DIVERT programme
Custody-based youth work
Total Investment: £3,033,735 over three years
DIVERT is a custody-based intervention programme which supports young people aged 18 -25. Funded by London's VRU, the programme is led by the Met, Bounce Back and the New Era Foundation. DIVERT sits outside the criminal justice process, conversations are confidential, and coaches are independent of the police investigation.
Custody intervention coaches, who are youth workers and not police officers, support young people by diverting them away from offending and into education, training, and employment. DIVERT works with football associations such as Millwall Community Trust, Palace for Life and Arsenal which connects young people to a network of local and city-wide provisions.
DIVERT has been running since 2015 in Brixton custody however with additional funding directed through the VRU, the programme has been able to expand and deliver across custody suites in all 12 Basic Command Units in London.
DIVERT app
Total Investment: £168,000.00 for 1 year
The Divert app, funded by London's VRU, was launched in April 2022 with the aim to be utilised by police officers to engage and support young people in Camden and Islington.
The Divert App is a web-based app that is used by police officers to refer children and young people to support services within the community. The app works by general details being retrieved from the young person and sent to a screener who contacts the young person to conduct an assessment and refer them to supportive services.
The app has proved useful and significant as this gives police officers the opportunity to engage with young people with a stop-and-refer approach and ensure the young persons’ needs are at the forefront.