Action for Children's Serious Organised Crime Early Intervention Service

That the Parliament congratulates Action for Children on being awarded £4.6 million by the National Lottery Community Fund to expand its Serious Organised Crime Early Intervention service; notes that this service started in 2013 in Glasgow and believes that it is the only one of its kind in the country, diverting young people away from a life in serious organised crime; understands that the service is a multi-agency partnership with Police Scotland and Glasgow City Council and that the new funding received will see Action for Children run the service in Edinburgh, Newcastle and Cardiff; notes that the charity’s recent annual study into its service shows that, out of the most recent group of 49 young people, just four continued to offend after engaging with the service; welcomes that this success has been acknowledged with the substantial award from the National Lottery; recognises that this investment highlights that an early intervention and prevention approach works; understands that that the service also won the Young People's Project of the Year award at the 2019 Herald Society awards; wishes the service continued success in Glasgow and for it to be just as successful in Edinburgh, Newcastle and Cardiff, and commends Action for Children, its partners and the young people themselves for ensuring that more people are diverted from a life of crime and into a life of positive choices.