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Wednesday, 18 March 2026
On a webinar held on Friday February 27th 2026, Minister Niall Collins, TD, formally launched the Research Evidence into Policy, Programmes and Practice (REPPP) Team's:
- Research report “Better Together: Developing Relational Practice to Effect Change in Young People’s Offending Behaviour”,
- A practitioner co-designed handbook entitled “Guidance on Effective Relationships in Youth Diversion Projects (YDPs)”,
- An accompanying poster co-designed with YDP staff, and
- A suite of relational practice supports that will be offered throughout 2026.
The Better Together Research Report presents the findings from an Action Research Project undertaken with 16 Youth Diversion Projects (YDPs) over 3 years. The research aimed to establish what effective relationships between youth justice practitioners and young people look like. The project therefore aimed to answer the following questions:
- How can relationships with youth justice practitioners help divert young people from crime?
- What can youth justice practitioners do to build effective relationships?
The findings from the empirical research have led to the development of new guidance for relational working with young people in the youth justice system.
Following the formal launch of the report and materials, REPPP will be supporting the scale out and implementation of the guidance across the YDP network by offering a series of relational practice supports. A six part podcast series sharing stories, voices and experiences of YDP relational practice will be produced in 2026. Throughout 2026, YDP staff will also be invited to participate in various webinars, events and research processes on the theme of relational practice.
For more information:
https://www.ul.ie/artsoc/ccjvs/action-research-project
A recording of the launch webinar is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5Kxg7Rli90