Scotland backs new plans to steer young people from crime
By the demoduck.co.uk News Desk
Scotland is investing £200,000 in a partnership that will develop three proposals aimed at protecting young people, reducing anti-social behaviour and helping people move away from crime.
The Justice Social Impact Partnership brings together nine service providers, funders and public bodies. Their proposals are due by the end of March 2027, according to the Scottish Government announcement.
The funding covers the technical, financial and legal work required to turn early ideas into projects capable of attracting investment. No specific interventions, locations or participant numbers have yet been confirmed, so the announcement does not create an immediate service for residents.
Three priorities for the proposed projects
The partnership will design proposals covering three areas: safe spaces for young people; diversion from crime and anti-social behaviour; and the prevention of reoffending, including support for people returning to their communities.
Justice Secretary Neil Gray said the work would combine expertise from police, charities, communities and investors. He said the projects should give young people access to safe spaces and trusted adults while supporting people seeking to rebuild their lives after offending.
Investment tied to project outcomes
Under the social investment model, investors provide the money needed to start a project. Repayment is then linked to whether the agreed outcomes are achieved.
This structure is intended to let organisations test new approaches while limiting financial risk to the public purse when a project does not deliver its targets. The development process must therefore produce proposals with clearly defined outcomes and credible arrangements for measuring them.
Three proposals due by March 2027
Members include Social Investment Scotland, The Growth Partnership, The Robertson Trust, YMCA Tayside, Community Justice Scotland and the National Social Work Agency Scotland. Bean Research and the University of Oxford’s Government Outcomes Lab will contribute evaluation expertise alongside the Scottish Government.
Ministers also expect the partnership to inform whether outcome-based funding could be used elsewhere in government. The next confirmed milestone is the completion of three investable project proposals by the end of March 2027.
Source: Scottish Government News
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This report distinguishes the funded proposal-development process from services that have not yet been designed or approved.
- Confirmed the Scottish Government funding allocation as £200,000.
- Checked that the partnership is expected to produce three proposals.
- Verified the three stated priority areas and the March 2027 deadline.
- Reviewed the description of how outcome-linked repayment is intended to work.
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- Scottish Government News
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- Scotland
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- 2026-08-30 15:51
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