Prioritising Prevention? Opportunities and Barriers to Inclusion, Prevention and Early Intervention in Scottish Youth Justice

The Inclusion as Prevention (IAP) project aims to support the re-design of services for children involved in offending, or at risk of negative outcomes, and their families – by shifting from the often acute and crisis driven approach, to providing earlier support when they are risk of becoming involved. It is not about developing another system or reinventing the wheel; rather, it is about fundamental system change. This may involve rethinking how services are delivered or the introduction of new services and supports.

The aim of this scoping study was to gain an understanding of the picture of prevention in youth justice across Scotland. Representatives from 15 areas took part in an informal semi-structured interview and were identified through CYCJ’s practice development work in the area of Early and Effective Intervention (EEI). The report is a reflection of the themes which have emerged from those interviews.