Community rehabilitation orders

A community rehabilitation order (formerly called a probation order) is a court order that can last for up to three years.

It is normally imposed upon adults aged 18 and above, but can sometimes be imposed on young people aged 16 to 18. Orders imposed on young people are supervised by the youth offending team until the young person reaches the age of 18, at which point the National Probation Service will supervise the order.

The orders are designed to help young people avoid further offending.

If you are subject to a community rehabilitation order, what does this mean for you?

You will be assigned a youth offending team worker, who will supervise the community rehabilitation order.
This worker will draw up a detailed plan (called a ‘supervision plan’) of what you will be doing during your order (such as attending school and meetings with the youth offending team worker).
This plan will be agreed with you and your parents/carers within the first week.
The supervision plan will be reviewed every three months.

Under a community rehabilitation order you will have to:

Keep to all the requirements that have been agreed in your supervision plan.
Meet with your youth offending team worker once a week (for the first three months). These appointments will usually be at the youth offending team office or at your home. After three months, the frequency of reporting can be reviewed.
Work with your youth offending team worker to look at why you offend, and ways in which you can change your behaviour
Act responsibly while on supervision in your community, and when attending appointments.

Other conditions may be attached to your order. These will be explained to you separately by your youth offending team worker.

How the youth offending team worker can help

Your youth offending team worker is there to advise, assist and encourage you, and to help to prevent you from re-offending. Your worker is available to see you regularly, and to listen to what you have to say. You will be given help to stay out of further trouble with the police, as well as advice in areas in which you may be having problems.

Who will know you are on this order?

Under the community rehabilitation order, there will be times when your youth offending team worker will visit you at home and discuss your progress with your parents/carers.

Your youth offending team worker may also find it helpful to talk to your school, youth club, or employer. You will be asked what you think about this before it happens.

What happens if you do not co-operate with the community rehabilitation order?

If you do not co-operate with your youth offending team worker you will be taken back to court for being in breach of the community rehabilitation order. If the breach is proved, the court may:

give you another chance, under supervision, on the community rehabilitation order
make an attendance centre order (for more information about attendance centre orders, contact the youth offending team)
impose a fine either on you or your parents
re-sentence you for the original offence.

What if you do well?

Your youth offending team worker will contact the court and ask for the order to be ended early. You will then go back to court, with a report from your youth offending team worker, saying how well you have done.

This cannot happen until at least half of the community rehabilitation order has been successfully completed.

Further information

How to contact us

Tower Hamlets and the City of London Youth Offending Team
4th Floor, Town Hall
Mulberry Place
5 Clove Crescent
London
E14 2BG

Tel: 020 7364 1142
Fax: 020 8983 9911

E-mail: youthoffending@towerhamlets.gov.uk