In this episode, Communications and Engagement Advisor, Katya Allcott-Amjad was joined by Professor Carlene Firmin and CYCJ Director Professor Fiona Dyer.  

On the day we recorded this episode, our guest Professor Carlene Firmin gave the 23rd Kilbrandon lecture, which CYCJ plays a key role in organising, along with our colleagues at CELCIS and the department of Social Work and Social Policy here at the University of Strathclyde.   

Professor Firmin is Professor of Social Work and Director of the Global Centre for Contextual Safeguarding at Durham University. She is also Co-Editor in Chief of the British Journal of Social Work, co-convener of a special interest group on Social Work and Adolescents for the European Social Work Research Association, a Global Ashoka Fellow, a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a member of the Churchill Fellowship Advisory Council.  Carlene is also a member of CYCJ's Associates scheme.  

Professor Fiona Dyer is Director at the Children and Young People's Centre for Justice.  As Director, Fiona leads CYCJ towards its ambition of ensuring that Scotland's approach to children and young people in conflict with the law is rights-respecting, contributing to better outcomes for children, young people and communities.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Kilbrandon Lectures - https://www.strath.ac.uk/humanities/socialworksocialpolicy/thekilbrandonlectures/ 

Global Centre for Contextual Safeguarding - https://www.contextualsafeguarding.org.uk/ 

Criminal Exploitation of Children Framework for Practice - https://www.cycj.org.uk/resource/criminal-exploitation-of-children-cec-framework-for-practice/ 

In this episode of Creative Conversations, Ranald McTaggart, Deputy Director of CYCJ, and Karen Suszek, Practice Development Advisor, sit down with Professor Clare Allely and Criminal Defence Attorney Elizabeth Kelly.

Together, they delve into key issues surrounding Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and the criminal justice sector. This episode was recorded at The University of Strathclyde on Wednesday 20th November, 2024.

Music by Coma-Media from Pixabay

Episode 3 of 'Creative Conversations with CYCJ' features Scotland's Director-General (Education and Justice) Joe Griffin in conversation with CYCJ Director Fiona Dyer, discussing the Children's Care and Justice Bill, Keeping The Promise, and Scotland's progress in becoming a rights-respecting nation.. This episode was first released in October 2022.

Before becoming Director-General in February 2021, Joe built an impressive and diverse career within the Scottish Government, including roles in justice, safer communities, children and families, equality and diversity. Prior to this, Joe was a diplomat at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office which included postings to New York and Paris. He is also co-convenor of the Race Equality Network.

Join CYCJ's Ross Gibson and Ruth Kerracher for a chat about participation, lived experience, and youth justice in Scotland. This episode of Creative Conversations with CYCJ was recorded in May 2022.

Over recent years, Scotland has introduced significant changes in its quest to create a rights-respecting justice system. In Episode 2 of 'Creative Conversations with CYCJ', Fiona Dyer and Karen Ralston (Director and Deputy Director of CYCJ) reflect on Scotland's justice journey so far, the role CYCJ is playing in supporting this and what the road ahead might look like.

This episode of Creative Conversations with CYCJ was released in July 2022.

In this episode, we are joined by three incredible guests: Dr Grace Robinson, Founder and CEO of Black Box Research & Consultancy, Jack Pippard, a Doctoral Researcher and Black Box employee, and Shelly Cathers, a Trainee Expert Witness with Black Box and PhD Researcher.

Grace, Jack, and Shelly delivered a lecture at the University of Strathclyde, focusing on the critical topic of Child Criminal Exploitation. During the lecture, attendees were invited to submit their questions, and in this podcast, we continue the conversation by addressing those questions and exploring the complex realities of exploitation that children and young people face.

Hosted by Donna McEwan, Practice Development Advisor at CYCJ, this episode offers valuable insights from leading experts and explores practical ways to tackle child criminal exploitation.

Music by Coma-Media from Pixabay

In this episode, we are joined by Graeme Armstrong – a Times bestselling, multi-award-winning author from Airdrie. 

Graeme's teenage years were spent within Scotland's 'young team' gang culture. But since then, he has studied English as an undergraduate at the University of Stirling, completed a Masters in Creative Writing, and is currently a PhD doctoral researcher at the University of Strathclyde. 

His debut novel, 'The Young Team', was published in 2020 and is now being adapted for screen. It's fair to say that Graeme is a rising star, having written and presented documentaries for the BBC, being named one of Granta's Best of Young British Novelists – a once-in-a-decade literary honour, and even appearing in British Vogue. 

However, Graeme is still focused on using his past to fight for positive change – representing as he describes 'unrepresented voices'. Across Scotland and beyond, Graeme runs anti-violence outreach events in the community with young people and in the prison estate, he is an ambassador for The Hope Collective and an honorary lecturer at New College Lanarkshire. 

Recently, Graeme delivered the Keynote at our National Youth Justice Conference, and he has just joined the CYCJ on our Associates Scheme. 

In this episode, Graeme sits down with CYCJ Director, Fiona Dyer for a conversation about his lived experience of gang life, his thoughts on criminal justice, and what life is like for him now and what's next.  

Please enjoy

Music by Coma-Media from Pixabay

In this episode, Donna McEwan, Practice Development Advisor at CYCJ was joined by Stuart Allardyce, director of the Lucy Faithfull Foundation. 

Together they explore some of the complexities surrounding harmful sexual behaviour, delving into nuanced discussions about how we can understand what drives this, adaptations to existing risk assessments and addressing harmful sexual behaviour contextually.

