Ruth has a degree in Community Education and over 15 years of experience working alongside children and families to influence change. She believes that participation processes should be youth-led and has worked across Scotland and the UK amplifying the voice of young people through the UNCRC reporting process. Ruth works in partnership with CYCJ and Staf as the Youth Justice Participation Lead, a post funded by the National Lottery. She leads on the Youth Justice Voices project which is a national creative participation project for young people aged 16-25 which aims to influence change and amplify the voice of care-experienced young people within the justice system.
Ruth makes connections, links and relationships with young people who have experience of the justice systems, supports them to participate in decision-making fora and uses what she has learned to influence the work being undertaken through Implementation Groups. The project is led by a steering group of young people called Youth Just Us in the community, and Inside Out alongside Barnardo’s in HMP&YOI Polmont. Ruth also runs a bi-monthly online participation practitioners’ forum.