Listening to the voices of children and young people in Ashley Youth Detention Centre

While 46 Commission of Inquiry recommendations have been completed, work is underway on many others. The Department for Education, Children and Young People’s Child and Youth Empowerment team have been working on recommendation 12.8, to develop an empowerment and participation strategy for children and young people in detention.

As part of this recommendation, the team have reinstated the Ashley Youth Detention Centre Young Person Consultation Group and has been meeting since 1 July, 2024 The group provides a safe and inclusive environment for young people in detention to form and express their views, make requests, and raise questions and concerns. Their views are actively sought and taken into account when making decisions.

This group is meeting monthly, with their meetings being run by an independent chairperson who has a therapeutic focus and experience engaging with young people and facilitating meetings. This independent person supports the young people to express their views in a psychologically safe environment. Find out how all recommendations are tracking on the Recommendation Status page.