CHILDREN and adolescents in the child diversion programme of the Ministry of Justice will benefit from new assessment tools which were handed over Wednesday by UNICEF.

The assessment tools are designed to help the child diversion team to formulate individualised intervention plans for each child.

Expressing appreciation for UNICEF’s support, Minister of Justice Delroy Chuck said that after a period of counselling and mentorship, the programme has assisted in the recovery of children who have fallen by the wayside and thanked UNICEF for continuing its campaign for the welfare of children.

“The assessment tools will help in ascertaining the key areas that need to be addressed,” Olga Isaza, UNICEF country representative explained, “and will help to determine the type of support that each child needs”.

The tools consist of four tests, while child diversion psychologists and diagnosticians were trained to use them last month.

UNICEF said a good clinical assessment provides a window of opportunity for family and caregivers to better support children, adding that the cognitive strengths and weaknesses of children in the programme will be determined. Coordinators, added UNICEF, will have valuable information to help them better understand the behaviours and emotions of the children.

Principal director for the Social Justice Division in the ministry, Jamie-Ann Chevannes, said the new tools will go a far way in the care of young people and getting them their individualised treatment plans. She also thanked UNICEF for developing the technical capacity of the staff.

The child diversion programme redirects a child between 12 and 17 years old from the criminal justice system. It is the process of implementing measures for dealing with children who are accused of or recognised as having infringed the law without resorting to formal judicial proceedings.