Princess Anne Visits New "Tri-borough" Youth Service


Joint team's restorative justice scheme gains royal approval

Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal has visited the new tri-borough youth service which brings together the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, City of Westminster and Hammersmith & Fulham Council’s youth offending services into one elite team.

Princess Anne visited the team’s new headquarters in North Kensington on February 16 to see how restorative justice works in practice and witnesses young offenders working with the victims of crime.

Hammersmith and Fulham Council says the team is working across the borders of the three local authority areas to offer a more joined up and responsive approach to tackle youth crime.

Councillor Helen Binmore, H&F Council Cabinet Member for Children’s Services says: " It is wonderful that the Princess Royal has recognised the value of tri-borough working and we were delighted to welcome her to our new youth offending service this morning."

The Princess Royal is Patron of the Restorative Justice Council, which aims to establish communications between those harmed by crime or conflict, and those responsible for the harm to try and play a part in finding a positive way forward.

Her Royal Highness saw first hand the work being carried out by the tri-borough youth offending which H& F Council says is part of wider plans to improve front-line services while saving taxpayers £33million by 2014/15.

The three councils launched their tri-borough shared services programme in October 2010, with the aim of combining back office and management functions to protect front-line services.

Councillor Baroness Ritchie, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea’s Cabinet Member for Family and Children’s Services, said: " The restorative justice processes give victims the chance to tell offenders the real impact of their crime, to get answers to their questions, and an apology. It lets offenders understand the real impact of what they’ve done, to take responsibility and make amends.

“I am delighted that Her Royal Highness was able to see some of the excellent work we do and to meet the staff involved as well as victims of crime and young offenders. Her role as Patron of the Restorative Justice Council means she is aware just how important this work is."

 

February 22, 2012