Welcome

Happy new year to our readers - I hope that 2017 is on track to being a productive and enjoyable year for you all.

A highlight of the end of 2016 was the Scottish Government’s decision to introduce a bill raising the age of criminal responsibility from eight to 12. This is something that we’ve long been hoping for. However, even though we are moving in the right direction, there is still work to be done. Look out for more from us about this during 2017.

We also published a briefing document, which pulls together the key messages and findings emerging from our work over the past three years. Download it here. We’re very proud of what’s been achieved, and looking forward to working together to take this forward. Please do spread the word and share. 

The year got to a great start when our very own Brian McClafferty received a well-deserved Butler Trust Commendation, for his dedication to youth justice in Scotland. He’ll receive his award from HRH the Princess Royal at a ceremony in March.

We were delighted to be recommended as an example of good practice in a report by Churchill Memorial Trust winner Jackie Anders, of Melbourne’s Children’s Court. Jackie visited us last summer, and was so impressed with the Scottish youth justice system that she called for the establishment of an independent body dedicated to research, practice development and knowledge-sharing in youth justice, using CYCJ as a model. Read the full report. Prefer a shorter read? Check out Jackie’s blog for us.

This month’s Info Sheet considers the Good Lives Model (GLM), a strengths-based approach to offender rehabilitation which aims to promote the individuals’ aspirations and plans for more meaningful and personally fulfilling lives. Read it here.

The recent murder of Katie Rough and the involvement of a 15 year old girl once again raised the question of how we should be responding to children who commit serious offences. In his latest blog for us, CYCJ Associate David Orr considers whether, given Scotland’s commitment to human rights, it’s ever in the public interest for the identity of a young person responsible for a serious offence to be disclosed in the media. Read it here. We also welcomed a blog from Chaz Bonnar, whose approach to transforming young lives through hip hop makes for an interesting read.

Finally, we welcomed Laura Kelly to our team as Admin Assistant. Laura comes from a background of arts and culture, and is already proving a valuable addition to our busy team.

Happy reading and as always – get in touch with your news, views and stories.

Claire Lightowler
CYCJ Director

Keeping you informed of the figures

We have been publishing monthly averages of the number of young people in secure care and custody since December 2015. The average number of young people in custody in November and December 2016 was:
 

Date	Under 16	Untried under 16	Convicted Male U18	Convicted Female U18	Untried Male U18	Untried Female U18	Convicted Awaiting Sentence U18	Total average
December 2016	0	0	28	0	14	1	8	51
November 2016	0	0	34	0	19	0	6	59
October 2016	0	0	40	0	17	0	4	61

 
During December there were on average 77 young people in secure care, an average of seven of whom were sentenced, and in November 72 and seven respectively. This compares with 75 and eight respectively during October 2016. Information on average figures for the previous 12 months can be found in Debbie Nolan’s blog.

For more details, please contact deborah.nolan@strath.ac.uk.

Risk - it's a teamwork thing

The Risk Formulation Forum (formerly known as the Risk Users Group) was developed to support practitioners using risk assessment tools as part of core business. It is based at CYCJ. If you are working with children and young people to formulate, manage and reduce the risk presented and would like to find out more or attend this Forum, access dates and times here.

Please e-mail cycj@strath.ac.uk if you have any further queries or would like to discuss the work of the Forum.

News from our Implementation Groups

The Implementation Groups were set up as part of the Scottish Government’s Youth Justice Strategy. Project managed by CYCJ and governed by the Youth Justice Improvement Board, they are on the themes of: Improving Life Chances; Advancing the Whole System Approach; Developing Capacity and Improvement.

The Improving Life Chances Implementation Group met on January 18 to review progress and prioritise the agenda moving forward. The school inclusion and exclusion paper produced by the group  is now online. The need to improve links with relevant external agendas such as the mental health strategy and the pending children in care review was acknowledged. The Improving Practice for Girls writers group has now met several times with the aim of the SQA course being completed in June 2017.

In addition, the Opportunities for All subgroup is continuing to progress in relation to the issues around Disclosure and has linked in with the PVG review. Contact deborah.nolan@strath.ac.uk.

The Developing Capacity and Improvement (DCI) Implementation Group is looking to develop a Youth Justice Outcomes, Performance and Improvement Framework in support of the implementation of the national Youth Justice Strategy. To support this, partners attended a Logic Modelling session facilitated by colleagues from Justice Analytical Services. This constructive session allowed partners to have a voice in contributing to and informing the basis of this Framework.  Contact carole.murphy.100@strath.ac.uk.

The Advancing the Whole System Approach Implementation Group met on November 30 and considered information from the Lived Experience Focus Groups with under 18s in HMYOI Polmont. A journal article informed by the findings of these focus groups will be published and an overview report is scheduled to be provided. The group is collating evidence to support the drive for cultural and legislative change in the use of custody for under 18s.

