Key early findings include: (1) Youth Offending Teams (YOTs) steering groups, generally chaired by the local authority chief executive, are vital in addressing the challenges and opportunities of multiple agencies working through YOTs to reduce youth offending; (2) An optimum size for YOTs has not been defined; (3) Appointment of the YOT manager is a key priority for the steering group; (4) YOT staff should be selected for, rather than simply transferred to, the team, ideally through a process of open advertisement and competition; (5) Reaching agreement on resources takes time and must be a priority for the steering group; and (6) Local areas need to develop a strategy about service delivery and about the organization of YOTs’ work. Early discussions with the Prison Service and other local custody providers are also important. The report includes a copy of the first bulletin (February 1999). Notes, tables, appendix