Levelling the Playing Field partners can access a range of courses to develop their understanding of the ‘child first’ approach to youth justice.

The ‘child first’ approach is essentially the belief that children who come into contact with the Criminal Justice System are seen and treated as ‘children’ rather than ‘offenders’.

It is a future-focused approach promoting the development of a pro-social identity for sustainable desistance, working collaboratively with children and their carers to encourage participation, engagement and social inclusion.

Child First Justice focuses on prevention, diversion and minimal intervention to reduce the stigmatising effects of system contact.

The Youth Justice Institute offers 15 short courses (two of them free) which all espouse the ‘child first’ principle. All are available in app form and can be used on smartphones, tablets or PCs.

Two courses which might be particularly relevant to Levelling the Playing Field delivery partners are this one on black, Asian and minority ethnic young people and youth justice, and the course on engaging young people (fifth on this list).

The two free courses are Exploring Youth Justice and Introduction to Child and Adolescent Development, while the subsequent 13 courses are all Effective Practice Awards (EPAs) accredited by Skills for Justice Awards.

Find out more information on all courses here.

More info on ‘child first’: A recent report from Loughborough University robustly supported the ‘child first’ philosophy which was officially encompassed in standards set out by the Youth Justice Board in 2019.