News story: Appointment of Alan Wood as a member of the Youth Justice Board

Alan Wood was the Chair of the Youth Custody Improvement Board (YCIB), which was set up to explore and report on the current state of the youth custodial estate, and recommend how the system could be improved, particularly focusing on current risks to safety and wellbeing. The Board recently published its final report and made a number of recommendations as to how the system could be improved. Many of those recommendations are reflected in our plans to reform the youth justice sector, in which the YJB will play a key role.

As Chair of the YCIB, Alan Wood was charged with identifying the most serious issues in the youth justice system, and is therefore key to ensuring those reforms address them. His past experience including in a number of senior management positions in youth and social care roles makes him particularly well suited to this role, both in terms of his leadership experience and his subject matter expertise.

Under the Governance Code on Public Appointments, which came into effect on 1 January this year, ministers can, in exceptional circumstances, make an appointment without a competition. The Secretary of State has decided to appoint Mr Wood as a Member of the YJB on these terms and, in accordance with the Code, have consulted the Commissioner for Public Appointments, who has accepted the decision.