Minister for Community Safety Fergus Ewing has announced that the Intensive Support and Monitoring Service (ISMS) will be available through the Children's Hearings system for children who are likely to abscond or injure themselves or someone else.

The Scottish Government is consulting on a good practice guide to help councils who have not been involved in the scheme learn from the experiences of those who have. The trail took place in Dundee, East Dunbartonshire, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Highland, Moray and West Dunbartonshire.

Ewing said: “We believe that prevention is better than cure in the long-term fight against crime. That means tackling the root causes of crime - and intervening earlier to help those at greatest risk of falling into offending because of the circumstances they are born into.

“The vast majority of young people are not offenders. We want all of Scotland's children and young people to have the opportunity to see different ways of living, to realise their potential, to have hope and aspirations, and to understand that getting involved in crime and antisocial behaviour is not acceptable.

“Some need a helping hand. Some a second chance. But some, and this will always be a small minority, need more than that - for themselves and for the sake of the community around them.

“That's why we are rolling out Intensive Support and Monitoring Services to all areas of Scotland. This will give councils an extra option for making sure the most at risk young people receive the help they need.

“This means that every young person who is at risk of absconding or injuring themselves or someone else can have an electronically-monitored movement restriction order, combined with the intensive support which has been proven to make a real difference to many young people.

“Rolling out ISMS is just one element in our new approach to tackling youth offending. We are committed to promoting positive social behaviour as well as tackling the bad. This Government is also working to re-invest the proceeds of crime to give more young people positive things to do with their lives - in sport and in the arts for example. We will make an announcement soon about the first phase of an exciting expansion of youth activity which will benefit young people across the country."

Andrew Girvan, director of NCH Scotland, which runs the Intensive Support and Monitoring Service in Highland, added: “Young people who cause trouble are often troubled themselves. The right support provided at the right time can help them to change. Our experience shows that intensive support and monitoring is an effective approach that can reduce offending and return young people to the path of becoming responsible citizens.

“We very much welcome the commitment shown by the Scottish Government in developing community based approaches to youth offending.”

Related news items:

• "World-renowned" sculpture headed for Edinburgh
• 'All systems go' for Glasgow super campus
• 'Benchmark' for rape investigations created
• 'Inappropriate' for mentally ill to be imprisoned
• 'Radical rethink' of public services to tackle health inequa