Writing Effective Pre-Sentence Reports – A practical workshop for Youth Justice Services
Date: Thursday 7th May 2026
Time: 2pm – 4.30pm
Cost: £120 | £60 for YJLC Members
Contact [email protected] for your members' discount code or membership information
Pre-Sentence Reports (PSRs) play a critical role in helping courts make fair, informed decisions about children. This interactive online workshop is designed to strengthen your confidence and skills in preparing high-quality PSRs that are clear, persuasive, and grounded in both law and best practice.
Bringing together legal and practice expertise, the session will give you a comprehensive understanding of what the court needs—and how to deliver it effectively.
A specialist youth justice lawyer will cover:
- The core legal principles courts must apply when sentencing children—and how to reflect these in your PSRs
- How to navigate and apply the sentencing guidelines in practice
- The impact of guilty pleas on sentencing decisions
- How courts approach cases where a child crosses an age threshold
Alongside this, a Youth Justice Service expert will focus on the practical side of PSR writing, including:
- When a PSR is required and its role in the court process
- The importance of complying with YJB Case Management Guidance
- How to structure and present a clear, analytical and child-focused report
- Practical tips for interviewing children and gathering meaningful information
- Techniques for drafting effective, evidence-based recommendations
Expertly facilitated by YJLC, this highly interactive workshop combines legal insight with real-world practice, offering opportunities to ask questions, share experiences, and learn alongside peers from across the country.
Whether you are new to PSR writing or looking to refine your approach, this session will help you produce reports that are legally robust, child-centred, and influential in achieving better outcomes.
About the Facilitators
The workshop will be facilitated by Senior Youth Justice Lawyer, Ruth McGregor Hamann and Jacqui Belfield-Smith MBE, National Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel Member, Head of Youth Justice & Serious Violence: Stockport Council and Former Chair of the AYM: Association of YOT Managers.
Jacqui Belfield-Smith MBE Jacqui has worked in youth justice since the Crime & Disorder Act 1998 implementation which formed YOT’s and started her youth justice career in Manchester. She is one of the longest serving Heads of Youth Justice in the country having been Head of Service at Stockport Council for over 21 years, leading youth justice and other adolescent services, including the merger with Complex Safeguarding & Missing from Home. She was also the Community Safety lead for several areas and led on serious violence reduction and youth provision.
Working with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, she held portfolios on behalf of Greater Manchester Youth Justice, including working with Greater Manchester Police on child-centred policing, leading on children in police custody, and also the Greater Manchester appropriate adult provision.
Jacqui was Chair of the Association of Youth Offending Team Managers (AYM), a sector-based body representing youth justice services across England for 3 years, 2022-2025, and prior to that she was Vice-Chair for 2 years. She remains a member of the AYM Executive: AYM the Association of Youth Offending Team Managers - AYM
Jacqui is a trained peer reviewer and has led several youth justice peer reviews across England and Wales. She has been the representative on a number of national advisory boards, influencing national policy. She is also a member of the YJLC Advisory Board.
Jacqui was appointed to the National Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel as their ‘criminal justice lead’ in November 2025 for a period of 4 years: Who we are | Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel
Jacqui has a BSc (Hons) in Social Policy, and then went on to qualify in Social Work in 1999, and holds a DipSW, PGDipSW and Masters in Social Work.
Jacqui was awarded an MBE in the King’s Birthday Honours List 2024 for services to youth justice.
Ruth McGregor Hamann is a highly respected specialist youth justice lawyer with a career dedicated to representing and advocating for children. She helped establish Just for Kids Law, was part of a dedicated youth team at top-tier firm Hodge Jones & Allen, and has been a trusted trainer and facilitator with the Youth Justice Legal Centre for many years, where she is also a senior youth justice lawyer. Her extensive frontline experience—from advising children nationwide through the YJLC Advice Line to representing them at police stations and in court—gives her a deep, practical understanding of diversion and out-of-court decision-making. Combined with over a decade of involvement in youth-focused charities and hands-on work with children, Ruth brings exceptional expertise, insight, and credibility to every workshop she leads.