Research Making a Difference: Influencing National Policy on Care Experience and Youth Justice

Research doesn’t stop when it’s published.

Dr Katie Hunter’s research explored how care experience and ethnicity intersect with involvement in the youth justice system. Using Ministry of Justice and Department for Education data, her work revealed significant disparities affecting care-experienced children and young people from ethnic minority backgrounds.

The findings have helped shape national policy conversations. Katie’s research was referenced in a House of Lords debate and has informed discussions with the Youth Justice Board, Greater Manchester Combined Authority, and His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service on reducing the unnecessary criminalisation of care-experienced children.

This is a great example of how research can move beyond academia to influence policy, improve practice, and support better outcomes for vulnerable young people.

The initial study can be found here