Youth Justice Service

Our service is part of the Youth Justice System. We provide help to 10 to 17-year-olds who get into trouble with the law and help them stay away from crime.

Volunteer community panel member

Volunteer as a community panel member and work with other panel members and our youth justice officers to devise bespoke programmes of work to address children's offending behaviour and communicate the contents of the contract with children, parents and carers.

What does a community panel member (CPM) do?

Community panel members lead referral order panels - a meeting that takes place between the child who has caused the harm, their parents/carers, the youth justice officer and members of the community.

The meeting is an opportunity to come together to discuss the harm that took place and create a tailor-made individual contract to support the children to repair the harm caused through the offence/s and to reduce their likelihood of committing an offence in future. 

The contract is supervised by our Youth Justice Service and a review panel meeting, which is led by the CPM, takes place every 3 months.  An emergency panel will take place if a child fails to comply. The CPM and Youth Justice Service will evaluate and consider whether a child will need to return to court - this may result in a child receiving an extension or a different sentence. Alternatively, the panel may feel the child has completed all interventions on the contract and revoke the order early. 

Panel meetings usually take place after school hours; however, where appropriate, they can take place during school hours. 

Why volunteer to become a panel member? 

Being a CPM is a challenging, yet rewarding, role. It can positively impact the lives of children, their parents/carers and victims of crime.

Community panel members can support children:

  • decrease their involvement in offending or anti-social behaviour
  • increase positive relationships with their parents/carers and
  • support victims of crime to be heard. 

If you decide to become a panel member, you will receive specific training on how panels work and your role in the process, restorative justice and effective communication with children and parents/carers. 

Please note: Volunteers must be aged 18 or over and will be subject to an enhanced DBS check.

Register your interest

If you are interested in becoming a CPM, please complete Volunteer Community Panel Member Application Form (PDF) [118KB] and email it to Sarah at sabdulhadi@hillingdon.gov.uk.

Page last updated: 16 Oct 2023