The rating was given after an inspection by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation.
Chief Inspector of Probation, Martin Jones, said: “The staff know and understand their children well, and are firmly focused on helping each child to succeed.
“I commend the staff for achieving such a positive outcome in this inspection.”
The inspection highlighted the excellent health and education services at Bromley YJS.
The service benefits from strong connections with statutory partners and providers, which give children good access to resources that help them desist from offending.
These include a YJS teacher, an education welfare officer, a safeguarding nurse, and support for substance misuse.
Varied reparation projects such as gardening, catering, and bicycle maintenance were also praised.
The inspection found that while Bromley YJS has access to a range of reports and management information about the profile of children, there is no seconded probation officer due to a lack of capacity in the Probation Service.
While work to transition young adults into the Probation Service is being undertaken, more effort is needed to ensure a seconded probation officer is part of the YJS team.
Mr Jones continued: “Leaders and partners at Bromley YJS have worked hard to create a mature and well-functioning partnership, where a clear vision and roadmap are in place to help children achieve their potential.
“We trust the findings and recommendations in this report will assist the service in improving even further.”
The report made two recommendations for Bromley’s executive management board, including reviewing how best to use its volunteers to ensure they are consulted on what they can offer the partnership.
One recommendation was made for Bromley YJS, to provide staff with effective and regular training on Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements.
Bromley YJS scored 33/36 in the inspection conducted by HM Inspectorate of Probation.
The governance and leadership were rated as ‘outstanding’, with the YJS demonstrating strong strategic planning, community partnerships, and innovative practices.
The staff were also rated ‘outstanding’, with the report highlighting their support through professional development, manageable workloads, and recognition schemes.
The YJS’s partnerships and services were rated ‘good’, with the presence of well-integrated services including education, health, and mentoring programs.
However, the absence of a probation officer was noted as a concern.
The report recognised Bromley YJS’s policies for reintegrating children into the community after custody as ‘outstanding’, with strong pathways for accommodation, education, and health support.
Areas of strength noted in the inspection included high levels of community engagement, excellent diversion practices, and tailored interventions for children from diverse backgrounds.
The Bromley Relationship Model (BRM), which underpins all activities, was cited as ensuring children’s needs are met comprehensively.
The report, however, pointed out areas for improvement, such as strengthening diversity analysis in assessments, improving work on keeping others safe, integrating victim needs into planning, and enhancing internal scrutiny of joint decision-making processes for out-of-court disposals.
Bromley had a 22.6 per cent reoffending rate in 2023/24, compared to the national average of 33 per cent.
There are currently 356 children in care, with 86 per cent successfully completing orders.
Thirty-one per cent of the YJS caseload are from Black, Asian, and minority ethnic backgrounds.
The report concluded that Bromley YJS sets a high benchmark in delivering child-centred, innovative, and effective youth justice services, with clear strategies for further improvement.
