Social support has become dismissively seen as a nice to have in some quarters but if the country is to successfully tackle issues such as prison overcrowding and the rising tide of crime sweeping across the country then more support is needed for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

State intervention has never been and never will be the magic bullet. There are multiple factors that can lead young people astray but it is a moral imperative to protect the most vulnerable.

Therefore the Government should be providing the most disadvantaged communities and most vulnerable children extra support. Its upcoming Young Futures programme could be a useful vehicle for doing this.

Schools need support to help prevent at-risk children falling into crime and exploitation. The statistic that eight in ten young people in the youth justice system were identified as having Special Educational Needs paints a picture of failure.

Former Children's Commissioner for England Anne Longfield. PIC: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire

Especially when a figure such as Anne Longfield, the former Children's Commissioner for England, says that those with unsupported Special Educational Needs are at greater risk of being groomed into criminal or sexual exploitation or caught up in gangs and serious violence, then such a warning should be taken seriously.

But there is hope and schemes such as the Bradford SAFE Taskforce and Encouraging Potential Inspiring Change (EPIC) in Doncaster show that responsive approaches to local needs can help put young people on the right path. The real challenge is in how the solutions are to be delivered as dealing with children and young people can be complex.

Intervention is necessary to prevent SEN children from falling into crime

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