Bradford Youth Justice Service Rated 'Inadequate' After Inspectors Uncover Serious Failings

Bradford Youth Justice Service has been rated 'inadequate' following an inspection that uncovered serious weaknesses in safeguarding children and protecting the public. Inspectors have issued nine recommendations for improvement, with local leaders accepting the findings and promising urgent action.

Bradford Youth Justice Service has been rated 'inadequate' after inspectors uncovered serious weaknesses in how vulnerable children are supported and how risks to public safety are managed.

A reactive inspection by His Majesty's Inspectorate of Probation identified significant shortcomings in safeguarding, risk assessments, management oversight and partnership working.

The service supervises children aged between 10 and 17 who are involved in the youth justice system, including young people with complex needs and children in care.

Inspectors warned that weaknesses in the service were leaving too many children with unmet safety and wellbeing needs.

Serious concerns over children's safety

Chief Inspector of Probation Martin Jones acknowledged that staff were committed to helping young people but said significant improvements were urgently required.

He said:

"However, risks to children and others were not analysed consistently, responsive planning was weak, and management oversight was significantly variable, leaving too many children with unmet safety and wellbeing needs."

Inspectors identified significant weaknesses in the service's ability to keep children and communities safe.

They also found that governance arrangements had failed to provide sufficient oversight and challenge to improve frontline practice.

Agencies criticised for failing to work together

The inspection highlighted ineffective partnership working between organisations responsible for supporting children in the youth justice system.

According to the report, agencies frequently operated independently, prioritising their own objectives rather than delivering a coordinated response.

Inspectors concluded that a stronger, collective approach was essential to improve outcomes for young people while protecting the wider community.

Staffing difficulties also contributed to the problems.

Vacancies, high levels of sickness absence and gaps in services provided by partner organisations had resulted in excessive workloads and inconsistent practice.

Despite these challenges, inspectors praised frontline staff for their dedication, professional knowledge and commitment to supporting vulnerable children.

Nine recommendations for urgent improvement

The inspectorate issued nine recommendations aimed at improving the service.

Five were directed towards the Bradford Youth Justice Service management board, including the need for stronger collective accountability and a robust quality assurance framework.

The remaining four recommendations focused on improving the service's assessments, planning and delivery of support.

Inspectors called for improvements to ensure risks are properly identified, children receive appropriate safeguarding support and communities are protected.

The inspection fieldwork took place over two weeks in June 2026.

Inspectors reviewed cases involving children subject to bail or remand, court sentences and out-of-court resolutions, alongside interviews with case managers.

Bradford leaders accept findings

Ruth Terry, chair of the Bradford Youth Justice Partnership Board, said the board and its statutory partners accepted responsibility for making the necessary changes.

She acknowledged that although the inspection identified positive relationships between staff and families, these strengths were not consistently reflected in the quality of support received by every child.

She said:

"We accept the findings of the inspection and are already working with partners to deliver a coordinated response to the recommendations, with a clear focus on achieving sustainable and measurable change."

The board has committed to strengthening oversight, improving partnership contributions and monitoring performance more closely.

Children's Trust promises improvements

Charlotte Ramsden OBE, chief executive of Bradford Children and Families Trust, described the findings as disappointing.

She confirmed that a partnership improvement plan was already in place, alongside specific measures for the Youth Justice Service.

Work is underway to strengthen multi-agency cooperation, quality assurance, risk analysis and management oversight.

Additional investment is also being directed towards staffing and workforce development.

Ms Ramsden said:

"This is a disappointing report, and we take the findings seriously."

She added that the Trust was determined to learn from the inspection and deliver improvements to safeguard children, reduce reoffending and create safer communities.

Bradford Council responds

Councillor Sally Birch, Bradford Council's portfolio holder for children and families, also accepted the inspectorate's findings.

She said ensuring Bradford was a safe place for children to grow up remained a priority.

The councillor acknowledged that services had not consistently met the required standards and said improvement plans were already being implemented.

She emphasised that all statutory partners would need to work together to deliver better experiences and outcomes for children and families across the district.

What happens next?

The Youth Justice Service and its partner organisations must now implement the inspectorate's nine recommendations.

The focus will be on improving safeguarding, strengthening management accountability, developing more effective partnerships and ensuring that children receive consistent, high-quality support.

Although inspectors recognised the dedication of frontline workers and positive relationships with some families, the overall findings highlight the scale of the improvements required.