The Assessment, Intervention and Moving-on Project (AIM) was set up in January 2000 to improve the way professionals respond to young people aged 10 to 17 years who display sexually harmful behaviour. The need for such an initiative was recognised as a result of a Greater Manchester study conducted by the Youth Justice Trust in 1998.

The study found that there were major shortcomings in the way these young people were assessed. As a result, the AIM assessment procedure (Print, Morrison and Henniker, 2000) was introduced as a key part of the AIM Project. The Youth Justice Board commissioned the Youth Justice Trust to carry out a two-year evaluation of the procedure.

To develop clear, consistent agreements and working practices relating to how we respond to children with sexual behaviour problems and adolescents who sexually abuse across Greater Manchester. Being aware that some young abusers will be identified by the criminal justice system and subject to the new processes contained in the 1998 Crime and Disorder Act: others will be identified by the child protection or children in need route, some may come from the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).