Justice agency seeks communication chief

The newly-created Youth Justice Board for England and Wales is

looking for its first PR head as well as an external agency to

communicate the Government’s election promise to cut youth

offending.

The board was set up last September, under the chairmanship of Lord

Warner of Brockley, as part of the 1998 Crime and Disorder Act and is

funded by the Home Office. Its aim is to help reduce offending among

young people and ensure best practice in areas of youth justice,

including purchasing secure accomodation.

It tendered for a PR agency earlier this month to help devise a strategy

to communicate to its target audiences, including the police, teachers,

social workers and the media, on a project basis. The board expects to

shortlist up to six agencies later this month or in the new year.

The agency will work alongside the new communication director, who

reports to acting chief executive Mark Perfect. The size of the

director’s team has yet to be established.

The successful candidate will oversee the board’s entire communication

function, including newsletters, media relations, conferences and a web

site, and will support the board’s four policy advisers, currently being

appointed.

Perfect said: ’Our aim is to prevent offending by young people. We need

to influence the police, probation officers, social security officers,

teachers, the media, and government. It’s a huge communication task.’ He

added that the board would consider hiring an agency on a permanent

basis once the director was in place.