News

This is a personal blog from one of our Trainee Solicitors, Aisha Rahal, reflecting on her experience working at JfKL.

The recent report from the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care has got many organisations and professionals in the youth sector thinking, including my colleagues and I at Just for Kids Law.

In March 2022, myself and other young campaigners got an opportunity to share our lived experiences of school exclusion with the Department of Education. In particular, we discussed the Statutory Guidance on School Exclusions and Behaviour - a document that was never shared with me whilst I was at school.

It is well-known that care leavers are more likely to experience homelessness but significant gaps in policy and practice to support these young people remain. As we eagerly await the final recommendations of the Independent Care Review to Government, our new joint briefing based on practice from ourselves, New Horizon and Youth Legal contains cases studies of care leavers who have become homeless as well as some solutions we hope will be included and change the lives of young people in similar situations.

In March 2022, the Department for Education (DfE) published its long-awaited revised statutory guidance on school exclusions and guidance on behaviour in schools for consultation to address many changes recommended by the Timpson review in 2018. At Just for Kids Law, we find that the children we work with are often unfairly treated and disproportionately affected by school exclusions and behaviour policies. These policies often focus on managing behaviour rather than supporting children that display behaviours that challenge.

This story about ‘Aaron’ and his right to education is based on real people and true events. The names of the individuals involved have been changed in order to protect them.