Walsall Youth Justice Service approached Open Lens Media to develop a full serviced project that provided dedicated and tailored support to Black and Mixed Heritage boys within the WYJS. As a result, we developed a bespoke three-tiered programme that incorporated:
Internal team training in Disproportionality, Unconscious Bias, and Cultural Identity.
Dedicated personal and professional development support for young boys to support them in re-engaging in education, employment, or training through our Pathway Programme.
Production of a Documentary film with heads of service in early years, police, children’s services, and Youth Justice to investigate what changes are being made to reduce the issues of over-representation.
Alongside the release of the documentary, we were commissioned by the YJS Performance and Partnership board to produce the Walsall Youth Justice System Disproportionality Recommendation Report 2024-2027. This report reviews the findings of our 12-month consultation project and outlines the strategy going forward for their continued approach to addressing disproportionality within the Youth Justice System.
Find out more in the report below.
