The Government has been undertaking work to determine the most suitable registration framework for the youth custody estate. A final decision on this had been planned, as set out in the Tackling Child Abuse Progress Update, for March 2026. Since the Progress Update was published in April 2025, I commissioned a wider review of safeguarding in youth custody to be undertaken by a panel, led by the Chief Social Worker for Children and Families. Ensuring the correct safeguards are in place and that staff are properly equipped to be working with children, is all within remit of the panel and it is right we let this conclude. The panel will finalise its recommendations by June 2026. We will respond to its recommendations and this IICSA recommendation in autumn 2026.

The Government rejected recommendation 5 from the Inquiry and will not be introducing legislation. Where physical safety of all children and staff in custody is concerned, it is important that trained staff are able to use these techniques, as a last resort in an emergency, to bring an incident to a safe conclusion.

The Government recognises the particular vulnerabilities of children in custody, which is why staff in the Youth Custody Service continue to be appropriately trained and that there is independent oversight and transparency over all use of these techniques through an Independent Restraint Review Panel.

To support the system-wide response to the adult prison capacity challenges, in November 2022, Ministers decided that the youth estate should continue to hold young adults until before their 19^th birthday. This was a temporary change, and it is anticipated that we will be able to end this by January 2025. We have committed to a thorough review of how the interim policy arrangements are operating in practice, to be completed by the summer 2024.

The interim policy of retaining more young people who reach the age of 18 in the youth estate was introduced in November 2022. The increase in safeguarding referrals for this age group reflects their greater numbers in the estate.

When a safeguarding case is opened, the detail of the case may not be known. We conduct a thorough investigation of every case to understand the details, and the severity of the concern, and ensure that any necessary actions are taken to protect the children in our custody.

Not all referrals result in further action, and an increase in safeguarding cases need not always be a matter of concern. An increased number of cases may represent increased confidence on the part of staff in reporting concerns, or may indicate that children feel safe to disclose information to staff. Referrals may include the disclosure of concerns relating to a period prior to the child’s or young person’s entering custody. It is by conducting a thorough investigation that we can understand the nature of each case and identify any trends that need to be addressed.

We would not seek to discourage staff from making safeguarding referrals: in fact, we would encourage them to do so. The safeguarding policy in place in YCS, and the accompanying processes, are designed to keep children and young people safe, and it is therefore vital that these policies and processes are followed at all times. All policies applicable to children and young people under 18 also apply to 18-year-olds who remain within the Youth Estate.

The data requested are set out in the following tables:

Young Offender Institutions

Secure Training Centres

Notes

1. The symbol * is used for suppressed values of 5 or fewer, to prevent disclosure in accordance with data protection principles. Zero figures are not suppressed.

2. Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre closed in December 2021.

3. Please note that the above is classed as internal management information.

4. Following Urgent Notification at Oakhill Secure Training Centre in October 2021, safeguarding data recording processes were reviewed and central collation of this data was ceased for the period of October - December 2021. Safeguarding processes were maintained locally for the period and following revision, central data collation recommenced in January 2022.

When a safeguarding case is opened, the detail of the case may not be known. We conduct a thorough investigation of every case to understand the details and the severity of the concern and ensure that any necessary actions are taken to protect the children in our custody. It is not the case that an increase in safeguarding cases should always be a matter of concern: this would be dependent on the nature of the case. An increased number of cases may represent increased confidence on the part of staff in reporting concerns or may indicate that children feel safe to disclose information to staff. It is by conducting a thorough investigation that we can understand the nature of each case and identify any trends that need to be addressed.

The available data are set out in the tables below:

i) Allegations of (a) physical abuse at Young Offender Institutions:

Allegations of (b) sexual abuse at Young Offender Institutions:

Please note that multiple categories of concern may be recorded per safeguarding referral. The above breakdown details the volume of all safeguarding referrals with (a) physical abuse or (b) sexual abuse recorded as an element of the referral though these may not be the primary reason for the referral.

i) Volume of safeguarding referrals across Young Offender Institutions and Secure Training Centres.

(a) Young Offender Institutions:

(b) Secure Training Centres:

*Rainsbrook closed in December 2021.

When a safeguarding case is opened, the detail of the case may not be known. We conduct a thorough investigation of every case to understand the details and the severity of the concern and ensure that any necessary actions are taken to protect the children in our custody. The referrals could be about matters in the community or whilst in custody.

It is not the case that an increase in safeguarding cases should always be a matter of concern: this would be dependent on the nature of the case. An increased number of cases may represent increased confidence on the part of staff in reporting concerns or may indicate that children feel safe to disclose information to staff. It is by conducting a thorough investigation that we can understand the nature of each case and identify any trends that need to be addressed. Please note that not all referrals result in further action for example, HM YOI Werrington received 63 referrals within a 12-month period of which only two of these referrals were upheld.

The Youth Custody Service has responsibility for safeguarding strategy and practice across the youth estate. We have published a new policy framework ‘Safeguarding and Child Protection in the Youth Custody Service’ and each site’s operating procedures have been updated.

