Home Office consults on legal duty to raise concerns about children and knife crime

Home Secretary Sajid Javid has launched a consultation about placing a legal duty on public bodies, including hospitals, to raise concerns about children at risk of becoming involved in knife crime.

A new, multi-agency, ‘public health duty’ approach is intended to help spot warning signs, for example a young person arriving at a hospital accident and emergency department with a suspicious injury, or worrying behaviour at school.

The Home Office said similar approaches had been used in Scotland and Wales to support young people and make targeted interventions before they commit violence or are groomed by gangs.

Mr Javid said the joined-up approach could also include organisations jointly funding early intervention services and would be backed up by legislation to hold professionals in health, education, police, social services, housing and the voluntary sector accountable for preventing and tackling serious violence.

Javid said: “The public health, multi-agency approach has a proven track record and I’m confident that making it a legal duty will help stop this senseless violence and create long-term change.

“I’m committed to ending this scourge and will use all the tools at my disposal to do so.”

More than 100 experts, including the Children’s Commissioner, Anne Longfield, the Metropolitan Police commissioner, Cressida Dick, charity leaders and Youth Justice Board chair Charlie Taylor, will explore the scope and impact of new ideas.

The consultation on a new legal duty to support the multi-agency ‘public health’ approach will last for eight weeks.

Mark Smulian