Serious Organised Crime Taskforce Progress Report 2025

Divert

The Divert Strand aims to divert people from becoming involved in SOC and from using its products.

Daniel Spargo-Mabbs Foundation – Drugs education pilot in Grampian schools

The DSM Foundation delivered a drug education programme as part of a pilot in nine secondary schools in Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire and Moray. In 2024-25, the programme was expanded to 15 schools in Aberdeenshire and Moray.

The programme comprised of training for teachers and school staff, interactive workshops for students, online webinars and in-person workshops for caregivers, lesson plans and resources for teachers to deliver drug education lessons, a Youth Ambassadors’ programme and Theatre in Education performances of the play, ‘I Love You, Mum – I Promise I Won’t Die’.

Over 5,000 students in 2024-25 have had input directly from the DSM-Foundation through the student workshops and watching the play, along with more than 400 school staff and caregivers taking part in drug education training or a parent workshop.

The Foundation carried out ‘pre’ and ‘post’ delivery surveys to gauge the programme’s impact. In Aberdeenshire, 173 students in S5-S6 completed the pre-workshop survey sharing what they would like to see included in drug education, with ‘First hand stories and accounts’ coming out on top, followed by ‘Understanding addiction’.

There were 234 Aberdeenshire students in S1-S4 who took part in post workshop surveys. 91% of students responded ‘yes’ or ‘maybe’ when asked if they know of any practical strategies they can use to stay safe around drugs and alcohol. 89% of students said they now know where to find reliable and useful information about drugs and alcohol, and 93% of students said they now know where to go for support if they need it.

Following on from school staff training, there were 38 members of staff who took part in the post training survey, with 100% reporting they now know more about the current context for young people in relation to drugs, and 92% said they now feel more confident to have conversations with young people about drugs.

You can access the full interim report for Aberdeenshire and the interim report for the work in Moray by contacting the Foundation at: www.dsmfoundation.org.uk/.

Cashback for Communities

CashBack for Communities is a key Scottish Government programme. It is funded by money recovered from criminals through the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA) and supports young people at risk of entering the criminal justice system and the communities most affected by crime. It delivers a wide range of projects, including youth work, employability support, creative arts, and sports projects. Since its inception in 2008, the programme has committed £130 million to supporting around 1.3 million young people across all 32 local authorities in Scotland.

The CashBack programme aligns most closely with the Divert Strand of the SOC Strategy. The diversionary work that the programme provides includes youth work; sports activities and one-to-one support sessions.

In December 2024, CashBack for Communities published its Impact Report for year 1 of Phase 6 (2023/24). The report found that both participation and outcome targets were exceeded reaching over 15,000 young people. The report also found more than 6,000 young people feel less inclined to engage in antisocial/criminal behaviour which is 135% over target. One young person said: “I am working towards my goals now and staying out of trouble. I want to have a positive future”.

YDance (Scottish Youth Dance)

CashBack on Track uses dance to nurture young peoples’ development and wellbeing, promoting positive, resilient and fulfilling lives. YDance works with young people aged 10-25 who are living in poverty, in deprived communities, in custody, most affected by crime, have caring responsibilities, vulnerable young parents, experiencing/recovering from trauma, at risk of entering the criminal justice system, care experienced, and/or experiencing mental health difficulties.

The programme has four strands:

• Alternative Education and Care Experienced Young People Support young people to work towards qualifications such as SQA Personal Achievement Awards (SCQF Level 2) and SQA Personal Development Awards.
• Community Diversions Weekly dance sessions with seven community groups targeting young people most at risk of anti-social behaviour and criminal activity. Designed to build participants’ confidence and self-belief while developing transferable skills in communication, teamworking and commitment.
• Youth Custody Working with young offenders at HMP & YOI Polmont, delivering Award in Dance Leadership courses (SCQF Level 4) and developing life skills in planning and organisation, communication, problem solving, teamworking, self-belief and self-management.
• Family Connections Programmes for young parents and their pre-school children, and young carers and siblings. Designed to build confidence and enable participants to engage with community and employability programmes.

In 2023-24, 47% of young people reported that they felt less inclined to participate in anti-social and/or criminal behaviour following participation in the project.

