A decade of development and practice support

Welcome to our new look website – a resource for criminal and youth justice practitioners across Scotland, a portal for information about services and practice development for a wide range of partners and a place where members of the public can find out more about what's going on.

Our website provides up-to-date professional knowledge and advice, information about conferences, and professional guidance, and should be of interest to social workers and others working in criminal and youth justice services such as the police, prosecutors, lawyers, sentencers and those working in custodial settings.

The Criminal Justice Social Work Dervelopment Centre for Scotland was founded in 2001 and is based at one of the UK's most prestigious universities, Edinburgh University. It carries out primary research and evaluation studies of social work and related practice in criminal and youth justice.  The Centre supports the development of research led practice and management through knowledge exchange and transfer, practice development and research.  The Centre and its partnership network link closely with Scottish Government and is represented at national level on strategic, policy and practice forums.

Youth justice update

The Youth Justice National Development Team news update is available here.

The core function of the team is to support practice development.  This involves identifying and promoting best practice in youth justice based on best available national and international evidence; developing links between research and best practice; engaging with strategic debates; promoting the need for specialist practice and supporting practitioners throughout Scotland who work with children and young people who offend.

Youth justice front line

Front line issues are represented by the National Youth Justice Advisory Group. The Group is a membership body comprising all 32 local authorities and its partners that supports youth justice practice and delivery across Scotland. They are the voice of youth justice and work in partnership to support the management and delivery of the very best youth justice practice across Scotland.  Members are involved in and contribute to various strands of policy development in relation to children and young people who offend.  Read their most recent news letter here.