AN agreement between Dorset Police and the county’s social services has succeeded in keeping children in care across Dorset out of the criminal justice system.

But for Dorset children in care outside the county the chances of getting a criminal record remain higher.

Since the protocol with the local police force started in 2016 the number of children in care entering the criminal justice system has steadily declined, although there has been a slight increase in the past year.

The local protocol applies to Dorset and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. In essence it means those caring for children in the care of either council avoid calling the police unless there is a high risk of harm to themselves, others, or to property - or delaying a decision about whether to involve the police while other solutions are explored.

Dorset’s corporate parenting panel heard on Thursday evening that because there are no similar agreements with other police forces, Dorset children being cared for out of the county are more likely to end up in the youth justice system.

Said senior manager from the Dorset Combined Youth Offending Service David Webb: “ It depends of the approach of the local police. We do see Dorset children in care, placed elsewhere, who get a caution, when we think they wouldn’t have got that if they were living in Dorset.”

He said that in many cases those who did end up being charged were likely to be accused of assaulting a police officer, or obstructing the police, rather than for the incident the police had been called for in the first place. In Dorset this was less likely to happen because of the protocol which existed and the training given to local officers.

The meeting heard that Dorset social workers are often not told a child in the county’s care, but living outside Dorset, is in trouble until he or she has been charged with an offence.

Councillors were told that other Dorset tactics were also having a positive effect in dealing with children who break the law, including the use of speech and language specialists and those trained to deal with childhood trauma. A high proportion of children in care have diagnosable speech and language problems although these are often not recognised at school or by a foster carer. National figures suggest that half of all children in care have mental health concerns and that a child in care is nearly five times more likely to have emotional health needs than children who are not in care.

The county has also been using restorative justice methods with those who offend to help challenge their behaviour and make amends to victims, avoiding criminal charges.

The meeting heard that foster carers and others who look after children with challenging behaviour on behalf of the council are still being told that if the risk is high not to hesitate to seek police help.