Custody and resettlement

How to work with children in custody and plan for their future. It includes information on how to make resettlement constructive and apply this in practice. It also covers the different types of custodial sentence and the role of the youth justice service case manager.

How to make resettlement constructive

Constructive Resettlement is an evidence-based framework for delivering personal and practical support to children in custody and after release.  This helps to ensure that the support provided is good quality and will make a positive impact on their lives.

It can be a gradual process for a child to sustain positive outcomes after custody. It is a journey where they shape their identity in a way that promotes a positive and constructive future. If you are involved in the resettlement of a child, your main responsibility is to facilitate this positive identity development. This strength-based approach supports children to make positive contributions to society, creating safer communities with fewer victims.

The Constructive Resettlement framework will support you to meet the expectations of the standards for children in the youth justice system. Specifically standard 4: In secure setting and 5: on transition and resettlement. It will also provide the evidence for HMI Probation’s resettlement policy and provision standard.

Early in a child’s sentence, the secure resettlement practitioner, and the youth justice service (YJS) case manager should meet the child and their family or carer to plan for their Constructive Resettlement. This should continue throughout their sentence; both in custody and on licence in the community. Practitioners and case managers should also plan for this work to continue after the order ends, particularly if on-going support is needed.

High quality relationships established with children and their parents and/or carers are critical for effective assessment and planning. You should include the child and their family where it is safe to do so because the responsibility for Constructive Resettlement lies with the adults, as well as the child.

Constructive Resettlement, is the practical application of the second tenet of Child First, which centres around ‘building a pro-social identity’:

Promote children’s individual strengths and capacities to develop their pro-social identity for sustainable desistance, leading to safer communities and fewer victims.

All work is constructive and future-focused, built on supportive relationships that empower children to fulfil their potential and make positive contributions to society.

How to apply the Constructive Resettlement framework

Constructive resettlement is a framework to provide the personalised practical support a child needs to develop a prosocial identity. This means that resettlement work should encompass both personal and structural (also known as practical) support.

Whilst personal support should always direct and inform the structural support required, so that the practical is personalised to the child, work on both can take place concurrently.

Personal support

Individualised personal support is required to help the child to move on in their lives as well as develop goals and aspirations. Throughout the whole of the child’s sentence, your work should centre around helping the child answer 4 key questions:   

1. Who am I? You should explore the child’s identity, and which elements of it discourage positive outcomes.
2. What are my strengths? You understand the child’s strengths, interests and goals that can inform a pro-social identity.
3. Who do I want to be? You help the child prepare for a pro-social future self that they can develop and maintain.
4. How am I going to get there? You help the child plan the routes to their pro-social self and know what support is available.

You should work with the child throughout the planning process to help them to think about these questions, with an understanding that, initially, not all of these will be answerable by the child.

You should promote the child’s strengths and encourage them to think of themselves in a positive, pro-social way, alongside providing the structural support they need to achieve their pro-social self.

When providing support, you should also follow the 5Cs of constructive working. You should also explore identity awareness that covers how the child sees themselves, as well as how others perceive them.

Structural support

Structural support is the practical support offered to a child so they can resettle in the community. You will need to identify and work with other agencies and professionals to ensure that this structural support is provided. For example, you will be required depending on their need, to assist them to access:

• accommodation
• healthcare
• education
• training, and employment
• social and constructive leisure activities

You should encourage other agencies to adopt Constructive Resettlement when working with the child and understand their role in assisting children to successfully resettle. To help you do this you could share some of the resources available to support practitioners with Constructive Resettlement.

The 5Cs of constructive working

The 5Cs are the 5 main elements that characterise constructive working with the child. They can be used as a useful checklist for planning with the child and professionals supporting them.

The 5 main elements are:

1. Constructive – work is focused on identity development, future oriented, strengths-based, motivating.
2. Co-created – developed with and for the child.
3. Customised – each child’s identity journey is unique, recognising the importance of diversity.
4. Consistent – identity shift is the focus of all involved in custody from the start.
5. Coordinated – through effective casework and communication.

Constructive

The overall objective of Constructive Resettlement is to help the child develop their identity. You should consider the purpose of all work with the child in custody and on release in relation to that objective.

This means that all support for the child should look to the future, rather than focusing on past behaviour. This will avoid underlining the pro-offending identity. The support you facilitate should motivate the child for change and ensure that the child is empowered to make positive choices (the more vulnerable the child, the more attention needs to be paid to empowerment). Everyone involved should always look towards positive outcomes rather than framing discussions around deficits.

Co-created

A child’s identity is personal to them, and can only be developed by them, so it is crucial that they are involved in any planning.

This co-creation will help to ensure that the child considers the support as relevant to their needs and future, and so is more likely to engage with it. We know that everyday interactions are crucial to developing a child’s pro-social identity, so families and friends should be involved where appropriate. They can be helpful supporters in motivating and empowering the child, highlighting their strengths, feeding-back to the child on ‘who’ they are, and providing roles and activities which reinforce it.

Customised

As every child’s identity and personal development journey is unique; their Constructive Resettlement plan and support needs to be individualised. Children should not be fitted to generic interventions. Personal characteristics (including ethnicity, gender, and sex) are important to a child’s sense of who they are and their place in the world, so considerations of these characteristics and how they identify themselves are essential in any support package.

Consistent

Understanding and developing the child’s identity should be the focus of all practitioners working with the child in custody and the community. Where possible, professional support relationships should be stable in order to help build trust with the child and to better ensure consistent messages around their strengths and pro-social identity.

Coordinated

Building the route to a pro-social self for the child is likely to involve several agencies, across sectors, so work should start early to broker support and ensure consistency in messages.

All agencies working with a child have a responsibility to be aware of who the child wants to be and the constructive developmental journey they are on (rather than focusing on the behaviour/risks to manage). This interagency working should ensure that support in the community is set up well in advance of release.

It is the responsibility of the youth justice service case manager and the secure resettlement practitioner to co-ordinate work with the child.

How to be ‘identity aware’

Everyone involved with the child in custody should ensure that they are ‘identity aware’. This includes those:

• working with children daily
• assessing children
• making decisions about children
• undertaking interventions

Being identity aware means that you understand a child’s identity. This will help you make the most of any interactions that you have with children and ensure you actively support their positive development.

Identity awareness includes:

Awareness of messages from the child about how they see themselves

You should look out for messages about the child’s own identity. It is important to be aware of the messages that the child is giving out about their identity to better understand how they see themselves, their place in the world, or who they might aspire to be.

Awareness of messages you are giving the child about how you see them

You should also be aware of the messages that you and your colleagues are giving to the child about them and their place in the world. This is especially important when discussing their offending behaviour, so you do not reinforce that who they are is defined by what they have done.

Custodial settings, by their nature can reinforce negative identity perceptions, all of those working with children should consider how their words and actions may be used to reduce this impact. Similarly, it is important to avoid negative labelling when you discuss the child’s needs or any public protection concerns.

How a pro-social identity is developed

The building blocks for a child developing a pro-social identity can be seen as:

• activities
• interactions
• roles

Or AIR for short. It may help you to remember that for children to develop their identity, they need “fresh AIR”

These building blocks are interrelated and help children shape the way they see themselves in the world. For example, volunteering with a local charity can involve a child taking on a new role (e.g. as a team member), and have that potentially reinforced through interactions such as the manager telling the child they are team player who is making a positive difference. When developing resettlement plans with children, you should consider what opportunities are provided for this “fresh AIR”.

The resources available to support Constructive Resettlement

There are a growing number of resources available to support working constructively with children in custody and more widely. These include but are not limited to:

• The Youth Justice Resource Hub, which includes a wide range of practice examples and practical resources.
• Using an Identity lens toolkit (Hazel, et al) provides greater detail of the constructive framework, best practice examples and ideas for workshops with children.
• constructive-resettlement.co.uk– A web-based resource for practitioners including videos and other resources on the Constructive Resettlement approach and what that means for practice.
• HMI Probation Youth Resettlement Effective Practice Guide - Provides examples of effective practice in resettlement.
• Beyond Youth Custody - Developing best practice in the resettlement of young people leaving custody  - provides detail on the evidence and research that underpins constructive resettlement as well as practical resources.

