GROWING UP IS RISKY BUSINESS
Growing up is risky business. If, during this critical period of transition, children and young people do not have the right foundations and support, they can become caught up in worsening cycles of harmful behaviour - becoming exploited or exploiting others, and causing serious, sometimes devastating damage, to themselves or others.
Tragically, thousands of children and young people in the UK are growing up vulnerable in such circumstances. Some are causing serious harm and violence, some are victims of serious harm and violence, and most are both. Most are boys and Black, Brown, and Mixed Heritage children and young people are disproportionately represented in the criminal justice system. The needs and vulnerabilities of girls at risk in the community and in conflict with the law are often overlooked.
Teenagers are the fastest growing group in both child protection and care:
'Government departments and safeguarding partners have failed to have an effective response to the risks that teenagers face. Different parts of the children's social care, police, education, justice, and health systems are responding differently to the same teenagers. Accountability for keeping these teenagers safe is lacking.’
(Independent Review of Children's Social Care, June 2021)
Business as usual isn’t working.
Despite the best efforts of dedicated professionals, children and young people with the highest unmet needs and who have experienced greatest cumulative disadvantage, are not getting the support they need to move to a place of safety and strength. Too often, approaches to children in conflict with the law are risk first, episodic, and deficit focused interventions delivered by a large network of frequently changing professionals. Children and families can experience services and systems as piecemeal and uncoordinated, shaped by statutory thresholds that create damaging cracks, gaps, and cliff edges. Existing services do not always enable professionals to make use of the considerable skills, experience and creativity they have, or allow it to develop within a relational context.
