Keeping Children out of the Justice System: Lessons from Turnaround

"His whole way about him has totally changed for the positive. It is absolutely like a different person. It's beautiful to see from a mum and a dad's point of view because he is just a totally transformed young man." (Parent or Carer) 

Youth crime and antisocial behaviour (ASB) continue to pose serious challenges for communities across England and Wales. Recognising the importance of early, holistic, and needs-driven intervention, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) launched the Turnaround Programme in December 2022, providing Youth Offending Teams (YOTs) across England and Wales ¹  with approximately £3,000 extra funding per child, with the aim of enabling targeted, wrap-around support to up to 20,500 children who are on the cusp of the youth justice system, but not on YOTs’ statutory caseloads.

In April 2024, the MoJ commissioned NatCen to conduct an independent implementation and process evaluation to assess the programme’s effectiveness to date, and key lessons for the future, which concluded in May 2025.

The evaluation captured the voices of those designing, delivering and directly benefiting from Turnaround using a mixed-methods approach, consisting of a mixture of focus groups, observations, interviews, surveys, programme management information analysis and theory of change workshops.

Findings

The key findings highlight that the Turnaround programme has made a tangible difference for children, parents, and carers through strong partnerships, system improvements, and collaborative change.

Outcomes for children

The research participants identified several positive outcomes for children who received support, including reduced offending, improved behaviour, wellbeing, and relationships:

• 91% of children who completed Turnaround interventions by end of December 2024 had no further judicial decisions or cautions over the same period.  
• Regional success was consistent, with London and the North-East showing the highest rates of no proven offences (95% and 94%).

• Turnaround successfully engaged children previously not receiving early intervention services, including those released under investigation (RUI).
• Children reported improved self-control, often crediting their Turnaround workers for this change.
• Children engaging in physical activities through Turnaround, such as boxing, noted improvements in discipline and wellbeing – highlighting the positive impact of Turnaround on children’s physical and mental health.
• Emotional openness and mental health improved through trusted relationships with staff.
• Some children changed peer groups and strengthened family ties, which had a positive ripple effect on household dynamics.

Supporting families

Despite YOTs highlighting some barriers to engagement for children and their families, including low engagement from families already involved in other diversionary programmes, and transport issues in rural areas, parents and carers provided particularly positive feedback about their experiences of the programme:  

• Parents and carers observed improvements in their children’s behaviour and felt more confident in their parenting.
• Support offered to families included parenting classes, emotional guidance, and referrals for mental health and financial aid.
• Programmes like Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) and the Triple P (Positive Parenting Programme) were particularly effective.
• Informal support from Turnaround workers, such as regular updates and emotional reassurance, was highly valued by parents and carers.
• Financial support for children’s activities also eased burdens on families.

Strengthening systems and partnerships

The programme was reported to have strengthened the networks that wrap around children and families. Through closer collaboration and more flexible ways of working, local teams have been able to build and strengthen partnerships that deliver joined-up change:

• 70% of YOT leads ²  noted improved integration and partnership working due to Turnaround.
• Flexible funding enabled YOTs to build new partnerships with local businesses and tailor services to local needs.
• Collaboration with police was particularly impactful, improving and streamlining referral pathways for children receiving No Further Action (NFA) or community resolutions (CR).
• Multi-agency triage processes and regular meetings with Early Help and Liaison and Diversion teams enhanced coordination.
• YOTs noted improvements in existing partnerships with community services, such as football clubs, leisure centres, gyms, and outdoor education centres.

Key conclusions and takeaways

Children’s, parents’ and practitioners’ accounts highlight Turnaround's role in reducing offending and reoffending, improving children's outcomes by changing the way in which YOTs support at-risk children. 

The programme effectively fills a gap in pre-court diversion by engaging previously underserved children who fall outside YOTs’ statutory caseloads. Turnaround’s key principles, such as voluntary participation, and lack of requirement to admit guilt, foster trust and positive engagement. In addition, multi-agency referral practices, local delivery models, and child-centred processes have also proved crucial to its success. 

However, some challenges remain, such as restrictive eligibility criteria and delays in recruitment of partner organisations. However, following the evaluation’s interim findings, the eligibility criteria was expanded to include children in contact with social services. 

To improve Turnaround, several steps can be taken: 

1. Addressing eligibility criteria and recruitment delays will help overcome initial hurdles. Expanding eligibility further to include children identified by other local services could enhance reach.  
2. Ensuring partner organisations are available beyond school hours will maximise local service use. In tandem with this, flexible working arrangements or funding for extended hours could improve its success.
3. Maintaining strong inter-agency relationships and visibility among key partners such as police, schools, and local organisations will support coordinated referrals, ensuring maximum reach for the programme.
4. Tailoring delivery models to children's and families' needs will keep the programme effective and scalable. 

Sharing best practice from successful YOTs will help sustain and further expand the positive impacts to date. Whilst all the additional measures above are important, it is critical to continue funding for early intervention, collaboration, and YOT capacity in order to maintain and encourage further optimal effectiveness across the youth justice system.