YJB anti-racism statement
Published 1 November 2024
Applies to England and Wales
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/youth-justice-board-anti-racism-statement/yjb-anti-racism-statement
The YJB is committed to actively opposing racism and discrimination and advancing racial equity across youth justice. This statement sets out our commitment to being an anti-racist organisation.
Racial disparities exist within the system, including the over-representation of children from Black, Mixed heritage and other ethnic minority backgrounds. These disparities are not inevitable. They are shaped by systemic factors that must be understood, challenged and changed.
As our role evolves, we will continue to act as a national leader for continuous improvement, using evidence, insight and partnership to support a youth justice system that is fair, proportionate and focused on improving outcomes for all children.
In practice, this means we will:
1) Use evidence to understand and challenge disparity
We will strengthen the evidence base on racial disparity in youth justice, improving the quality, transparency and use of data to better understand children’s experiences and outcomes. We will use this insight to inform practice, support improvement and enable accountability across the system.
2) Support local services to identify and address inequality
We will provide tools, insight and targeted support to help youth justice services and partners understand patterns of disproportionality in their local areas and take informed action to address them. We will continue to highlight and share effective practice that contributes to more equitable outcomes.
3) Work in partnership to confront systemic inequality
We will work with government, system leaders and local partners to identify, expose and challenge the factors that drive racial disparity, supporting collective action to address them. In Wales we will continue to support the Welsh Government’s Anti-Racist Wales Action Plan and their ambition to become an Anti-Racist country by 2030.
4) Promote transparency and accountability
We will be open about what the data shows, where disparities persist and where progress is being made. We will support a culture of continuous improvement, enabling services to reflect, learn and act.
5) Embed racial equity within our organisation
We will continue to build an inclusive organisation where all staff feel safe, valued and able to thrive. This includes supporting open and constructive conversations about race, monitoring equity of opportunity and ensuring our internal practices reflect our commitment to fairness and respect.
Addressing racial disparity requires sustained focus, collective action and a willingness to challenge established ways of working.
We will continue to use our role, evidence and influence to support a youth justice system that delivers equitable outcomes for all children. As our responsibilities change, our commitment to advancing racial equity and being an anti-racist organisation will remain constant.