What custodial sentences are available to children

A Detention and Training Order (DTO) is the sole option for the youth court to sentence a child to custody. It may also be given by a Crown Court. Normally half the sentence is spent in custody and the other half in the community.

• DTOs are available for children aged 12-17 years old (if the child is 12-14 years old, the order can only be made if they are a ‘persistent offender’ (as defined by legislation))
• the minimum DTO is 4 months, and the maximum is 24 months, the sentence imposed must be for the shortest time commensurate with the seriousness of the offence
• time spent on custodial remand will count towards a sentence
• a written pre-sentence report must be considered
• offence(s) must be so serious that custody is the only appropriate penalty, the court needs to state reasons why a YRO with ISS/Fostering cannot be justified

For the definition of a ‘persistent offender’ see section 6.4 Sentencing Children and Young People, Sentencing Guidelines Council (2017).

The Policing, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 removed fixed lengths so that children can be sentenced to a DTO of any length between 4 and 24 months. Youth justice service case managers should consider the opportunities this flexibility provides and advocate for shorter sentences where appropriate and the timing would better enable a child to access opportunities on release. For example, to coincide with the start of the academic year.

Children serving a DTO between 8-24 months can be subject to early/late release, please see the early and late release for Detention and Training Orders policy framework. You should assume a child will be released at their early release date, if eligible, and plan accordingly.

You should also be aware that given time spent on remand counts towards the sentence the child may be released with a Detention Training Order from court, and you will be responsible for the child’s supervision immediately.

Custodial sentences under the Sentencing Act 2000

For more serious offences children can be sentenced to longer periods in custody under different provisions of the Sentencing Act 2000. These are only available in the Crown Court.

These include:

• Section 250 for up to 14 years imprisonment
• Sections 254 and 258 which are extended or life sentences where the court considers a significant risk of harm to members of the public
• Section 259 which is detention at His Majesty’s Pleasure for a conviction of murder

The role of the Youth Custody Service in the placement decision

The Youth Custody Service’s (YCS) Placement Team is responsible for the placement of all children into custody. They place children who are remanded into custody or given a custodial sentence by a court.

The primary purpose of the Placement Team is to place children in the secure setting best able to ensure their safety and support their individual needs. The team has an important role in making the best use of the resources and capacity available to children in secure settings.

At the time of placement the YCS Placement Team will make an assessment of the most appropriate establishment for the child. The areas considered in this placement decision includes but is not limited to:

• any welfare concerns or other vulnerabilities
• age
• sex and gender
• home location

Please read the placing young people in custody: guidance for youth justice practitioners  to find out more about this process.

How the youth justice service case manager supports the placement decision

As a youth justice service case manager, you are responsible for notifying the Youth Custody Service’s (YCS) Placement and Casework Service about a child who may receive a custodial outcome. This should be done at the earliest possible stage and you should use the Custody sections of AssetPlus and complete these fully.

You should consider if the child has any needs or vulnerabilities which should inform the placement decision. If you have a view as to the most appropriate type of placement for them, you should communicate the reason for this.

These may include:

• Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) (Additional Learning Needs (ALN) in Wales)
• physical or mental health needs
• emotional wellbeing
• proximity to family or other support networks
• safety of the child

It is important that this information is received promptly by the YCS’s Placement Team to enable the secure setting to effectively safeguard the child. If, due to workload pressures or court timescales, it is necessary for you to send this after 5.30pm, contact must be made with their out-of-hours service to ensure that the documents are uploaded on the same day.

The YCS placement officer will then identify the most suitable available placement for the child. They will make the final decision on location and type of secure establishment having considered all available information, including the view of the YJS.

Both agencies share the responsibility for ensuring the placement can maintain the child’s safety and wellbeing. If you disagree with a placement decision, please refer to guidance on how to appeal placement and placement review decisions

What a YJS case manager should do when a child is given a custodial sentence

When a child receives a custodial sentence, the youth justice service (YJS) case manager should see the child in court following the outcome. You should explain the outcome to the child, what that means for them and what will happen next. You should also assess how the outcome may have affected their safety and wellbeing. Any immediate concerns in relation to the child’s safety must be communicated to court custody staff as well as the prison escort service and the Youth Custody Service’s (YCS) Placement Team.

As the YJS case manager, you must ensure that the completed Custody Module of AssetPlus, including the Post-Court section, is fully completed and sent to the YCS’s Placement Team. This information must be sent through Connectivity immediately after sentencing. This is to enable the YCS’s Placement Team to make the correct placement decision that day. You should also call the YCS Placement Team to confirm that they have all the information they need. 

For more detail, see the YCS’s guidance on placing children in custody.

YJS case managers should inform the children’s services department within the local authority and information should be shared with the secure establishment to ensure that the child’s education status and any particular needs are identified.

The first things to communicate are the:

• duration of sentence
• likely timing of sentence
• location of placement

If a child that is looked after by a local authority is sentenced or remanded to custody, YJS case managers must inform the child’s social worker.

The YJS case manager must immediately inform the child’s parents or carers once the custodial placement is confirmed. This must be within 24 hours. You should be sure that the parents or carers are clear on how they can contact their child and have the relevant information on visiting them such as details of the assisted visit scheme.

The types of secure accommodation available to children

The following 3 types of secure establishment are currently available for children:

Secure children’s homes

The Youth Custody Service (YCS) has contracts with 8 secure children’s homes (SCHs) nationally providing approximately 110 places. The YCS commissions 5 to 24 beds in each establishment, and they are for children between the ages of 10 and 18.

Some SCHs also accommodate children who are placed there on welfare grounds.

The YCS places children in the following SCHs:

• Adel Beck Secure Children’s Home - in Leeds
• Aldine House Secure Children’s Home - in Sheffield
• Aycliffe Secure Centre - in County Durham
• Clayfields House Secure Unit - in Nottingham
• Hillside Secure Centre - in Neath, South Wales
• Lincolnshire Secure Unit- in Sleaford, Lincolnshire
• Barton Moss - in Manchester
• Vinney Green Secure Unit - in Bristol

Accommodation

All children in SCHs have their own bedroom with a phone, sink, toilet, and shower. SCH bedrooms are designed for single occupancy, in small domestically styled living units with kitchens and communal social spaces.

The layout, size of units and how they mix boys and girls varies SCHs adopt a therapeutic approach using an integrated framework of care principles. This is an evidence-based response to child trauma or for those presenting with complex needs.

Security and safeguarding

All safeguarding procedures are overseen by the SCH’s Local Safeguarding Children’s Partnerships, except for Hillside in Wales which is overseen by the local authority.

Arrival and first night

When a child first arrives at a SCH, they will be able to contact a family member by phone. This could be quite late in the evening, depending on the time they arrive.

They will also be given a pack of essentials including food and toiletries.

Upon arrival, all children are subject to welfare interactions and observations every 5 minutes, and this is reduced to 15-minute observations following risk assessment and safety planning.

Phone calls for children in SCHs

Every child in a SCH in England has a phone in their room and can make outgoing calls to anyone on their approved list of friends and family. They are given credit for calls when they arrive. This is different for children placed into Hillside Secure Children’s Home in Wales where children will have access to handheld phones, but these are not located inside each bedroom.

Staffing

The staff to child ratio varies however is usually 3:4, 2:3 or 1:2 per unit (the highest in custody, which allows more time out of their rooms).

All residential care staff must complete the ‘QCF level 3 in children and young people.’

Governance

SCHs are subject to twice yearly inspection by Ofsted according to criteria within the Social Care Common Inspection Framework (SCCIF).

At Hillside (Wales) there is an annual inspection by CIW (Care Inspectorate Wales) and Estyn who inspect education provision.

All SCHs have a head teacher and schools embedded within the home.

Secure training centre

There is currently only 1 secure training centre (STC) with 80 commissioned places. It is for children between the ages of 12 and 18.

Oakhill STC in Milton Keynes is operated by G4S which is a private organisation.

Accommodation

All children have their own bedroom with a phone, sink, toilet, and shower. The STC bedrooms are designed for single occupancy, in small, domestically styled living units with kitchens and communal social spaces.

Security and safeguarding

All safeguarding procedures are overseen by Local Safeguarding Children’s Partnerships. Social workers are directly employed by the contractor running the STC.

Arrival and first night

When a child first arrives at the STC, they will be able to contact a family member by phone. This could be quite late in the evening, depending on the time they arrive.

