Evaluation of the Whole System Approach to Young People Who Offend in Scotland

This document describes an evaluation of the Scottish Government's Whole System Approach (WSA) to Youth Offending, which is designed to divert young people from the criminal justice system and promote early intervention, diversion, and reintegration. The evaluation, conducted across three case study areas, utilized qualitative interviews, observations, and quantitative analysis, revealing a decrease in youth crime and referrals, albeit with local variations. The WSA's implementation has been marked by strong partnership working and adaptability to local needs, but faces challenges in data consistency and the need for sustained resources. The document also assesses youth diversion programs over a nine-year period, analyzing data on cases diverted from prosecution and reviewing relevant legislation and reports. The evaluation concludes that the WSA and diversion programs are generally effective in improving outcomes for young people, but recommends enhancements in data management, resource allocation, and further research to understand the interplay between WSA and other strategies. **This summary was written by an AI model and therefore should not be considered a definitive summary of the report. If you are aware of inaccuracies, please email evaluation.registry@cabinetoffice.gov.uk.**

Description

• Lead department: The Scottish Government (The Scottish Government)
• Evaluation stage: A complete evaluation report
• Other departments: No other departments listed
• Evaluation types: Process evaluation
• Process methods: Case studies; Individual interviews; Output or performance modelling
• Grant information: This intervention is not distributing funding via a grant
• Government Major Project information: This intervention is not a major project
• Policies: No policies provided

Event Dates

• Event Name: Publication of final results
• Event date: April 2015

Evaluation Costs

• Cost: Not provided

Evaluation sharing

• Link(s) to published report(s): Yes
• Links to evaluation plans: No link provided
• Links to published evaluations (DEBUGGING): No final report link found.
• Findings: Not provided
• Permission to share confirmed: Yes