Independent evaluation of Turnaround
About the study
NatCen is carrying out independent research to evaluate the Turnaround programme. The programme provides £56.5m multi-year funding to 155 Youth Offending Teams (YOTs) across England and Wales up to the end of March 2025, enabling them to intervene earlier and improve outcomes for children on the cusp of entering the Youth Justice System.
To assess the effectiveness of the varied approaches to Turnaround delivery taken by YOTs, this evaluation will examine the implementation and delivery of Turnaround through the perspectives of YOT leads, children and young people receiving interventions, and referral agencies (children’s social care, police, education services etc.). In doing so, the evaluation will aim to provide actionable insights for YOTs and their partners on how best to prevent children exhibiting low-level harmful behaviours from becoming first time-entrants into the Youth Justice System.
We want to hear about how Turnaround works in practice from a broad range of perspectives. This includes YOT leads, national level stakeholders, children and young people receiving the intervention, and staff and stakeholders involved in the programme. Hearing from this broad range of people will help us to build a rounded understanding of how the programme has been implemented and is working in different contexts.
Who is carrying out the research?
This study is being conducted by the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen), Britain’s largest independent social research agency. We have been asked to carry out this evaluation by the Ministry of Justice, who provide funding to YOTs to improve outcomes for children on the cusp of entering the Youth Justice System.
Contact us:
Email: turnaround-evaluation@natcen.ac.uk
Call: 0808 168 0239