Written question asked by Bishop of Gloucester (Bishops (affiliation)) on Monday, 15 November 2021, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Monday, 29 November 2021. It was answered by Lord Wolfson of Tredegar (Conservative) on Monday, 29 November 2021 on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.

Young Offenders: Women

Question: To ask Her Majesty's Government what age-specific training prison staff receive for working with female prisoners aged 18 to 24.

Answer: Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) have developed the ‘women’s estate specialist training’ (WEST) course. Its modular content is threaded throughout the apprenticeship foundation programme to offer a distinct and dedicated course, underpinned by a trauma informed approach. This forms part of the nine-week foundation period for new prison officers destined to work within the women’s estate. The first dedicated WEST course has been scheduled to take place in January 2022. This course also contains a module which focuses on young women in custody. Existing staff in the women’s estate are able to access information through ‘myLearning’ which includes the Young Adults page which is designed to be an accessible resource for all staff to understand better the needs of this age group in custody.

Secondary information