Official Statistics

Safety in the Children and Young People Secure Estate: Update to June 2023

Published 26 October 2023

Applies to England and Wales

Main Points

612 assault incidents Apr to Jun 2023, of which 49 were serious 391 different children and young people involved as assailants or fighters

The annualised rate of assault incidents per 100 children and young people per year was 427.9 in the 3 months April to June 2023, an increase of 6% compared to the same period last year. The number of unique children and young people involved in incidents as assailants or fighters increased by 8% in the 3 months April to June 2023 compared to the same period last year, from 362 to 391.

326 assault incidents on staff Apr to Jun 2023, of which 33 were serious

The annualised rate of assault incidents on staff per 100 children and young people per year was 227.9 in the 3 months April to June 2023, an increase of 33% compared to the same period last year.

510 self-harm incidents Apr to Jun 2023 87 different children and young people self-harmed Apr to Jun 2023

The annualised rate of self-harm incidents per 100 children and young people per year was 356.6 in the 3 months April to June 2023, a decrease of 2% compared to the same period last year. The number of unique children and young people self-harming increased by 10% in the 3 months April to June 2023 compared to the same period last year, from 79 to 87.

No deaths reported in the year to Jun 2023

The last death in the Children and Young People Secure Estate was in June 2019.

The Safety in the Children and Young People Secure Estate (CYPSE) Bulletin publishes statistics across all CYPSE sectors from April 2014 to June 2023.

Assault and self-harm incidents and deaths are refreshed quarterly, with use of force incidents and separations in all sectors being refreshed annually in July.

Where the presented statistics cover the period of the Covid-19 pandemic, it must be considered and accounted for when comparing time periods.

1. Statistician’s Comment

These statistics present data up until June 2023 across each sector of the CYPSE. Throughout these statistics, the latest reporting quarter is annualised and compared to the same annualised period from the previous year.

The CYPSE is built up of distinct sectors; Young Offender Institutions (YOIs), a Secure Training Centre (STC) and Secure Children’s Homes (SCHs). Each sector is operated under different models which are governed by different rules. Caution should be taken when comparing sectors to each other. More information can be found in the accompanying guide to the bulletin.

Given the CYPSE’s small population size, individual children and young people (CYP) can substantially impact statistics. This is particularly apparent within Secure Children’s Homes where site populations are the lowest within the CYPSE. Girls have been placed at Wetherby YOI since July 2021, and Oakhill STC since November 2022, and the impact of these placements can often be seen clearly within these statistics.

The statistics will show that there has been an overall increase in the CYPSE in the rate of assault incidents per 100 CYP per year and a decrease in the rate of self-harm per 100 CYP per year when comparing the 3 months April to June 2023 to the same period from last year.

The rate of assault incidents per 100 CYP per year has shown a decrease in YOIs of 6%, a decrease in SCHs of 18% and a substantial increase in the STC of 79% with the volume of assault incidents in the STC increasing by 198% from 51 to 152 when comparing the 3 months April to June 2023 to the same period from last year.

The rate of assaults on staff per 100 CYP per year have also seen increases in the 3 months April to June 2023 when compared to the same period from last year in the STC and SCHs. The SCH rate increased by 65% to 273.2 assaults on staff per 100 CYP per year and STC rate increased by 191% to 615.0 assaults on staff per 100 CYP per, with the volume of assault on staff incidents in the STC increasing by 384% from 19 to 92. The rate of assaults on staff per 100 CYP per year in YOIs saw no change when compared to the same period last year, although the rate of serious assaults on staff in YOIs saw a 25% decrease.

Self-harm incidents have shown a decrease of 2% in the rate of incidents per 100 CYP per year in the CYPSE for the 3 months April to June 2023 when compared to the same period last year, but a substantial increase of 86% when compared to the previous 3 months January to March 2023.

The rate of self-harm incidents is strongly influenced by very small numbers of individuals self-harming multiple times.

The rate of self-harm incidents per 100 CYP per year for the 3 months April to June 2023 have shown a decrease in YOIs and SCHs, however the rate increased by 71% in the STC to 1,082.9 self-harm incidents per 100 CYP per year when compared to the same period last year.