They will be given a pack of essentials including food and toiletries. Upon arrival, the child will receive a range of assessments to form their welfare check which will include those by a nurse or doctor.

Phone calls for children in a STC

Every child has a phone in their room and can make outgoing calls to anyone on their approved list of friends and family. They are given credit for calls when they arrive.

Staffing

The staff to child ratio is a minimum of 3:8 per unit. All new staff must complete a 7-week training programme prior to working in an STC.

Governance

The services to be provided are outlined within the STC Rules 1998.

HM Prison and Probation Service contracts spaces within STCs. The service specification forms part of this contract and details the range of services to be provided from admission through to release. The service specification details the education and regime to be offered, the health services to be provided, accommodation standards, security arrangements, staffing and management responsibilities.

Prison Service Instructions (PSI) do not apply to the STC however many of its policies/rules are derived from PSIs.

Ofsted is responsible for leading joint inspections alongside HMI Prisons and the Care Quality Commission (CQC). They report on the conditions and treatment of children in custody.

Young Offender Institutions

There are approximately 850 commissioned places at the 5 Young Offender Institutions (YOIs), ranging in size from 60 to 288 places. YOIs are for 15 to18-year-olds and, except for Wetherby’s Keppel unit, only take boys.

 The Youth Custody Service places children at the following YOIs:

• HMP and YOI Feltham – in London
• HMP and YOI Parc – in South Wales, operated by G4S, a private company
• HMYOI Wetherby – in Yorkshire
• HMYOI Werrington – in Staffordshire

Accommodation

All children in YOIs get their own room with a sink and toilet, all rooms additionally have telephones, and some have showers.

Security and safeguarding

All safeguarding procedures are overseen by the Local Safeguarding Children’s Partnerships and the dedicated social worker function is staffed by the local authority.

Arrival and first night

When a child first arrives at a YOI, they will be able to contact a family member by phone. In some circumstances (such as restricted status establishments may need to contact the family member on behalf of the child.

They will also be given a pack of essentials including food and toiletries.

Children will see a ‘first night officer’ who will check how they are feeling and discuss immediate health and wellbeing needs.

Phone calls for children YOIs

Every child in a YOI has access to a phone on their unit and most YOIs have phones in their rooms. Children can make outgoing phone calls to anyone on their approved contact list. To make phone calls, children will have to top-up their PIN account. They are given credit to do this when they arrive.

Staffing

The staff to child ratio is 1:12 per unit/wing (the lowest among custody for children) some specialist units, such as the Keppel unit in Wetherby, have different ratios.

Youth justice workers must complete a 12-week training course off site, as well as training and shadowing on site before they can start working at a YOI. They are required to complete a youth justice qualification as part of an apprenticeship scheme when working with children.

Governance

YOIs are governed by HM Prison and Probation Service Policy Frameworks, Prison Service Orders and Prison Service Instructions. HM Inspectorate of Prisons is responsible for leading joint inspections alongside Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission.

All YOIs are inspected against the 4 healthy prison tests and reports are submitted on the conditions and treatment of children in custody.

Complex needs units

Some YOIs contain smaller complex needs units. They are the Keppel Unit (HMYOI Wetherby) and 2 Enhanced Support Units (HMYOI Wetherby and HMYOI Feltham).

They are for children with complex needs who cannot be safely accommodated within a YOI with an enhanced care plan.

These complex needs are likely to include a combination of additional vulnerabilities such as physical or mental health needs, learning disabilities, speech, language, and communication needs.

The units are a national resource and children can be referred into them.

How to make an effective resettlement plan

A plan for the future should be available for all children from the point at which they enter custody. This is called their resettlement plan, which can be thought of as an interface between the child and Asset Plus e.g. a physical document in a child friendly format that the child is able to keep and update. Resettlement plans should reflect the Constructive Resettlement framework to meet the best interests of each child and should be strengths based and forward looking.

The youth justice service (YJS) case manager has overall responsibility for the child’s resettlement plan. There should be a single plan for both the child and professionals. This supports the professional’s accountability to the child and parents/carers. It is important that the plan makes clear what the responsibilities and actions for the professionals and the objectives for the child are. Plans should be informed by the child’s AssetPlus assessment, and information from the plan should be used to update the Pathways and Planning section of AssetPlus.

The resettlement plan must cover the whole of the child’s sentence, or time on remand, including the elements to be delivered in custody and those in the community. It should also include transition arrangements to an adult establishment if the child will turn 18 whilst in custody.

The plan should be a live document which evolves with a child as they, and the professionals working with them, gain greater insight into their life, strengths, identity, and future aspirations. Within the resettlement plan it is important to acknowledge and address any specific challenges such as experiences of trauma, peer association or transition from custody which may prevent the child from making positive changes. In alignment with the Child First approach, throughout the plan there should be focus on the child and how it supports their positive identity development.

For the plans to be effective, they should include tools that will enable children to visualise their lives in a positive way having overcome these challenges. Although technology may not always be available in custody, secure resettlement practitioners should make use of the range of media available, to enable children to contribute to developing interactive plans that they can engage with. Plans may also include links to local and national resources that will help children.

Within the early stage of a sentence, practitioners should not attempt to map out every moment ahead of the child. Initial plans should include activities to explore what matters to the child and should seek to answer the questions identified under personal support such as who am I? What are my strengths? Who do I want to be? How am I going to get there?

The plan should consider opportunities for “fresh AIR”; those ‘Activities, Interaction and Roles’ that will allow the child to explore their identity and try out different ones. The plan should also include the structural support needed to develop their future self as well as personal support and how to address any barriers to it. For example, are there any specific personal or cultural needs.

Plans must be developed in line with the 5Cs, and in particular objectives must be co-created with the child. The 5Cs should be used as a checklist to ensure that the plan is constructive.

Additional advice on plans for children in the youth justice system can be found in the how to work with children section of this guidance.

Children should be given a copy of their plan. A digital version should be stored on the Youth Justice Application Framework. Whilst the YJS case manager has overall responsibility for the plan it is the responsibility of the secure resettlement practitioner to ensure that this is updated whilst the child is in custody. Post release it is the responsibility of the YJS case manager.

The responsibilities of the youth justice service case manager to children in custody

As a youth justice service (YJS) case manager you have responsibility for the overall case management of the community and custodial elements of a child’s order. You also have joint accountability with the custodial establishment for the child’s welfare, safeguarding and both the personal support and structural support elements of the Constructive Resettlement framework.

The YJS case manager’s responsibilities can be grouped under two headings:

You are expected to fulfil these responsibilities in alignment with the principles of Child First.

The Constructive Resettlement responsibilities of the YJS case manager

Producing the child’s resettlement plan

As a youth justice service (YJS) case manager, you have overall responsibility to produce the child’s resettlement plan. This should be in line with the Constructive Resettlement Framework and in co-operation with the Secure Resettlement Practitioner and the child.

Co-ordinating the work with the child and other agencies

You have a critical role to play in co-ordinating the work with the child to provide both the personal and structural support they will need based on their resettlement plan. It is your role to work with other agencies to prepare for the child’s release. You should refer children to other agencies, such as children’s services, housing, or substance misuse services to meet their health and welfare needs. You have a particular responsibility for brokering the engagement of other services within the local authority, such as children’s social care.

Attending and chairing resettlement meetings

You should attend and chair resettlement planning and review meetings. You should also attend any joint meetings with children’s services regarding children who are in care or care-experienced and this should happen throughout the custodial part of the sentence.

Regularly assessing the child’s development

You should regularly assess the child’s development throughout their period of time in custody. This is to ensure that resettlement plans are relevant and are assisting the child.

Understanding the structural barriers

You should understand the structural barriers that the child might face on leaving custody and the support they will need to overcome them. For example, their accommodation needs or education, training and employment or constructive leisure.

Planning for where they will live

Planning for where children will live on release is critical to effective resettlement and should start as soon as they enter custody. Where this includes returning to a family or carer’s home consideration should be given to what support the family/carer and child need to maintain their relationship whilst the child is in custody. All children in custody must know at least 6 weeks prior to their release where they will be living.

Working with custody

You should work with custody to ensure that appropriate interventions and activities are provided to support the child’s positive identity development as identified in their resettlement plan and facilitate the child’s positive reintegration into their community. You should also consider if there are activities in the community that may be suitable and if they can be delivered in custody or on Release on Temporary Licence.

