4.30 Supporting Children in Secure Youth Establishments

1. Local Authority Responsibilities

Any assessment of children in secure youth establishments should take account of their specific needs. In all cases, the responsibility for the welfare and safety of a child is located jointly with the home and host local authority. Any professional conduct issues should be dealt with by the local authority in which the establishment is located. Partners should work with the secure youth establishment and, where appropriate, the Youth Custody Service to ensure that the child has a single, comprehensive support plan.

2. Preparing and Reviewing a Care Plan

Where a child becomes looked after, as a result of being remanded to youth detention accommodation (YDA), the local authority should visit the child and assess the child’s needs before taking a decision on how they should be supported. This information should be used to prepare the care plan, which should set out how the YDA and other practitioners will meet the child’s needs whilst the child remains remanded, and at any point of transition they will experience (either returning to the community or upon receiving a custodial sentence). The care plan must be reviewed in the same way as a care plan for any other looked after child.