Notice

Youth Intervention Court Pilot: Expression of interest guidance

Published 18 May 2026

Introduction

This document sets out the background information and guidance for the proposed Youth Intervention Court pilot. It includes the rationale, eligibility criteria and an FAQ section to support completion of the EOI application form.

Launched in June 2023, the Intensive Supervision Court model tests a problem-solving approach by targeting the complex needs of adult offenders to address the root cause of their offending, based on international evidence which has shown that this can be effective to reduce reoffending.

There are currently four adult ISCs, three substance misuse sites at Bristol, Liverpool and Teesside Crown Courts and one women’s ISC at Birmingham Magistrates Court. Early evaluation findings of these ISCs show encouraging evidence of positive outcomes. A process evaluation, published in November 2025, is available here: Process evaluation of the Intensive Supervision Courts pilot: Final Report.

In response to a recommendation in the Independent Sentencing Review, in May 2025 the then Lord Chancellor committed to an expansion of the ISC pilot as part of her landmark reforms to sentencing. The MoJ has partnered with the Centre for Justice Innovation to develop an ISC model to be piloted in the Youth Court, to test whether a similar approach could work with children.

The MoJ is looking to identify pilot locations to test this new model. To deliver the proposed pilot, we will make regulations under s.194 of the 2020 Sentencing Act which will allow for judge-led reviews of children sentenced to Youth Rehabilitation Orders. This cohort of children often have repeated involvement with the justice system and can be at high risk of receiving a custodial sentence without effective intervention and support. Children receiving other criminal justice disposals will not be eligible for participation in the pilot although they may benefit from localised improvements to practice and partnership working arising from the pilot. The pilot may also encourage the use of a YRO as an alternative to Detention and Training Orders (DTOs), particularly when a shorter (up to 12 months) custodial sentence is under consideration. 

At this stage we are therefore only inviting areas with higher volumes of YRO sentences and short (less than 12 month) DTOs to express their interest in the pilot, so that we have a greater opportunity for meaningful evaluation of the pilot. This does not preclude the possibility of extending the pilot to lower volume areas in the future.

The EOI process will run until 24th June 2026. Applications can be made to YouthInterventionCourtPilot@justice.gov.uk. The MoJ will begin engagement with interested areas throughout May and June to discuss their EOI. To make a recommendation to Ministers and the Senior Presiding Judge (SPJ) as to the location of our pilot, we need to ensure that we have:

• Secured the support of local Youth Justice Partnerships i.e. Youth Justice Services, HMCTS, Judiciary, CPS, Police, legal defence community.
• Secured the support of wider partnership services where necessary for delivery of the pilot (e.g. Children’s Services).
• Understood children’s needs within the justice area (i.e. pattern of most requested services) and whether existing services are sufficiently resourced to meet demand.  
• Accurately recorded the volume of children sentenced to Youth Rehabilitation Orders and DTOs of 12 months or less (per annum). 
• Understood the current arrangements within the court i.e. whether there are any specific elements which could enhance or hinder the pilot and/or its evaluation.
• Considered the overall caseload of the selected court and the operational resource available to support a pilot.

Please note that the above information will come from both application forms as well as MoJ and wider government data and information. MoJ will submit advice and recommendations, supported by HMCTS, the Youth Justice Board, the Chief Magistrate and Ms Justice Norton (Judicial Lead on Youth Justice for England and Wales) to the Senior Presiding Judge, before seeking ministerial agreement to proceed and launch a pilot.

Our aim is to commence implementation planning during Summer 2026, with a view to having a first site operational by Spring 2027, subject to agreement with a Local Implementation Team (LIT), made up of representatives of each of the partnership agencies involved in the pilot. This multi-agency team will be expected to develop an operational model that prioritises the needs and wellbeing of children, is based on problem-solving principles, and is appropriately tailored to the local context.  