Effective use of release on temporary licence

You should support the child through planning and facilitating effective use of temporary release. You also have responsibility to find and secure suitable opportunities for release on temporary licence to support the child’s resettlement.

Involve the child in decision-making

You should ensure that the child is involved in decision-making and informed of any updates in relation to their resettlement.

It is important to ensure that they fully understand their arrangements, conditions on release and any record of these is provided in a format applicable to the child’s speech language and communication needs.

Advocate for the child

You should act as an advocate for the child whilst they are in custody. Providing constructive challenge to other professionals working with the child on how they are meeting the child’s needs and supporting them with their constructive resettlement This could include the secure setting or children’s services within your local authority.

Planning for education, training, employment and constructive leisure

You have responsibility for working with the child and other professionals to consider what the child will do when released from custody. You should consider  what opportunities exist and the organisations your service works with that can both effectively support the child with their constructive resettlement aims and provide ‘fresh AIR’. This should not be limited to education, training and employment (ETE) but may also include constructive leisure, meaning organised activities that support the interests of the child e.g. sports teams, gym memberships, and creative arts workshops.  Where release dates do not line up with start dates, for training courses for example, you should consider what options exist for release on temporary licence.

Consider the individual needs of the child

You also have a responsibility to consider the individual needs of the child. It is important that these characteristics are not mischaracterised as ‘risk’. Areas to consider include:

• Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) (Additional Learning Needs (ALN) in Wales)
• physical or mental health needs
• emotional wellbeing
• experience of trauma, abuse, or exploitation, and family alienation

It should be recognised that the experience of custody can be traumatising, and support may be needed to help the child manage this trauma.

The child’s ethnicity

Evidence, such as that summarised in the YJB’s publication understanding racial disparity, shows that some children, in particular those who are from a Black, or Mixed ethnicity background are more likely to experience structural inequalities

This could be in the form of racism and discrimination, including from the criminal justice system. This can also heighten levels of traumatic stress.

The Youth Custody Service has published this practical guide on how to support children from different ethnic, cultural, and religious backgrounds.

Children who are looked after by the local authority

Children who are looked after by the local authority or those with care experience may need additional personal support to avoid negative stigma and to develop a positive sense of self. Their living arrangements, as for all children, must be confirmed at least 6 weeks prior to release.

Sex and gender

Girls have different needs and experiences to boys and support should be adapted accordingly. Support should also be adapted for children that identify as transgender, or non-binary.

For more detailed advice on how to adapt your work for children based on their needs, please see the How to work with children section of this guidance.

The welfare responsibilities of the YJS case manager

The home local authority and the secure estate have joint accountability for the child’s welfare.

As a youth justice service (YJS) case manager, your welfare responsibilities include:

Carrying out assessments of a child’s safety and wellbeing

You should carry out assessments of a child’s safety and wellbeing using AssetPlus.

This must be a dynamic process, with re-assessments taking place at regular intervals during the sentence as well as following any changes in the child’s circumstances.

Ensuring that children’s needs are met

You should work with the secure estate to ensure the child is:

• leaving their room and having social contact their peers every day
• able to participate in physical education every week
• able to spend time outside everyday
• attending suitable education and learning opportunities
  • Children should receive a minimum of 15 hours education or training a week. You should confirm what the child is actually receiving as opposed to what is timetabled or offered.
• being cared for fairly and if needed provided with support to enable them to have equal access to services and activities available to other children
• having regular suitable contact with family, carers, and friends
  • sentenced children should get at least one visit every two weeks, with a weekend visit every four weeks
  • remanded children should get at least three visits a week
  • Visits should be at least an hour
• able to access healthcare if required, both physical and mental
• having regular healthy meals
• able to feel safe
• able to practice their religious beliefs

You should assure yourself that this is the case by regularly asking the child and the secure site.

Where this is not the case you should seek to understand why, what plans are being made to enable it to be and, how you can support the child and the site with those plans.

For example, if you know the child is being kept separate from their peers, you should ask the site:

• why they are separated
• what is being done to reintegrate them       
• what they are doing to enable the child to continue to access activities such as education
• how the child’s mental and physical wellbeing is being supported

You should also consider whether you need to take any additional action to support the child, such as by increasing the frequency of your contact.

Finally, you should confirm that the child, their parent/carer, and social worker, if they have one, understands what is happening and why.

Ensuring children are aware of the support available to them

It is important to ensure that children are aware of the support available to them from the YJS, the establishment and services which may operate within it.

These may include advocacy services, the Independent Monitoring Board if there is one, charitable organisations that operate at the site, and the health care provision that is available including mental health support and substance misuse services.

Addressing safety and well-being concerns

Your role includes addressing any concerns about a child’s safety or well-being arising from any contact with them or that you are made aware of.  You should know when and how to escalate those concerns within the YJS and the establishment using the Youth Custody Service’s matters of concern process. Additional information and key contacts on matters of concern can be found on the Youth Justice Resource Hub.

Maintain regular contact

You have a responsibility to maintain regular contact with the child through a variety of mediums, such as by phone and in-person. Please see how to maintain contact with children in the secure setting for further guidance.

Contact with parents/carers

You must maintain contact with the child’s parents or carers, this maintains a positive and trusting relationship, which will ease the transition on release.

You should maintain regular contact with parents/carers outside of resettlement planning meetings. Whenever a child’s circumstances change in custody you should ensure their parent/carers are informed.

Maintain external relationships

Maintaining links to the community is important for children in custody. If a child has worked with a social worker, youth justice practitioner or other professional in the community the local authority should make arrangements for them to continue to support the child in custody, rather than transferring responsibility to a different practitioner.

How to maintain contact with children in the secure setting

Frequency of contact

At a minimum you should have face to face contact with the child on a monthly basis with more regular contact by phone or virtual visits.

You should agree with the child how you will contact them and how often. This will usually mean visiting at least monthly to see them in person alongside more regular contact by phone or email. This is your responsibility, and you must not leave contact with the child solely to other specialist workers. The secure setting must support and facilitate this contact and you should be familiar with the arrangements for accessing visits and maintaining contact with the child.

You will need to confirm with the secure resettlement practitioner how the child is able to contact you and what options there are for making remote contact with the child, including by phone, virtually and email.

Your initial contact with children in custody should address how they are coping and adapting to the environment.

Phone contact

The secure sites have different approaches to phone contact. You will need to speak with the secure resettlement practitioner to confirm the details for that site.

In some sites the YJS phone number may need to be added to the child’s contact list. The children may have an account with phone credit which is charged for calls.

You should confirm if the child will be charged for calling you, who you can call to speak with the child and who the child can ask to arrange a phone call with you.

You may wish to consider if the local authority should reimburse children for the cost of calls to them if they are charged and how to do that.

Other forms of contact

You should confirm if virtual contact will be possible through schemes such as purple visits and how that needs to be arranged. As well as what options may exist for contacting the child in writing by email or post.

Video conferencing is not appropriate for all welfare checks as this may not be private and may prevent children from sharing their concerns. Remote contact may also prevent practitioners from picking up on non-verbal cues. Children may be less likely to raise concerns about their treatment in the establishment when not face-to-face.

In-person visits

You should confirm the professional visiting arrangements with the site, how you are able to book visits and any rules around what you can bring into the secure site to support your work with the child. 

Whilst regular contact can be maintained through virtual visits and telephone calls for practical purposes (e.g., where there is a considerable distance from the home local authority to the secure site), you should continue to also schedule face-to-face visits at least monthly.

To raise concerns about visits

If you are having issues with visiting the secure site to see the child, for example, arranging appropriate times to do so, or the site not permitting entry on the day of a visit please inform the relevant secure resettlement practitioner and their manager to ensure they are aware of the issue. This may mean you need to phone or email them from outside the site.

If you are still experiencing issues with access, then contact the YCS Reducing Reoffending Team who will be able to take action on your behalf to resolve the issue

Differentiating between welfare and resettlement planning visits

You have a responsibility to maintain contact with the child to assess their wellbeing and safety, these are your welfare responsibilities to the child. In addition, you will need to have more formal contact alongside the secure resettlement practitioner for the child’s resettlement planning meetings. Whilst there is inevitably some crossover between these roles, it is important to provide space and time for both separately. You should not attempt to meet welfare responsibilities during more formal resettlement planning meetings.

