Partners in Hull are working together to develop a new process for intervening earlier with children and young people at risk of being drawn into crime.
The Home Office has introduced a new multi-agency approach known as Young Futures Panels. These panels aim to identify and offer support to children and young people who are vulnerable to being drawn into crime or serious violence.
Violence Reduction Units (VRUs) across England and Wales have been provided with funding to pilot the approach. Following a successful application, Hull City Council was selected to pilot the panel in the Humber area. The Humber Violence Prevention Partnership (VPP) - the regional VRU - will provide access to an additional £200,000 of Government funds to support the set up and running of the panel in 2025/26, including expanding support for young people. Further investment is expected to follow next year.
The panel is jointly chaired by Hull City Council and Humberside Police, with representation from organisations involved in supporting the city’s young people. It will initially operate on police referrals, with a view to taking referrals from other sources in the future. The approach builds on existing work by Hull’s Early Help Partnership.
Councillor Ted Dolman, portfolio holder for communities and community safety at Hull City Council, said: “We’re pleased to be able to pilot this innovative approach in our city and we hope it can make a real difference. All children and young people in Hull deserve to feel safe, and they shouldn’t feel they have to be drawn towards a life of crime or violence.”
Inspector Mark Peasgood, Force Lead for Youth Justice and Early Intervention from Humberside Police, added: “This panel gives us a vital opportunity to work alongside our partners to promote positive change for our children and families. We are aware that lived experiences are predictive factors to where our children will end up. Through this panel we are able to identify negative influences and experiences and put measures in place to negate the impacts. By listening to their needs and offering positive alternatives, we can help them towards more positive outcomes and further strengthen the communities we serve."
To help deliver the initiative, Hull City Council will be supported by the Humber VPP. Launched in 2022, the Humber VPP leads and co-ordinates the local response to preventing and reducing serious violence through a public health approach.
Police and Crime Commissioner Jonathan Evison, Chair of the Humber VPP, said: “Earlier intervention is a core theme of our approach to preventing serious youth violence. We welcome the additional investment and look forward to working with partners in Hull to develop this important work.”
The panel will refer children and young people into interventions delivered by partners. This includes targeted youth support and sports provision commissioned by the local authority and the Humber VPP. From October 2025 to March 2026, the panel is expected to support 60 children and young people.
The Young Futures Programme is a key part of the Government’s Safer Streets Mission. Under this mission, the Government has committed to address serious violence and halve knife crime and violence against women and girls (VAWG) within a decade. Further to this, the Government has committed to reduce anti-social behaviour and improve youth engagement with relevant support services to address the behavioural and social drivers of crime.
