Bevin D'Cruz’s Post

We were delighted to welcome David Wilkins this week, for a talk to L6th Form on 'Career choices, expectations and realities'. David’s own journey, through a number of jobs, negotiating dyslexia, and embracing a move from the UK to a new home country, was fascinating. He spoke about a number of tenets which he values, and which he now uses in his role as a Personnel Manager for large companies. He was keen to emphasise that Oratory pupils should embrace the idea of exploring all opportunities available to them, follow their instincts about what is ‘right’ in their vocations, and to consider what they want to achieve without conforming to the expectations of others. Read more here: bit.ly/OSLoqDW #OratoryCuriosity #OratoryCareers #OratoryFuturePathways #Oratory6thForm #SixthForm #SixthFormLife

More of us need to research, write about and take practical action on this. It’s widespread and very few of us address it as scholars, educators and administrators. I have a chapter about it in press this summer.

Title IX is not just about rules—it’s about people. A Title IX Coordinator is not only there when something goes wrong. They are also an ally. They listen. They support. They guide people through hard situations. They also teach others how to prevent harm. They help build a safer campus for everyone. Being an ally means: • Standing up for fairness • Protecting people’s rights • Making sure every voice is heard In higher education, this work matters every day. When people feel safe, they can learn and grow. Support matters—and allies make the difference. #TitleIX #HigherEducation #CampusSafety #Leadership #Equity #Inclusion #StudentSuccess #ProfessionalGrowth

A past decision shouldn’t define a lifetime of potential. Esta Bigler, founder and Director of Cornell University ILR School's Labor and Employment Law Program and Criminal Justice Employment Initiative (CJEI), and Jodi Anderson Jr., Director of Technological Innovation at CJEI, discuss hiring, opportunity, and what it really means to create second chances in the workplace. Cornell’s new certificate, Hiring the Justice-Impacted, gives HR professionals the tools to hire and retain justice-impacted talent with confidence. 💡 Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gpkvYT7h #eCornell #CornellUniversity #LaborRelations #InclusiveHiring #FutureOfWork

Powerful..."from a juvenile prison cell onto Cornell and into Stanford." Cornell’s new certificate, Hiring the Justice-Impacted, gives HR professionals the tools to hire and retain justice-impacted talent with confidence. 💡 Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gpkvYT7h #eCornell #CornellUniversity #LaborRelations #HumanResources #InclusiveHiring #FutureOfWork

Last month, Esta Bigler, Esq., founder and director of the Cornell University ILR School's Labor and Employment Law Program and Criminal Justice Employment Initiative (CJEI), and Jodi Anderson Jr., Director of Technological Innovation at CJEI, debuted a comprehensive eCornell certificate designed for HR professionals committed to building stronger, more inclusive workplaces by hiring and retaining justice-impacted employees. Full keynote video: https://lnkd.in/gRbJRehd

This weekend, Cultural Vistas hosted Teachers and KWEST participants at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. While there, CEO Jennifer Clinton had several conversations with J-1 Teach participants about what they expected this exchange visit to do for them versus the practical knowledge, experiences, and life lessons they were actually learning. For April’s Global Calling Blog, she writes about "How Mid-Career Exchanges Deliver Strong Local Impact," stating, "If we are serious about addressing global challenges, we need to think more broadly about who participates in exchange, and when." Read her thoughts and perspectives here: https://lnkd.in/eFCRr3fK

📢 Recognising communication beyond speech In current practice across Scotland, there is increasing recognition that communication is multi-modal — not limited to spoken language. Children with Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN) may communicate through behaviour, gesture, play, or reduced verbal output. Interpreting these early communication signals is essential for timely identification and effective support within education and early years settings. At SLCo, we support professionals in developing these observational and responsive skills. 🌐 www.s-l-co.uk 📞 01382 202644 #SLCN #SLCo #EducationScotland #Inclusion #EarlyYears

Started the week in London at Catch22's conference, which I attended with a colleague who also has lived experience of the justice system. As we always do, we unpacked the experience on the train and had a fun chat about all things. Nicola Collett's new paper in the Probation Journal arrived in my linkedin feed this week too. "Mastery of life on the periphery?" is a critical look at contemporary lived experience work for people with criminal records. Collett makes several arguments that I found interesting. First, she introduces the idea of "narrative capital." Not everyone with a criminal record can construct the kind of story the market wants to hear. Those who have been to prison often have greater credibility to speak on justice issues than those with minor or historical convictions. The latter group occupies a strange space. Criminal enough to be excluded from the labour market. Not criminal enough, apparently, to talk about it. Second, she is sharp on what happens when lived experience meets LinkedIn. The pressure to maintain a stable, coherent, professionally palatable account of your past sits in direct tension with the reality that understanding of your own experience changes over time. The term "living experience," raised by Frankco Harris at the paper's originating event, captures this better than "lived" ever could. Third, she examines what happens when organisations commodify that experience. Lived experience becomes a product. The person becomes valued for their story rather than their skill. There is a glass ceiling. You get to be the guest speaker. You do not get to be the director. Collett draws on Brierley and Dennehy's work on the "rehabilitation industry" here, and on Gosling's blunt observation that involvement is often a conditional invitation to join someone else's game where the rules are already set. Collett, N.A. (2026) "Mastery of life on the periphery? A critical discussion of contemporary lived experience work for people with criminal records." Probation Journal. DOI: 10.1177/02645505261434472 https://lnkd.in/eeCrRPP7

During my Fulbright, I have been reflecting on how far forensic social work has come in the past decade. Globally, there has been a quiet yet significant shift. Countries are increasingly recognising the need to support forensic social workers through clearer competency frameworks, role definitions, and professional standards. I decided to organise this visually, as a timeline, to acknowledge the sustained national and local-level advocacy that has contributed to this development across different jurisdictions. I am particularly interested in how this trajectory continues to evolve as the Forensic Social Work Alliance moves towards developing the first-ever educational standards for forensic social work. I would be interested to hear from colleagues in countries I have not yet examined in depth: how has forensic social work been defined and recognised in your context over the past decade? And what might we do, as a global community, to sustain and strengthen this professionalisation while maintaining its grounding in social justice and context?