The role of the resettlement practitioner in secure settings

A resettlement practitioner in a secure setting is assigned to work with and safeguard a child during the custodial part of their sentence or during their remand. These practitioners have a range of job titles in different secure settings; for the purpose of this guidance, we use the term ‘secure resettlement practitioner’.

The secure resettlement practitioner has a joint responsibility with the youth justice service (YJS) case manager for providing both the personal and structural support elements of the Constructive Resettlement framework.

You are expected to fulfil these responsibilities in alignment with the principles of Child First.

As a secure resettlement practitioner, you should:

• work with the child to help them form, understand, and achieve the objectives and targets in their resettlement plan - remembering that the child needs to own the plan and be at the centre of its development
• ensure that the child’s resettlement plan is developed using the 5Cs of the Constructive Resettlement framework
• provide opportunities for “fresh AIR”
• co-ordinate the work of colleagues and partner agencies in the secure setting to support the child’s constructive resettlement, ensure that colleagues within the secure setting work together and information is shared effectively
• maintain effective communication with the YJS
• ensure that the child has access to and understands information on complaints procedures and the advocacy service that is available
• ensure that the child knows about the rewards and sanctions scheme and the appropriate positive behaviours expected within the secure setting
• communicate concerns about the child’s safety using the establishment’s processes to both relevant internal teams and external stakeholders
• keep case records updated, using case management systems including, AssetPlus, and the Youth Justice Application Framework
• ensure that the YJS, parents/carers and external parties are kept up to date concerning any serious incidents no later than the next working day
• act as the key contact for the YJS, parents and carers, and all other relevant professionals involved in the case, and facilitate their access to the child whilst in custody
• support arrangements for release on temporary licence to support a child’s resettlement
• support the transition of children to an adult establishment during their sentence
• act as an advocate for the child within the establishment and with external agencies
• provide constructive challenge to the child’s YJS on how they are meeting the child’s needs and supporting them with their constructive resettlement
• assure yourself that the responsible agencies are making the necessary preparations for the child’s release and that referrals to external services are being made as required to support the child - from start of sentence and monthly thereafter

You also have a responsibility to consider the individual needs of the child to ensure that the child is treated fairly. You should assess and put in place the additional support a child requires to ensure equality of opportunity and to remove/minimise any disadvantage associated with a child’s protected characteristics.

You should make sure that all staff working with the child are aware of any changes they will need to make in the way they work to allow equality of access and opportunity within the secure site.

For more detailed advice on how to tailor your work to the diverse needs and experiences of children, please see the How to work with children section of this guidance.

Secure resettlement practitioners should continually liaise with the YJS case manager and other agencies to ensure that information regarding the child’s needs is shared and updated on case management systems. This is particularly important if any new needs or concerns emerge whilst the child is in custody.

The responsibilities of a home local authority to a child in a secure setting

This section should be read in conjunction with the Children’s social care national framework which is the statutory guidance on the purpose, principles for practice and expected outcomes of children’s social care.

Local authority children’s services have responsibilities to children from their area in custody if a child is either looked after by them or entitled to support from them, for instance as a care leaver or ‘child in need’.

Responsibilities towards children in custody with looked-after status

Children in custody may have looked-after status because they are subject to a care order or by virtue of being remanded to custody. Section 104 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 confers looked-after status on all children remanded to custody.

Children with looked-after status in custody should receive the same quality of care as all other children looked after by the local authority. The local authority has a duty to visit, have contact with, and arrange appropriate advice and other support for these children. It will be the responsibility of an appointed representative of the local authority, usually a social worker, to:

• keep in touch with the child
• assess their needs and ensure these are being met
• ensure their care and support plan, or detention placement plan (in the case of children who are looked after only by virtue of being on remand) is up to date and maintained

In both England and Wales, an appointed representative of the local authority, usually a social worker must visit the child who has looked-after status:

• within a week of entering custody
• every six weeks for the first year
• every three months after that

Additional visits should also take place if reasonably requested by the child, custodial establishment, YJS or where there are particular circumstances that require a visit.

The responsibilities to children with looked-after status who are sentenced, and all children remanded to custody are determined in England by the Children Act 1989 and in Wales by Part six of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014.

The Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (England) Regulations 2010 and same titled 2015 regulations for Wales, make provision for the care planning of children with looked-after status.

For England, further detailed guidance on local authorities’ responsibilities towards children with looked after status in custody is outlined in Chapter 8 of The Children Act 1989 guidance and regulations Volume 2: care planning, placement and case review (July 2021).

For Wales, the [https://yjresourcehub.uk/guidance-for-the-joint-working-arrangements-between-youth-justice-services-and-local-authority-children-s-services-for-children-in-custody-in-wales-welsh-government-adss-cymru-yot-managers-association/) provides further information on the responsibilities for visiting and supporting children in custody.

It covers how children’s services and youth justice services can work together to do this. It also explains the legislative differences in the looked-after status of children in Wales.

Responsibilities towards children formerly with looked after status in custody

The Children Act 1989: former looked-after children in custody is the statutory guidance for local authorities and their responsibilities to children who lose their looked-after status when sentenced to custody.

Children who were accommodated by the local authority under section 20 of the Children’s Act will cease to be looked after during their time in custody. However, the local authority may continue to have a duty to visit them as a child formerly with looked-after status. To understand your responsibilities to formerly looked after children custody please refer to the statutory guidance: Local authority responsibilities towards former looked after children in custody.

In England, Section 23ZA of the Children’s Act 1989 outlines the duty of local authorities to ensure visits to, and contact with, children formerly with looked-after status.

Some secure settings have dedicated social workers based within the establishment. Their primary role is to identify children who have experienced care and liaise with home authorities to ensure they are able to access their entitlements and support. They can also provide support with arranging where the child will live when they return to the community. They are also responsible for liaising with the child’s social workers and facilitating access to the child.

If a child is required to be transferred to an adult establishment, their social worker must continue to be involved in the transition planning and provide ongoing looked after or leaving care support.

The status of care leavers should always be recorded and made known to the receiving establishment. This is to ensure that they continue to receive their entitlements. It is the responsibility of the secure resettlement practitioner to ensure that the following considerations are fully communicated to the adult establishment and inform the decision of which establishment they should move to:

• welfare
• desistance needs
• safeguarding concerns
• voice of the child

How local authority social workers and YJS case managers should work together to support children who have experienced care

This section should be read in conjunction with the Children’s social care national framework ,  the statutory guidance on the purpose, principles for practice and expected outcomes of children’s social care, and, Working Together to Safeguard Children , the statutory guidance to multi-agency working to help, protect and promote the welfare of children.   

Throughout the time a child is in custody and on release, their social worker and youth justice service (YJS) case manager will work together to ensure there are effective joint planning arrangements.

When a child first arrives in custody the local authority social worker and YJS case manager should meet to agree how they will dispense their duties to the child. They should ensure that the support they offer complements each other and avoids confusing the child.

They should also consider how they can make use of a single plan for the child’s time in custody and on release that will provide the information they both need to update their individual plans and case management systems.

This includes taking account of the timing of visits and whether these should be staggered to provide more regular contact for the child with the local authority. Social workers and YJS case managers should also be in regular contact with each other without the child to ensure a consistent approach.

YJS case managers and local authority social workers may find it useful to formally note their decisions around contact and planning. This could be as part of a memorandum of understanding for how all professionals should work together to support the child.

Resettlement meetings

Resettlement meetings should take place throughout a child’s sentence both in the secure setting and following release into the community.

The purpose of resettlement meetings is to review and update the child’s resettlement plan.

Attendance

Review meetings involve the child, their parent, carer, or social worker if appropriate, the secure resettlement practitioner, and the youth justice service (YJS) case manager.

Purpose

Professionals should use resettlement meetings to praise achievement and acknowledge a child’s progress. They should also identify and address the child’s needs, vulnerabilities, and any barriers they may be experiencing.

Professionals should collaborate with the child and their family to ensure that the resettlement plan aligns with the child’s personal needs and goals. If there are any changes to the child’s circumstances or needs, the plan should be adapted accordingly.

Resettlement meetings are also an opportunity to update the child on the progress professionals working on their behalf have made. Professionals should review their own progress against their objectives within the child’s resettlement plan. They should hold each other to account and make it clear to the child and their family/carer what has been achieved and what they will do next.

