Crisis Intervention

Crisis Intervention for Children & Young People

Specialist, time-limited care for children and young people in acute risk or placement breakdown, delivered nationwide in highly structured, enhanced-staffing homes.

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On admission

Rural & community settings

Enhanced staffing

Matching criteria

Who it's for

We work quickly and purposefully with young people aged 10–17 on admission, supporting them through periods of heightened risk.

In need of an interventional placement
Affected by child criminal exploitation (CCE)
Awaiting court decisions
Stepping away from, or as an alternative to, secure placements
Needing to change location for safety reasons
Subject to a Deprivation of Liberty (DoLS) order or on a tag
Requiring rural, sole-occupancy placements

How we measure outcomes

CANS assessments Monthly reports End-of-placement reports Case studies

Pathway

From intensive support to greater independence

Crisis isn’t an endpoint. From day one we plan for what comes next, through two connected stages, each loosening restrictions as a young person is ready.

Assessment & Intervention

Stage 1

Step Toward

Stage 2

Moves onto one of these Family

Moves onto one of these Residential homes

Moves onto one of these Fostering

Moves onto one of these Semi-independence

1

Stage 1

Assessment & Intervention
2

Stage 2

Step Toward
Family Residential homes Fostering Semi-independence

Common questions

Keys Crisis Intervention services provide rapid, specialist support for children and young people experiencing acute risk or instability. Through small, highly structured homes and enhanced staffing, the focus is on creating immediate safety, stabilising behaviours and giving young people the space to reset.

Using trauma-informed care, activity-led intervention and access to specialist expertise, we work intensively to reduce risk, rebuild trust and support re-engagement. From the outset, there is a clear focus on planning the next step, helping each young person move towards a more stable and positive future.

Keys Crisis Intervention services provide specialist, short-term care for children and young people experiencing acute risk, instability or placement breakdown. The focus is on keeping young people safe, stabilising situations and supporting positive next steps.

These services support children and young people facing heightened risk, including:

Repeated missing episodes
Risk of criminal or sexual exploitation
Aggressive or unsafe behaviours
Offending behaviour
Substance misuse or harmful coping strategies

The primary aim is to provide immediate safety, reduce risk and help young people stabilise. This creates space to understand their needs and plan for a more settled, longer-term next step.

Crisis Intervention is delivered in small, highly structured homes with enhanced staffing levels. These environments are designed to provide stability, close supervision and consistent support.

Placements are usually time-limited and focused on short-term stabilisation. The length of stay depends on the young person’s needs and progress.

Activity-led intervention uses carefully planned activities as positive interrupters to help young people regulate emotions, build confidence and re-engage. This may include outdoor pursuits and reflective activities, all delivered safely and with purpose.

The service is underpinned by trauma-informed practice, recognising how past experiences impact behaviour. Staff build trusting relationships, provide consistent boundaries and respond with understanding and compassion.

Keys Connect is the therapeutic model used across the service, helping staff deliver relational, consistent and trauma-informed care that supports emotional safety and engagement.

Young people benefit from access to:

Therapeutic and clinical professionals
Specialist Advisors in areas such as exploitation, substance misuse, self-injury and safeguarding
Police liaison support where needed

This ensures expert input during periods of high risk.

Through Keys Inclusion Pathways, including the Keys Engage programme, young people can access trauma-informed, flexible learning that supports re-engagement with education.

Referrals are typically made by local authorities, social workers or placement teams seeking urgent, specialist support for a young person in crisis.

Locations

Crisis Intervention locations

Crisis Intervention is delivered nationwide from small, often rural homes. We place quickly, and out-of-area where a young person needs distance from harm, so the right region isn’t always the nearest one.

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Make a Referral

Our placements team responds quickly. Tell us about the young person and we’ll help you find the right fit — and how soon we can help.

Request a Callback Make a Referral

Why Keys

One young person, every service around them.

Moving toward independence works best when education, employment and clinical support move with the young person. Keys connects all three, so a young person stepping into their own space never steps away from the help that got them there.

Education
A form of EET for everyone, supported by AQA units and the Inclusion Pathways offer.
Health
Specialist clinical input on call to help manage risk and support staff.