The Youth Justice Conference 2026: Delivering Consistent Child-First Justice

Previous Supporters Include

Overview

The Youth Justice Board for England and Wales continues to drive forward its 2024–2027 strategy, placing the safety, wellbeing and positive outcomes of children at the centre of reform. With record lows in first-time entrants and custody sustained, the next phase of youth justice reform focuses on one of the system’s most pressing challenges, ensuring that every child receives consistent, high-quality support regardless of geography, race, and early experiences at school. This ambition is reinforced by the Ministry of Justice’s “Modern Youth Justice System: Foundations Fit for the Future” policy statement, which sets out a new approach to oversight and accountability across the youth justice system. Despite clear long-term progress, significant variation remains in access to diversion, health and education provision, and multi-agency support at the frontline of service delivery.

• From 2024-2025 the average time from offence to completion was 230 days the joint highest level it has been with 2021 (Youth Justice Board, 2026)
• In the year ending March 2025 there were just under 3,700 knife or offensive weapon offences resulting in a caution or sentence committed by children (Youth Justice Board, 2026)
• In England and Wales 80% of children cautioned or sentenced within the youth justice system are from the SEND or neurodivergent cohort (Michael Sieff Foundation, 2025)

Join us at the Youth Justice Conference 2026 to explore how national reform is being translated into consistent frontline practice. Hear from leading experts, practitioners and partners on strengthening diversion, reducing unnecessary remand, delivering integrated support for children with complex needs, tackling racial disproportionality and building a more reliable, improvement-focused youth justice system. Through keynotes, case studies and practical workshops, the conference will showcase how those working within the youth justice sector can move from pockets of excellence to an equity in service provision across the UK.

Agenda

• 9.30am

  Registration

• 9.50am

  Chair’s Opening Remarks

  Alexandra Cox, Associate Professor of Criminology, University of Reading (invited)

• 10.00am

  Keynote: Delivering an Equitable Youth Justice System

  • Key findings from the Youth Justice Insights Report and what they mean for frontline services
  • Addressing the postcode lottery: how to close the gap between the best-performing areas and the rest
  • Outlining the Youth Justice Board’s improvement and innovation role in supporting local systems
  • Strategies for embedding Child-First, evidence-led practice across all stages of the youth justice pathway

  Phil Bowen, Interim Chair, Youth Justice Board for England and Wales (invited)

• 10.20am

  Keynote: Encouraging Pro-Social Identities for Children and Young People in the YJS

  • Strategies for supporting children to develop pro-social identities and positive self-concepts
  • Using lived experience to co-design interventions that support personal growth and social integration
  • Practical examples of programs and approaches that strengthen positive peer relationships and community contribution

  Shauneen Lambe, Director, Youth Justice Legal Centre (invited)

• 10.40am

  Questions and Answers

• 11.00am

  Comfort Break

• 11.20am

  Keynote: Diversion: Reducing Remand Through Community Alternatives

  • Exploring why children are still being remanded unnecessarily and the impact on wellbeing and future outcomes
  • Highlighting the evidence base for diversion and community-based alternatives as a first-line response
  • Practical strategies for courts and youth justice services to implement consistent diversion pathways
  • Understanding how multi-agency collaboration can provide timely support and reduce reliance on custodial remand

  Gareth Plumb, Young People and Community Programme Manager, London’s Violence Reduction Unit (invited)

• 11.40am

  Case Study: Multi-agency Working and Quality Assurance

  • Exploring how strong multi-agency collaboration underpins consistent, high-quality youth justice practice
  • Identifying challenges in coordination between police, social services, education, health, and voluntary sector partners
  • Strategies for embedding quality assurance frameworks to monitor, evaluate, and improve outcomes
  • Using data, audit, and peer review to ensure equitable access to diversion, safeguarding, and support for children with complex needs

  Tom Dooks, Head of Service at Youth Justice Services, Cheshire West and Chester Council (invited)
• 12.00pm

  Questions and Answers

• 12.20pm

  Lunch Break

• 1.00pm

  Keynote: Transitional Safeguarding: Supporting Young People Beyond Age 18

  • Exploring the unique risks faced by young people leaving the youth justice system as they transition to adulthood
  • Understanding gaps in care, education, health, and accommodation once statutory protections end
  • Strategies for continuity of support: maintaining safeguarding, mental health, and social support beyond 18
  • Practical approaches for embedding trauma-informed, child-first principles into transitional planning

