Out of Court Disposals for children

Out of Court Disposals (OCD) give the police the option to deal quickly and proportionately with low-level, often first-time offending without having to go to court.

The police have a range of options when dealing with offences committed by a child. The police decide which is the most appropriate, usually after we have made an assessment or recommendation to them. We offer support to all children who have received any type of out of court disposal, and to their families.

Types of Out of Court Disposals

Community Resolution (CR)

A Community Resolution (CR) can be given when:

you have admitted to the offence
it is your first time in trouble
you have committed a low-level offence such as anti-social behaviour.

There are 2 types of community resolution, informal and formal.

An informal CR means it is dealt with at the time of the incident or on the spot by the police officer.
A formal CR means you will be referred to the Youth Justice Team for further support from an allocated practitioner as part of your community resolution, this will include restorative justice.

There are some offences that do not meet the criteria for a community resolution.

Youth Caution (YC)

A Youth Caution (YC) is a formal out of court disposal, meaning it goes through the police panel process.

It is given when you have admitted to the offence and there is a chance of being convicted in court. The police will contact us to help them decide if a youth caution should be given.

You will be offered interventions with an allocated practitioner as part of your youth caution. This work is voluntary, but if you take part it will support you in understanding what is going on for you and help to keep you and other people safe.

Youth cautions will also include restorative justice.

Youth Conditional Caution (YCC)

A Youth Conditional Caution (YCC) is a formal out of court disposal, meaning it goes through the police panel process, with compulsory conditions attached to it. Like a youth caution, it is given when you have admitted to the offence and there is a chance of being convicted in court.

A youth conditional caution will last for 3 months from the date it is given to you at the police clinic.

A member of the Youth Justice Team will meet with you to agree what conditions will guide you in making positive choices for your future and to keep you and other people safe. This will also include restorative justice.

We will meet with you during your YCC to support you to complete these conditions.

Out of court disposals and your criminal record

Any out of court disposals, including formal and informal, will be kept on record by police and may be used in criminal proceedings.

Find out about understanding your criminal record, including when an out of court disposal becomes spent. A conviction is termed as ‘spent’ when the rehabilitation period is over. These spent convictions do not need to be disclosed to employers or when you apply for insurance.