Free Hybrid Seminar- Youth Justice and Community Care: Protecting Children’s Right to Safety and Support

The seminar will examine the legal rights of children in the youth justice system through the lens of contextual safeguarding and demonstrate how their legal entitlements can protect and nurture them, and divert them from the harm caused by the criminal justice system.

Speakers

Chris Callender, Head of Civil Litigation, Just for Law Kids (Chair)
Chris qualified as a solicitor in 1997. Chris began his legal career in criminal defence and specialised in defending children and young people. In 2002 he joined the Howard League for Penal Reform to set up a legal service to children and young people in prison including a free legal advice line to children in custody. Chris’s work included a series of judicial review challenges around children’s rights in the care system, treatment in prison and securing the first article 2 Human Rights Act inquiry into the treatment of a child in prison. In 2013, Chris returned to private practice working in public, housing, age assessments and community care law with a specialist interest around the rights of children and young people. Chris assisted clients who were victims of criminal and sexual exploitation, including “county lines”. Chris developed his practice seeking compensation against local authorities for failure to remove children from harm or where they suffered neglect while in care. Chris has represented families in inquests relating to children and young people who had taken their lives while in the care of mental health services. Chris has spoken at conferences and seminars to advocates, youth justice workers and lawyers to enable children to have access to justice and improve their lives.

Jennifer Twite, Barrister, Garden Court Chambers
Jennifer has been involved in a number of high-profile cases involving the rights of children within the criminal justice system at all levels up to the Supreme Court. She also undertakes criminal appellate work including referrals to the Criminal Cases Review Commission. She co-authored ‘Youth Justice Law and Practice’ and sits as a Deputy District Judge in the Magistrates’ Court. She also regularly provides training to professionals on youth justice issues. Jennifer has expertise in strategic litigation, having been Head of Strategic Litigation at Just for Kids Law for seven years before joining Chambers. She has led a number of successful campaigns involving the use of children as spies, children in police custody and reforms to the criminal record regime. She has experience intervening in cases, as well as running campaigns and policy work alongside litigation. Jennifer is a member of the Equality & Human Rights Commission’s panel of preferred counsel.

Dr Jenny Lloyd, University of Durham and Global Centre for Contextual Safeguarding
Jenny is a social and cultural geographer researching harm to young people in their communities — including peer violence, sexual harassment, serious violence, and criminal exploitation. As an embedded researcher, she works within organisations to understand and improve safeguarding systems, with experience across children’s social care, schools, and voluntary and community sector organisations. Jenny is particularly interested in how systems designed to protect young people can also cause harm. Her recent work focuses on zero-tolerance policies and school exclusion. She is critical of behaviourist and individualised approaches to safeguarding, and advocates instead for safer environments and communities that genuinely value and listen to young people. As education lead and member of the Contextual Safeguarding leadership team, her research on extra-familial harm has spanned the National Scale-Up project (redesigning children’s social care beyond the home), the Beyond Referrals project (addressing harmful sexual behaviour in schools), and the In The Name Of Safeguarding project (education experiences of young people affected by extra-familial harm). Jenny is committed to translating research into practical resources for professionals. She manages the Contextual Safeguarding website, chairs a sub-group of the International Taskforce for Child Protection, and works regularly with policymakers including the Department for Education and Ofsted.

Aika Stephenson, Co-Founder and Legal Director, Just for Law Kids
Aika founded Just for Kids Law alongside Shauneen Lambe in 2006. She is a solicitor and youth justice expert with years of experience representing young people in criminal proceedings and particularly those with Special Educational Needs. Since April 2017, she has led the organisation’s criminal work after Just for Kids Law was awarded its first criminal legal aid contract. Previously, Aika worked for nine years as a youth specialist at a busy West London firm before joining Hodge Jones & Allen solicitors in 2014, where she ran their youth team as well as heading up programmes at Just for Kids Law. Aika started her career working for the Children’s Society at Feltham Young Offenders Institute as an Advocate before going on to Westminster Youth Offending Team. In recognition of her work in the legal community, Aika was awarded Young Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year (LALY) in June 2007. This prestigious award, presented by Cherie Booth QC, gives Aika credit for her exceptional commitment and dedication to helping young people.

Reserve your ticket
In-person tickets are limited by the venue’s capacity. After you have completed the form, we will be back in touch to confirm whether a place is available at the event.

If you have booked an online ticket, we will send joining details to all those who have signed up on the day of the event. If you have not received the link by 2pm on 1st July, and it is not in your junk inbox, please email webinars@gclaw.co.uk.