A flying visit to Ireland’s Secure Care Centres
CYCJ’s secure care lead Ruby Whitelaw recently visited two of Ireland’s secure care centres. Here’s what she learnt about the similarities and differences – and what both countries can learn from each other in providing a trauma-informed environment Following the innovative presentation by Professor Ursula Kilkelly at CYCJ’s National Youth Justice Conference in June, I […]
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Reimagining The Promise
We talk about Keeping The Promise – but what does this actually look like, when working with children and young people in conflict with the law? CYCJ’s Director Fiona Dyer shares why and how CYCJ has changed its approach to be part of the change demanded by the findings of the Independent Care Review. Keeping […]
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Hope for transformation in secure care
As STARR – Scotland’s only curated space for secure care experienced people – celebrates winning a Young Scot Community Award, the group’s co-founder and chair Beth-Anne Logan reflects on how she’s using care experience to drive change and development in the care system in Scotland, in this guest blog for the Talking Hope project.` Being […]
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Raising the participation game at St Mary’s Kenmure
St Mary’s Kenmure used CYCJ’s recent webinar with Professor Laura Lundy as an opportunity to raise awareness of participation amongst the team (and also have some fun!). Elaine Hamilton and Ian Nisbet tell us more… Within St Mary’s Kenmure (SMK), we as a Leadership team have been looking at ways in which we can progress […]
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Taking a leap of faith
“Bold, brave…or just plain bonkers?” As she joins CYCJ as Practice Development Advisor for Secure Care, Ruby Whitelaw ponders new challenges, and what happens when you step outside of your comfort zone. After 25 years of working in residential childcare I was pondering my next challenge, as throughout my career I’ve pushed myself to learn, […]
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Working together to achieve the Rights Respecting dream
The Good Shepherd Centre has achieved its UNICEF Rights Respecting School Bronze Award, which celebrates the work the centre is doing to respect and protect the rights of its young residents. In this guest blog, Leona Donnelly (Deputy Head of Education) and Fiona Haigh (Languages Teacher) share the GSC rights respecting journey – and why […]
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Relationships are the starting point
As we approach the one year anniversary of the publication of Scotland’s Care Review – and three months since the Secure Care Pathway and Standards Scotland launched – Chelsey talks about the importance of building genuine and honest relationships with young people, and the difference this can make. A young person once told a colleague […]
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Securing better futures
October 8, 2020 marks a very important moment for children and young people who experience secure care. That’s because it’s the day the Secure Care Pathway and Standards will be launched in Scotland’s five secure care centres, celebrating the hard work, creativity and passion that children in these centres put into helping to shape this […]
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Deprivation of liberty in Northern Ireland
What can we learn from other countries about how we approach deprivation of liberty? Debbie Nolan shares learning from her recent exchange visit with secure care colleagues in Northern Ireland. Since taking over the secure care practice development advisor post last year, I have been in touch with people across various countries to discuss deprivation […]
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