ABSTRACT
There are many different types of service provision for young people: some are based in the community, others in various gradations of security; some are supported locally, others nationally; some work with low-tariff young offenders, others with young people who have committed grave offences. While there are obvious differences between services, what we have to say about the management of behavioural treatment is applicable to all these settings and groups. However, behavioural programmes cannot operate in a vacuum, independent of the rest of the organization; indeed, when they do this it is a recipe for conflict (Cullen and Seddon, 1981; Laws, 1974). It is important initially therefore to step back from the details of managing specific treatment programmes, to consider the broader picture of organizational structures and procedures. Simply, the way any service is organized, resourced, and managed will determine its effectiveness in managing and treating this group of young people. This chapter outlines some important organizational factors that need to be considered when setting up services for difficult, disturbed, and delinquent young people. This, in turn, will set the scene for the treatment orientated chapters that follow, which deal specifically with assessment (Chapter 3), management and treatment (Chapter 4), and staff training (Chapter 5).
