New national collaboration space to strengthen youth justice policing

Children, victims and communities will benefit from faster, stronger, more joined-up responses with the launch of a new national digital collaboration space to support youth justice services, policing and key partners.  

Basecamp: Diversion and Youth Justice Policing is a dedicated secure platform for real-time collaboration, problem-solving and shared learning across the sector. 

The new channel has been created by Youth Justice Board (YJB) in collaboration with the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) and developed with support of the Youth Endowment Fund and the Centre for Justice Innovation. This will ensure alignment with national priorities and a strong focus on evidence-informed practice. 

The space brings together youth justice services and police colleagues to strengthen collective practice and improve outcomes for children. By sharing real-time evidence of what is working, it is hoped communities will be made safer by preventing offending and reoffending by children. 

While there will be no details of specific cases shared within the platform, frontline practice is set to benefit with the sharing of learning and best practice across diversion and youth justice policing. The new Basecamp will also facilitate: 

• Joint problem-solving on practical challenges and emerging issues 

• Greater consistency and visibility of guidance, resources and updates 

• Stronger cross-area networking and collaboration 

• FAQs and live queries from services and policing partners 

• Tools, templates and examples of practice 

• National guidance and training materials 

• Sharing of local resources across areas 

Stephanie Roberts-Bibby, Chief Executive of the Youth Justice Board, said: 

We know that the strongest outcomes for children come from systems that work together – at the YJB we refer to this as ‘the power of the partnership'. This collaboration space builds on what we have already been doing to share the evidence of what works and takes it one step further; creating a dedicated place where professionals across youth justice can connect, challenge and learn from one another in real time.

By bringing together expertise from across youth justice and policing, we are strengthening our collective ability to support children, reduce harm and build safer communities.

Chief Constable Catherine Roper, says: 

As NPCC lead for Children and Young Persons, I am both passionate and committed to improve how policing works with partners to share best practice and consequently, how we serve and support the younger members of our communities. I am proud to work with the Youth Justice Board and believe that the development of Basecamp as an information and best practice sharing platform is another strong step toward the delivery of collaborative, coordination and thoughtful service to children and young persons.

I believe all children should have the opportunity to fulfil their potential, without their lives being blighted by crime. Any child who is touched by criminality is a victim, even if they are suspected of committing an offence themselves, and through partnership working and collective continued improvement, we can ensure we are doing everything we can to keep our young people safe.

I welcome the development of ‘Basecamp: Diversion and Youth Justice Policing', which will support policing become ever more child centred.

Launching on 8 May, the new platform is a closed permission-based channel with secure access managed by the YJB.  

Find out more about Basecamp: Diversion and Youth Justice Policing