News and opinion
Find out more about the latest news and developments relating to the Youth Endowment Fund and our work.
- Blog
Blog:Tackling the postcode lottery of diversion for children: a new free digital tool to support effective out of court resolution practice.
Where a child lives shouldn’t decide their future but right now, it does. Access to out of court resolutions varies across the country, meaning some children get a second chance while others get a sentence. What the evidence tells us In one of our latest blogs, we spoke about: Introducing the Out of Court Resolution… - Blog
Blog:When help comes too late: what we learned about access to mental health support for children at risk of violence
At the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF), our mission is simple but urgent — to prevent children and young people from becoming involved in violence. We know that mental health plays a huge part in this. When children don’t get the right support early on, distress can turn into crisis — and sometimes, that crisis can… - News
News:Young people shouldn’t have to offend to access mental health support, experts warn
“It probably took about three or four years until the point that he stabbed somebody and ended up in custody… I almost feel like we didn’t even give him that opportunity.” That was how one professional described a boy who waited years for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). His story is not unusual.… - Blog
Blog:Tackling Inconsistency in Diversion: New Evidence, New Guidance, and a National Movement for Change
We know that when it’s done well, diverting children away from the criminal justice system can work. It can reduce reoffending, lower the risk of future harm, and give children a better chance to thrive. But right now, too many children don’t get the right support at the right time. We’ve just published two new… - Blog
Blog:Fewer children hospitalised by knife attacks: what the new data shows
You don’t need to look far to see the devastating impact knife crime has on children, families and communities. One of the government’s key missions is to halve knife crime by 2034. This is clearly an urgent priority, but there’s a long way to go in making it reality. At the Youth Endowment Fund, we… - News
News:Support, not prosecution, cuts child reoffending, global review finds
Children arrested for the first time or less serious offences are less likely to reoffend if they receive support instead of prosecution, new research from the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) shows. The research examines pre-court diversion interventions around the world — programmes that keep children out of court and connect them with tailored support. Together,… - Blog
Blog:How poverty affects children and young people’s risk of violence
At the Youth Endowment Fund, our goal is to prevent children and young people from becoming involved in violence. That means understanding the pressures and circumstances that increase that risk — and poverty is one of the most significant. To better understand the complex relationship between poverty and crime and violence, we funded a team… - Blog
Blog:One Year of Partnership with SEBP: Using Evidence to Prevent Youth Violence
A year ago, the YEF and the Society of Evidence Based Policing (SEBP) began working together with one shared aim: to help policing do more of what works in preventing violence involving children. Both YEF and SEBP are united by the belief that better decisions come from using the best available evidence. At YEF, we… - Blog
Blog:Why Race Equity at YEF Feels Personal – And Always Will
Each time we publish our annual Race Equity Progress Report, I feel a mix of pride, resolve and, if I’m honest, vulnerability. Because while this work is about policy, practice and systems change, it’s also deeply personal. When equity is lived, not just planned For many of us, race equity isn’t just a strategic priority,… - Blog
Blog:Signs of Hope: Reflections from the Youth Opportunity Summit at St James’s Palace
Who can get a Hollywood megastar, the Prime Minister and two Cabinet Ministers in the same room to talk about reducing violence? Simple. The King can. Last week I had the honour of joining His Majesty the King and a remarkable group of people at St James’s Palace for the Youth Opportunity Summit. It marked… - Blog
Blog:More suspensions and exclusions mean more children at risk of violence
Last week, the Department for Education (DfE) published new data on suspensions and permanent exclusions in England for the 2023/24 academic year. Worryingly, both have risen to record highs — the number of suspensions are up by 21% and permanent exclusions by 16% compared to the previous year. Around one in ten children are now… - News
News:Violence affecting children rises for the first time in five years, YEF report finds
The Youth Endowment Fund’s new Beyond the Headlines report takes a look at trends in violence affecting children over the last decade.
