Students’ tie-in to offender ‘research’
A SCHEME has been launched by academics aiming to help young offenders – including those from Halton.
Cheshire Youth Justice Services, which serves Halton, Cheshire West, Cheshire East and Warrington, has teamed up with Lancashire’s Edge Hill University to work with more than 250 young people with convictions.
It is hoped the initiative will benefit students, lecturers, youth justice staff and offenders themselves.
Student placements will be used alongside academic research and evidence to boost understanding of residents’ concerns and improve the chances of turning youths away from crime.
An Edge Hill University spokeswoman said the partnership is unique in that it will combine the expertise of multiple departments including health and social care, education, criminology, and sport.
Sean Creaney, a lecturer in the psychosocial analysis of offending b e h a v i o u r, said: “As a university we can bring our academic research and theory to those working in Cheshire Youth Justice Services.
“This might be with lectures on emerging issues in youth justice such as the application of ‘desistance theory’, which moves towards building an offender plan based on the existing positives in an ● offender’s life rather than just using offence-focused activities.
“In return our students will also be able to gain valuable employment skills through placements across Cheshire and will choose their dissertation topics based on issues affecting the organisation and needs of the local service.
“This will enable them to gather real data tackling topics such as the impact of legal highs on the offenders’ wellbeing.
“This can then be used to enhance service delivery across Cheshire.’’
Tom Dooks, youth jus- tice service senior manager, said: “We work with some of society’s most vulnerable and challenging children and young people and are always striving to learn how we can help improve outcomes for them – and of course achieve some resolution for their victims.
“Partnering with Edge Hill University offers an exciting way of enhancing the application of theory into practice across a range of topics and specialist areas related to the delivery of youth justice.
“We are keen to grow our partnership with Edge Hill organically as a transfer of skills and knowledge, learning from each other as we test out and develop new and hopefully mutually beneficial areas of interest and research.”