THE COUNCIL’S new chief executive wants no child to be thrown into the criminal justice system.

Susie Kemp, who was confirmed as borough chief on Thursday, challenged Swindon’s youth offending team to slash the number of children given cautions or court orders.

Reports shared with the borough’s Health and Wellbeing Board, show there were 121 first time entrants into the youth justice system last year. 112 children were given referral orders and youth rehabilitation orders and 10 children were given custodial sentences, including four who were jailed for the most serious violent crimes.

Ms Kemp, who came to Swindon from Surrey County Council, said: “In my time there we had a proud record of no young person entering the criminal justice system.

“I don’t think we should be looking to reduce the number, I think we should have no children or young people in restorative justice.”

She suggested members of the restorative youth services team in Swindon look to the example set in Surrey, where the number of children entering the justice system has fallen by 94 per cent in the past 10 years.

Ms Kemp told councillors: “There were too many young people whose first entry to the criminal justice system was when they were young.

“If you had a caution or other police intervention they’re on your record forever. We worked out there was a correlation between a young person at 21 or 22, who had been cautioned at 14, and whose life was all downhill from there because they always had it with them.”

“I have personally witnessed the tremendous outcomes we achieved for those young people who really for the rest of their lives had a changed direction.”

She suggested the council involve the police in the zero yob children target: “The reason it works so well in Surrey is because all the partners including the police and have the passion to ensure that that outcome is achieved.”

Youth services manager Matt Bywater backed the ambition, but admitted it could be a tough ask: “I hear your challenge. I obviously can’t guarantee to deliver that. There are many permutations in the criminal justice system. But I can certainly have that ambition to deliver that.”

In Surrey, any young person arrested by police is put before a panel of police sergeants Surrey County Council workers. The panel decides if the child needs to go to the courts.

Ben Byrne, Surrey’s head if early help and family services, told Surrey Live: “We make a joint decision on what we know about the offence and the wishes of the victim about how best to deal with it.”