Professionals should highlight where there may be barriers to the structural support the child will need on release and develop contingency plans in case the preferred option is not possible.

Release planning

Arrangements for the child’s release should be discussed at the first review meeting and planned for on an ongoing basis. This will help to ensure that if any issues arise there will be enough time to respond and plan.

Arrangements for the child’s release should be in accordance with the child’s resettlement plan and identified routes to their future self and will include:

• accommodation
• how the child’s relationship with family (including their own child if this is the case) or carers and friends will be supported during the sentence
• employment, training, education provision, constructive leisure
• release on temporary license opportunities, should be planned for and agreed upon
• access to benefits and to health services including their GP as well as any specialist services e.g. Children and Young Peoples Mental Health Service or substance misuse support
• arrangements for records to be transferred from the secure establishment to the community

Children should be informed of the agreed arrangements for reporting to their YJS case manager on release including location, time, and the frequency. Professionals should be mindful that the child and their family or carer may have apprehensions around their release and should seek to understand and support them.

Children should be involved in reviewing their own licence conditions. Practitioners should ensure that the child is clear about the expectations being placed on them. Children should also know how to access the support they may need post release.

The information to make available for resettlement meetings

Information to inform resettlement planning meetings should be compiled by the secure resettlement practitioner and may include:

• the child’s resettlement plan
• the views of the child and the work done with them on the four questions of personal support
• any work undertaken with the child in the community prior to entering custody
• any relevant specialist assessments such as a mental health or sexual offending assessment
• looked-after status and details of the child’s social worker
• speech, language, and communication needs, learning disabilities or difficulties
• mental, emotional, or physical health concerns
• substance misuse issues
• any cultural needs
• the views of other professionals working with the child
• any specific structural barriers that the child may need support with on release, such as accommodation, access to careers advice, referral to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.
• the status of the child’s relationship with their family carer
• details of any support the child or family is receiving during their time in custody and in re-establishing those relationships on release
• restorative work with victims or in the community
• any requirement for the child to move to an adult establishment, and/or the Probation Service if reaching 18 during the sentence and when this will occur
• if available, their SECURE STAIRS formulation
• suitability for early release
• whether a Home Detention Curfew will apply
• early or late release arrangements
• licence conditions or notice of supervision – which aim to support the child in the community whilst keeping them and the public safe. This should include requirements that may be required to keep victims safe.
• safeguarding arrangements
• opportunities for release on temporary licence
• parole hearings and reviews
• updates from other professionals working with the child
• the child’s individual learning plan
• education and health care plan

Where this is the first meeting since the child arrived in the secure setting, the youth justice service case manager must also provide full and up-to-date AssetPlus assessments to secure settings at the point of the child’s entry into custody.

The responsibility for arranging resettlement meetings

Whilst in the secure setting resettlement planning meetings are arranged by the child’s secure resettlement practitioner, who will be responsible for inviting the youth justice service (YJS) case manager as well as the child’s parent/carer or their social worker if required.

Post-release, they should be arranged by the YJS case manager, who may invite the secure resettlement practitioner with the agreement of the child. 

The secure resettlement practitioner is responsible for arranging logistics and taking and circulating notes. The YJS case manager is responsible for chairing the meeting.

During review meetings, the resettlement plan should be updated with the child. After the meeting AssetPlus should be updated by the secure resettlement practitioner.

The responsibility for updating AssetPlus

The AssetPlus framework is used jointly by community and custodial services to support assessment and the delivery of targeted interventions to children. 

Following resettlement meetings, AssetPlus should be updated by the secure resettlement practitioner. Secure resettlement practitioners should ensure that any new evidence collected from these meetings is incorporated into the AssetPlus assessment and that the YJS case manager is notified of these changes.

In the community this is the responsibility of the YJS case manager.

To find out more on when and who should update Assetplus in other scenarios, please see the AssetPlus Joint Working Protocol.

How to set the frequency of resettlement meetings in custody

Every child is different and the length of sentence they receive, their proximity to release and how recently they entered custody should all be taken into consideration when setting the frequency of planning meetings. The frequency does not need to be consistent but does need to be planned and agreed with the child to meet their needs. Children should always know when their next meeting is scheduled to take place.

Every child must have an initial planning meeting within the first 10 days of entering custody. A second resettlement meeting should take place a month later. Resettlement meetings should continue on at least a quarterly basis. There should also be meetings at least 3 months prior to release, 6 weeks prior to release and in the last 2 weeks prior to release.

The frequency of meetings should align with key milestones in the child’s resettlement plan such as:

• when interventions or courses end
• when target dates for confirming critical information for the child’s release have been set
• when circumstances change in custody or the community

In addition, it is expected that regular informal meetings will take place between the child and their secure resettlement practitioner within the secure setting.

How professionals should work together for the child

This section should be read in conjunction with the Children’s social care national framework and  Working together to safeguard children 2023.

Constructive Resettlement requires a multi-agency approach. However, a range of different professionals all working with the child at the same time can be uncomfortable and confusing for the child and may prevent them from being able to share their views or concerns.

To avoid this, the child should not be expected to attend meetings and hold relationships with a wide range of practitioners. Instead, practitioners should meet regularly separately to the child. These meetings, informal or formal, can be used to hold each other to account and ensure work is aligned with the child’s resettlement plan. The secure resettlement practitioner and youth justice service (YJS) case manager should work to broker communication between the wider professional group and the child.

Usually, it will be best for the child if only one or two practitioners (often those with the best rapport with the child) regularly meet with them. This will always include a representative of the child’s home local authority. The multi-agency team should still be seen by the child as having an important role in supporting the practitioner.     

When sharing information about a child, professionals should be aware of the need to ‘translate’ information for non-specialist professionals. This includes avoiding professional jargon and giving a clear account of what the information means for the child. This is of particular importance between secure and non-secure professionals  who may have different understandings of what some words mean based on their context.

Prior to the resettlement meetings taking place, the secure resettlement practitioner should ensure that updates are provided from other professionals working with the child so that the child is aware of their progress. The secure resettlement practitioner should also update the other professionals on any changes to the plan and the decisions made after the meeting. In addition to the YJS case manager, these professionals may include the:

• social worker for the child
• education or careers worker
• representative from the local authority education department if the child has an Education and Health Care plan
• child and adolescent mental health worker or other health professional
• accommodation provider
• independent visitor, advocate, or mentor
• translation services, where this is necessary for the child or their parents or carer
• other relevant professionals

We recommend that a clear memorandum of understanding is put in place to address how all the professionals within the establishment, the local authority and wider stakeholders will work together to support the child.

For further statutory guidance see the Children’s social care national framework and  Working together to safeguard children 2023.

How to manage communication and information-sharing

To successfully support a child throughout the child’s time in custody regular communication and exchange of information is vital. Following these simple rules can help support the clear exchange of information:

1. When sharing information about the child with other professionals, you should explain what that information means for the child, e.g., what is the impact for them.
2. When receiving information about the child you should consider what the new information means for the child and how you work with them, e.g. does anything need to change.

To support the child and their parents/carers and plan for successful resettlement the following people will need to maintain communication with each other:

• youth justice service (YJS) case manager
• secure resettlement practitioner
• allocated social worker
• other key professionals

Any change in circumstances or significant events, especially pertaining to the safety or wellbeing of the child or others, must be communicated within the above network as soon as is practical.

If the child has been involved in a safeguarding incident, the details should be communicated by the secure setting to the YJS case manager within 24 hours or the next working day. Safeguarding referrals from within custody are made to the establishment’s host local authority to investigate. There may also be pathways in place to enable referrals to be made directly to children’s services for an initial assessment to be carried out.

The secure site, host local authority and any other organisations working with the child have specific responsibilities to safeguard and promote their welfare. These responsibilities can be found in Working together to safeguard children, which also provides additional guidance on information sharing.

Case management systems, the Youth Justice Application Framework and AssetPlus must also be updated with details of the incident and resulting actions.

How to address concerns around partnership working

Where there are concerns or issues around partnership working that may be hindering or delaying work to meet the child’s needs, you should initially attempt to resolve this directly with the other professionals in an open and respectful manner.

