Looking back at 2019
CYCJ’s Interim Director Fiona Dyer reflects back on 2019, and whether she kept to the resolutions she made back in January… At the start of 2019 I made some resolutions, based on the key messages that we published in February and my own goals as Interim Director for CYCJ this year. I like to think […]
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Evaluation – how was it for you?
With CYCJ’s evaluation exercise nearing completion, three team members share their feelings and experiences of the process, what they’ve learnt and what they’ll be taking away from it. Charlotte When we were told that CYCJ was going to be taking on an independent evaluator to help us assess our impact, I’ll admit I had mixed […]
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How to do good evaluation
As CYCJ’s evaluation exercise approaches its conclusion, evaluator Catherine-Rose Stocks-Rankin shares her thoughts on what she’s learnt about CYCJ, the youth justice sector and the process of evaluation itself. Good evaluation requires humility For me, evaluation is first and foremost about learning. I have a tested set of methods that I use, but every time […]
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The IVY Project: Learning About Violence from Young People
As the Interventions for Vulnerable Youth (IVY) project moves to Kibble Education and Care Centre after six years at CYCJ, Lead Clinician Dr Lorraine Johnstone reflects on the important lessons she’s learnt (and is still learning) from her time with IVY. After more than two decades working with forensic populations, I have now come to […]
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The Right to Relationships
In this blog to mark Care Experienced Week 2019, Bernie and Charlie write about the rights that all care experienced individuals should enjoy. They are members of the Why Not? Trust, which seeks to enhance personal relationships amongst those who have lived experience of the care system. As well as individual connections, the Why Not? […]
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Reflecting on CARE
In their joint guest blog, Andi Brierley and Luke Burgess reflect on the ‘CARE’ group in Leeds, drawing on their own experience of the care and justice systems. Andi: My role at Leeds YJS is to work with children in care that come into contact with youth justice and support them to desist from offending, […]
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Innovation in evaluation: CYCJ’s learning journey
CYCJ is currently undergoing a six month evaluation to assess its impact on youth justice in Scotland. In the first of her blog series, evaluator Catherine-Rose Stocks-Rankin talks us through the thinking behind this innovative approach, what’s/who’s involved – and why it’s already making a difference. Asking the tough question: What difference do we make? […]
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We’re listening – key messages from Youth Just Us
Youth Just Us, the steering group behind the CYCJ/Staf Youth Justice Voices project, have already made a substantial impact, with interest from policy makers and politicians. Ruth Kerracher shares the key messages emerging as a result of the dedicated efforts of these dynamic young people. Youth Just Us have had a busy time of it […]
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Autism and offending – a mother’s experience
As we heard from Louise, family members are often affected by their child’s involvement in the justice system. Elizabeth* reflects on what could have helped her son who was not diagnosed with High Functioning Autism until he came into conflict with the law. Little was known about autism in the eighties when my son was […]
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