Learn More about our Participation Advisor on the CJI Project
My name is Julia Swann (she/her) and I’m a Participation, Engagement and Policy Advisor at CYCJ. I joined CYCJ in 2021 and since then I have had the opportunity to work on a wide range of participation projects such as supporting STARR, Scotland’s only dedicated group for people with experience of secure care, developing the Bairns’ Hoose Standards with children and young people, and working with children and young people to redesign child-friendly communications with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, Scottish Government, and Police Scotland. I’ve also embedded children’s participation throughout several CYCJ projects such as Reimagining Justice and Reimagining Secure Care. My academic background is in Social Policy and Psychology, and I also have lived experience of mental health care and the justice system starting in childhood. I really love that my work lets me bring all of these experiences together to make changes for children and young people now and in the future. I’m also a strong believer that involvement in these kinds of changes as a young adult can be an opportunity for empowerment and healing after difficult experiences, so I try to create opportunities that have the power to change the future as well as reframe the past. My job also also lets me be creative and bring art into the activities I facilitate, something which is really important to me!
My role as Participation, Engagement and Policy Advisor is difficult to sum up in a few words, but my typical week can involve running creative sessions, advocating for children’s views in policy and practice development, and writing reports to ensure that children and young people with experience of the justice system are listened to and have their rights upheld.
Within the Challenging Justice Inequalities project I help support the Youth Advisory Group. We meet regularly to develop the research project, share ideas, and learn about things like research, intersectionality, and justice. It’s a great privilege to share a space with the group, which is made up of young people wanting to make a difference. Everyone in the group has different life experiences and interests, but they are united by a desire to ‘speak truth to power’. It's easy, as an adult, to be disheartened by the many difficulties faced by children and young people, particularly those impacted by the justice system or navigating a world which seems to be stacking up against those of us most impacted by issues like systemic racism, homophobia, ableism, and transphobia. However, I feel incredibly fortunate to witness the shared values which both underpin the CJI project and are held strongly by the YAG – values of inclusion, accessibility, and collective power regardless of age. I’m really looking forward to the next phase of the YAG’s research journey, which I’m sure will be filled with creativity, compassion, and a desire for positive change.
“If you work in the justice system or with children in conflict with the law, please take our short survey. It will take approx. 10-15 minutes to complete and you can remain anonymous if you wish.”
Our First Youth Advisory Group Session
Last week we ran our first youth advisory group session and it went very well! We had 5 young people join us for the introductory session. We talked about what we have learnt so far in the project, what the project timeline is looking like and what their role in the next few months will be. We also made a Group Charter - this included reflecting on how we treat each other as a group, respecting each other’s differences, confidentiality and the process of adapting and reviewing the charter as we go. We are delighted to have another session planned for Monday 9th June. This session will focus on ‘What is Research? Why do Research? What are Research Questions’. Stay tuned to hear more about how that unfolds.
We are currently running focus groups with groups of young people (age 14-17) to generate early discussion points and grow interest in the project. This has been going really well and we are hoping to soon begin recruiting for our longer term Youth Advisory Group.
“When I think about justice, I think about injustice”
“We are looking for people aged 14-17 with justice experience to join our Youth Advisory Group. Watch this short video to find out more and please get in touch if you have questions or want to take part.”
Why This Project? What Are You Most Looking Forward To?
Hi, I am Kayleigh, and I joined the Challenging Justice Inequalities Project as a Research Associate in July 2024 and I thought I'd share with you why I wanted to join this project and what I'm most looking forward to.
I wanted to be involved in this research for lots of reasons. Firstly, I was very interested in the idea of co-producing this work. Often, as researchers, we must make decisions about things that might be better decided by the very people who have experience of that thing. What's great about this project is that we recognise that there are certain gaps in our knowledge and practice and instead of us trying to fill them in alone, we are asking you, the children and young people affected, to help us. Importantly, we aren’t just consulting you and running away with all your thoughts and experiences, we are creating something (I think) special and making sure your time and commitment is properly reimbursed.
Secondly, I’m interested in the general topic that this research focuses on. All my projects so far have been focused on LGBTQ+ experiences, so it’s exciting to get to work on something that takes an even broader approach and considers how lots of different identities might impact young people’s experience of the justice system. It’s important that we don’t assume that all boys, or all people with ADHD, for example, experience the same things. There are lots of factors that influence how we experience the world.
I’m most looking forward to the young advisory group sessions and getting to know everyone better. I think I will learn so much from the group. We have planned our sessions to be engaging and fun and include a range of activities, including creating art, Lego building and even ‘who wants to be a millionaire’ style quizzes.
Remember, if you are interested in joining our youth advisory group, don’t forget to send us a text or email.
I hope to see you soon!
“By adopting an intersectional approach, and in providing a space for children to develop and drive research in this area, the project aims to generate unique and rich knowledge about children’s lived experiences of intersectionality, inequalities and justice.”