Youth Justice Practitioner

*The qualification is designed to: explore the diverse and changing context of youth justice, and support learners to develop knowledge and understanding of the specific needs of children and young people. This includes the issues impacting their identity and development, with a specific focus on crime, criminal behaviour and responses to these issues.

What Will I Study?

Introduction to Youth Justice:
Overview of the development of the youth justice system in England & Wales
Relevant policy, legislation, welfare & justice models
Organisations which make up the YJS; roles, statutory duties and differing approaches.
Age of criminal responsibility
Factors leading to involvement with YJS
Diversionary and Court imposed outcomes

Child First’ Youth Justice:
Four tenets of ‘Child First’
Development of Child First evidence base
Focus on child-centred, collaborative approaches which divert children & young people from YJS
Application of ‘Child First’ evidence base in practice across YJS
Opportunities & challenges for practitioners.
Children & Young People: Needs, Rights & Equality:
Diverse needs & identity of children & young people in YJS
Age, maturity, ethnicity, gender, neurodiversity, care status & vulnerability
Transitions for children & young people in YJS – adulthood, custody & community resettlement.
Rights & equality for justice involved children
Disproportionality, bias, intersectionality, cultural difference & competency.
Advocating for children, young people & their families.

Assessment and Decision Making:
Concepts, theories & factors relevant to children & young people’s offending including risk vs. safety.
Different approaches to & purposes of assessing justice involved children & young people
Holistic assessment, use of assessment tools, sentencing planning, implementation & review.
Importance of professional judgement, appropriate & defensible decision making & evidence informed assessments.

Contextual Safeguarding:
Contextual harms which pose a risk to children including criminal & sexual exploitation
Policy & legislative responses
Practice approaches to prevention, protection & safety planning.
Concepts of victims, vulnerability & victimisation including victim / offender overlap
External factors leading to criminalisation including; educational exclusion & being in care

Professionalism and Collaborative Practice:
Accountability, ethics & values in youth justice practice
Principles of effective team & partnership working
Legislative requirements & information sharing
Managing inter & intra agency conflict & appropriate challenge
Opportunities & challenges to effective collaborative working.

Introduction to Youth Justice:
Overview of the development of the youth justice system in England & Wales
Relevant policy, legislation, welfare & justice models
Organisations which make up the YJS; roles, statutory duties and differing approaches.
Age of criminal responsibility
Factors leading to involvement with YJS
Diversionary and Court imposed outcomes

Child First’ Youth Justice:
Four tenets of ‘Child First’
Development of Child First evidence base
Focus on child-centred, collaborative approaches which divert children & young people from YJS
Application of ‘Child First’ evidence base in practice across YJS
Opportunities & challenges for practitioners.
Children & Young People: Needs, Rights & Equality:
Diverse needs & identity of children & young people in YJS
Age, maturity, ethnicity, gender, neurodiversity, care status & vulnerability
Transitions for children & young people in YJS – adulthood, custody & community resettlement.
Rights & equality for justice involved children
Disproportionality, bias, intersectionality, cultural difference & competency.
Advocating for children, young people & their families.

Assessment and Decision Making:
Concepts, theories & factors relevant to children & young people’s offending including risk vs. safety.
Different approaches to & purposes of assessing justice involved children & young people
Holistic assessment, use of assessment tools, sentencing planning, implementation & review.
Importance of professional judgement, appropriate & defensible decision making & evidence informed assessments.

Contextual Safeguarding:
Contextual harms which pose a risk to children including criminal & sexual exploitation
Policy & legislative responses
Practice approaches to prevention, protection & safety planning.
Concepts of victims, vulnerability & victimisation including victim / offender overlap
External factors leading to criminalisation including; educational exclusion & being in care

Professionalism and Collaborative Practice:
Accountability, ethics & values in youth justice practice
Principles of effective team & partnership working
Legislative requirements & information sharing
Managing inter & intra agency conflict & appropriate challenge
Opportunities & challenges to effective collaborative working.

To work as a teacher at a state school in England or Wales, you will need to achieve qualified teacher status (QTS). This is offered on this course for the following level:

• Course does not award QTS