Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 7
7
Accepted
We asked the Ministry and HMPPS why it has been unsuccessful in responding to poor...
Recommendation
We asked the Ministry and HMPPS why it has been unsuccessful in responding to poor performing STCs and how it has looked after children’s needs following STC closures.13 They acknowledged the significant challenges with STC performance, which they described as a mixed picture prior to 2017.14 They told us that the cohort of children in custody has become more difficult to manage over the past decade, as it has evolved to include children with increasingly complex needs who have committed more serious offences, which STCs were not designed to accommodate.15 Alongside this, they have struggled with a shrinking provider market and leadership at STCs.16 As the National Audit Office noted in its report, the joint inspectorates have persistently highlighted the issue of ineffective leadership at STCs. Between 2017 and 2021, the supplier (G4S Care and Justice Services UK Limited) appointed nine different directors to manage Oakhill STC.17
Government Response Summary
The government agrees to monitor and measure whether it is meeting the diverse needs of vulnerable children in its estate, including girls, children with disabilities and special educational needs, and children with other protected characteristics, through the Youth Custody Service (YCS).
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
1. PAC conclusion: Current youth custody provision is inadequate for many vulnerable children’s needs, with particular concern over STCs. 1. PAC recommendation: In its Treasury Minute response, the Ministry and HMPPS should set out how they will monitor and measure whether it is meeting the diverse needs of vulnerable children in its estate, including – girls, children with disabilities and special educational needs, and children with other protected characteristics. 1.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented 1.2 The Youth Custody Service (YCS) records protected characteristic information to provide a detailed understanding of the children in its care. 9 1.3 YCS has a Diversity and Inequality (D&I) workstream focused on priority improvements, monitoring and the development of effective practice. This workstream oversees activity including: • identification and monitoring of disproportionate custodial experiences of Black/Mixed Black Heritage children and measuring improvements of focused initiatives to drive change, • measuring operational practise improvements across Young Offender Institutions (YOIs) through formulation and execution of D&I focused action plans and supporting data analysis, • a focus on girls within the estate through developing effective practise, oversight and improvement activity for the Keppel Unit within HMPYOI Wetherby, and preparing Oakhill Secure Training Centre in readiness to take girls, • launching the Strategic Youth Advisory Board, comprised of individuals from diverse backgrounds aged 17-25 years, who have involvement with YCS and will be part of policy discussions with opportunities to influence decisions, • the launch of a CHAT (Comprehensive Health Assessment Tool) Summary from National Health Service (NHS) Systems that will facilitate the monitoring of children’s health needs (including disabilities) to better inform operational practise, and • recording special educational needs detail, and work to improve the capture and monitoring of that information will start later in 2022-23. 1.4 YCS works closely with NHS England and NHS Improvement with co-representation across meetings and decision-making fora, and through close consultation on YCS policy.