Revise Prison Service safeguarding guidance
IICSA · Sexual Abuse of Children in Custodial Institutions: 2009-2017 Investigation Report · Issued 28 February 2019 · Addressed to: Ministry of Justice
Government responseNo response yet
DeliveryNo statement from Ministry of Justice found
Recommendation, verbatim from the inquiry
●Inquiry recommendation, E
The Chair and Panel note that Prison Service Instruction (PSI) 08/2012, which sets out the mandatory actions for YOIs and STCs for 'maintaining a safe and secure environment', has expired. The Chair and Panel recommend that the Ministry of Justice revises and publishes this PSI to provide clear guidance on how custodial institutions must respond to allegations of child sexual abuse. This should include a requirement for all allegations to be referred to a child protection professional who is independent of the institution. The Chair and Panel also recommend that all institutions, including those which are privately run, publish their safeguarding local procedures in full as well as regular reports about their use, to aid scrutiny and increase transparency.
IICSA, Sexual Abuse of Children in Custodial Institutions: 2009-2017 Investigation Report · 28 Feb 2019 Source PDF →
Published evidence summary
AI-generated evidence summary
The Inquiry recommended that the Ministry of Justice revise expired Prison Service safeguarding guidance. In an update published in October 2022, the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse reported that the Ministry of Justice stated in May 2022 that early work had started on a framework to replace Prison Service Instruction (PSI) 08/2012, and guidance titled "Keeping Children Safe in Secure Settings" was being drafted (The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, Oct 2022). The Inquiry also noted the department's July 2019 statement that the Youth Custody Service had replaced some aspects relating to the behaviour management of children (The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, Oct 2022). Referring allegations to an independent child protection professional and publishing local safeguarding procedures are not mentioned in the sources (The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, Oct 2022).
Sources
AI-generated summary of the record on this page, checked by a second model and automatic checks, 5 Oct 2026.
Government response
●No formal government response recorded
The Index has not yet recorded a verbatim government response to this recommendation.
Delivery
No statement on delivery from Ministry of Justice has been found in the sources searched. This is separate from the response above.
What other bodies have found
●Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse · 20 Oct 2022
On 23 July 2019, the Ministry of Justice stated that work to update PSI 08/2012 would commence in 2019. In advance of this, the Youth Custody Service published a policy framework that replaces some aspects of PSI 08/2012 relating to behaviour management of children. On 4 May 2022, the Ministry of Justice stated that early work had started on producing the Care and Management of Young People framework that will replace PSI 08/2012. On 23 July 2019, the Ministry of Justice also stated that the Youth Custody Service would work with the Department for Education to produce ‘Keeping Children Safe in Custody’, which would thereafter be updated annually. On 4 May 2022, the Ministry of Justice confirmed that the Youth Custody Service was drafting ‘Keeping Children Safe in Secure Settings’ guidance.
From: Recommendations - Children in Custodial Institutions: 2009-2017 investigation report
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