Guidance

Youth Custody Service Partnership Bulletin - March 2018

Published 29 March 2018

1. Foreword

Welcome to the first edition of the Youth Custody Service (YCS) Partnership Bulletin, where we aim to keep you informed of news and updates in youth custody through this forum.

I am delighted to have recently been given the opportunity of leading the YCS as Interim Executive Director. Sadly, we say goodbye to Mark Read. Mark and I have been working closely over the recent months to ensure that the changes in leadership do not impact on our objectives going forward. We wish Mark well in his new role.

The YCS was created in April 2017, as a distinct service for youth custody within HMPPS. In September we transferred a number of staff from the Youth Justice Board (YJB), and in January we completed our formal restructure.

We are making progress in relation to improving safety and outcomes for young people but we recognise that greater improvements are needed.

Our aim is to contribute to an environment which helps children and young people choose crime free lives and make positive contributions to society.

We have wide ranging plans now in place to progress the reform agenda and bind the YCS together as a community. We will be working closely with colleagues in the YJB, Youth Justice Policy, Commissioning to do so. I am looking forward to working with all of you in the sector to make sure that we put the child at the centre of decision making.

Sara Robinson

Interim Executive Director

2. Who’s who in YCS?

3. Youth Custody Reform Programme

Charlie Taylor’s review of the youth justice system, published in 2016, challenged the Government to think differently about youth custody.

Over the past decade, the success of a reducing population has resulted in a cohort with more complex needs. The Government, in its response to Charlie’s report, has laid out an ambitious programme of reform to improve the outcomes of all young people in custody. Youth justice reform has two main aims - to improve safety and to improve the life chances of children in custody.

Reforms are designed to ensure that young people’s needs are properly addressed in our current establishments. We are investing in youth custody across a number of key strategic themes, spanning health and wellbeing, education and the workforce:

• A tailored approach to meet young people’s needs - with greater integration of health and wellbeing, education, vocational trianing, sport and theraputic programmes
• A larger and more professionalised workforce – focussed on ensuring that there are strong and positive relationships between staff and young people
• Strong leadership and culture – with young people at the centre of decision making
• The right estate - with smaller, more theraputic units

We are working closely with a range of Government Departments to deliver these reforms, including YJB, NHS England and the Department for Education.

We are already making progress:

• The target staffing levels in YOIs have been increased by c.20% to make sure that there is capacity to build stronger relationships with young people. There are plans for a 300-extra youth specific training places for new staff in YOIs in 2018/19.
• The programme has provided up to 250 places a year on a youth justice vocational training programme. Successful completion of the first year will result in a certificate in effective practice (level 4 qualification) and, on completion of the second year, a foundation degree in youth justice (level 5). There are currently over 100 people enrolled on the course.
• Investment in psychologically informed interventions at establishments to reduce violence and self-harm. We are very grateful to NHS England, who are investing heavily, and who are working with us to roll out Secure STAIRS across the youth estate.
• We have opened an interim Enhanced Support Unit at Feltham YOI. This currently caters for four young people with complex needs. We hope to use the learning gained through providing this service to expand the unit and numbers of young people who reside there in the future.
• Funding for vocational training initiatives in YOIs has been made available and individual establishments are working with providers to submit bids to enhance education provision locally.

We will keep you updated on new developments and progress in future bulletins.

4. YJAF Secure Estate AssetPlus deployment

The AssetPlus/eAsset Replacement Programme is in its final month of delivering training across the 16 secure establishments for under-18’s. Some establishments have now fully completed their training and the Programme is pleased to announce that the first, Werrington YOI, has gone live with Youth Justice Application Framework (YJAF) Secure Estate AssetPlus on Tuesday 6 March 2018.

This means children will, for the first time, have a joined-up assessment and planning framework between youth offending teams and the secure estate. The deployment will be phased, with establishments going live during March and early April 2018.

To support you with the deployment of Youth Justice Application Framework (YJAF) Secure Estate AssetPlus the programme has published the following guidance:

• a set of frequently asked questions
• AssetPlus Joint Working Protocol v1.2 - this latest version includes an update to v1.1 published in the YJBulletin on 02/02/18. The protocol provides important information on operational guidance, timelines and responsibilities for both youth offending teams and the secure estate.

YOT staff who manage children in custody should also ensure they are familiar with this information.

• email assessment@yjb.gsi.gov.uk with any AssetPlus practice queries
• email Service.Desk@i2n.com or phone them on 01473 731230 with YJAF technical queries.

You can view the deployment list and the programme will update it regularly.

The Programme would like to thank all of you who attended the training or have committed to do so.