If professional differences are unable to be resolved, there are different options to address concerns depending on your role:

Youth justice service (YJS) case manager or other YJS staff

If you are a YJS case manager or other YJS staff, you should raise concerns to your manager, who will use their own line management routes, including, if necessary, the head of service and the management board to ensure that action is taken.

If your concern is in relation to the quality of care or provision that a child in custody is receiving, then you should raise this with the establishment in the first instance. If you are not content with the response received from the establishment then this concern can be raised through the Youth Custody Service’s (YCS) matters of concern process.

Please read this guidance if your concern specifically relates to visits.

YJS head of service

If you are a head of service and the allocation of a release placement is not provided by children’s services, you should raise this with the director of children’s services immediately, keeping in mind that post-release accommodation needs to be arranged no later 6 weeks prior to release.

You should continue to raise your concerns where necessary to ensure suitable arrangements are in place. There should be an established protocol with your local children’s service setting out the roles and responsibilities and an agreement on who is responsible for which actions when making resettlement arrangements and timescales for completion.

Secure practitioner

If you work in a secure setting and feel that an individual child’s resettlement needs are not being met by other services within the establishment, you should raise this with your manager who can use their own line management routes and representation at relevant meetings to ensure that action is taken. If your concern regards a local authority, it should be addressed in accordance with the YJS complaints procedure.

How to organise children’s contact lists

An important part of Constructive Resettlement for children in custody is enabling them to maintain and nurture supportive relationships with the people in their lives at home and with their youth justice service (YJS) case manager. Contact lists are an important part of supporting these relationships, however, this needs to be balanced against other concerns.

All contact lists for children in custody need to be approved by both the YJS and the custodial setting based on the principle of encouraging supportive contact with appropriate and approved individuals. The child should provide the names and contact details of any family members and other people with whom they would like to maintain contact within the community. Details of their relationship to them and the reason they want to contact them should also be provided. These details should be passed to the YJS. The YJS will confirm the details of these persons and the appropriateness of the contact will be decided. Given the importance of these contacts every effort must be made to review them as quickly as reasonably possible.

Where the requested contact is another child, the YJS should contact that child’s parent or carer to gain consent for the contact. In cases where a child in custody wants to contact a child who is looked after by a local authority, initial contact should be made with the social worker. The YJS police officer will also be able to assist in ensuring that a suggested contact is not a victim or potential victim and that they have not been involved in offending behaviour with the child in custody.

Where the suggested contact is not known directly by the child in custody the assumption should be that this contact will not be permitted except in exceptional circumstances. Where the suggested contact lives in an area outside of the home area, the YJS case manager should liaise with local YJSs to ensure that the contact is safe for the child. Custodial settings should not authorise additional contacts without this being approved by the YJS. Though the final decision on appropriateness of a contact is the responsibility of the setting.

How to support release on temporary licence (ROTL)

Release on temporary licence (ROTL) is a valuable tool to support resettlement.

ROTL is an opportunity for children to leave the secure setting for a specific reason.

Subject to a risk assessment, there are few restrictions as to how ROTL is used so long as it is purposeful, built around the Constructive Resettlement needs and aspirations of the child, and safeguarding measures put in place where necessary.

Children can find re-adjusting to life in the community after custody difficult and may find coping with the adjustment disorientating. With that in mind ROTL should be utilised wherever possible to bridge the gap between custody and community. ROTL supports the child to integrate back into their local communities, prior to their release date. The option of ROTL should be discussed at each resettlement planning and review meeting, so that it is always actively considered for the child. If suitable opportunities are identified every effort should be made to advocate on behalf of the child to recommend this happens.

As a youth justice service (YJS) case manager, you have a responsibility to identify and support appropriate ROTL opportunities. You should work with the secure resettlement practitioner to provide the necessary assurance to the establishment that ROTL can take place. When children are placed in secure sites far from their home ROTL back to that area may be harder to facilitate and not practical for some types of activity, in these situations, opportunities local to the secure site should also be explored to support the child’s resettlement.

Below is a list of example uses for ROTL. It should be noted that this is not an exhaustive list and all opportunities that may support a child’s individual Constructive Resettlement journey should be explored. The child’s needs should be considered, if they need structural support accessing these activities this could be facilitated by the relevant professionals who will work with them once back in the community. These should also include activities to support engagement with their parents/carers:

• taster days in places of employment, school, colleges, or training providers
• undertaking a college or training course
• maintaining family ties
• compassionate visits (e.g. funerals)
• housing interviews
• visiting home or release accommodation to become familiar with it
• getting to know the local area in which they will be living post-release, particularly if it will be new to them e.g., the location of the local supermarket/doctors/college in relation to where they will be living
• registering with a GP
• probation interviews
• job searches and interviews
• meeting with a careers adviser
• opening a bank account
• meeting with the YJS case manager or other professionals in a non-custodial setting
• opportunity to use internet-based IT in a supervised environment (in line with services provided by public libraries which include a range of ‘parental security’ features)
• appointments at Jobcentre Plus and applications for benefits
• opportunities for constructive leisure activities as identified in their resettlement plan
• personal challenge, achievement and development
• programmes such as the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme
• restorative justice and community restoration projects work experience

How to request a transfer or placement review

In some instances, children may need to be moved to a different secure setting. Children may be moved to best ensure their safety and wellbeing or that of others, as well as to meet their resettlement needs.

The Youth Custody Service (YCS) carries out placement reviews to decide whether a transfer is required for a child.

As the youth justice service case manager, you can ask for a transfer if the child’s:

• placement is not supporting their or others safety and wellbeing
• placement is not supporting their resettlement needs
• circumstances change

To request a transfer, you should read the Placement Review Guidance and then:

• convene a multi-disciplinary meeting to establish how the child can be supported safely
• complete the Placement Review Form (MS Word Document, 95.3 KB)
• refer to the Guidance and Tips (MS Word Document, 72.8 KB) document for support on completing this form.
• email it to the Placement Review team at YCSTransfers@justice.gsi.gov.uk

Other people can ask for a transfer but only the YJS and/or staff at the setting where the child is placed should contact the YCS Placement Team.

All transfers should be discussed at a multi-disciplinary meeting which, as the youth justice service case manager, you will be required to arrange and chair. You should consider how the child can be best supported to meaningfully engage with this meeting. For example, some practitioners may provide written or pre-recorded submissions to avoid overwhelming the child with the number of practitioners present.

In exceptional circumstance where a transfer needs to take place urgently to protect the safety and wellbeing of the child or others the YCS Placement Team may conduct an urgent review. In these cases, they may request the required information directly from stakeholders.

In all cases the YCS Placement Team makes the final decision in the best interests of the child after carefully considering all the information available and opinions stated.

What to do if a child turns 18 during the custodial element of their sentence

If a child turns 18 while in custody then you should follow the Youth Custody Service’s guidance on transitions to Adult Custody.

The secure resettlement practitioner should review the child’s sentence type and age to identify if they will need to be considered for transition to an adult establishment during the custodial element of the sentence. The secure resettlement practitioner is responsible for informing the youth justice service (YJS) case manager, child and their family or carer if they will be considered for transition to an adult establishment during their sentence. If it is agreed that a transfer to an adult establishment will take place, the Probation Service must be involved with and participate in the planning arrangements. The YJS case manager should ensure that the child is aware of the transition of responsibility from YJS to probation if it is taking place.

Planning for transition should be discussed at the review meeting. It should be specific to the setting – in some settings the move is within the site; others will be to a different establishment.

The secure resettlement practitioner should keep the child informed about plans to transition to an adult establishment. Both the secure resettlement practitioner and YJS case manager should prepare the child for transition and discuss any of their concerns. The YJS case manager should make sure that parents or carers are kept informed throughout the process. The secure resettlement practitioner should ensure that the child understands the differences between children’s and adult secure settings.

It is good practice to arrange and facilitate a visit from a staff member in the adult secure setting as part of the preparation for the transition.

This will help to explain to the child what to expect, describe the regime and explain safeguarding procedures in the adult establishment. In the absence of this, the secure resettlement practitioner and YJS case manager will be responsible for preparing and supporting the child in the lead up to transition to the adult estate and for providing information about the new arrangements.

Please refer to the Joint national protocol for transitions in England and Youth to adult transition principles and guidance for Wales for guidance on transitioning case responsibility from Youth Justice Services to the Probation Service. The guidance for Wales includes information on how to make transitions trauma-informed and to help children with beginnings, endings and engaging with new workers and services.

