Evaluation
The Centre for Forensic Behavioural Science (CFBS) at Swinburne University was engaged to evaluate the EYOP initiative, monitoring the program's effectiveness and provide evidence-based service improvements.
Key findings – Final Evaluation Report September 2020
The EYOP evaluation has been conducted over a two-year period and shows a strong justification of the program as a youth intervention and overall positive treatment effect for all young people who engaged with the program.
- The benefits of the EYOP outweigh the costs and provides value for money
- Most young people who receive a referral to a support service attend at least one appointment
- Young people spoke positively about the relationships they have established with their youth workers and referral services
- Police members noticed how effective youth workers’ approach is to de-escalate and engage with young people
- Youth workers have greater awareness of the impacts of criminal behaviour and pressures of policing
The following is a quote from Professor James Ogloff, who lead the program evaluation.
Early intervention is key
Read the article about the challenges some of our CALD youth face and how EYOP is helping.
How a 'youth offender phenomenon' captured Melbourne and didn't let . By Rachael Clayton.
About the program
Victoria Police is piloting the Embedded Youth Outreach Program (EYOP) - a targeted secondary response aimed at reducing youth offending across two Melbourne metropolitan sites in the south and the west.
The EYOP is a collaborative initiative operating outside of business hours, to reflect the time of day when young people are most likely to be at risk of offending or victimisation.
The program aims to reduce long term involvement in the criminal justice system by engaging with the young person and their family, assessing their needs and referring them to youth-specific supports.
The initiative has been designed to help support:
- Disengaged youth
- Youth undertaking high risk behaviours including offending
- Youth who are victims of crime
- Missing persons
- Youth in custody
- Families of the young person
Key areas of EYOP interventions
The EYOP intervention aims to reduce long term involvement in the criminal justice system by engaging with the young person and their family, assessing their needs and referring them to youth services. These may include:
- Family intervention
- Behavioural intervention
- Education
- Employment
- Housing
- Mental health
- Drug and alcohol
- Victims of crime
- Pro-social recreational activities including sport
Areas of operation
- Werribee Police Station (servicing Wyndham, Hobson’s Bay and Maribyrnong)
- Dandenong Police Station (servicing Greater Dandenong, Cardinia and Casey).
Partnerships
EYOP is delivered through a partnership between Victoria Police and .
Funding history
- 2018-19 – initial funding for a one-year pilot
- 2019-20 – funding for an additional year of operation (ending in August 2020)
- 2020-21 - funding extension until 30 June 2021
Reviewed 10 June 2021