AYJ Quarterly Members’ Meeting: January 2023
On Tuesday 24th January, the AYJ hosted our quarterly Members’ Meeting, featuring the Children’s Commissioner for England Rachel de Souza, and her Director of Policy, Planning and Delivery Juliette Cammaerts.
Keynote Speaker:
The Children’s Commissioner shared her concerns surrounding adultification of children in contact with the justice system, particularly of older Black boys, and emphasised the significance of children having a good relationship with the police, citing the case of Child Q as being a wake up call across sectors. A child-first approach to policing will be her focus for the coming year.
She highlighted the need for children in the care of the state to be in safe accommodation, and stressed that the Victims Bill “can and should be doing more to ensure that criminally exploited children are protected” with the help of the inclusion in the Bill of a definition of child criminal exploitation.
The Commissioner spoke about the findings from her Office’s August 2022 report on strip searches of children by the Metropolitan Police Service, and emphasised that the quality of the data collected needed to be improved. She outlined the team’s work to “extend the analysis nationally”, asking more detailed questions than the London report. The national report is set to be published in early 2023.
Member Q&As
Stance on the Serious Violence Duty: the Commissioner’s top priorities for any new Duty are speaking with children, ensuring that information is only shared from a safeguarding perspective, and ensuring that children and families have good contact with a professional who is “on their side”.
Improving conditions for children in custody: the Commissioner has urged the speeding up of secure schools to Youth Justice Minister Damian Hinds MP, and was accessing leaders, public services and the press to expose the “dreadful” conditions experienced by children in custody. The Commissioner’s Office is also keen to ensure better data on strip searches in the secure estate.
Education: Juliette emphasised the need and to ensure that Alternative Provision and PRUs are viable alternatives to mainstream education, to maintain the continuity of relationships and support .
Organisation Updates
AYJ Interim CEO Saqib Deshmukh updated members on the publication of the AYJ’s strategy, our policy priorities, upcoming work on the AYJ’s projects, and meetings with key stakeholders such as the CEO of HMPPS, and Executive Director of the Youth Custody Service.
Member updates:
The Traveller Movement’s upcoming event Reaching Out: Connected Communities – which unites different services to support employment, education and training for young Gypsy, Roma and Traveller across the UK.
The introduction of We Are With You’s Re-Frame programme , which aims to reduce the criminalisation of children by diverting them from the criminal justice system.
StreetDoctors’ CEO Lucie Russell participation at a parliamentary roundtable about improving outcomes for young people affected by violence by using sports and skills training.
Kinetic Youth’s expansion, allowing the organisation to recruit new staff.
The publication of, and research surrounding, the National Appropriate Adult Network’s report highlighting the ethnic disparities in the use of search powers, and their traumatic impact on children.