Every child found carrying a knife in England and Wales will now be given a mandatory, personalised intervention plan designed to stop reoffending and protect
the public, under new measures announced by the government.
The policy, led jointly by the Ministry of Justice and the Home Office, is a central part of the government’s pledge to halve knife crime within a decade and make communities safer through early, targeted action.
Under the plans, police will be required to refer every child caught in possession of a knife to local Youth Justice Services. These multi-agency teams – bringing together education, health, social care and community organisations – will draw up a tailored programme to address the specific reasons behind each child’s behaviour.
The aim is to intervene early, before knife carrying escalates into serious violence. Support plans may include mentoring, help to stay in education, social and emotional skills training, or measures to protect children from criminal exploitation and gang involvement. Childhood trauma and safeguarding concerns will be a key focus.
Crucially, the plans will be mandatory. No child will be able to opt out of receiving support. Youth Justice Services will closely monitor progress, and if a young person fails to engage or is judged to still pose a risk, the police will be informed immediately and further action taken. Persistent non-compliance could lead to tougher consequences, including criminal charges and custody.
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 new approach will be backed by more than £320 million in funding for Youth Justice Services over three years – the first long-term funding settlement of its kind. Ministers say this will give local teams the stability to invest in staff and develop long-term programmes proven to steer young people away from crime.
The government has also confirmed continued multi-year funding for the Turnaround programme, which supports children at risk of offending. More than 90 per cent of those who took part avoided further police cautions or court action. Over £15 million has been allocated for the scheme this year alone.
An additional £5 million will be invested in regional partnerships to expand community-based alternatives to custodial remand. Currently, around 40 per cent of children in custody are on remand, despite more than half later receiving non-custodial sentences – a situation ministers say can cause unnecessary harm to young people’s futures.
Alongside prevention, enforcement will remain a key part of the strategy. The Home Office is working with police leaders to ensure officers act swiftly when knives are found, supported by national coordination to disrupt supply and tackle online knife sales.
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”.
Pooja Kanda, knife crime campaigner and mother of victim Ronan Kanda said: “This is a great initiative from the government and is exactly what we need: a proper plan. We must not let youths who are caught with a knife be left isolated, with no support and crying out for help. I believe this plan would have stopped my son’s attacker from re-offending and eventually taking my son’s life. We must guide young people away from using knives. I am fully behind this initiative, and the government’s overall mission to halve knife crime in a decade”.
Patrick Green, CEO of The Ben Kinsella Trust said: “It is vital that responses to serious youth violence are adequately resourced and recognise the realities that many vulnerable children and young people face. We welcome the focus on earlier, coordinated support for children and young people found carrying knives, and the commitment to timely, tailored interventions that prioritise safeguarding and rehabilitation over further criminalisation.
Too often, children and young people are drawn into serious violence by entrenched vulnerabilities and systemic pressures such as fear, trauma, and criminal exploitation. A sustained focus on early intervention and prevention is essential and represents an important step towards tackling the root causes of knife crime”.
The measures form part of what ministers describe as the most significant overhaul of youth justice in a generation, alongside reforms to the Youth Justice Board and wider national efforts to reduce serious youth violence.
Together, the government says, the changes mark a decisive shift towards prevention – aiming not just to punish knife carrying, but to stop it before lives are lost. Photo by yashima from Japan, Wikimedia commons.