Local Criminal Justice Boards (LCJBs) bring together criminal justice organisations at police force area level to support joint working and improve services.
The purpose and vision of the LCJB is to reduce crime, harm and risk by increasing the efficiency and credibility of the Criminal Justice System. By working in partnership, the board aims to improve services to the public with the minimum costs, supported by the best available evidence.
The PCC chairs the Thames Valley LCJB and is working with them to reduce re-offending and improve the experience for victims and witnesses.
In the Thames Valley the LCJB consists of:
- Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC)
- Thames Valley Police
- Thames and Chiltern Crown Prosecution Services (CPS)
- Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS)
- Thames Valley Probation
- Her Majesty’s Prison Service
- Youth Offending Service
- Legal Aid Agency
The Board is further supported by the Witness Service and Health (Public Health England and NHS England).
The board meets five times a year to review performance and to consider and approve any new initiatives.
Priorities
Priorities are determined on an annual basis and have been agreed to be:
- Delivering improvements in performance across the Criminal Justice System (CJS), particularly with regard to increasing the proportion of effective trials.
- Identifying and creating efficiencies across the CJS including the delivery of digital working by all agencies and working with as little paper as possible.
- Improving victim and witness satisfaction – putting people at the centre of the CJS.
- Supporting the principle of facilitating the required Criminal Justice processes necessary to make Restorative Justice a timely, safe and efficient intervention in order to reduce re-offending and the risk of repeat victimisation.
- Reducing Re-offending – reducing crime, harm and risk by removing adult and youth offenders from the CJS, especially through the use of Integrated Offender Management.
- Improving access to health provision for offenders and reducing health inequalities.
- Supporting Children and Young People who are going through the CJS and increasing diversion from it, where appropriate.
Delivery Groups
The board has several delivery groups, consisting of strategic and operational agency leads. The groups will be responsible for delivery of improved performance, achieving the priorities in their area of business through strong leadership, management and supervision.
You can view the Thames Valley Local Criminal Justice Board Strategy on our website
Programme Management Group
This group has operational oversight of the whole programme of work and the performance of the criminal justice agencies. It reviews the work of the local (county-based) groups and the thematic delivery groups and reports back to the board’s strategic leads with its recommendations.
Digital Criminal Justice System Thematic Delivery Group
Within the national programme, the group effectively delivers digital working locally. Key business areas are:
- The transfer of digital evidence and case material to enable the Criminal Justice System (CJS) to operate with minimal paper (in and out of the courtroom).
- Embedding TSJ (Magistrates Courts) and BCM (Crown Courts).
- The increased use of video links to reduce the amount of court attendance by both witnesses and offenders.
Victims and Witnesses Delivery Group
This group oversees victim and witness processes to ensure that the quality of customer service given is compliant with the Code of Practice for Victims and the Witness Charter. Maximising the attendance of victims and witnesses is a high priority, either in person or by video link, in addition to reducing unnecessary attendance and costs.
Reducing Re-offending Delivery Group
On behalf of the Thames Valley LCJB and Thames Valley Community Safety Partnerships, the group provides strategic direction to all Integrated Offender Management (IOM) activities to provide an end-to-end offender management model. The group established a clear Reducing Re-offending Strategy that has been supported by all Local Authority Chief Executive Officers and emphasises the need for Integrated Service Delivery. It provides encouragement to increase support for IOM by partner agencies including the new Community Rehabilitation Company.
Youth Justice
The Youth Offending Team Managers meet regularly and are supporting the LCJB focus on the needs of children and young people in the CJS. The focus of the group is to reduce first time entrants and re-offending, take steps to de-criminalise looked after children and support youth justice.
Local Criminal Justice Groups
The Local Criminal Justice Groups operate on a county basis, bringing local Criminal Justice (CJ) partners together to deliver improvements to local performance and consider local delivery requirements in support of the LCJB priorities.