  Lisa Smith, Deputy Director, Research in Practice (CONFIRMED)

  

• 1.20pm

  Case Study: Diverting Victims of Child Criminal Exploitation

  • Understanding children exploited into criminal activity: distinguishing victims from offenders
  • Strategies for early identification and diversion from the criminal justice system
  • Developing multi-agency pathways that prioritise safeguarding over prosecution
  • Using lived experience and data to inform effective interventions and reduce reoffending

  Molly Ellis, CEO & Founder, Project Accountability (CONFIRMED)

  

• 1.40pm

  Questions and Answers

• 2.00pm

  Breakout Networking: Working Collaboratively to Improve Outcomes for Children and Young People in the Youth Justice System

  This session will provide you with the opportunity to discuss the challenges and opportunities involved in supporting children and young people affected by the youth justice system. Share your experiences and approaches with colleagues from across youth services, local authorities, education, health, and the voluntary sector. Explore strategies to ensure a trauma-informed, child-centred approach to justice and safeguarding.

• 2.30pm

  Comfort Break 

• 2.50pm

  Case Study: Education Inclusion as Prevention: Disrupting Pathways into the Youth Justice System

  • Exploring the link between exclusion, care experience and offending
  • Outlining the role of education in early identification and intervention and what can be done to improve this
  • Strategies for building effective partnerships between schools and Youth Justice Services
  • Strategies for creating inclusive environments that keep children engaged

  Carolyn Lawler, Chair, NAVSH (invited)

• 3.10pm

  Case Study: Case Study: SEND, Neurodiversity and Complex Needs: Delivering Integrated Support

  • Recognising and responding to neurodiversity within the youth justice cohort
  • Improving access to timely health and education provision
  • Developing trauma-informed, strengths-based approaches to supporting children and young people with complex needs
  • Strategies for engaging effectively and building long term trust with children and young people with complex needs

  Professor Cheryl Thomas KC, Professor of Judicial Studies, UCL (invited)

• 3.30pm

  Questions and Answers

• 3.50pm

  Chair’s Closing Remarks

  Alexandra Cox, Associate Professor of Criminology, University of Reading (invited)

• 4.00pm

  Conference Close

Get in Touch

Previous Speakers

Martin Pratt CBE

Board Member

Youth Justice Board

Shauneen Lambe

Director

Youth Justice Legal Centre

Hannah Blower

Change Lead

Youth Endowment Fund

Samantha Burns

Postdoctoral Researcher

Manchester Metropolitan University

Testimonials

Why You Should Attend

✓ High-level keynotes from leading policymakers and practitioners improving outcomes for those in the youth justice system

✓ Hear the latest national updates and evidence-based approaches to tackling reoffending and safeguarding vulnerable children

✓ Gain practical tools and strategies to embed culturally competent, trauma-informed, and child-centred practices

✓ Networking opportunities with speakers and senior colleagues across the youth justice sector

✓ 8 hours of CPD points towards your yearly quota

Who Should Attend

Pricing Options

Sponsorship

Raise Your Profile, Showcase Your Solutions, Generate New Business

If your products, services, and solutions can support our audiences in their roles, and you want to make connections and generate new business with key stakeholders, decision makers, and influencers, then please contact us using the enquiry form below.

IMPORTANT: There are only a small number of sponsorship opportunities available to ensure maximum exposure and ROI – contact us today to secure your place.

Virtual vs F2F

Whilst F2F provide better options for networking, there are many distinct advantages of sponsoring our online conferences including:

• Wider geographical reach of delegates and a different audience who prefer online to f2f
• Lower sponsorship package costs
• No travel/accommodation
• Less time out of the office
• No stand materials required (lower costs)
• 1 of only 2 sponsors involved – less competition on the day
• Prime speaking slot in the morning of the conference including Q&A – less distractions and easier for delegates to hear/absorb information
• Receive all delegate data after the conference to follow-up directly with those who attend and don’t attend (small % but still key stakeholders)
• Ongoing exposure via OnDemand access (coming soon)

To find out more and discuss your specific objectives, please contact us below: