Ben Twomey, who studied on our LLM in Advanced Legal Studies in 2015-2016 has recently been promoted to the position of Director of Policy and Research at the National Youth Advocacy Service (NYAS).

The role involves leading campaigns for the charity in order to influence laws and policies that affect care-experienced children and young people. Ben manages a small team who aim to make a big impact, using their research and networks to empower young people and change their lives for the better.

Having worked for NYAS for two years as Head of Policy and Research, Ben’s team has grown substantially, and so he was offered the new role of Director in recognition of his hard work. He told us, “I am honoured to be in a position where every day I work towards making a difference for some of the most disadvantaged children and young people in our country. It is a real pleasure to foreground their voices in my work and make sure that they are heard by the most powerful politicians in the land.”

So, what does the future hold for the team? “We have a very active programme of campaigns across England and Wales, but I'm particularly looking forward to achieving improvements to mental health services and reducing the number of children who go missing from care” said Ben. “NYAS is a children's rights charity, and next year (2022) the United Nations will be monitoring the UK's compliance with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and we are already actively involved in supporting their work.”

Ben shared that his favourite memory of his studies at Warwick was working with Dr Raza Saeed on his thesis, “a brilliant man who did so much to encourage and develop my interest in the practical application of human rights.”

Congratulations Ben and good luck in the new role.