Young People

The Vale of Glamorgan YOS works with young people at risk of or who have offended. Click here if you have been referred to the Prevention Team to find out more about some of the programmes you could be involved in.

If you have been arrested for the first time or minor offence you could be referred to us for Diversionary Work. This involves meeting with our YOS Police Officer and possibly the victim of your offence where you could be asked to carry out some reparation for the victim or the community. If you agree to do this work you will not receive a criminal record.

You could be given a reprimand or a final warning (also known as cautions) if you have committed a minor offence. If you receive a final warning our YOS Police Officer will be in touch with you where you could be asked to be involved in some interventions to prevent you from offending again.

If you have to go to court for an offence you have committed download our information leaflet for young people with advice on what happens in court.

If you have pleaded guilty for a first time offence you will probably be sentenced to a Referral Order. As part of your Referral Order you and your parent(s) or carer(s) will be asked to attend a community panel which comprises of two members of the community, a member of staff from the YOS and the victim of your offence. You will agree a contract with the panel. The contract will have activities to put right what you have done to either the victim or the community and to help stop you from offending again.

If you continue to offend the Court may impose a Youth Rehabilitation Order (YRO). The YRO is a community sentence providing a ‘menu’ of interventions called ‘requirements’ for tackling offending behaviour and the sentence can be used again on multiple occasions. There are no restrictions on the number of times a young person can be sentenced to a YRO. Your YOS Officer will explain your YRO to you to help you understand what is expected of you whilst you are on an order.

If you are on a community order with the YOS, you will be expected to meet with a member of the YOS when asked to do so. The number of meetings arranged for you will depend on how much support you need to help stop you from offending again.

Some young people commit offences so serious or offend so many times that the Court feels it necessary to impose a custodial sentence. If this is the case you will receive a Detention and Training Order (DTO). Click here to find out more about DTOs. If you are made subject to a DTO you could be sent to a Secure Children’s Home, a Youth Offending Institute or a Secure Training Centre.