The average annual cost per place for a child or young person in youth custody, inclusive of educational services, is:

Secure Children’s Home: £299,459.47

Secure Training Centre: £305,892.40

Young Offender Institution: £129,333.58.

There is no difference in cost per place whether the child or young person is on remand or is in custody for other reasons.

NHS England has statutory responsibility for the direct commissioning of health services or facilities in the secure estate for children and young people, including for mental health services

Within this estate, the Framework for Integrated Care (SECURE STAIRS) allows for a trauma informed, collaborative approach to care, assessment and the planning of sentences and interventions, regardless of previous diagnosis. This includes input from mental health staff as well as from social care professionals, education professionals and the operational staff working on a day-to-day basis at the setting. 

It also seeks to ensure that staff have the right skills and support to care for the children and young people appropriately. NHS England has continued to support the implementation and sustainability of the framework in the estate, in partnership with Youth Custody Service and the Department for Education.

As well as this, intercollegiate healthcare standards for children and young people in secure settings were first published in 2013. These standards were developed to help improve the quality and consistency of healthcare available to children in secure settings and have been refreshed in 2023. The standards benchmark NHS England’s core outcome based service specifications, including a specific specification for mental health services, which was also refreshed in 2023.

All young offender institutions in the youth secure estate have live recruitment campaigns. Projections for all these are positive, and two establishments (HMYOI Werrington and HMYOI Wetherby) have already recruited enough staff to achieve their target staffing levels.

As part of the HMPPS retention oversight process, all establishments have a Retention Action Plan in place. These plans focus improvement on areas identified by staff in exit interviews, when asked to explain their decision to leave the Youth Custody Service (YCS). Additionally, in response to exit interview data, the YCS has reviewed advertising and recruitment material, and the Youth Justice Worker Specialist Qualification route, nationally.

We know the importance of ensuring that time in custody is purposeful, and are committed to ensuring that children and young people have the necessary and appropriate access to education, skills, and work provision, with a consistent daily programme of activities.

Figures for November 2023 for average hours spend in education are being quality-assured for publication, and are therefore not yet available. Total figures for October, the most recent month for which data have been verified, are provided in the table below:

Notes:

1 YOI figures are for classroom-based hours only: vocational training is not included.

1 Average number of educational and vocational training hours per week at Oakhill.

The Youth Custody Service (YCS) is taking a number of measures to improve access to education and training across Young Offender Institutions (YOIs) in the youth secure estate, and at Oakhill Secure Training Centre. We are reviewing regime models and staff deployment to maximise time-out-of-room, balancing openness with the requirement to ensure safety. We are also committed to providing education and enrichment for those for whom a classroom setting is not appropriate, and a central review is being carried out of steps YOIs can take to reduce the number of children and young people who are unable to mix. Conflict resolution practitioners at each site are working with children and young people to resolve conflict between individuals and groups, and to help them engage in opportunities available in our care. There has been notable success in reducing the number of regime groups in YOIs, with increased interactions and more time-out-of-room as a result.

We know the importance of ensuring that time in custody is purposeful, and are committed to ensuring that children and young people have the necessary and appropriate access to education, skills, and work provision, with a consistent daily programme of activities.

Figures for November 2023 for average hours spend in education are being quality-assured for publication, and are therefore not yet available. Total figures for October, the most recent month for which data have been verified, are provided in the table below:

Notes:

1 YOI figures are for classroom-based hours only: vocational training is not included.

1 Average number of educational and vocational training hours per week at Oakhill.

The Youth Custody Service (YCS) is taking a number of measures to improve access to education and training across Young Offender Institutions (YOIs) in the youth secure estate, and at Oakhill Secure Training Centre. We are reviewing regime models and staff deployment to maximise time-out-of-room, balancing openness with the requirement to ensure safety. We are also committed to providing education and enrichment for those for whom a classroom setting is not appropriate, and a central review is being carried out of steps YOIs can take to reduce the number of children and young people who are unable to mix. Conflict resolution practitioners at each site are working with children and young people to resolve conflict between individuals and groups, and to help them engage in opportunities available in our care. There has been notable success in reducing the number of regime groups in YOIs, with increased interactions and more time-out-of-room as a result.

Following the roll-out of PAVA spray to the adult male estate, for use where necessary in response to serious disorder, HM Prison and Probation Service is examining the case for making it available to young offender institutions in the youth estate. This includes detailed consideration of the medical and legal implications, including any age-related factors.

Full account is being taken of the evaluation of implementation in the adult male estate. As with any potential safety measure, all available evidence is being assessed, looking at the many complex considerations, to enable an informed decision to be taken.

PAVA spray is not being considered for use in Secure Training Centres or Secure Children’s Homes.

Following the roll-out of PAVA spray to the adult male estate, for use where necessary in response to serious disorder, HM Prison and Probation Service is examining the case for making it available to young offender institutions in the youth estate. This includes detailed consideration of the medical and legal implications, including any age-related factors.

Full account is being taken of the evaluation of implementation in the adult male estate. As with any potential safety measure, all available evidence is being assessed, looking at the many complex considerations, to enable an informed decision to be taken.

PAVA spray is not being considered for use in Secure Training Centres or Secure Children’s Homes.