Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 8
8
Accepted
The Ministry and HMPPS told us that there are mechanisms in the STC contracts to...
Recommendation
The Ministry and HMPPS told us that there are mechanisms in the STC contracts to drive up performance. It is only as a last resort that they decant children to other settings, as they did in the case of Rainsbrook STC. Using their placement process, they told us that they considered each individual child’s needs to identify the provision that would be most appropriate.18 However, as the National Audit Office noted in its report, this has resulted in some children being placed in YOIs, although HMPPS’s placement guidance deems YOIs as less suitable for more vulnerable children. When Rainsbrook STC closed, around one-third of the 33 children were transferred to a YOI, and only a very small minority were transferred to equivalent provision.19
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.