Youth Justice Board For England Wales
It is disappointing to read the Chief Inspectors report and we share the same view that the separation of children in custody for up to three months is not acceptable. The Youth Justice Board remains resolute in our belief that most current secure settings for children are not fit for purpose. As such, we advocate for a complete redesign.
Separation should only ever be used as a last resort and we fully appreciate the challenge that the Youth Custody Service faces in keeping children safe. Over the past 15 years, the numbers of children in custody have declined from almost 3,000 in 2009, to an average of 440 last year. This means that those who are held in custody are not only the most serious of cases but also the most vulnerable. Often these are children who have gone through considerable childhood trauma and have incredibly complex needs. Unfortunately, this means separation may sometimes be necessary to keep children safe.
This being said, the timeframe for each child should be kept to an absolute minimum as this comes with a detrimental impact to that childs health, education and well-being, which means they are more likely to reoffend and create further victims.
We are committed to alternative approaches to child custody and our advice is that a Child First redesign of the secure estate for children is crucial. While in its early stages of the pilot, we are confident that the London Accommodation Pathfinder, along with the newly opened secure school, will provide the evidence base needed to define the future model