5. Critical Case Panel

For some time, we have operated an acute needs working group with the aim of achieving oversight of the care and management of some of the most exceptionally complex children in the youth custodial estate. Over time this has evolved and we are launching the consultation for the Critical Case Panel which will replace this group. It is proposed that the panel will be made up of professionals and practitioners from a number of disciplines and Chaired by the Head of Casework and Stakeholder Engagement.

The Panel will provide advice, support and oversight of the plans in place to support these children where the children in question don’t appear to be settling in placement. The aim is to support those working directly with them to put the most appropriate plans in place in order that the placement can be maintained, and to ensure that all relevant agencies are fully discharging their responsibilities. In a very few cases, it may be that a transfer to another custodial establishment or a mental health setting might be the outcome.

You can read the Critical Case Panel Terms of Reference https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/critical-casework-panel-terms-of-reference.

We welcome your feedback and ask that you send comments to stacie.dean@justice.gov.uk or lauren.brothwood@justice.gov.uk by 16 April 2018.

The Quarterly Governance Board will have cross government membership. The Board will review the caseload and any trends identified by the panel. The Board will review any local performance issues and ensure that commissioners and policy makers are notified of any emerging themes and gaps in service provision. The Board will also provide Quarterly Reporting to Dr Lee’s office.

Case level briefs will be provided to private office as young people approach release or transition into the adult estate. We will also provide advice if young people transfer from custody into medium secure mental health provision.

This paper is currently out for consultation and discussion within the Secure Estate and an update will be available for the next edition!

6. Matters of Concern

We are committed to ensuring all concerns are dealt with promptly and at the right level, where stakeholders have concerns relating to the secure estate it is important that these are raised so that any appropriate action can be taken. Concerns should be directed to the relevant service providers in the first instance and initially raised at management level, unless the matter is serious in nature.

If a satisfactory response is not received or the reporter considers the issue to be serious the concerns should be escalated to

• the Governor in a YOI
• the Director of the STC
• Registered Managers in SCH’s
• the Safeguarding Lead for the Escort provision.

If stakeholders are not content with the Governor/Director level response further avenues are available for them to raise concerns:

• To raise a concern with the YCS headquarters, stakeholders should email YCS_matters_of_con@justice.gsi.gov.uk. The Matters of Concern, Complaints and Child Protection Incident Framework details the processes through which this will be managed.
• The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) carries out independent investigations into deaths and complaints by prisoners and young people in custody. The detailed role and responsibilities of the PPO are set out in his office’s Terms of Reference, www.ppo.gov.uk. In addition the Ombudsman has discretion to accept complaints from third parties where the individual concerned is either dead or is unable to act on their own behalf.
• Within the SCH provision appeals of complaints would be managed through the SCH’s Local Authority escalation processes.

7. Custody Exit Interviews - reminder for YOTs

We have been operating the Custody Exit Interview for some time now. The Custody Exit Form was devised with feedback from practitioners and young people, in order to systematically collect views from young people, immediately upon release, on their experience of custody.

Completion of the Exit Interview Form enables YOTs and YCS to immediately respond to issues arising upon release from secure establishments, whilst also gaining a greater understanding of the impact of custody on the young person. The YCS collates and analyses the young person’s information to inform contract monitoring, learning and improvement within the secure estate.

The Exit Interview Form highlights, supports and/or enhances:

• young people’s experiences of their sentence and resettlement
• young people’s needs during their stay in custody, and as part of their resettlement
• young person safety and well being
• the accountability of all stakeholders in ensuring the complaints and Incidents process is fair, open and transparent for those involved
• future planning and review of secure services.

The Custody Exit Form should be completed with all young people when exiting custody (remand or sentenced) into the community. It should be returned to custodyfeedbackform@yjb.gsi.gov.uk within the first 10 days of release.

Please find all this information and further guidance at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/young-person-custody-exit-form

8. YJB Youth Justice Convention 2018 Reference Group

The YJB is looking for people from the sector to join its Youth Justice Convention 2018 Reference Group. The YJB made a concerted effort last year to make the convention more sector-led and practitioner-focused which was well received by delegates. They would like to build on the positive feedback from last year by inviting reference group members to play an even greater role in shaping the content for this year’s event.

Members will be asked to contribute ideas and suggestions including identifying suitable topics and speakers for the main stage and viewing/commenting on seminar proposals. The commitment would involve taking part in a 20-30-minute phone call every two to three weeks from late April as well as contributing via email. They do not anticipate members having to travel to attend meetings. If you are interested in joining the group or would like to know more, please contact rowena.finnegan@yjb.gov.uk by Friday 13 April.

9. Have your say…

We would love to hear your feedback and suggestions of content you would like to see in future editions of this bulletin. Please send your feedback/suggestions to ycs.comms@justice.gov.uk