Greater Manchester launches scheme to keep neurodivergent children out of justice system

A new multi-year programme has been launched across Greater Manchester to tackle the systemic overrepresentation of neurodivergent young people in the criminal justice system. Named Seen, Heard, Diverted, the three-year project aims to transform how agencies respond to neurodivergent children and prevent vulnerable individuals from being criminalised due to unrecognised communication difficulties, sensory issues, and differences in emotional regulation.

The initiative addresses long-standing concerns regarding how public services handle neurodiversity. Damian Dallimore, Assistant Director, Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Director of the GM Violence Reduction Unit, noted that the overrepresentation of neurodivergent people in prison and the criminal justice system is something that has long been known and yet improvements have often been slow or in pockets of good practice rather than systemic.

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In criminal defence work, legal professionals frequently witness the immediate consequences of misunderstandings. Matthew Claughton, Managing Director, Olliers Solicitors, explained that a young person who avoids eye contact, struggles to sit still in an interview, or finds it difficult to explain themselves under pressure can be seen as evasive or unremorseful, when what's actually happening is that their neurodivergence hasn't been recognised. Laura Baumanis, criminal defence solicitor and partner at Olliers, added that autism is fundamentally a social communication difference.

To evaluate the scope of support and legal protections across different educational and justice settings, various regional and national figures illustrate the scale of the challenge:

Families will be able to access co-produced resources, including videos, downloadable information, and practical tools designed to help them understand and navigate the justice system. The first year of the programme will focus on listening, design, and testing. A group of neurodivergent young people with lived experience will work directly with the partnership to shape the development of resources, tools, and training. Partners will meet later this year to review progress and agree on next steps.

The wider landscape of support for neurodivergent and disabled young people also involves financial and legal hurdles. Guidance issued regarding financial management under the Mental Capacity Act highlights the difficulties families face when young adults transition into adulthood. Parents managing savings such as Child Trust Funds or Junior ISAs must navigate legal frameworks like applying to the Court of Protection or establishing a Lasting Power of Attorney. Legal experts such as Alex Ruck Keene QC, a Barrister specialising in mental capacity, and Lorraine Currie, Freelance Mental Capacity Consultant and supporter of family member with a disability, emphasize that education around these legal requirements helps families protect vulnerable young adults while ensuring they retain autonomy where they have capacity.

What to Watch Next

• Partners in the Seen, Heard, Diverted initiative will convene later this year to review progress from the first phase of listening and design.
• The rollout of co-produced videos, downloadable guides, and training tools for families and justice professionals is expected to follow the initial testing period.
• Broader national education reforms and autumn policy papers will clarify the future statutory protections and funding structures surrounding special educational needs and disabilities across England.