Creative Conversations with CYCJ

In this episode, Communications and Engagement Advisor, Katya Allcott-Amjad was joined by Craig Houston, CYCJ Research Intern and Dr Kayleigh Charlton, CYCJ Research Associate to discuss the Craig's research into antisocial behaviour and school exclusion. 
Craig Houston is a PhD candidate at the University of Glasgow, where he is currently exploring the meaning of, and how, places impact feelings of social connectivity for care-experienced children and young people in Scotland. He joined CYCJ in January 2026 for a 3-month internship, organised through the Scottish Graduate School of Social Sciences.
Dr Kayleigh Charlton is a Research Associate at CYCJ. She joined CYCJ on the Nuffield-funded project 'Challenging Justice Inequalities: Co-producing Change with Children in Conflict with the Law'. The project will run from 2024-2026 and aims to explore how intersecting inequalities affect children's experiences of (in)justice. Kayleigh completed her PhD at the University of Bath titled 'The Imaginary Queer Prison: The Possibilities and Limitations of Queering the Prison'. This was an interdisciplinary thesis that explored conceptualisations of queer spaces, uses and meanings of 'queer', LGBTQ+ pains of imprisonment and the use of speculative fiction to (re)imagine responses to the social and economic inequalities faced by LGBTQ+ communities. 
To read a blog from Craig where he reflects on the experiences of his internship, click here.

In this episode, Communications and Engagement Advisor, Katya Allcott-Amjad was joined by Professor Carlene Firmin and CYCJ Director Professor Fiona Dyer.  
On the day we recorded this episode, our guest Professor Carlene Firmin gave the 23rd Kilbrandon lecture, which CYCJ plays a key role in organising, along with our colleagues at CELCIS and the department of Social Work and Social Policy here at the University of Strathclyde.   

Professor Firmin is Professor of Social Work and Director of the Global Centre for Contextual Safeguarding at Durham University. She is also Co-Editor in Chief of the British Journal of Social Work, co-convener of a special interest group on Social Work and Adolescents for the European Social Work Research Association, a Global Ashoka Fellow, a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a member of the Churchill Fellowship Advisory Council.  Carlene is also a member of CYCJ's Associates scheme.  

Professor Fiona Dyer is Director at the Children and Young People's Centre for Justice.  As Director, Fiona leads CYCJ towards its ambition of ensuring that Scotland's approach to children and young people in conflict with the law is rights-respecting, contributing to better outcomes for children, young people and communities.
 
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Kilbrandon Lectures - https://www.strath.ac.uk/humanities/socialworksocialpolicy/thekilbrandonlectures/ 
Global Centre for Contextual Safeguarding - https://www.contextualsafeguarding.org.uk/ 
Criminal Exploitation of Children Framework for Practice - https://www.cycj.org.uk/resource/criminal-exploitation-of-children-cec-framework-for-practice/

In this episode of Creative Conversations, Ranald McTaggart, Deputy Director of CYCJ, and Karen Suszek, Practice Development Advisor, sit down with Professor Clare Allely and Criminal Defence Attorney Elizabeth Kelly.
Together, they delve into key issues surrounding Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and the criminal justice sector. This episode was recorded at The University of Strathclyde on Wednesday 20th November, 2024.
Music by Coma-Media from Pixabay

In this episode, we are joined by three incredible guests: Dr Grace Robinson, Founder and CEO of Black Box Research & Consultancy, Jack Pippard, a Doctoral Researcher and Black Box employee, and Shelly Cathers, a Trainee Expert Witness with Black Box and PhD Researcher.
Grace, Jack, and Shelly delivered a lecture at the University of Strathclyde, focusing on the critical topic of Child Criminal Exploitation. During the lecture, attendees were invited to submit their questions, and in this podcast, we continue the conversation by addressing those questions and exploring the complex realities of exploitation that children and young people face.
Hosted by Donna McEwan, Practice Development Advisor at CYCJ, this episode offers valuable insights from leading experts and explores practical ways to tackle child criminal exploitation.
Music by Coma-Media from Pixabay

In this episode, we are joined by Graeme Armstrong – a Times bestselling, multi-award-winning author from Airdrie. 
Graeme's teenage years were spent within Scotland's 'young team' gang culture. But since then, he has studied English as an undergraduate at the University of Stirling, completed a Masters in Creative Writing, and is currently a PhD doctoral researcher at the University of Strathclyde. 
His debut novel, 'The Young Team', was published in 2020 and is now being adapted for screen. It's fair to say that Graeme is a rising star, having written and presented documentaries for the BBC, being named one of Granta's Best of Young British Novelists – a once-in-a-decade literary honour, and even appearing in British Vogue. 
However, Graeme is still focused on using his past to fight for positive change – representing as he describes 'unrepresented voices'. Across Scotland and beyond, Graeme runs anti-violence outreach events in the community with young people and in the prison estate, he is an ambassador for The Hope Collective and an honorary lecturer at New College Lanarkshire. 
Recently, Graeme delivered the Keynote at our National Youth Justice Conference, and he has just joined the CYCJ on our Associates Scheme. 
In this episode, Graeme sits down with CYCJ Director, Fiona Dyer for a conversation about his lived experience of gang life, his thoughts on criminal justice, and what life is like for him now and what's next.  
Please enjoy
Music by Coma-Media from Pixabay