Embedded Youth Outreach Program

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.

“Evaluation findings are very encouraging, showing that the EYOP has been able to successfully identify at-risk youth and intervene in a manner that has interrupted the offending pathway for many young people. This helps both meet the needs of young people and furthers the goal of increasing community safety.” Distinguished Professor James R. P. Ogloff AM, Director of the Centre for Forensic Behavioural Studies and evaluation lead.

Executive Summary of Final Evaluation Report

pdf 5.68 MB

Swinburne University 24 September 2020

EYOP Year 1 Evaluation Executive Summary

pdf 1.67 MB

Swinburne University 17 March 2020

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, Casey and Cardinia).

Partnerships

EYOP is delivered through a partnership between Victoria Police and YSAS.

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

Community

Reviewed 06 November 2020