NCS under consideration as 'intervention' for young offenders

It has emerged that the NCS Trust, which runs the NCS, is considering ways the programme for 15- to 17-year-olds can be used as a “possible intervention” for young people in trouble with the law.

??It also said it wants to “explore how NCS can improve engagement with young people in the broader youth justice sector”.

??The NCS Trust is set to discuss the idea with the youth justice sector at the two-day annual youth justice convention that starts in Leicester tomorrow.??

News that the NCS Trust is considering the potential for the programme to be used as a youth justice intervention comes two months after the Ministry of Justice announced a review of the youth justice system.
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As part of the review, which was ordered by Justice Secretary Michael Gove, former government adviser on school behaviour Charlie Taylor will look at current practice in preventing youth crime and rehabilitating young offenders, as well as exploring how the youth justice system can most effectively interact with wider services for children and young people.

??The NCS, which was first launched in 2011, supports young people to take part in residential activities and community projects. ??Prime Minister David Cameron has said he wants all young people in the country to be able to take part in the scheme.??

However, Cabinet Office data has shown the programme did not hit its recruitment target last year, with just 57,609 places of an intended 80,000 filled. ?