Pilot sites are expected to participate in monitoring and evaluation activities, which could include stakeholder feedback through interviews/surveys/focus groups, and sharing data, which could include management information but potentially also bespoke data returns.

Overview

The proposed Youth Intervention Court pilot will aim to tackle the root cause(s) of the child’s offending behaviour, encourage compliance with the rehabilitative elements of their sentence, and reduce their likelihood of re-offending. By focussing on children sentenced to YROs, the pilot will target a cohort who are at high risk of becoming prolific or persistent adult offenders in the future without the right kind of intervention and support needed to address their underlying needs. The re-offending rate for children sentenced to YROs in year ending March 2024 was 60%. For children released from custody it was 62% for the same period.

The relationship between the child and the Judge is at the centre of the problem-solving model we are seeking to test. Children sentenced to Youth Rehabilitation Orders will be required to attend judge-led reviews of progress throughout their sentence, with the Youth Justice Service providing the wrap-around support needed to address the root causes of their offending behavior. The reviews should therefore involve a less formal style of interaction between the Judge and the child, to encourage the development of a rapport and understanding and encourage engagement. Judges (and all other practitioners) participating in the pilot will receive child focused, trauma-informed training to support them in this role. Testing judicial involvement in a child’s rehabilitation following sentencing builds on findings in the 2016 Taylor Review and 2017 Lammy Review.

The model will require close partnership working between the Youth Justice Service, HMCTS, judiciary and wider community-based support services. This multi-agency approach, facilitated by the ‘Court Coordinator’ (a ringfenced role), will be underpinned by a framework which is designed to encourage and motivate the child to engage with the requirements of their sentence which should, in themselves, be designed to address the root causes of their offending.  

The multi-agency team will have a range of tools at their disposal to encourage progress, which will include privileges (rewards), enablers (to facilitate engagement) and consequences (to respond to non-compliance, e.g. more frequent review meetings). A privileges and enablers fund will be available to support progress. For example, enabling a child to buy a new outfit for a job interview. These tools will aim to encourage compliance with the rehabilitative requirements of the YRO, reducing the risk of breach and potential escalation to a custodial sentence.

We propose that the standard frequency for the judge-led review meetings would be monthly, to allow sufficient time for progress and any appropriate actions to be achieved and taken forward between meetings. The frequency could, however, be adjusted in response to positive progress (e.g. less frequent) or increased risk / need (e.g. more frequent). The child’s YJS’ case worker and social worker (if they have one) will be required to attend the reviews and the court may also request that any additional professionals involved with the child attend on an ad hoc basis, as well as the child’s parent, guardian or carer.

These review meetings will be underpinned by a progress report which identifies any key areas of progress or concern that the review should focus on. The child’s YJS case worker will be responsible for preparing each progress report, drawing on input from all multi-agency partners working with the child. The progress report will be discussed with the judge at a pre-meeting in advance of the review meeting with the child.

Like all court proceedings, review meetings should be scheduled at a time to avoid disruption to any education, training or rehabilitative commitments/requirements that the child is undertaking. Practitioners supporting the child should inform the Court Coordinator as early as possible about any such commitments.

Pilot Eligibility & Exclusions

The following criteria must be met in order for a child to be eligible for participation in the pilot:

• Be under 18 years of age and sentenced to a YRO.
• Assessed by the YJS as suitable for inclusion in the pilot. The criteria is being kept deliberately flexible to allow as many children to be included as can be accommodated. Strong evidence-based rationale should be presented for excluding a child. The final assessment of suitability relies on judicial discretion.

Pilot Roles & Partnership Agencies

The key partners involved in the Youth Intervention Court include:

Judiciary

The Judge(s) will be responsible for conducting post-sentence reviews of children sentenced to Youth Rehabilitation Orders who have been deemed suitable for the pilot. These will entail reviewing an individuals’ progress, providing regular feedback and encouraging compliance.

Court Coordinator

A single Court Coordinator will oversee the functioning of the youth court pilot, providing support to pilot staff and participants, and maintaining effective communication between the different teams involved. 

