On 23 April 2025, Mel Stooks attended the Parliamentary launch of the report “Justice for Children with SEND and Neurodivergence”. The report was commissioned by The Michael Sieff Foundation; a charity dedicated to improving policy and practice for the well-being of children and young people.

Mel joined several professionals in providing oral evidence to the working group, representing both GT Stewart and the Youth Practitioners’ Association.

Challenges facing children with SEND in the justice system

It is now widely recognised that many children in the criminal justice system have speech and language difficulties. Many Youth Justice Services provide 'speech and language passports' or similar tools to help courts communicate more effectively with the children who appear before them. However, government statistics confirm that 80% of children receiving cautions or sentences in England and Wales have Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (“SEND”).

Expert working group recommendations

The Michael Sieff Foundation created the expert working group to identify reforms to prevent these children entering the criminal justice system. Where prevention was not possible, they explored ways to better support these children within the system.

At the Parliamentary launch, the working group presented their key findings. They concluded that the Youth Justice system fails to adequately meet the needs of children with SEND and neurodivergence. They recommended compulsory training for professionals within the education and legal sectors. They also called for better data collection and information sharing, demonstrating the cost-effectiveness of these recommendations.

Parliamentary response

The parliamentary panel welcomed the recommendations. Sir Nick Dakin MP, Minister for Youth Justice, acknowledged the urgent need for better care of children within the criminal justice system. Lord Alex Carlile reminded attendees that the House of Lords is debating the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. He expressed hope that the process would allow the tabling of amendments to reflect the report’s recommendations. Sir Robert Buckland, former Lord Chancellor, spoke about how the recommendations would reduce the criminalisation of children. He added that they would also have a more far-reaching impact on young adults in the criminal justice system. Baroness Alison Levitt, a Circuit Judge, acknowledged that the treatment of children as “mini adults” was far from ideal especially in the Crown Court setting.

You can read the full version of the report here.