A youth service aimed at preventing crime has been given top marks in an inspection ten years after being placed in special measures.

Islington Youth Justice Service (IYJS) mainly works with children aged between 10 and 17 who have come to the attention of the police or the courts for committing crimes or anti-social behaviour.

Yesterday (August 20), the youth justice and probation services watchdog rated the service 'outstanding'.

It comes a decade after HM Inspectorate of Probation placed IYJS into special measures.

The service has ensured that the rate of under-18s entering the justice system in the borough has halved between 2016 and 2023.

The number of children reoffending has also been reduced dramatically, Islington Council says.

The authority added that the borough used to have one of the highest reoffending rates in the country, but that it is now one of the lowest.

The service received the best inspection result in London, and the third highest overall in England and Wales.

Chief Inspector of Probation, Martin Jones, said: “The approach to meeting the diverse needs of children, parents, carers, and victims was of a high standard in the cases we reviewed.

“We found senior leadership to be knowledgeable, passionate, and held in high regard by their staff.”