CYP Now - £3m fund to place youth workers in more London police stations

London’s violence reduction unit (VRU) has announced plans to double the number of specialist youth workers placed in the capital’s police stations.

Lib Peck: it’s really important we make that connection and ensure young people know they can access both ongoing support and positive opportunities. Picture: City Hall

The VRU has announced £3m in funding to expand its Engage programme over the next three years to embed youth intervention coaches in custody suites in four more areas - Brixton, Croydon, Lewisham and Wembley - in a bid to reduce youth violence.

Since the programme’s launch in April 2020, more than 300 young people aged 10 to 18 who were arrested and taken to custody suites in Camden, Enfield and Redbridge have been helped and supported away from violence by intervention coaches, according to the VRU.

The programme involves specially trained youth workers, who are not police officers, embedded in custody suites.

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