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Children being failed in establishments dominated by violence, disorder and lack of education

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More children in custody felt unsafe than last year, and fewer said they were getting any education, according to an annual review by HM Inspectorate of Prisons. The review, which analysed survey findings from children living in young offender institutions (YOIs) and secure training centres (STCs) in England and Wales in 2023-24, found that children spent the majority of their time locked in their cells, with little done to address their offending. When they were able to mix with other children on the wings, this was often marred by conflict and violence.

A backdrop of decline had severely affected children’s custody during the year, with inspectors judging that only Parc YOI was safe and that no YOIs were providing adequate education. Only half of the children who responded to the survey felt cared for by staff, and half of frontline staff reported suffering from low morale and fears for their personal safety. This, coupled with staffing shortfalls, meant many YOIs were unable to deliver a consistent approach to behaviour management, leading to a vicious cycle of increased levels of violence and disorder, which meant children had less time out of their cells fuelling further frustration.

At the time of our survey, 15% of children felt unsafe, more than twice the proportion in 2022-23 when just 7% said that they felt unsafe. Concerningly, those children who reported feeling unsafe experienced far worse outcomes in almost every aspect of daily life with inspectors often finding them isolating in their cells with minimal exercise or human interaction. In the worst cases, some children spent more than 22 hours a day locked up.

While girls made up a tiny minority of children in custody – just 11 compared with 519 boys in March 2024 – they accounted for the majority of self-harm occurring in the children’s estate. Frontline staff told inspectors of their concern for girls in their custody, with one saying their YOI wasn’t suitable for girls and was being used as a “dumping ground” for vulnerable young people.

These patterns of conflict, violence and staff shortages are echoed in the report of an independent review of progress at HMYOI Feltham A, also published today. Although inspectors identified some progress at the YOI, fundamental weaknesses remained and there was insufficient or no meaningful progress in six of the nine concerns reviewed from the last inspection in March. The establishment was locked in a vicious cycle of high levels of staff sickness (some of which was the result of serious incidents of violence), leading to children having less than three hours a day out of cell, and sometimes less than two. This created frustration which then led to more staff assaults, further affecting staff and children. The closure of HMYOI Cookham Wood in May 2024 had compounded the problems by dramatically increasing the number of new arrivals and the proportion of children on remand, as well as Feltham’s overall population by nearly 50%. Children’s attendance at education and work had consequently been severely curtailed, and they were unable to make any kind of meaningful progress.  

These reports are stark reminders of the scale of the problems in youth custody. What should be an opportunity for children, many of whom have lived chaotic lives, to make up for lost time by gaining qualifications and addressing the underlying causes of their offending. None of this is possible while a child is locked behind a cell door. Leaders in the youth custody service must focus on getting the basics right, prioritising a consistent and motivational approach to behaviour management and giving staff enough time and support to build effective relationships with the children in their care.
HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, Charlie Taylor

Notes to editors

  1. Copies of both reports, published on 13 November 2024, can be found on the HM Inspectorate of Prisons website at: www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprisons/inspections/  
  2. HM Inspectorate of Prisons is an independent inspectorate, inspecting places of detention to report on conditions and treatment and promote positive outcomes for those detained and the public.
  3. Since 2001 HM Inspectorate of Prisons has carried out a ‘Children in custody’ report, providing an analysis of 12-18-year-olds’ perceptions of their experiences in secure training centres (STCs) and young offender institutions (YOIs) across England and Wales. The 2023-24 report draws from surveys of children and staff and inspections carried out in Cookham Wood, Wetherby and Keppel, Werrington, Parc and Feltham A YOIs and Oakhill STC, along with published statistics. Eighty-one per cent of children in the establishments responded to the survey.
  4. Our independent review of progress (IRP) at Feltham A YOI took place between 30 September and 9 October 2024. Feltham A is a young offender institution in West London. At the time of our IRP it held 112 boys aged 15 to 18.
  5. Please email media@hmiprisons.gov.uk if you would like more information.