No deaths of children and young people have been reported since June 2019. This includes any deaths related to COVID-19.

Statistics for separations and use of force within the CYPSE are updated annually with the next update in July 2023, however please note that the accompanying separations and use of force statistics tables to March 2023 contain a small update due to a recording error.

2. Assaults: April 2014 to June 2023

Assault incident rate increased compared to same period last year

In the 3 months April to June 2023, there were 612 assault incidents in the CYPSE involving 391 different CYP as assailants or fighters. The annualised rate of assault incidents was 427.9 per 100 CYP per year, an increase of 6% compared to the same period in 2022 when the rate was 403.0 incidents per 100 CYP per year.

Assault incidents on staff rate increased compared to same period last year

In the 3 months April to June 2023, there were 326 incidents in the CYPSE where staff were assaulted. The annualised rate of assault incidents on staff was 227.9 per 100 CYP per year, an increase of 33% compared to the same period in 2022 when the rate was 171.0 incidents per 100 CYP per year.

Figure 1: Rate of assaults and fights by quarter from April 2014 to June 2018 and assault incidents from April 2019 to June 2023

The definition and counting rules of assaults changed from April 2019 (April 2018 for YOIs) and hence no long-term trends are available and there was no estate-wide figure in 2018/19. Figure 1 illustrates the trends before and after the break.

The rate of assault incidents fell substantially at the outset the Covid-19 pandemic. In the last full quarter prior to the pandemic, the 3 months October to December 2019, the assault rate per 100 CYP per year was 466.4.

For the most recent quarter, the 3 months April to June 2023, the rate of assault was 427.9 incidents per 100 CYP per year which is an increase of 6% in comparison to the same period last year, the 3 months April to June 2022.

In the latest 3 months April to June 2023 there were 326 assault incidents on staff at a rate of 227.9 incidents per 100 CYP per year, a 33% increase compared to the same 3 months last year where the rate was 171.0 incidents per 100 CYP per year.

The rate of serious assaults in the 3 months April to June 2023 was 34.3 incidents per 100 CYP per year, which is an increase of 19% in comparison to the same period last year where the rate was 28.9 incidents per 100 CYP per year.

During the 3 months April to June 2023 there were 391 unique assailants / fighters compared to 362 over the same period in 2022.

During the 3 months April to June 2023 there were 125 unique CYP victims compared to 118 over the same period in 2022.

Figure 2: Rate of assault incidents per 100 CYP per year from April 2022 to June 2022 and from April 2023 to June 2023

In the 3 months April to June 2023, the comparative rate of assaults across the sectors were 361.4 incidents per 100 CYP per year in YOIs, a decrease of 6%; 1,016.1 incidents per 100 CYP per year in the STC, an increase of 79%; and 344.4 incidents per 100 CYP per year in SCHs, a decrease of 18% when compared to the same period last year, with the CYPSE-wide rate of assault incidents increased slightly.

The rate of assaults on staff in the 3 months April to June 2023 was highest within the STC at 615.0 incidents per 100 CYP per year, a 191% increase compared to the same period last year. For SCHs the rate was 273.2 incidents per 100 CYP per year, a 65% increase compared to the same period last year. In YOIs the rate for the 3 months April to June 2023 was 169.0 incidents per 100 CYP per year, showing little change from the same period last year.

In terms of protected characteristics, the rates of involvement as an assailant or fighter over the 12 months to June 2023 were higher than other groups for girls at 1,010.4 incidents per 100 CYP per year, for 15 year-olds at 788.7 incidents per 100 CYP and for CYP from a black background at 794.1 incidents per 100 CYP (where ethnicity has been stated).

The groups with the highest rate of involvement as a victim were boys at 111.7 incidents per 100 CYP per year, 10 to 14 year-olds, at 158.4 incidents per 100 CYP per year, CYP from Asian ethnic backgrounds at 120.3 incidents per 100 CYP per year and for Muslims at 125.1 incidents per 100 CYP per year.

