Alliance for Youth Justice (AYJ)

📢 Do you have skills in charity finance, fundraising, strategic communications or policy influencing? 🧒 Do you believe all children should be able to reach their potential? 🎯 Join our board and help us drive positive change in youth justice The Alliance for Youth Justice is seeking a treasurer and two trustees who share our commitment to social justice and achieving positive change for children and young people in the youth justice system. As members of our Board of Trustees successful candidates will play a vital role in making sure that the Alliance for Youth Justice is run effectively, is helping the people it is supposed to in the best way possible, and is using its funds wisely and appropriately. We are particularly seeking trustees with knowledge and experience in charity finance, fundraising and strategic communications and influencing. As an organisation committed to anti-oppressive practice and anti-racism we're keen to hear from people who are under-represented on charity boards. We also aim for 50% of our board members to be representative of our membership and we are therefore also keen to receive applications from representatives of Alliance for Youth Justice members. Application deadline: 9.00 am on 9th December For more information and how to apply please download the recruitment pack www.ayj.org.uk/vacancies

Final day to apply to join our team!

⚠️ This week HM Inspectorate of Prisons published its annual report on children’s perceptions of custody for 2023-24, alongside an independent review of progress at Feltham A Young Offender Institution, concluding that children are “being failed in establishments dominated by violence, disorder and lack of education”. The findings are deeply concerning, yet entirely unsurprising. The government must not let another year go by where inspectorate reports that should each be as shocking as the last have come to be expected. 🔎 Read our blog in response: https://lnkd.in/eD65Bmy5

📢 We're recruiting! Join the Alliance for Youth Justice team. We're seeking a values driven, engaging and creative Communications and Engagement Manager to join our small team to build our profile with our stakeholders and foster strong relationships with our members. You'll be responsible for: 🎯 Strategic Communications: Developing and implementing effective communication plans to reach diverse audiences, including policymakers, the public, and our members. 💡 Content Creation: Producing engaging content across various platforms, such as newsletters, social media, and our website, to promote our work and amplify the voices of our members and young people. 👥 Member Engagement: Building strong relationships with our members, organising events, and providing support to help them achieve their goals. This is a 6 month post, with the intention to extend subject to funding. If you or someone you know is passionate about social justice and children's rights and have the skills and experience to make a difference in this role, please apply. More info here https://lnkd.in/eAMEP2pu

We welcome Ministry of Justice UK's appointment of the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales (YJB) Susannah Hancock to independently review the placement of girls in the children and young people’s secure estate. For too long vulnerable girls have been failed by a lack of targeted provision and focus in policy. We look forward to supporting the review and facilitating engagement between Susannah and our members to ensure that girls in contact with youth justice get the support they need.

We welcome the government recognition of major issues across the justice system that need long overdue redress. While the youth justice system is not experiencing the same prison capacity issues, there are still grave concerns for children being sentenced. A separate children-centred look at the children's system is also needed. This should embed relevant learnings from the adult review, but be ambitious in meeting the distinct needs of children caught up in the justice system. This must include reforming sentencing to reflect the complex interrelationship between vulnerability, victimisation and involvement in crime; tackling proven racial injustices in sentencing; and ensuring custody is a genuine last resort, for the shortest possible time.

The theme of #BlackHistoryMonth2024 is reclaiming narratives and I have been reflecting on the importance of this for Black and racially minoritised children in the youth justice system, who experience racism, negative stereotypes, discrimination, and prejudice. In my latest blog post, I discuss the importance of this theme and the role of voluntary organisations, led by and for racially minoritised people, in supporting children through celebrating their identities, histories and cultures so they can reach their full potential. https://lnkd.in/gXfDQh9m

We're proud to be one of 30 organisations to have endorsed this important briefing. It sets out key principles to ensure the government's planned Young Futures Hubs live up to their potential: to make a profound difference to the lives of children and young people.

📣 EXCITING JOB OPPORTUNITY - Policy and Public Affairs Manager (Adolescent Risk and Vulnerability) At The Children's Society we are are looking for a talented and ambitious manager to develop and deliver an ambitious new policy and influencing programme for our risk portfolio. The ideal candidate will have an in-depth understanding of the issues facing children and young people most at risk, as well as prior experience in influencing local and national government to bring about tangible change across systems, services and support. This portfolio covers a broad spectrum of adolescent risk and vulnerability issues that young people of this country are facing, including but not limited to: children experiencing #extrafamilialharm; #adolescent & #contextualsafeguarding approaches; children impacted by #crime, #violence & #youthjustice; violence against women & girls (#VAWG); #childsexualexploitation & #abuse; #childcriminalexploitation; children going #missing; and #care-experienced children. You’ll thrive in this role if you: 🌟 Are ambitious, passionate & optimistic for change for children & young people 🌟 Are a driven, collaborative leader who wants to shape & significantly grow impact in this space 🌟 Have a deep knowledge of the risks that teenagers face & experience, & the range of factors that can make them vulnerable 🌟 Have highly developed political skills, such as diplomacy, negotiation, persuasion, & coalition-building; that enable you to understand & navigate the political landscape & policy-making process 🌟 Are excited about delivering on a wide and varied portfolio of work 🌟 Commitment to amplifying young people’s voices 🌟 Enjoy managing people & contributing to cross functional teams to deliver against strategic objectives 🌟 Have experience of working to influence the legislative process & understand the policy landscape 🌟 Are motivated by policy that is youth informed, evidence-based, grounded in practice, inclusive & delivers change 🌟 Have experience in working with a range of external stakeholders/across diverse sectors 🌟 Have excellent written & verbal communication skills – high level, persuasive, influencing, and negotiation skills are essential to this post. 🌟 Are committed to creating a diverse & inclusive culture and developing effective policy propositions & political influencing through an intersectional lens ⏳ The closing date for applications is 11.59pm on Sunday 13th October. Please share with your networks!!! #policy #publicaffairs #influencing #risk #vulnerability #adolescence #safeguarding #exploitation #youth #advocacy #campaigns #youthvoice

We are proud to today publish our new briefing, Setting the Youth Justice Agenda, urging the government to take bold action to reimagine youth justice. We set out changes new Ministers must prioritise to achieve a safeguarding response to vulnerable children, end racial injustice, and ensure that custody is a last resort. 🎯 Key recommendations: 1️⃣ Create a Department for Children, led by a Secretary of State for Children. To protect and support vulnerable children, and ensure children involved in crime are treated differently to adults 2️⃣ Rebalance resources away from policing and punitive action towards supporting localised multi-agency solutions and community-led services. To keep children out of the justice system and ensure where interactions do happen, the priority is making the child safer 3️⃣ Create a cross-government plan of action to tackle the cumulative impact of racial discrimination before, during & after children’s contact with the justice system. To end unjust racial disproportionality in the marginalisation, criminalisation and mistreatment of children 4️⃣ Develop an ambitious, long-term strategy for keeping children out of custody and closing harmful child prisons. To ensure govt is doing all in its power to ensure custody is a last resort, and where it is necessary, children are held in small, welfare-based establishments We are looking forward to collaborating with the new government to create a youth justice system that promotes social justice and enables all children to reach their full potential 👏 A huge thank you to all our members involved in the extensive consultation that shaped the briefing. 🔎 Read more here: https://lnkd.in/e4iWbS5S