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“Exceptional progress” made at Bridgend Youth Justice Service, rated ‘Outstanding’ following inspection

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Bridgend Youth Justice Service (YJS) has received an overall rating of ‘Outstanding’ following an inspection of work with children and victims by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation.

Chief Inspector of Probation, Martin Jones, said: “I am delighted with the exceptional progress Bridgend YJS have made since our last inspection. Leaders and practitioners showed genuine care for their work and were passionate, creative and dedicated to achieving ambitious outcomes for children, carers, and victims.”

Bridgend YJS began operating in 2019 following the disaggregation of Western Bay YJS, which we rated as ‘Inadequate’ in 2019. Bridgend YJS last inspected in 2022 where it received an overall rating of ‘Requires improvement’. Andrea Brazier, Head of the Youth Inspection Programme described Bridgend YJS’ progress from ‘Inadequate’ to ‘Outstanding’ as “inspiring.”

Children’s strengths, aspirations, and goals were incorporated into planning with inspectors finding examples of the YJS supporting children to participate in sporting activities, reintegrate into education, and sustain positive family relationships. The delivery of services to achieve positive change was tailored and sequenced to meet the needs of the child, and the YJS practiced a ‘whole family’ approach where parents were supported to access mental health treatment and neurodevelopmental assessments.

Inspectors found work with victims to be “aspirational” and found trauma-informed principles embedded in work with children. Child victims were able to access a range of specialist support through the Service, including speech and language therapy, art therapy, health specialists and education advocacy.

Mr Jones continued, “Bridgend YJS should be commended for its impressive holistic offer of support available to children, parents or carers, and victims.”

The Inspectorate’s report makes four recommendations. Two are for Bridgend YJS, including to ensure that information from the Probation Service is consistently accessed and analysed to provide a holistic view of concerns impacting the safety of the child and the community. Two recommendations are for the management board, including to actively address and reduce the number of YJS children not accessing their full education entitlement.

ENDS 

Notes to editor 

  1. Inspections of work with children and victims is one of two separate types of youth justice inspection undertaken by the Inspectorate.
  2. In this inspection we have inspected and rated work against our standards in domain two, and the victims’ standard. For more information, visit our website: Youth Justice Services – HM Inspectorate of Probation
  3. This service works with children aged 10 to 17. The YJS supervise children with complex needs and some in the care of the local authority.
  4. The Inspectorate uses a four-point scale: ‘Outstanding’; ‘Good’; ‘Requires improvement’ and ‘Inadequate’; rating specific aspects of each service and giving an overall rating.
  5. Bridgend YJS began operating in 2019 after the disaggregation of Western Bay YJS, which we rated as ‘Inadequate’ in 2019.
  6. The report is available on the HM Inspectorate of Probation website on 24 February 2026.
  7. HM Inspectorate of Probation is the independent inspector of youth justice and probation services across England and Wales.
  8. Fieldwork for this inspection took place in November 2025.
  9. For media enquiries; please contact Head of Communications: media@hmiprobation.gov.uk