Being a Panel Member at Dorset Combined Youth Justice Service (YJS) means you join a team of friendly, experienced, skilled and highly trained volunteers. We are always on the lookout for people to represent their local community by encouraging and supporting our young people to successfully complete their Referral Order.

One way we do this is to ensure our Panel Members work in a trauma informed manner and follow restorative justice principles.

The main aim of this volunteering opportunity is to help a young person create a contract which details the interventions required for their Referral Order. A Referral Order is a Court sentence given out when a young person has pleaded guilty to an offence that meets the threshold for court. The contract will include repairing harm to the victim and interventions to stop a young person getting into trouble again. Example interventions could be to meet with our Careers Advisor or work with their Case Manager to explore how to control their anger.

Our panel meetings tend to be held Monday to Friday between office hours but some are arranged for evenings. The meeting will include two Panel Members, a Case Manager from the YJS and the young person with their parent/carer (if ordered to attend). Sometimes a victim might meet with the volunteers before the panel meeting starts to have their views heard.

Our Panel Members use their communication skills to help create an open and safe space for discussion, negotiation and role model respectful behaviour. They review the contract on regular intervals to check progress with the young person.

As a team, our volunteers receive supervision twice a year, bi-monthly meetings, social events, newsletters, expenses and ongoing training.

For more information about volunteering for the Dorset Combined Youth Justice Service, please email julie.mackay@bcpcouncil.gov.uk.