Guidance

Safeguarding and child protection in the children and young people secure estate policy framework

This policy framework sets out statutory safeguarding duties for secure settings and escort providers in the Youth Custody Service (YCS).

Applies to England and Wales

Documents

Details

This policy framework sets out the duties, rules and general guidance for staff who work with children and young people in custody.

The document ‘Safeguarding and Child Protection in the Youth Custody Service’ seeks to make everyone involved in the care and management of remanded and sentenced children in the YCS understand their safeguarding responsibilities and ensure they have regard to the expectations set out at Section 2 of this framework when carrying out their duties.

This framework applies to all YCS secure settings where remanded and sentenced children and young people are placed. This includes under-18 Young Offender Institutions (YOI), Secure Training Centres (STC) and Secure Children’s Homes (SCH), as well as to escort providers responsible for the physical movement of children between secure settings and courts.

Published 12 July 2023
Last updated 25 September 2023 + show all updates
  1. Updated for September 2023 - 2.29 to clarify who contacts the child’s family where applicable if safe to do so.

  2. First published.