The group also considered collated information from two questionnaires completed by local authorities regarding a range of interventions used across the spectrum of offending and the nature of Court support provided, with a particular focus on the use of bail and its impact.  The continued importance of EEI and its effective implementation was highlighted, particularly in the current climate pending full implementation of the Children and Young People’s Act 2014. That key messages remain pertinent is outlined in the paper ‘EEI: The Clue is in the name’. Contact donna.mcewan@strath.ac.uk. 

Events and training

National Youth Justice Conference – save the date!
The biggest event of the youth justice calendar will take place on Wednesday 21 and Thursday 22 June at the Stirling Court Hotel (based on the Stirling University campus). Celebrating the fact that this is the 10^th annual conference, the 2017 theme is ‘Youth Justice – past, present and future’. Registration will open at the end of February – look out for details in next month’s e-bulletin.

Managing and Responding to High Risk Young People: February 2, 2017
Please note this event is now full. You can follow the live action on Twitter via #CYCJrisk. Materials will be uploaded onto the CYCJ website following the event.

Roadshow: Loss and Bereavement
CYCJ’s ‘Working with Loss and Bereavement in Young People’ conference, which took place in November to coincide with Children’s Grief Awareness week, highlighted the importance of understanding and recognising how such experiences impact upon young people. CYCJ is now offering a half-day roadshow exploring the theme of Bereavement, Loss and Trauma, which can be delivered for you and staff members in your local area.

This roadshow provides an overview of the different types of loss experienced by young people, exploring the concepts of ambiguous loss and disenfranchised grief - all within the context of a child-centred approach. It further considers the impact of these traumas, losses and bereavements on behaviour and emotional well-being, with space to reflect on the implications for practice.  

Contact cycj@strath.ac.uk to find out more and book this roadshow for your workplace.

Asset training – March 21
If you’d like to receive training in ASSET, CYCJ will be holding a session on Tuesday, March 21 from 10am to 4.30pm, in Room LH104, Lord Hope Building at the University of Strathclyde.

Asset is a structured risk assessment tool for use in working with young people who engage in general offending behaviour. It examines the young person’s offence history and identifies factors or circumstances that may have contributed to this behaviour in order to inform intervention needs and allow for the measuring of progress over time.

START and SAVRY – save the date
CYCJ will be offering training in SAVRY (Structured Assessment of Violence Risk in Youth) and START AV (Short-Term Assessment of Risk and Treatability - Adolescent Version). Please save the following dates for now: 

START AV: Friday May 12, 2017
SAVRY: Friday September 15, 2017

Positive Youth Justice – Children First, Offenders Second
The evaluation from last October’s Positive Youth Justice seminar with Professor Steve Case is now available online. Thank you to all who responded. If you haven’t already, check out Professor Case’s excellent blogs on what positive youth justice and negative youth justice look like in England and Wales.

Youth Level of Service tool
Training in the Youth Level of Service/Case Management Inventory, Second Edition, a gender-informed, culturally-informed and strengths-focused risk/needs tool, is being offered by the Cognitive Centre. Find out more.

News and views

Last November’s NHS Health Scotland ‘Polishing our Gems: A call for action on childhood adversity’ conference explored national action to prevent and respond to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).  Presentations are now available online here.

Know someone ordinary doing something extraordinary? Nominate them for a Scottish Social Services Award.

Check out our website for videos, podcasts and slides from our recent conferences. Is this something you’d like to see more of? Let us know if so – email charlotte.morris@strath.ac.uk.

Stakeholder spotlight

Stop it Now! Scotland
Stop it Now! Scotland is the national programme for the prevention of child sexual abuse.

They work to make Scotland's children and young people, and communities, safer by:

• providing information about child sexual abuse and sex offending
• providing practical tools to help people prevent child sexual abuse from happening
• providing services to individuals concerned about their sexual thinking or behaviour towards children or young people.
• working in strong partnerships with other agencies and organisations to make Scotland safer.

Stop it Now! believe that child sexual abuse is preventable and that adults must take responsibility for protecting children by seeking early help when they are concerned about their own thoughts or behaviour or that of other people.

This can be best achieved when adults are alert to the signs of child sexual abuse and behaviour that might pose a risk to children, and when they know where they can seek help and advice.

Stop it Now! Scotland works closely with the Scottish Government, the Police, local authorities, the voluntary sector and others to promote good practice and policies designed to better protect children and young people at the earliest stage, to change the behaviour that might cause harm to children, and to make our communities safer. Find out more.

Did you know…?
Stuart Allardyce will be a keynote speaker at CYCJ’s Managing and Responding to High Risk Young People on February 2. Follow the action via #CYCJrisk.