Resources mentioned in this episode: 
Shore website: https://shorespace.org.uk/
Stop it now helpline: https://www.stopitnow.org.uk/helpline/

Music by Coma-Media from Pixabay

In this episode, Communications and Engagement Advisor, Katya Allcott was joined by Fiona Dyer and Lorraine Gillies to discuss their work as co-chairs of the Independent Working Group on Antisocial Behaviour.

In this interview, Fiona and Lorraine share how the group was formed, how they conducted their research, and what needs to happen next to address antisocial behaviour in Scotland.  

Resources mentioned in this episode: 
The Independent Working Group on Antisocial Behaviour review report: https://www.gov.scot/publications/report-independent-working-group-antisocial-behaviour/
CYCJ webinar recording: Hearing from the Independent Working Group on antisocial behaviour: https://www.cycj.org.uk/resource/cycj-webinar-antisocial-behaviour-in-scotland-hearing-from-the-independent-working-group/

Music by Coma-Media from Pixabay

At the CYCJ's National Youth Justice Conference in June 2024, CYCJ Director Fiona Dyer hosted a discussion with keynote speaker Cédric Foussard. 

An esteemed international expert in youth justice, Cédric serves as the coordinator of the Global Initiative on Justice with Children and Advocacy and as the Global Learning Senior Advisor for Terre des Hommes. 

His influential work has significantly shaped global discourse and policies on child rights, particularly for children in conflict with the law.

For Episode 8 of Creative Conversations with CYCJ Pamela Morrison and Rollo Strickland were joined by renowned RJ expert Tim Chapman, Visiting Professor at The University of Strathclyde. In a rewarding and wide ranging discussion, we touched on how restorative justice differs from 'restorative practice' or 'restorative approaches', the need for RJ facilitators to examine their own conscious and unconscious biases and the relationship between children's rights and restorative justice.

At the end of this conversation we allude to a training course being delivered by Tim Chapman, on Restorative Justice from a Children's Rights perspective. We're delighted to announce that this course is now available, and will take place at The University of Strathclyde on February 5th and 6th 2024. To find out more, or apply to take part, visit: forms.office.com/e/GNzPtVNq6H

Releavant Resources and links:

Restorative Justice Training Needs Analysis by Professor Tim Chapman, Tania Nascimento and Professor Cyrus Tata, available via: www.cycj.org.uk/what-we-do/restorative-justice/

Restorative Justice from a Children's Rights Perspective (Wolthuis and Chapman) www.elevenpub.com/en/product/100-1…ghts-perspective

Tim Chapman's CYCJ Webinar (2021) on the relationship between children's rights and restorative justice practice: youtu.be/DS4ap2JG35o?si=uYaiGAk4OFYmYo9s

CYCJ Practice Guide Chapter on Restorative Justice: www.cycj.org.uk/wp-content/upload…ION-12-FINAL-.pdf

This episode was released in Nov 2023.

For Episode 6 of 'Creative Conversations with CYCJ' Maureen Roberts was joined by Speech and Language Therapists AnneMarie Macrae and Janie Scott.

The trio explore Speech, Language and Communication Needs within their work, the funding landscape, and the prevalence and implications of SLCN among children and young people in conflict with the law.

Relevant resources and links:

• CYCJ Practice Guide Chapter on SLCN: www.cycj.org.uk/wp-content/upload…/06/Section-9.pdf
• SLCN Training, 6th & 7th Nov 2023: www.cycj.org.uk/event/slcn-training/
• REACH - Intensive Support to Young People and Families www.pkc.gov.uk/article/20813/REA…ople-and-Families
• Talking Mats www.talkingmats.com/
• Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists online learning journey 'The Box' for people supporting children in conflict with the law with communication needs: www.rcslt.org/learning/the-box-training/
• Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists: Justice Dossier justice-evidence-base-2017.pdf (rcslt.org) chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/www.rcslt.org/wp-content/uploads…ence-base-2017.pdf

NB - Language used in external resources does not always reflect the language that would be used by CYCJ.

Study mentioned
Audit Commission (2004) Youth Justice 2004: A Review of the Reformed Youth Justice System. London: Audit Commission

In Episode 4 of 'Creative Conversations with CYCJ' Fiona Dyer is joined by Fiona McFarlane, Head of Public Affairs at The Promise.

Across an inspiring, wide-ranging conversation the two explore the legacy of the Independent Care Review, Plan 21 – 24, the progress of the Children's Hearings System Working Group and the need to combine consultation and co-creation with tangible action. This episode of Creative Conversations with CYCJ was released in Nov 2022.

In this episode, Communications and Engagement Advisor, Katya Allcott-Amjad was joined by Craig Houston, CYCJ Research Intern and Dr Kayleigh Charlton, CYCJ Research Associate to discuss the Craig's research into antisocial behaviour and school exclusion. 

Craig Houston is a PhD candidate at the University of Glasgow, where he is currently exploring the meaning of, and how, places impact feelings of social connectivity for care-experienced children and young people in Scotland. He joined CYCJ in January 2026 for a 3-month internship, organised through the Scottish Graduate School of Social Sciences.

Dr Kayleigh Charlton is a Research Associate at CYCJ. She joined CYCJ on the Nuffield-funded project 'Challenging Justice Inequalities: Co-producing Change with Children in Conflict with the Law'. The project will run from 2024-2026 and aims to explore how intersecting inequalities affect children's experiences of (in)justice. Kayleigh completed her PhD at the University of Bath titled 'The Imaginary Queer Prison: The Possibilities and Limitations of Queering the Prison'. This was an interdisciplinary thesis that explored conceptualisations of queer spaces, uses and meanings of 'queer', LGBTQ+ pains of imprisonment and the use of speculative fiction to (re)imagine responses to the social and economic inequalities faced by LGBTQ+ communities. 

To read a blog from Craig where he reflects on the experiences of his internship, click here.