The government has announced that every child caught carrying a knife in England and Wales will be placed on a mandatory intervention plan. The initiative, part of a wider strategy to halve knife crime within a decade, aims to shift the focus from reactive policing to proactive rehabilitation.
Under the new rules, police will refer all youth knife possession cases to Youth Justice Services (YJS). These multi-agency teams—comprising health, education, and community professionals—are tasked with creating bespoke plans to address root causes such as childhood trauma and gang exploitation.
These plans are mandatory, meaning all children identified by police must participate in the assigned interventions. Youth Justice Services will monitor progress; if a child does not engage or is judged to remain a risk to the public, police will be informed. Failure to comply can lead to further action, including criminal charges or custodial sentences. The government has stated that this oversight is intended to ensure the programme has a measurable impact on public safety.
Deputy Prime Minister, David Lammy said: ‘‘Every life lost to knife crime is an unmitigated tragedy. With early targeted action, we can put children on the right path to a positive future and stop them falling into a toxic cycle of reoffending.‘‘Our reforms will give local services the security they need to help more young people and make our streets safer for everyone.’’
The strategy is supported by a three-year funding package for Youth Justice Services worth over £320 million. This total includes a £46 million commitment to the Turnaround programme—which has reported that 90% of past participants avoided further police cautions or court—with £15 million of that allocated for the current year.
Additionally, £5 million will be invested in regional partnerships to develop community alternatives to custodial remand. Currently, approximately 40% of children in custody are on remand, though official figures show more than 60% of those individuals do not subsequently receive a custodial sentence.
The Home Office is working with policing leaders to ensure these interventions are paired with enforcement and rapid response when weapons are found, forming part of a national effort to reduce youth violence.