1. Faster, Fairer Decisions with the Updated Youth Gravity Matrix
We are very excited to announce that we have built in the new NPCC issued Youth Gravity Matrix into our platform, published in September 2023, replacing the 2013 matrix. This new matrix moves to a slightly different model using a 1-5 severity rating. It provides instruction on the standard outcome types for children and young people, based on the offence or offences that have been committed, as well as mitigating and aggravating factors that should be considered in each circumstance.
Using our platform and app, Police Officers can now process children and young people against the recommended matrix, to determine the most suitable outcome, all whilst including their appropriate adult throughout the process. The time saved by completing this process using our platform means that Police Officers can process the young person quickly and more effectively, and this in turn reduces the impact on the young person and their appropriate adult, and helps them to access support in a timely manner. Diverting people from Court (when appropriate), as well as helping them to access interventions that support them, leads to better outcomes, less reoffending and fewer victims.
2. Collaborative Support Through Our New Panel Feature
Aligned to this is our new Panel functionality, which launches this month and allows ‘external-to-the-Police’ panel members to view case information and make recommendations on how to proceed with the individual.
This process is common practice for children and young people who offend, whereby an external panel of members from the Police Service, Local Authorities and others, come together to discuss their views and recommendations on how best to proceed with the young person, to maximise and arrange the right support for them and also to address their offending behaviour.
Each panel member can review the case, add their comments and make their suggestions both for the outcome, which might be a Youth Conditional Caution as an example, and for any assigned Conditions, i.e. to engage in work around consequential thinking to address their offending. Once each panel member has added their recommendation, this is then reviewed at the panel meeting and a decision is made collectively about how best to proceed. The Panel Owner will then add the final outcome and publish this so that it can be viewed by all Panel Members.
Moving Forward with Kent Police and Beyond
We are very excited to be launching this new process initially with Kent Police in July 2024 and we look forward to bringing on other Youth Justice teams in the coming months.
If this is something you would be interested in hearing more about, please get in touch with us at: hello@maketimecount.today