Aberlour Child Care Trust

Alternative Routes #CashBack supports young people aged 10-25 at risk of being involved in the justice system and their families

It uses a whole family, whole community, whole system approach – providing young people with opportunities to connect, flourish and achieve at home, at school, and in the community. Strong relationships across the Dumfries and Galloway Health and Social Care partnership help to make these connections.

Alternative Routes #CashBack provides:

• connection through proactive street work engagement, building trusting relationships and offering diversionary activities through our network of community hubs
• support for young people to reach positive destinations
• relationship based, strengths focused, skills building and community connecting support for young people and their families

In 2023/24, 30% of young people reported that they felt less inclined to participate in anti-social and/or criminal behaviour following participation in the project.

Criminal Exploitation of Children

Following the criminal exploitation awareness raising event held in June 2024, the Scottish Government carried out an assessment of criminal exploitation in Scotland on behalf of the SOCT, including examining the findings of The Jay Review of Criminally Exploited Children. Work was carried out to explore the existing legislative, practice and policy landscape in Scotland in collaboration with stakeholders including Action for Children, Police Scotland, Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), Social Work Scotland and Child Protection Committees Scotland.

This highlighted ongoing progress in Scotland to address exploitation of children, including implementation of the Criminal Exploitation Practitioner Guidance, the update to the Lord Advocate’s instructions for non-prosecution of victims of human trafficking and the statutory independent Child Trafficking Guardian Service.

Activities to further enhance our approach to criminal exploitation of children in Scotland were also identified, which were reviewed and agreed by the SOCT, including but not limited to working with the UK Government on new legislative proposals on criminal exploitation, alongside further data, evidence and practice improvement approaches. It was also agreed that actions on criminal exploitation will be taken forward through the refresh of Scotland’s Human Trafficking and Exploitation Strategy Delivery Plan to enhance multi-agency and cross-sector collaboration on this issue.

I Am Me Scotland – Exploitation resources

I Am Me Scotland is a multi-award winning Renfrewshire based Charity with an aim to change attitudes and behaviours so that vulnerable people in Scotland can feel safe.

Throughout 2024, I Am Me Scotland, worked with adult females and young males from HMP & YOI Polmont, young people from St Mary’s Kenmure and Good Shepherd Secure Care Centres, and Care Experienced young people from Renfrewshire, to design and develop an exploitation awareness package which is interactive, accessible and based on real life experiences.

There are seven short films, which have been designed and developed with the young people and adult females and depict an honest and heartfelt version of the real life experiences of exploitation.

The project worked in partnership with Police Scotland’s PREVENT Unit, the National Human Trafficking Unit and the children and young people team, alongside COPFS, British Transport Police and Scottish Government to capture a whole systems approach to exploitation.

The resources are free and can be used by any group, school or professional who is working with young people. You can register for access to the resources on the I Am Me Scotland Website.

Policing Together - Substance Harm Prevention

In December 2024, Police Scotland and drug harm reduction partners from agencies across Scotland attended the inaugural Police Scotland led Promising Practices Conference in recognition of Addiction Awareness Week, highlighting the value and strength of the collaboration of partnership working and positive shared learning.

Delegates heard from Police Scotland’s Drug Harm Intelligence team about the emerging threat of new synthetic opioids across Scotland including Nitazenes, the growing dangers of polydrug use and the projected increased risk of drug related deaths and non-fatal overdoses across the country.

Partnership collaboration was a highlight of the day with lived experience speakers sharing their journey through addiction and breaking down barriers built upon the stigma associated with substance harms.

A new substance harms educational resource has been developed by Police Scotland’s Youth Volunteers in association with YouthLink Scotland and partially funded through Cashback for Communities and Screen Scotland.

Online High has been created by young people and focuses on the growing threat of online drug sales through social media. The resource was promoted at the Promising Practices Conference and is being trialled by schools and youth agencies across Scotland, providing young people with the tools and platform to create and distribute content addressing this pressing issue.

The project becomes a beacon for youth advocacy and social responsibility allowing young people to take ownership of the platform, offer unique perspectives on drug distribution, and challenge stereotypes. The film, alongside the educational product, not only raises awareness about the dangers of drug trafficking but also fosters a deeper understanding of the complex societal structures behind it, creating a lasting impact on viewers, policymakers, and other stakeholders.