Bid to prevent future offending

Pioneering schemes are to be set up for children at risk or involved in criminal behaviour where they will be assigned "assertive" and persistent key workers.

They will be forced to agree to a contract and will face an Anti-Social Behaviour Order (Asbo) if they fail to comply, or an Individual Support Order to compel them to co-operate with support, the Government said.

The young people are expected to be known already to different local agencies, the Government said, who may be struggling to deal with them. In particular, they will be involved in anti-social behaviour, the criminal justice system - or known to be at risk of it - or have substance abuse problems. They may be homeless or at risk of becoming so.

The scheme was being launched by Children, Schools and Families Secretary Ed Balls, who said: "Recognising these problems doesn't condone bad behaviour - nor is help a soft option.

"In the end, where young people and families don't accept help to change their behaviour then the right thing to do is to use Anti-Social Behaviour Orders and Individual Support Orders.

"Communities want lasting improvements and that means not only stopping bad behaviour when it occurs but also changing it and intervening early to stop bad behaviour spiralling into future offending."

Local authorities will bid for £13 million to run 20 Intensive Youth Support Projects, part of the Youth Taskforce Action Plan.

Children, Young People and Families Minister Beverley Hughes said: "We know that the best form of cure is prevention. We can spot early warning signs in young people and families where things are going wrong - poor parenting, lessons skipped, and complaints about behaviour.

"To change, rather than just contain, we need tough action on the underlying problems alongside tough enforcement."