A new video featuring youth partners from PeerPower explores how innovation can help improve support for neurodivergent children and young people in the youth justice system.

The video accompanies the resource, Exploring innovation for neurodiversity in youth justice settings, developed by Health Innovation Kent Surrey Sussex (Health Innovation KSS) and PeerPower. Funded by NHS England South East Health and Justice, the project brought together research evidence, insights from Youth Offending Team leaders across the south east of England, and the experiences of neurodivergent young people with lived experience of the youth justice system.

Together, these perspectives explored how needs-led, trauma-informed innovation can better support neurodivergent children and young people.

In the video, the youth partners reflect on what they heard from young people during the project. One quote stayed with them:

“They see what’s wrong before they see what’s strong.”

For the youth partners, this highlighted how young people can sometimes feel judged before they are understood.

When discussing innovation, young people consistently emphasised the importance of relationships, trust and understanding. They felt that innovation should not reduce human connection but enhance it, helping them feel more understood, supported and included.

The video explores why lived experience must play a leading role in shaping innovation and shares the changes young people would like to see for neurodivergent children and young people in youth justice settings.

The accompanying resource is designed to support professionals working across health, care and justice services, providing practical insights into how innovation can improve experiences and outcomes for neurodivergent young people.

Watch the video to hear directly from the young people involved and download the resource to learn more about the project’s findings and recommendations.

Watch the video and download the resource

Download the resource