Peter Thompson argued that while the council highlighted strengths, the report showed “key parts of the service are not up to standard, especially when it comes to children’s safety and public protection.”

He pointed to inspectors’ findings of “inadequate” assessments, delays in case allocation and weaknesses in identifying exploitation risks. “These are not small problems,” he said. “This is about protecting vulnerable children and keeping communities safe.”

Cllr Thompson said residents deserved answers about why oversight had not improved quality and why schools were not always involved in cases. He criticised what he described as a pattern of “announce a plan, say it will be published later, and hope the headlines fade.”

The Conservative Group called for clear timescales for improvements, named accountability for leadership changes, transparent reporting to councillors, stronger early-intervention work with schools and more community-based activities for young people.

A Hounslow Council spokesperson said, “As detailed in our statement, the improvement plan will be monitored closely by Hounslow’s Youth Crime Management Board and reported to the Children’s Safeguarding Partnership Board. Any updates on progress will be published in due course and will include confirmed timescales.”