Almost two thirds of children going through justice system have special educational needs, says council report

North Tyneside Council documents have revealed 60% of young people who have gone through the justice system have some form of special educational need.

According to the local authority's Youth Justice Plan, which is due to be examined by councillors later in the week, almost two thirds of young people who received some form of criminal intervention between March 2023 and April 2024 had special educational needs.

Earlier data from 2021/22 also found 31 out of 41 youths that re-offended had either an education health care plan or SEND support.

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Around half of the children going through the justice system in North Tyneside have assessed emotional needs and trauma.

One council report states: "It is evident that the children involved with the YJS [youth justice system] have complex needs and neurodiversity which are significantly higher than the average child population."

The report goes on to say the percentage of young people with special needs has slowly increased over the last five years, while at the same time the number of children the Youth Justice System has worked with has reduced. This has resulted, according to the council's report, in "further compounding the increasing complexities and needs of the children we work with."

However, the service has seconded a speech and language therapist with an "exceptional understanding of the complex needs of the children" and who also trains other staff to help manage kids who need additional support.

According to the North Tyneside Youth Justice plans, progress has been made to support SEND children in the previous year including ensuring all children going through the justice system have access to a clinical psychologist.

The clinical psychologist also undertakes assessments for ADHD and links up with the children and adolescent mental health services to circumvent the normal two-year waiting period.