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Contents

1. Introduction
2. Pre Court Duties and Responsibilities
3. Post Court Duties and Responsibilities

1. Introduction

The role of admin is central to the smooth and efficient running of the court duty system.  The primary role of admin. is to provide the court duty officer with comprehensive and up to date information and to accurately record court outcomes.  In addition, admin. are responsible for ensuring that the court filing system is properly maintained, that the necessary paper work is available and completed and that data is accurately inputted onto Careworks.

Most of the tasks detailed below relate primarily to the two Youth Court days at Uxbridge Magistrates Court (Mondays and Thursdays), where most Hillingdon young people will appear and where Hillingdon YOT will always have a court duty officer.  However, it is also important that admin. keep accurate records of young people appearing in the Magistrates Court and extra Youth Courts at Uxbridge, other Youth Courts and Crown Courts.  Admin. must ensure that the duty officer is aware of young people due to appear in court so that they are prepared for any requests that might arise and so that outcomes and results can be obtained.   

2. Pre Court Duties and Responsibilities

2.1	Check charge sheets from the police and court lists for new referrals (i.e. first court appearances relating to new offences).
2.2	Complete referral forms for all new referrals.
2.3	Carry out the necessary checks on all new referrals: Careworks – enter details of new referrals on the system; ensure referrals are tied up with details of previous reprimands, final warnings and/or court appearances in the court file; put details of any previous or existing orders and their current responsible officer (if applicable) on the new referral form, and where appropriate also put school details on the referral form and attach the most recent report. Children's Services/ICS Protocol - check whether the young person is known to Children's Social Services and put details of legal status and allocated social worker on the new referral form. PNC – request an up to date PNC printout.
2.4	Put new referrals into existing court files or make up new court files (orange for Hillingdon young people; pink for young people from other areas).
2.5	Add young person’s details in court diary for the day of their appearance.
2.6	Check court diary and court list and ensure that all relevant court files are available for the court duty officer and that copies of reports are available if due on that date.
2.7	Check the court admin. file to ensure that there are adequate supplies of the necessary forms, bail/custody packs and leaflets.

3. Post Court Duties and Responsibilities

3.1	Check that new referrals have been completed for any first appearances arising from the extras list received at court and carry out tasks 2.3 and 2.4 as in pre court duties.
3.2	Ensure that a Notification Form has been completed for all report requests (including stand-downs) and orders made.
3.3	Complete and fax off the Notification of Committal Form where a young person has been committed to appear at the crown court on their next appearance.
3.4	Complete and fax off the Attendance Centre Requirement Notification (West London Attendance Centre only).  Also ensure that the latest West London Attendance Centre attendance record is in the court admin file.
3.5	Inform the YOT Police Officer of any warrants issued, whether for breach or non-attendance.
3.6	Fax off requests for Education Information in respect of young people of school age or still attending school for whom reports have been requested or who have been made the subject of Referral Orders.
3.7	Where the Notification Form indicates that a report has been requested, check with court duty officer whether the following paperwork is necessary and has been completed and sent, and attach it (along with verification of fax transmission) to the Notification Form:       Advance Disclosure obtained or requested from the CPS. Victim details requested from the YOT Police Officer. Unpaid Work Assessment requested from Probation if the young person is 16 or over.
3.8	Enter all court outcomes/results on Careworks; including type of hearing, bail/remand decision or outcome/sentence and next court date if appropriate.
3.9	Enter next court dates (where appropriate) in court diary.
3.10	Notify other YOTs by fax (using referral form and continuation sheets and notification form) of outcomes/results/requests concerning young people from their area, and post CPS papers if available.
3.11	Where one does not already exist, make up Casework Files for new orders and pass these with the Notification Forms (for both report requests and new orders) to the appropriate manager for allocation.
3.12	Ensure that the outcomes of court hearings for young people who already have allocated workers are passed on to that worker.

End