We are recruiting for new Young Advocates!
What is the Young Advocates Project?
The Young Advocates project supports children and young people aged 14-20 with youth justice experience to have a stronger voice on the system by helping them to engage with their peers and shape decision-making for the better. The project is a collaboration between Leaders Unlocked and the Alliance for Youth Justice, supported by Children in Need.
As a Young Advocate, what will I do?
In this project, we train young people who have been affected by the justice system to:
Become ‘Young Advocates’ for youth justice improvement
Comment on important policy topics
Collaborate with professionals
Have face-to-face conversations about the youth justice system with other young people with similar experiences
Influence policy and positive change in the system
Support is tailored to individual needs and goals, previously this has included: mentoring, AQA accreditation, public speaking events, tailored training, external engagement opportunities, CV support, and careers advice. 50% of the previous group went on to secure paid work opportunities.
Young Advocates will be asked to:
Take part in Young Advocates events
As a team, you will set goals for the project, reflect, and review the progress, and work with young adult advisors, and experts from the justice sector to develop work on priority areas. In these sessions, you will develop skills and come up with creative ideas for workshops.Lead on focused work in areas important to you
You will build on the group’s work on unequal opportunities, education, and custody, and develop approaches to tackling issues in the system that are most important to you.Gather the views of young people
We will help you run workshops and discussions with other young people who are passionate about the youth justice system, as we know the most honest conversations happen when young people talk to other young people. As a rough guide, we would expect each Young Advocate to take part in at least 2 of these engagement days - but you’re welcome to do more if you want to!Feedback findings to decision-makers
You will help us understand the most important points from the conversations you’ve had with your peers and share ideas for change with the AYJ members, policymakers and other professionals.
What are the requirements to be a Young Advocate?
We are looking for passionate young people who:
Live anywhere in England and Wales
Are aged 14-20
Have personal experience of the justice system
Can be ‘experts through their experience’
Examples of personal experience of the justice system include school exclusion and alternative education, stop and search, arrest, courts, Youth Offending Teams, and youth custody such as Secure Training Centres or Young Offenders Institutions.
What will I gain from being part of the Young Advocates project?
Discuss issues with decision-makers
You will meet key professionals from the justice sector, and help them to understand what young people in your peer group think about the youth justice system, while learning more about how and why the youth justice system is the way it is.Develop your skills and experience
You will gain valuable skills and experience that you can use for your CV and applications to further or higher education or employment. We also identify ongoing opportunities for each Young Advocate’s personal development, including shadowing, volunteering, and routes to progression.Represent the views of other young people
You will amplify the voices of young people from different communities by helping them to get their views heard.Meet new people
You will meet a diverse range of other passionate young people from across England and Wales, and work alongside professionals from different organisations.We will hold 1-2 meetings a month, using a mixture of online and in-person meetings. In-person meetings will usually be held in London and travel expenses and lunch will be provided at each meeting.
I’m interested! What do I need to do now?
Please complete the application form here by Thursday 31st March at 5pm. If you need more time to complete your application, please get in touch and we will do our best to accommodate you.
If you are under 18, you must also fill out the section regarding your parent/guardian/carer. All members under the age of 18 will be asked to send a signed consent form before the first event.
After you submit your application, we will carry out telephone interviews with shortlisted applicants. If you have any questions about the Young Advocates Project or the application process, please get in touch with Amania at amania@leaders-unlocked.org
Good luck!