Court Staff (HMCTS)

Court staff will assist with listing and identifying YRO cases for sentencing, reviews and breaches and will maintain close links with the Court Coordinator.

Youth Justice Services (YJS)

Youth Justice Services will be responsible for the overall supervision and management of children in the pilot. They deliver elements of the sentence through collaborative multi-agency working and are the main contact for the sentenced child. The YJS’ will be responsible for preparing the pre-sentence report (PSR), which is a collaborative process with Children’s Social Care and other community-based services involved with the child.  YJS’ will also ensure that timely progress reports are provided to the court ahead of each review meeting. They will maintain a close relationship with the Court Coordinator and other professionals involved in the pilot throughout its duration.  

Support Services

These must include statutory services providing:

• Children’s Social Care
• Child and Adolescence Mental Health Service
• Education, training and employment
• Substance use/drug and alcohol services
• Police
• Accommodation and benefits services.
• Speech and language services

The pilot should also intend to strengthen existing relationships, and be open to establishing new working relationships with providers of the following support services:

• Third Party Information Services
• Community Referral Services
• Parent/Carer/Family Provider Support Services
• Other relevant services available in the local area.

These services will need to work closely with the YJS’ to inform assessments, share information, provide updates for reports in court reviews and will be expected to promptly act on referrals received. 

Representatives for any provided/referred to services may be invited to attend a review meeting by the Judge(s), upon the request of the Judge(s) or the individual.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Youth Intervention Court Pilot

1. Will the Youth Intervention Court pilot replicate the adult Intensive Supervision Court model?

The Youth Intervention Court pilot will follow a similar model to the adult ISCs whereby the sentencing judge is involved in progress review meetings during the course of the child’s sentence. Like the adult ISC pilot, it will seek to address the child’s underlying needs which led to the offending behaviour in the first place. This will be done via a programme of intervention and support which will be led by the Youth Justice Service.

However, elements of the children’s pilot will be different from the adult pilot, reflecting the different way the Criminal Justice System (CJS) is applied to adults and children, with The Children Act 1989 stating that ‘the child’s welfare shall be the court’s paramount consideration’. For example, there will not be the option for the judge to send a child to temporary custody, as a sanction for non-compliance.  The multi-agency Local Implementation Team will be expected to develop an operational model that prioritises the needs, rights, and wellbeing of children and in line with problem-solving principles, appropriately tailored to the local context.

2. Whilst different, are we able to see an adult ISC in practice?

Yes, the three current substance misuse ISCs are located at Bristol, Liverpool and Teesside Crown Courts, and both the sentencing and review courts are held in an open court. The Women’s ISC is located at Birmingham Magistrates Court. Only the sentencing court is held in open court, with the review court taking place externally to the court. Observations can be arranged by discussing this with the Court Coordinator.

3. Are ISCs working?

The process evaluation of the adult ISCs has reported encouraging evidence of positive outcomes, with the relation between judges and ISC participants being pivotal to motivating people to comply with their order and sustain positive changes in their lives. Whilst the adult pilot has shown early promising signs, it is subject to full impact and economic evaluations, which will provide evidence of whether ISCs can reduce reoffending and provide good value for money.  

4. Will we get additional funding to deliver the Youth Intervention Courts?

The problem-solving courts (both the ISCs and Youth Intervention Courts) are currently funded by the MoJ. Funding for a Youth Intervention Court pilot will include a dedicated Court Coordinator, a privileges and enablers fund, training for all practitioners involved in the pilot and evaluation.

5. Will all children be eligible for the Youth Intervention Pilot?

No. Only children sentenced to a Youth Rehabilitation Order will be eligible for the pilot. The YJS will, as part of their usual assessment and pre-sentence report process, recommend whether a YRO would be suitable and will additionally indicate whether a child is unsuitable for inclusion in the pilot and why. The final assessment of suitability relies on judicial discretion.

6. Will children sentenced to Referral Orders be eligible for the Youth Intervention Court?

No. Referral Orders are a community-based court order commonly given for a first conviction and often for low-level offending. A panel of community volunteers designs the child’s intervention plan based on their individual needs and monitors their progress. Referral Orders are therefore already underpinned by a problem-solving approach  delivered out of court so it would not be appropriate to include them in the pilot.  

7. What legislation underpins the problem-solving model?

We will make regulations under s.194 of the 2020 Sentencing Act which will allow for judge-led reviews of children sentenced to Youth Rehabilitation Orders. We do not intend to introduce a new power to commit a child to temporary custody, as is the case in the adult ISC model. The existing breach process will remain the same for those children in the pilot.  

8. What support will be offered to sites to implement the pilot?

MoJ, YJB and HMCTS HQ staff, as well as the Centre for Justice Innovation, will work with the pilot area to identify any support needed to assist with the implementation of the pilot. We intend to have training and guidance in place to provide support and direction, to ensure that the pilot sites are fully prepared before the pilot starts.

9. If our area is selected for a pilot site, how long will the Youth Intervention Court run for?

Funding for the pilot is available until the end of 2028/2029. Future funding beyond that point is subject to the evaluation on the pilot’s effectiveness and affordability and Ministerial decisions.

10. If my court is selected as a pilot site, how will it be evaluated?

There is a requirement and commitment of all problem-solving courts (both the ISCs and Youth Intervention Courts) to provide regular monthly management information to the supporting analytical team. This monitoring data will form an essential part of our evaluation and will be vital to address live delivery challenges and inform further policy decisions.

Operationalising the Model

1. How will the cases that fit the pilot criteria be identified?

All children sentenced to Youth Rehabilitation Orders will be eligible in principle for the pilot. The local Youth Justice Service, as part of its assessment process for the pre-sentence report, should advise the court if it thinks a child is unsuitable for participation in the pilot.

2. How will eligible cases be listed?

Eligible cases should be listed to one of the dedicated judges in the pilot. The Court Coordinator should facilitate this process.

3. How does the pre-sentence report work in the Youth Intervention Court?

The pre-sentence report (PSR) process will follow the same process of a ‘business as usual’ PSR with the additional requirement that, if the YJS’ is recommending a YRO, the report must also advise if the child would be suitable or unsuitable for inclusion in the pilot, and why. In the event that the court passes a different sentence to a YRO (e.g. custody), then the child will no longer be eligible for the pilot.

4. How will Youth Intervention Court reviews work?

Children in the pilot will attend regular review meetings as a requirement of their sentence. The reviews should seek to strike a less formal style of court appearance to encourage the development of a rapport and understanding between the Judge and the child, which in turn promotes a less adversarial environment and encourages engagement.  

The relationship between the child and the Judge is at the centre of the problem-solving model, therefore the same judge should preside over the child’s case throughout the course of their order. Reviews should take place on a monthly basis initially, with the frequency able to be adjusted in response to their level of compliance and progress over time. The YJS case worker – with input from partnership agencies - will prepare progress reports to discuss with the judge in advance of the review meetings with the child.

5. Who will be required to attend review meeting?

Led by the Judge(s), the review meetings will require the attendance of the child themselves, as well as their parent or named care provider, their YJS’ case worker and their social worker (if they have one). The Judge(s) will also reserve the right to request the attendance of a representative from any support provider, and consider any requests made by the child regarding future attendance.

As the review meetings are an informal, non-legal process focussed on progress, legal representatives are not required to attend. Review meetings should not interfere with a child’s educational or rehabilitative commitments. Practitioners supporting the child should inform the Court Coordinator as early as possible about any such commitments.

6. Are progress reports required to be completed for reviews?

Yes. The MoJ policy team will be expected to hold regular multi-agency meetings to discuss the progress of children in the pilot. These will feed into the production of progress reports which should be provided to the lead judge ahead of their review meeting with the child.

7. What are the resourcing implications for HMCTS?

Wherever possible, the role of the Court Coordinator should be ringfenced to enable them to deliver their responsibilities.

Whilst the role should be ringfenced, the Court Coordinator will be expected to work in a flexible way and undertake any other duties reasonably requested by line management which are in line with the grade and level of responsibility of this post, and on an ad-hoc basis be prepared to cover business-critical needs.

The role of the Court Coordinator will be recruited through local recruitment EOI practices  at the selected court.

To ensure the best possible outcomes are achieved, court staff will be expected to work closely with the Court Coordinator, assisting with listing support and identifying YRO cases for sentencing, reviews and breaches. HMCTS will also be required to provide the staff needed for the review meetings to take place.

Submitting the EOI

1. What will the MoJ do with the information and what are the next steps in the pilot selection?

The completed forms will not be shared publicly and will be handled in an official-sensitive manner. The selection and implementation process will require input from central teams within HMCTS & YJB and therefore MoJ may share applications with leads within these organisations. MoJ may also share these applications with the Judiciary. The MoJ policy team will work with the Centre for Justice Innovation to review applications against the criteria and assess suitability. They will contact EOI applicants should any further information be required. 

2. Will a late submission of an EOI be accepted?

A late EOI may not be considered. Those reviewing received responses will require a significant amount of time to assess each one fairly, and agree any recommendations and advice, before submitting to ministers for their approval and develop next steps of implementation. 

3. Do all Youth Justice Services (and other partnership agencies) linked to the court need to support an application?

Yes. The model relies on collaboration between justice partners and partnership agencies, and this is a core element that we will be assessing as part of the selection process. We want to ensure that all children sentenced in a pilot court location are eligible for participation in the pilot and supported to do so. The EOI Form requires a lead contact for all justice partners and partnership agencies, along with confirmation that they all support the pilot, and that they have the capacity/resources to deliver the pilot.

4. What needs to be included in the Judge’s vision statement?

The statement will need to include their views on the benefit a Youth Intervention Court could have within that local justice area and whether regular judicial monitoring would work within the applying court.

5. Whose responsibility is it to submit the EOI?

We request that each EOI has a key HMCTS & YJS’ contact who can be contacted should the MoJ require any more information. We are happy for partners to decide between themselves which organisation will submit the application. Before submitting the application, you must ensure that the application has been signed off by the Head of Operations or appropriate senior manager.

6. How will EOIs be assessed?

Our core requirements are set out on page 3 above. In particular, applications will need to demonstrate judicial commitment, multi-agency buy-in, readiness to contribute to evaluation, and an understanding/awareness of the needs of children in the youth justice system. We anticipate that the shortlist will be made before the summer. The final decision will be taken by Ministers and the Senior Presiding Judge.

7. How soon will the Youth Intervention Court go live?

Our aim is for the first pilot to go live by Spring 2027. Once a pilot location has been approved, the Local Implementation Team will be established and members will be asked to share any mobilisation needs, and the earliest date at which each partner could go live. The LIT will then provisionally work towards this date.

8. When will we find out if our area has been selected for the pilot?

We are aiming to inform those who have expressed an interest before parliament rises for summer.

9. Will there be any opportunities to discuss the proposed pilot at all?

Market engagement event(s) will be scheduled during the EOI period providing an opportunity for those in the team to present the proposed pilot, receive any feedback from attendees, and answer any questions you may have.

You are also invited to send any questions you may have to the MoJ Youth Justice Policy Unit (YouthInterventionCourtPilot@justice.gov.uk), where someone will be able to respond directly, and if appropriate and can be accommodated, look to schedule a call with you.

10. How should we return the EOIs?

Please return your completed EOI to YouthInterventionCourtPilot@justice.gov.uk  and copy in any stakeholders that are in support of the application.

Please return the EOI by 24th June 2026.