Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) Immediate Justice 

The Immediate Justice scheme will see offenders of ASB paying back to the community through unpaid work, restorative activities, and repairing damage and harm they may have caused.

What is Immediate Justice? 

In March 2023 the Government launched a National Antisocial Behaviour Action Plan that sets out their approach to working with local agencies to tackle anti-social behaviour across England and Wales. The plan outlines the Immediate Justice service. 

On this page, you will find:

  • West Yorkshire's Immediate Justice approach
  • Support for victims
  • Immediate Justice for adults
  • Services for children aged 12 to 17-years-old
  • Definitions

West Yorkshire's Immediate Justice approach

West Yorkshire has been awarded £2 million over two years from the Home Office to pilot and test Immediate Justice approaches.

In West Yorkshire, our Immediate Justice approach provides a range of tailored services for adults and children to benefit victims.

This includes completing unpaid work, repairing damage caused by their actions, and the option of restorative justice, where the victim can communicate with the person responsible for the crime.

Support for victims

Direct support is available to victims of ASB provided through a West Yorkshire wide victim support service.

When the offender has been identified, restorative workers will consult with the victims about the reparative activity the offender undertakes and feed back after offenders have completed ASB awareness courses.

Community conferences

Restorative Practitioners work with services to organise and facilitate community conferences with groups of victims and offenders to tackle an incident or ongoing situation that has affected a wide group of people.

The aim is to give the victims, offenders, and others the chance to discuss the consequences of the offence and agree on how the offenders should repair the harm they have caused.

Immediate Justice for Adults

Once an investigation by the police into a crime involving ASB is concluded, a Community Resolution, an Outcome 22, or a Conditional Caution may be considered. As part of this, if appropriate, the offender will enter the Immediate Justice scheme, and will either undertake supervised unpaid work, an ASB Awareness Course, or both.

In Immediate Justice, the police will refer the offender for supervised unpaid work delivered by the Probation Service.

If they receive a Community Resolution or an Outcome 22, they would undertake one 7-hour day of supervised unpaid work.

If they receive a Conditional Caution, they would undertake two 7-hour days of supervised unpaid work.

Immediate Justice unpaid work activity

Immediate Justice unpaid work activity is delivered in public spaces within the community impacted by the crime. This will have exceptions, and alternative activities are available to those with disabilities, injuries, and neurodiversity. impacted by the crime.

Unpaid work takes place 7 days a week across West Yorkshire and includes:

  • Removing graffiti.
  • Clearing wasteland.
  • Decorating public spaces and buildings to benefit the community.

The activity also enables individuals to make positive changes to their lives and reduce reoffending.

 

 

Services for children aged 12 to 17-years-old

Restorative Justice workers in each district of West Yorkshire Youth Justice Services support and deliver reparative activities for children aged 12 to 17-years-old.

The positive activities including health and wellbeing, educational sessions, involvement in community groups and activities that will develop a child’s sense of empathy for victims and the need to repair harm.

The activities will be strengths-based and will help children see the value of good behaviour, promote inclusion, and recognise their valuable place in their communities.

This approach diverts children away from and prevents further ASB or offending that impacts their communities.

Restorative Justice workers also contact victims to ensure their views are represented, their thoughts about suitable activities are considered and they are informed about the outcomes.

 

 

Definitions

Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB)

ASB is defined as behaviour by a person which causes, or is likely to cause, harassment, alarm, or distress to persons not of the same household as the person. 

Community Resolution

A Community Resolution is a method of restorative justice and is an alternative way of dealing with less serious crimes and incidents, allowing officers to use their professional judgement when dealing with offenders. 

Conditional Caution

A Conditional Caution allows the police officer or a relevant prosecutor such as the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to decide to give a caution with one or more conditions attached. 

Outcome 22

Outcome 22 is one of Home Office administration codes that the police use to indicate that no further action has been taken in response to an offence, but some form of diversionary or educational activity has taken place. 

Restorative Justice

For adults, this is a victim-focused approach that empowers victims of crime by giving them the opportunity to communicate with the person responsible for that crime.

For children, it supports each child to develop a ‘pro-social’ identity, and to help them to take a positive place in society. It can help children to see the value of good behaviour, promote inclusion, and help them to move forwards and recognise their valuable place in their communities.

Reparative activity

For adults, this means putting things right through repairing or making good the damage caused by an offence.

For children, this means activities to help them to recognise and make a positive contribution for themselves and others in their community.

Trauma informed

Working with the West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership Adversity Trauma and Resilience, we have placed a trauma informed lens on the Government’s ASB Action Plan to support our delivery approach and external communications.

Our trauma informed approach in West Yorkshire will mean services will see and understand what has happened to people, rather than what is wrong with people.

Working in partnership

A multi-agency West Yorkshire ASB Steering Group supports the approach and delivery of the Immediate Justice services.

Delivery partners:

  • HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS)
  • West Yorkshire Youth Justice Services (YJS) – Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield
  • Restorative Solutions CIC
  • Victim Support
  • West Yorkshire Police