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3 Feb 2025 13:30 to 17:30
Collaborating with Children: Applying Child First Principles in Practice
Forthcoming events
This year’s Summit is being created and led by a team of young people for you - Youth Justice Services and Youth Justice professionals. Our youth-led organizing committee have looked at whether a system designed without the children at its heart can ever really work.
They have delved into what Child First, Collaboration and Participation are all about and have chosen speakers from around the world that they think will best examine the issues.
The Youth Justice Board, Crown Prosecution Service and the Metropolitan Police have all committed to taking a Child First approach. A key element of that is engaging children in the system so that they feel part of the process. Where is this happening successfully in practice? How can practitioners make this a reality? What does ‘good’ actually look like?
Three discussion panels will consider:
Professionals on Collaborating with children: what does it mean and what does it look like?
Collaborating with children is central to taking a Child First approach but are we getting it right? In reality, many of the professionals dealing with children in the legal system – such as lawyers and police – are unaware of what Child First really means and children are not collaborating meaningfully in many parts of the process. Research shows that while 90% of youth justice services are using participatory approaches, implementation is poor.
Join us to get to grips with what ‘collaboration’ means in practice, why it is so important, and what it looks like when it is successfully implemented. Speakers include:
- Anne-Marie Douglas – CEO, Peer Power
- Professor Hannah Smithson – Manchester Metropolitan University
- Thomas Lang - Head of Service, Manchester YJS
- Clive Ellington - Raheem Sterling Foundation
Young people speak
An intimate conversation with young people who had their teenage years spoiled and ambitions blocked by being forced into contact with the law for being perceived as ‘illegal’ and the shame and stigma associated with that. They discuss how hard it is to talk to anyone and how professionals with power might struggle to empathise with why people might be hiding. Speakers include:
Forgotten collaborators – families, carers & professionals
The value of collaborating with children is recognised but what about their families? Currently, their role is limited and it is frequently assumed that those within the criminal legal system are the experts. At the same time, parents, families and carers lack legal understanding and can make situations more difficult. But what if we actively worked with families, carers and other professionals as collaborators?
In this panel, we examine the ability and rights of families and carers to participate in the criminal legal system. Our speakers include:
The YJLC Summit brings together those who work tirelessly in this undervalued sector and celebrates our community and collective work. Our speakers are leading experts from across the globe and who share their ideas and tools for ensuring the better treatment and representation of children in the criminal legal system. Join us as we come together to share knowledge, circulate innovation, and develop best practice.