3. Self-Harm: April 2014 to June 2023

Self-harm incidents decreased compared to same period last year

In the 3 months April to June 2023 there were 510 incidents of self-harm involving 87 different CYP. The annualised rate was 356.6 incidents per 100 CYP per year, a decrease of 2% compared to the same period last year.

Figure 3: Rate of self-harm incidents per 100 CYP per year from April 2014 to June 2023

The self-harm rate for the 3 months April to June 2023 was 356.6 incidents per 100 CYP per year, a decrease of 2% compared to the same period last year where the rate was 365.2 incidents per 100 CYP per year.

The number of unique children and young people self-harming in the 3 months April to June 2023 was 87, compared to 79 unique children and young people who self-harmed in the 3 months April to June 2022.

Figure 4: Rate of self-harm incidents per 100 CYP per year from April 2022 to June 2022 and from April 2023 to June 2023

In the 3 months April to June 2023, the comparative rates of self-harm across the sectors were 284.1 incidents per 100 CYP per year in YOIs, a decrease of 19%; 1,082.9 incidents per 100 CYP per year in the STC, an increase of 71%; and 190.0 incidents per 100 CYP per year in SCHs, a decrease of 40% when compared to the same period last year, with the CYPSE-wide rate of self-harm incidents decreasing overall.

The rate of self-harm incidents is influenced by small numbers of individuals self-harming multiple times, so it is important to consider the number of different individuals self-harming as well as the overall count of incidents.

The highest rate of unique CYP self-harming over the 3 months April to June 2023 was in the STC (18 different self-harmers from an average population of 60.0), followed by SCHs (13 different self-harmers from an average population of 67.6) and then YOIs (57 different self-harmers from an average population of 446.5).

The number of self-harm incidents that resulted in an injury requiring treatment in the 3 months April to June 2023 was 101, representing 19.8% of self-harm incidents. The number of self-harm incidents that required hospital attendance in the 3 months April to June 2023 was 16, representing 3.1% of incidents.

The number of girls in the CYPSE is low (an average of 12.9 out of a total average population of 521.3 over the 12 months to June 2023). The rate of self-harm among girls was 9,894.4 incidents per 100 CYP per year, compared to 138.8 per 100 boys per year. Each of the girls who self-harmed did so on average 60.6 times per year, with the boys self-harming on average 3.4 times per year.

Within protected characteristic groupings, self-harming was most common over the 12 months to June 2023 among 15 and 16-year-olds (740.4 and 735.2 incidents per 100 CYP per year respectively) and white children and young people (701.3 incidents per 100 CYP per year) in comparison to others in the group.

4. Deaths: April 2014 to June 2023

No deaths were reported in the CYPSE in the 12 months ending June 2023.

Deaths of children and young people are fortunately rare and there were no deaths in the 12 months ending June 2023. Since April 2014 there have been three deaths of children and young people within the CYPSE.

• Two at Cookham Wood YOI, in July 2015 and June 2019

• One at Hillside SCH, in February 2017

• All deaths were due to natural causes

Further Information

Accompanying files

As well as this bulletin, the following products are published as part of this release:

• A guide providing further information on how the data are collected and processed, as well as an assessment of data quality. The revisions policy, other statistical issues and a glossary of terms used are also covered in the guide.

• A set of summary tables covering both the latest quarter and annual summaries of the data back to 2014/15.

Contact

Press enquiries should be directed to the Ministry of Justice press office:

Tel: 020 3334 3536

Email: newsdesk@justice.gov.uk

Other enquiries about these statistics should be directed to:

Katherine Tatlock

Youth Custody Service

HM Prison and Probation Service

1 Ruskin Square

Ruskin Road

Croydon

CR0 2WF

Email: YCSInformationAndPerformance@justice.gov.uk

Next update: 25th January 2024 (assaults, self-harm, deaths)

Next update: 25th July 2024 (assaults, self-harm, separations, use of force, deaths)

URL: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/youth-justice-statistics#youth-secure-estate-statistics-

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Produced by the Ministry of Justice.

Alternative formats are available on request from YCSInformationAndPerformance@justice.gov.uk