It is keen to ensure crime prevention remains a core part of youth offending team (YOT) work. The body has set out what prevention funding has achieved in a consultation document, Towards a Youth Crime Prevention Strategy.

YOTs have resources for prevention work until April 2008, but long-term decisions will be made as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review later this year.

The consultation outlines how crime-prevention work can be developed, stressing the importance of partnership work between YOTs and other agencies working with young people.

Bob Ashford, head of prevention at the YJB, said: "Existing money has helped, but we need an end-to-end system."

Delegates at the YJB's conference on crime prevention warned that staff will leave YOT prevention projects unless there is an indication that there will be funding beyond next April.