2022 Year in Review

Why now is the time to pursue a career in youth justice ..

2022 has been a year characterised by an increasing sense of responsibility to respond to society’s challenges. According to the Youth Justice Board Annual Report, the long-term impacts of Covid 19 combined with an unstable economy, have resulted in reduced access to education and other critical support services, increased trauma and mental illness, fewer opportunities for child safeguarding and more opportunities for online exploitation. These form a distressing reality for those across the criminal justice sector, as they almost certainly increase the risk of more children coming into the system.

This is a time, when the need for supporting the knowledge, skills and behaviours of youth justice practitioners is significant. As the year draws to a close, we would like to take a moment to reflect on the achievements of all those pursuing careers and working to support children and young people who have found themselves in the criminal justice system.

Unitas graduates, it has been an honour to watch you strive, build on your professional aspirations, and achieve your career goals. Congratulations, you did it! 

Finding one’s purpose, speaking up, and supporting others as well as yourself, are integral actions both for an individual and the society in which they reside. When one chooses to participate and to further educate, new paths open to them, and they can deliver change through their actions.

We saw this in our students and graduates this year, and in other projects and initiatives that are taking place throughout the youth justice sector. Unitas had the privilege to attend and sponsor the Youth Justice Award at the CYP (Children and Young People Now) Awards, and were inspired by what we saw.

Picture: Jayne Cowley, Business Director presenting the award. Photo credit: Colin Miller

The winner – Youth Ink’s ‘Peer Support Navigator Network’ includes marginalised people in the creation and development of the solutions that will serve them. This model enables understanding, collaboration, and change, by giving the young people seeking support a voice in the justice system.

Unitas courses starting early in 2023 include:

  • Youth Justice BA (Hons)
    • Foundation Degree in Youth Justice
    • Certificate of Higher Education
  • Crime, Criminology & Criminal Justice BA (Hons)
    • Cert HE Crime, Criminology & Criminal Justice
    • Dip HE Crime, Criminology & Criminal Justice

No matter which subject you choose, your course will combine academic rigour with practical relevance. All Unitas courses have been written by leading academics in conjunction with experienced managers and practitioners.

The best part? Unitas is the leader in open, accessible, affordable, and flexible degrees. Students have the opportunity to build their qualification according to their own schedule by accruing credits on a module-by-module basis, gaining standalone, recognised qualifications along the way. Moreover, you can complete a full BA (Hons) with Unitas for just £7200, which is up to half the price of other similar distance learning programmes and a third of the price of an equivalent campus-based degree, and this can be spread out in monthly interest-free instalments. 

At Unitas we believe everyone should have the chance to acquire the skills and credentials they need to pursue a career in youth and criminal justice. We strive to make our programmes available and attainable to as many people as possible, to ensure that the best talent finds its way to the people who need it most.

Request our 2023 prospectus and take the first step toward a purpose-filled and impactful future.