Serious and Organised Crime (SOC) Intervention: Ceredigion Youth Justice and Prevention Service and the Home Office

This evaluation follows through 22 referrals from Ceredigion Youth Justice and Prevention Service (CYJPS), recruited to undertake a range of interventions designed to address issues of vulnerability to exploitation and SOC activities. The majority of the referrals were assessed using the CYJPS risk assessment tool – CYSTEM – that provides an appraisal of vulnerability and offending probability, alongside ASSET+ and SERAF data. Of the 18 participants for which data was available, 13 were assessed as medium and 4 as high risk of vulnerability. Pre and post intervention assessments of well-being (WEMWBS) and self-efficacy (SEQ-C) suggested small but positive outcomes on these measures following the session delivery and self-report evaluations of the events were largely positive.

The CYJPS SOC project was a low-cost trial for the testing of cognitive behavioural interventions with at risk youth and a number of recommendations emerged, including the use of linked multiple-sessions, programmes structure and staff roles. Overall, the project was well managed and the key indicators – self-efficacy, well-being and stakeholder satisfaction – demonstrated positive outcomes.