Still Children First? Developments in Youth Justice in Wales
| Published date | 01 December 2002 |
| Author | John Minkes,Jonathan Evans,Noel Cross |
| Date | 01 December 2002 |
| DOI | 10.1177/147322540200200304 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
Still Children First? Developments in Youth Justice
in Wales
Noel Cross,
1
Jonathan Evans
2
and John Minkes
3
Correspondence: John Minkes, School of Social Sciences and International
Development, 3rd Floor, Vivian Tower, University of Wales Swansea, Singleton Park,
Swansea SA2 8PP. Email: j.p.minkesVswan.ac.uk
Abstract
This paper examines some emerging evidence in relation to the impact of recent
organisational changes in the delivery of youth justice services, and the implementation
of National Standards for youth justice, on occupational culture in work with young
offenders. It considers the potential conflict between traditional child centred youth justice
practice and the new priorities set for Youth Offending Teams (YOTs) by the Youth
Justice Board for England and Wales, and it draws attention to the possibility of a
divergence in philosophy and practice between Wales and England. The paper highlights
the uneasy philosophical differences that co-exist within YOTs, and it explores the
respective perceptions of qualified practitioners and social work students on placement,
concerning the state of current practice. Finally, the implications for those involved in the
education and training of social work students are briefly considered.
Introduction
We intend to examine whether or not a ‘children first’philosophy is being maintained amongst
social work practitioners in Youth Offending Teams (YOTs) in Wales. Whilst practitioners
themselves profess to uphold this philosophy in their work (and in doing so, they may be
supported by the Welsh Assembly Government), according to the findings from research
outlined in this paper, social work students on placements in Welsh YOTs do not necessarily
view the teams they are placed in, in the same light.
The first part of this article summarises the conflicting discourses of punishment and welfare
in youth justice, and highlights their most recent incarnations in the ‘punitiveness auction’that
developed in the early 1990s (Drakeford and Vanstone, 2000). We will also outline a ‘children
first’philosophy in respect of youth justice (Haines and Drakeford, 1998). We then highlight
the current trend towards the centralisation of control in relation to youth justice policy and
practice, typified by the introduction of new ‘National Standards’. Attention is drawn to some
of the problems that may arise when different professionals and varying occupational cultures
are combined in multi-agency teams such as YOTs. We proceed to review current practice in
Welsh YOTs, informed by our recent research which has been focusing on social work
practitioner and student perspectives. Finally, given that we are each directly involved in
teaching social work students in higher education, we conclude with a comment on the
responsibilities and future of social work educators in relation to youth justice.
The discussion draws on our ongoing ethnographic research in two Welsh YOTs, and it is
additionally informed by interviews with social work students who have completed placements
in a number of YOTs in Wales. Each of the primary studies based in the two YOTs initially
focused on other aspects of youth justice practice. The first was an evaluation of a Bail Support
1
Noel Cross is Research Officer, School of Social Sciences and International Development, University of Wales, Swansea.
2
Jonathon Evans is Lecturer, School of Social Sciences, University of Wales, Cardiff.
3
John Minkes is Lecturer, School of Social Sciences and International Development, University of Wales, Swansea.
To continue reading
Request your trial