Evidence & Outcomes: Northamptonshire Pilot Oct’ 2021–March 2026
47%
Improved health and wellbeing on the day in court reported by beneficiaries
36%
Less re-offending by YCS beneficiaries
£3M
Estimated savings in re-offending costs
840 young people supported · 656 adults supported · 53% engaged voluntarily · 25% fewer first-time entrants* 6% reduction in knife crime*
'No-one has ever listened to me like this.'
— Young person
'I don't wanna ever be back here.'
— Young person
'We would not have got through today without you.'
— Parent
'As a society we have badly let our children down... I am so pleased there are organisations around like yours that remediate and fill some of the gaps.'
— Police, Fire & Crime Commissioner, Northamptonshire
* Wider county-level metrics reflect a range of interventions across the area; YCS is one contributing factor. National data framework now being embedded across new sites
Why Single Session Intervention Works
What is a Single Session Intervention(SSI)?
A structured, one-time therapeutic encounter intentionally designed to create meaningful, lasting change within a single session, at a critical moment of need.
Research: Northwestern University
Dr Jessica Schleider's umbrella review (Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 2025) confirmed SSIs significantly improve youth and adult mental health. A prior meta-analysis across 50 RCTs and 10,000 young people found SSIs reduced depression and anxiety with effects lasting up to 12 months.
Youth Court Solutions SSI Integration
YCS uses bespoke trauma and attachment informed SSI designed specifically for the youth court environment, where attachment disruption and unprocessed trauma are near-universal factors in offending.
Schleider JL et al., Annu. Rev. Clin. Psychol. 2025
For the Young Defendant:
One well-structured session on court day can reduce anxiety, improve emotional regulation and increase engagement with YJS and support services — changing the trajectory of what happens next.
For Impacted Siblings:
Siblings who witness a family member in conflict with the law are at significantly elevated risk of entering the criminal justice system themselves. YCS works with the whole family, reducing this risk by addressing trauma and shame that otherwise goes unprocessed.
For Parents and Adult Family Members:
Parents often blame themselves or respond with anger and shame, reactions that deepen the problem. YCS helps them understand what is driving their own and their child's behaviours and gives them practical tools to respond differently at home.
Unprocessed trauma and attachment disruption are among the most significant and most overlooked contributors to youth offending
Impact Beyond the Room: The Virtual Offer
A single session on court day is just the start. YCS gives every family immediate access to a curated hub to access free, 24/7 support — so help is available whenever and wherever they need it next.
How it works
During the session, every family receives a QR code. Scanning it in court, or later at home, opens a free resource hub including:
- Mental health and emotional wellbeing
- Substance use support
- Eating disorders
- Bereavement and grief
- Self-harm and crisis services
- Local and national services — free, 24/7, 365
+300%
increase in QR code hits in one year*
Reach extends far beyond court day
Families are actively returning to the hub long after their court appearance, showing sustained engagement.
Self-directed support at scale
Each session activates ongoing help-seeking behaviour without any additional staff time or cost.
Exceptional cost-efficiency
One intervention. One QR code. Unlimited access to free services at no marginal cost per use.
*same number of beneficiaries
The session ends. The support doesn't
Breaking the Cycle: What YCS Achieves
Supporting every person impacted by crime — in the court building, on the day that matters most.
‘YCS is the missing link at youth court.’ (Hayley Pearson, Noble Solicitors, 2021)
More children & young people supported
Breaking the cycle of offending
More children & young people supported
Supporting parents, carers & adult families
Significant reductions in re-offending
Whole-family support
One session · One court day · Ripple effects across young people, families and communities
From local pilot to national solution
The Northamptonshire evidence proves the model works. YCS is now a proven, transferable solution — ready to be deployed across every region in England and Wales.
Proven
Four years of pilot data
Transferable
Simple to implement alongside existing teams
Scalable
Built for every region in the UK
System Benefits for Youth Justice
Child-first practice · Reducing Offending, Re-offending & FTEs · Cost-efficiency
👶
Child-First, Trauma-Informed Practice
Ensures young people appear before the court calmer and more regulated, able to participate meaningfully. Whole-family approach helps parents understand and respond to trauma at home.
📉
Reducing Offending & First-Time Entrants
By turning court day into a turning point — with calmer young people, better emotional regulation and a concrete plan — YCS supports improved compliance with orders, stronger engagement with YJS, and contributes over time to reductions in re-offending and potentially offending.
⚖️
Reducing Pressure Across the Wider System
Calmer families reduce disruption and delay in court. Improved regulation has potential to lower demand on police, CAMHS, A&E and children's services in high-risk cohorts.
One session · One court day · Ripple effects across young people, families and communities
Compelling Cost Model: Lean by Design
The YCS model is lean by design. Delivery costs are low — courts provide the venue at no charge, and the entire frontline intervention is delivered by one or two trained Navigator/Trauma Therapists on court days. Organisational costs are covered by the YCS core team.
More children & young people supported
1
No dedicated space
Courts provide the venue at no cost — YCS operates within the building waiting area on court days
2
1–2 Navigator/Trauma Therapists
Working court days — lean, focused delivery with no large staffing overhead
3
Redeployable existing staff
Councils / YCS can move staff already in post into delivery roles — reducing marginal cost to near zero
Funding pathway
Pilot phase
YCS contributes to funding new pilots — removing financial risk for local partners at the outset
Place-based funding
Local authorities and youth justice commissioners progressively take on funding as they see results
The investment case
Downstream savings in offending, re-offending, court time and wider public services rapidly justify the spend
Merseyside rollout
Our next expansion will generate precise cost-per-outcome metrics to strengthen the case further
A lean model built for scale — with the investment case growing stronger as each new site goes live
"One day. One session. One critical moment."
Turning court day into a genuine turning point for young people and their families.
Trauma & Attachment Informed · Single-session · Court-day intervention
Data Sources
Youth Justice Legal Centre, 2022
Gov.uk, 2025
British Association of Social Workers, 2022
Professional Social Work Magazine, 2023
HM Inspectorate of Probation, 2026
Northamptonshire Youth Offending Service Youth Justice Plan 2024-25
The YJB Knife Crime Evidence and Insights Pack 2025
Youth Violence Intervention Unit – Northamptonshire Police
www.youthcourtsolutions.org.uk
info@youthcourtsolutions.org.uk