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About us

The Standing Committee for Youth Justice (SCYJ) is a membership body which:

  • Provides a forum for organisations, primarily in the non-statutory sector, working to promote the welfare of children who become engaged in the youth justice system; and
  • Advocates a child-focused youth justice system that promotes the integration of such children into society and thus serves the best interests of the children themselves and the community at large.

Our current members are:


We also have a small number of associate members: individuals with particular expertise in youth justice who can contribute to our work. 11 Million (the Office of the Children's Commissioner for England) has observer status with SCYJ.

Our work

SCYJ provides a forum for our member organisations to pool our differing expertise and to work together for children in trouble. Our work focuses on legislation and policy affecting the youth justice system and children and young people caught up in it - from policing through to resettlement.

SCYJ responds to Bills and government consultations on youth justice issues through the production of briefings and suggested amendments to Bills. Click here to see our latest briefings.

SCYJ also does proactive policy work, making suggestions for reform of the youth justice system in England and Wales. Click here for our position paper Custody for Children: The Impact, and our recent report on Funding of Custody for Children.

SCYJ engages politicians, government and policy-makers in dialogue and also engages with the media through our press releases.

Officers

SCYJ is an unincorporated membership body governed by its Constitution. We elect a Chair, Deputy Chair, Treasurer and Secretary annually. Our current office holders include:

Enver Solomon is the current Chair of SCYJ. Enver is currently Director of Policy at the Children's Society.  He has played a senior role in a number of well respected voluntary sector organisations including Barnardo's, the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies and the Revolving Doors Agency; before working in criminal justice he was a BBC journalist for nearly ten years.  His areas of speciality include youth justice, children in care, sexual exploitation and safeguarding. He has authored a range of publications and acted as an advisor to several organisations including, currently, to the Independent Commission on Youth Crime and Anti-Social Behaviour.  Contact him on (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Penelope Gibbs is the current Deputy Chair of SCYJ. Penelope is Director of the Out of Trouble programme for the Prison Reform Trust. This five year programme, funded by The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund, seeks to reduce the number of children and young people imprisoned in the UK (www.outoftrouble.org.uk). Penelope has worked for the Prison Reform Trust for four years. Previously Penelope worked for the charity TimeBank and for the BBC, and sat as a magistrate.  Contact her at (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).  

Pam Hibbert is the current Secretary of SCYJ. She has over 25 years of experience as a practitioner and manager of children's services, particularly those for children in trouble with the law.  She recently retired after ten years as Assistant Director, Policy at Barnardo's, leading on youth justice and children in care policy.  She has authored or co-authored a number of policy and research reports and articles on children in trouble.  Contact: (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Adrian Neil is the current Treasurer of SCYJ.