Responding to the Government’s knife crime plan

It also acknowledges that many children already caught up in knife crime are themselves victims - often having faced multiple adverse experiences, exposure to violence and trauma that leaves them vulnerable and carrying weapons for fear, protection or retaliation. It recognises that these young people require targeted and specialised help. However, while the plan outlines new investment in policing, justice and statutory diversion programmes it doesn’t set out a clear commitment to funding the specialist non‑statutory organisations who work intensively with young people already caught in cycles of violence.

Organisations like ours are vital. We work with young people already affected by community violence - those who are often the hardest to reach, the most marginalised and the least likely to trust statutory services. Our work is built on long‑term, trauma‑informed relationships that give young people space to feel safe, heard and supported to create change in their lives.

Investment in policing, technology and training has its place within the wider strategy, but it can’t replace the vital work of specialist voluntary‑sector organisations who support those at highest risk. For the plan to achieve its ambition, early prevention must sit alongside sustained investment in specialist intervention - making sure that young people already caught in cycles of harm are not left behind.

We welcome the direction of the strategy, and we stand ready to help deliver the support that all young people deserve, wherever they are in their journey.