Scotland – time for open hearts and minds
Today marks the launch of the Secure Care Pathway and Standards Scotland. These Standards have been three years in the making after a series of recommendations from the Secure Care National Project. The project identified the need for a specific set of standards for Scotland’s most restrictive form of care for our children. In late […]
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Language is the key to understanding
Guest blogger Kelly Howard tells us why New Zealand’s use of a communication assistant at Family Group Conferences is helping it meet the needs of young people accused of committing crime. In New Zealand, there is a focus on low level responses to offending by young people. This means keeping young people out of court […]
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Coming soon…the Secure Care Pathway and Standards Scotland
CYCJ has been working with the Scottish Government, STARR, partners and children and young people to develop the Secure Care Pathway and Standards Scotland, which will launch this October after a delay due to COVID-19 restrictions. Debbie Nolan explains why this is a significant moment for everyone involved in secure care – and why the […]
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Be a buzzkill
Picture the scene: You’re heading down to your local shop to pick up some essentials, and queue outside when you get there behind an elderly couple, in line with social distancing measures. It’s about ten seconds later that you realise something is a bit strange – you hear a high-pitched ringing noise, quite unlike anything […]
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A rose by any other name…
A name may be just a name but words matter. What we call ourselves reflects how we think about ourselves, how we communicate to others, where we focus energy and how we are held to account. It’s my pleasure to announce that CYCJ’s name is changing and we are becoming the Children and Young People’s […]
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Music matters
“Music can give young people a way to open up”. With the recent ‘Ban Drill’ debate linking drill music to violence and crime, Amy blogs about the importance of this music to young people – and why we should listen (both to what the music and the young person is telling us). Drill music often […]
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Good deeds from the Good Shepherd Centre
“It was nice to feel you have done something for someone who’s struggling at the moment and to make someone’s day.” It’s been inspiring to hear about what children and young people are doing to help others during COVID-19 – and none more so than William, Shannon and Alicia at the Good Shepherd Centre, who’ve […]
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You’re never too young to receive support
Although young people are less at risk when it comes to substance misuse related deaths, those who are struggling and seeking recovery still deserve our attention, support and compassion. Claire* shares her experiences of alcohol abuse from a young age, and why receiving support at an earlier stage might have avoided years of pain and […]
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January feels like another world…
Claire Lightowler, CYCJ’s Director and author of ‘Rights Respecting? Scotland’s approach to children in conflict with the law’, reflects on the challenges of maintaining a long-term vision during the immediate challenges of the coronavirus pandemic – and why she’s more determined than ever to keep children’s rights at the forefront of the youth justice agenda… […]
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