Position Paper 2023

Transdisciplinary Research for Youth Justice – Position Paper 2023 26 focused. There are important provisions in the 1989 Children’s Act that seek to ensure that the various arms of public service should cooperate with each other to prevent children becoming involved in criminal activity. The Children Act 2004 (2004 Act) also imposes a duty on children’s services in England to improve the well-being of children in relation to ‘the contribution made by them to society’ and to cooperate in helping children become responsible citizens. Section 10(2) of the 2004 Act defines wellbeing, by reference to the following five outcomes (a) physical and mental health and emotional well-being; (b) protection from harm and neglect; (c) education, training and recreation; (d) the contribution made by them to society; and (e) social and economic well-being. The 2004 Act requires all professionals to work towards achieving these five outcomes in order to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. There were many opportunities throughout Charlie’s life story for various local community agencies to work together to address the problems Charlie has and continues to experience and to take steps to prevent his behaviour deteriorating in the way that it did, Section 37 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 establishes preventing offending by children as the principal aim of the youth justice system in England and Wales and places all those working in the youth justice system under a duty to have regard to that aim in carrying out their duties. In 2020, the Prevention and Diversion Project was jointly commissioned by the National Probation Service (NPS), YJB and the Association of Youth Offending Team (YOT) Managers. The Prevention and Diversion Project developed a new definition of prevention as involving the provision of support and interventions to children (and their parents/carers) who may be displaying behaviours which point to their underlying needs or vulnerability. The aim being to address unmet needs, promote positive outcomes and stop children entering the formal youth justice system (YJB, 2021: 2). These initiatives envisage a Child First approach by adopting an evidence-based strategy in which the voices and opinions of children, and their families, are heard and respected. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) was signed by the UN General Assembly in 1989 and ratified by the UK government in 1991. The UNCRC specifically recognises the inherent vulnerabilities of all children. Article 3, which refers to the best interests of the child, is a guiding principle and cross-cutting