Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 9
9
Accepted
Children in custody cover a wide range of demographics, by gender, ethnicity, and disability.20 Girls...
Recommendation
Children in custody cover a wide range of demographics, by gender, ethnicity, and disability.20 Girls represented just 3% of children in custody in the ending March 2021, but they are some of the most vulnerable children in the estate, as they are more likely to have experienced victimisation (sexual and physical) and relationship difficulties. HMPPS 9 C&AG’s Report, paras 11, 2.4 10 Q15, Q17; C&AG’s Report, para 2 11 C&AG’s Report, paras 3, 2.17 12 Q9–Q11, Q20 13 Q7–Q9, Q11 14 Q7; C&AG’s Report, para 2.5 15 Q7, Q21; C&AG’s Report, para 1.2 16 Q7 17 C&AG’s Report, paras 2.5, 2.15 18 Q8-Q9 19 C&AG’s Report, para 13 20 Q11, Q56–Q57, Q86; C&AG’s Report, para 9 10 Secure training centres and secure schools opened a specialist unit (the Keppel Unit) at HMYOI Wetherby to accommodate girls at short notice when Rainsbrook STC closed. It continues to place girls in the Keppel Unit while it works to improve provision there, although HMPPS told us that provision is still maturing.21 Furthermore, as the National Audit Office noted in its report, in the year ending March 2021, 53% of children in custody were from ethnic minority groups (on average).22 HMPPS told us that it monitors the profile of children in custody, including data on ethnicity and disability.23 However, it does not have a coherent plan for how to ensure it can meet all of these different needs.24 Strategy for improving provision and meeting an expected increase in demand
Government Response Summary
The government agreed 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.
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.