Thirteenth Report - Secure training centres and secure schools

The government agrees to drive and deliver improvements across the youth justice system, including early intervention and custody improvements. It announced investment in early intervention and community-based support, including a 9.8% uplift in funding to Youth Offending Teams and a new ‘Turnaround’ programme.

The government asserts that the youth estate has sufficient capacity, and the YCS placement guidance already considers placing children in the most appropriate establishment, considering proximity to home where possible.

The government will provide an update on progress against the timetable for opening the first secure school in January 2023, noting that the full business case has been approved and governance structures are in place to keep the project on track.

The government will use a Funding Agreement package, including handbooks and a 'ladders of intervention' approach, to incentivise the secure school provider to deliver high-quality care. The school will be subject to independent monitoring and Ofsted regulation, and clauses in the Funding Agreement will ensure the school is committed to providing a 49-bed service.

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).

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).

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.

The government states that arrangements are in place to exert firm control over the timetable and costs for opening the first secure school and commits to providing the Committee with an update on progress against the timetable in January 2023.

The government agreed to provide an update on the timetable in January 2023, confirming arrangements are in place to control costs and timelines, and formal governance structures are in place.

The government has arrangements in place to exert firm control over the timetable and costs for opening the first secure school, committing to provide the Committee with an update on progress against the timetable in January 2023.

The government will supplement the Funding Agreement with handbooks on finance, governance and assurance and use 'ladders of intervention' to manage provider performance, with Ofsted having regulatory powers.

The government agreed to supplement the Funding Agreement with handbooks on finance, governance, and assurance, detailing performance reporting and issue management, adapting the 'ladders of intervention' approach from the Department for Education to drive improvements.

The government agrees with the recommendation and plans to supplement the Funding Agreement with handbooks, adapt the ‘ladders of intervention’ approach, and ensure the secure school is committed to providing a 49-bed service suitable for the full range of the custody cohort.

The government agrees with the recommendation and will conduct an internal review of the Keppel Unit, recruit an evaluation team to develop an evaluation strategy for secure schools, and use the initial findings to inform delivery plans for the potential second secure school.

The government will review the model of care for the Keppel Unit and develop an evaluation strategy for secure schools. This includes a process evaluation of the implementation and delivery of the secure school, as well as determining options for assessing the impact of the school on key outcome measures.

The government is seeking to improve all parts of the youth custodial estate by embedding ‘SECURE STAIRS’, skilling the workforce, using smaller units with higher staff-to-child ratios, and piloting new approaches to the resettlement of children leaving custody.

The government states that 60% of children are placed less than 50 miles from home and that YCS placement guidance states that children will be placed into the most appropriate available establishment to meet their needs.

The government states that 60% of children are placed less than 50 miles from home and that YCS placement guidance states that children will be placed into the most appropriate available establishment to meet their needs.

The government will conduct an internal review of the Keppel Unit and develop an evaluation strategy for secure schools, informing future plans and delivery for a potential second secure school.