The Achilles heel of Child First: High-risk panels in youth justice service policy and practice

Despite significant interest in the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales’ ‘Child First’ policy framework, it appears difficult to implement within multi-agency ‘high-risk’ panels, as they remain adult-centric, excluding children from being able to safely and meaningfully participate. Public safety concerns and victims’ needs take priority, leaving children relatively powerless. The ‘high-risk’ status assigned to children legitimises their exclusion from the process. This article provides original insight into the complexities of balancing both community protection and ‘Child First’ in policy and practice, problematising the processes of multi-agency approaches for ‘participatory justice’ with children who commit serious offences.