Children caught with knives to be given tailored support

The government has announced that every child caught carrying a knife in England and Wales will be given a mandatory targeted plan to stop them reoffending.

The action will be jointly led by the Ministry of Justice and the Home Office and is part of the government's plan to halve knife crime in a decade.

Every child knife possession case will be referred to Youth Justice Services - locally-led teams spanning health, education and community services tasked with mandating targeted action to help each child. 

The plans will work to address the root causes of a child’s offending, including potential exploitation by criminal gangs and childhood trauma, and the child could be forced to attend mentoring to stay in education or social skills training to boost employability.

The plans will be mandatory and failure to engage will have serious consequences including criminal charges and prison time.

The plans will be supported by a three-year wider funding package for Youth Justice Services, worth over £320 million.

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."

Policing Minister, Sarah Jones said: "Carrying a knife will now trigger an immediate, mandatory intervention — no excuses.

"This guidance makes sure every child is referred straight to a Youth Justice Services team and is given the support needed to change course.

"As Policing Minister, I am working with forces across England and Wales to ensure officers have the full backing of the Home Office to crack down on knife possession, act quickly when knives are found, and prevent violence before it happens.

"We’re acting fast to stop violence before it starts and keep our streets safe."