Non Charity Employer
1 - 5 About us
Who we are
The AYJ is an alliance of more than 70 non-profit organisations advocating with and for children to drive positive change in youth justice across England and Wales. We mobilise our members’ frontline expertise, children’s lived experience, and evidence from research to champion a child-centred, rights-based and trauma-informed system that treats contact with the justice system as a sign of unmet need and systemic failure, prioritises support over criminalisation and gives every child the opportunity to thrive.
We have an impressive track-record as the most influential group campaigning for improvements to the youth justice system. We are viewed by key stakeholders as a credible and permanent part of the youth justice eco-system and have regular trusted access to decision makers.
We have three goals:
- children are kept safe from the youth justice system through early prevention and diversion;
- racial justice is achieved across the youth justice system;
- custody is a last resort for children.
To achieve these goals, we:
- shape systems and narratives;
- mobilise our membership so we are greater than the sum of our parts;
- amplify the voices of, and shift power to, those most impacted by the system and expose systemic and racial injustice;
- collaborate with others who share our aspirations.
Our culture and values
Our values
Our work is underpinned by our core values and across everything we do we strive to be:
Collaborative, Child-centred, Anti-discrimination, Credible, Independent and Tenacious.
What it is like working with us:
- A small team making a big difference: We are a team of three that punches well above its weight. We are backed by a supportive board and a brilliant network of members whose knowledge and expertise keeps us grounded, informed and effective.
- A real say in how things run: Because we are small, you will not be stuck behind layers of hierarchy. You will work closely with our CEO and have genuine space to share ideas and improve how we do things.
- Values that matter day-to-day: We are deeply committed to anti-racist, anti-oppressive practice, in both our external facing activity and in how we support and treat each other at work.
- Trust and flexibility: We work from home and offer flexible working arrangements, trusting you to manage your time in a way that fits your life, within core hours.
Equality, diversity and inclusion policy
We work to elevate the voices and experiences of, and outcomes for children in marginalised communities, ensuring that racial justice remains a priority in our work, progressing this through:
- Governance: diversifying our Board and membership base bringing together new expertise from marginalised groups and those with lived experience of the issues we work on. This work is ongoing and the Board has established a sub-committee to support the AYJ to consider equity, diversity and inclusion in our work.
- Strategic development: ensuring our strategic approach is informed by the views of members and partners led by and for racialised people and insights from our participation in Further Faster, a learning programme for civil society CEOs committed to serious action on anti-racism and racial justice.
- Partnerships and advocacy: working in collaboration with members and cross-sector partners to raise the profile of the treatment and experiences of, and outcomes for, marginalised communities. This has included working alongside organisations such as Action for Race Equality, The Traveller Movement; and Agenda, the alliance for women and girls at risk.
- Youth voice: amplifying the voices of children and young people with experience of the justice system to be part of a movement to drive positive change around issues that are important to them. We work through our members to reach children and young people and are extremely proud to have run the Young Advocates for Youth Justice project.