November 2022 update: the adult estate is currently facing significant pressure on capacity. To support the system-wide response, in November 2022, Ministers made the interim decision to move away from the practice of automatic transition to the adult estate by an individual’s 18th birthday, instead transitioning them up until their 19th birthday. This temporary policy remains in place at present.

What to do if a child is transferred

Secure resettlement practitioner

For planned transfers you must notify the child, their parents/carer, local authority social worker, and youth justice service case manager of the planned transfer date and update them as soon as reasonably possible if this changes.

Ahead of any agreed transfer, it is the responsibility of the sending establishment staff to make sure that the receiving establishment has received all relevant information about the child.

Once a transfer has taken place, urgent or planned, you must notify the child’s parents/carers within 24 hours, for children looked after by a local authority you must notify their social worker. You must ensure that any concerns from the parent or carers are communicated to the receiving secure setting and the Youth Custody Service’s Placement Team.

If the transfer has been made as a result of an urgent review that has not involved the YJS case manager, then you must notify them as soon as you are able and at the latest within 24 hours.

Youth justice service (YJS) case manager

For planned moves if you are the YJS case manager, you must update, the child, parents/carer, social worker and any relevant local authority practitioners such as wider children’s services and education on the outcome of the multi- disciplinary meeting and placement review.

You should also update the local authority practitioners when any move actually takes place. At latest this should be within 5 working days of the move having taken place.

The YJS case manager’s responsibilities for early release

Children given a Detention and Training Order (DTO) of 8 months or longer may be eligible for consideration for early release.

As a youth justice service (YJS) case manager, you should always plan with an assumption that early release will be granted if possible. When a child needs accommodation on release, as a YJS case manager, you should make sure the child’s social worker understands that this will need to be available for the early release date. All children must have accommodation confirmed 6 weeks prior to their release date. This includes children who will be released on their early release date. If circumstances have prevented accommodation being confirmed at 6 weeks, early release may still be possible if suitable accommodation is confirmed within 4 weeks of the early release date.

To understand eligibility and for further information please refer to HM Prison and Probation Service’s  guidance for Early and Late Release for Detention and Training Orders.

As the YJS case manager, you will need to update AssetPlus with an assessment of the likelihood of reoffending and risk of serious harm to the child or others, these risks should be named and be specific rather than general. You should notify the secure resettlement practitioner when this information is updated. You must be content that the safety and wellbeing of the child can be safely managed during the early release period. Where necessary additional measures may need to be put in place to mitigate and manage specific concerns.

The final part of the assessment includes a Home Circumstances Report which you must complete. This is a specific requirement for early release, though may be used in other circumstances such as a release on Home Detention Curfew from a Secure Children’s Home. For more detail on what a Home Circumstances Report should contain please refer to paragraph 4.38 of the guidance on Early and Late Release for Detention and Training Orders.

Evidencing good progress for children presumed unsuitable for early release

For children serving DTOs for certain serious offence-types, whilst there is a presumption against early release they are not completely excluded from its consideration.

These children may still be eligible for early release if professional judgement determines that they have made exceptional progress against their resettlement plan. Where this is the case, you must explain it to the child at the initial and subsequent resettlement meeting.

The YJS case manager and secure resettlement practitioner should provide the child with opportunities to exceed the targets on their resettlement plan and explain how the child is able to do this. They should also ensure that progress is recorded.

Reaching a decision on early release

The decision for or against early release must be reached as an agreed position with the YJS, local authority care team and secure setting. If an agreement cannot be reached it should be referred to management level at both the secure setting and the YJS. The final release decision is the responsibility of the delegated authority of the Secretary of State, that is, in:

• Secure training centres (STC) and secure children’s homes (SCH)
  • the Youth Custody Service’s (YCS) Release and Resettlement Team makes the final release decision for STCs and SCHs.
• Young offender institutions (YOIs)
  • where there is a presumption in favour of early release the responsibility sits with the Governor or Controller - however, where there is a presumption against early release the YCS Release and Resettlement Team is responsible

Communicating the early release decision

In instances where an application for early release is denied, the secure setting, youth justice service (YJS) and the child should be notified in writing. This letter should include the reasons for the application being denied.

As with all written communication to children care should be taken to ensure it is understandable by a child and takes account of any communication or special educational needs. Please see the guidance on how to adapt your approach for speech language and communication needs and neurodiversity.

As the YJS case manager you should ensure that prior to the child receiving the decision in writing the outcome is discussed with them by either yourself or the secure resettlement practitioner. You or the secure resettlement practitioner should confirm the child understands the outcome and the reasons provided for that decision. The child should also be made aware of their right to appeal.  As the YJS case manager you are responsible for sharing the decision with the child’s parents/carers. If a child decides to opt-out from an early release date, you must liaise with the secure establishment to identify the reasons given.

The Home Detention Curfew

The Home Detention Curfew (HDC) scheme is the early release mechanism for children serving sentences of detention under section 250 of the Sentencing Code. It allows for children to be released up to 6 months before their conditional release date. Children must spend a minimum of a quarter of their sentence or 30 days in custody – whichever is greater.  

The resettlement practitioner should verify the HDC eligibility date against the sentence calculation and ensure this information is shared with the child, family/carer, social worker if they have one, and the YJS case manager.

Children in the following categories are excluded from consideration for the HDC scheme and will be released at the sentence halfway point:

• those serving a sentence of 4 years or more
• those who have previously breached an HDC
• those previously recalled to custody on a long sentence

For further details around home detention please refer to the Home detention curfew guidance.

How to use licence conditions and notices of supervision to support Constructive Resettlement

Most children who receive a custodial sentence will be subject to a licence or a notice of supervision on release. A notice of supervision is for children sentenced to Detention and Training Orders (DTOs) or serving less than 12 months under section 250 of the Sentencing Act, while a licence is for children not covered by a notice of supervision.

Both the licence and the notice of supervision set out the conditions attached to the child’s release, but the notice of supervision refers to these conditions as ‘requirements’. Both are enforceable and are attached to the community element of the order. All children released on supervision are expected to comply with 9 standard conditions/requirements; these are the same whether released on a NoS or licence and are set out in Licence conditions and Notice of Supervision (NoS). 4: Standard conditions. The aim of these conditions/requirements is to facilitate the child’s successful resettlement into the community.

An electronically monitored curfew is a mandatory condition for those who are subject to early release on a DTO, or under s250 of the Sentencing Act 2020. See the Youth Custody Service’s Licence conditions and Notice of Supervision (NoS) requirements guidance for more detail.

The youth justice service (YJS) case manager must also consider any additional conditions/requirements which are necessary and proportionate to maximise the child’s opportunities for successful resettlement in the community and to support the child and public’s safety and wellbeing. The YJS case manager has a responsibility to consult other stakeholders including the Victim Liaison Officer or YJS victim worker to understand what conditions may be necessary to safeguard the victims.

It is more constructive and effective if children voluntarily engage with activities, and they should actively participate rather than just attend. Practitioners should consider if it is beneficial to the child to compel attendance at an activity via licence conditions/NoS requirements. If as the YJS case manager, you believe that the child should complete a specific intervention then you should work with the secure establishment to deliver these whilst the child is in custody in the first instance rather than waiting for release and mandating through a licence condition. Secure resettlement practitioners should support you to work with the establishment to facilitate these interventions.

There are a range of licence conditions approved by the HM Prison and Probation Service for use with adults; any of these conditions may be used for children, but the degree to which they are appropriate for children must be carefully considered.

The assessment of the need for additional conditions/requirements is a collaborative process between the YJS, the secure setting and the child, led by the YJS case manager. The secure resettlement practitioner and YJS case manager should aim to reach consensus with each other and the child on which, if any, additional conditions/requirements will be proposed. Requests for additional conditions/requirements for children placed in YOIs are assessed by the establishment’s governor. Requests for children placed in an STC or SCH will be forwarded to the Youth Custody Service’s Sentence and Release Team for assessment and approval. The agreed licence conditions/NoS requirements must then be recorded in the Leaving Custody module in AssetPlus by the secure resettlement practitioner.

All additional licence conditions/NoS requirements should be discussed and considered in collaboration with the child; you should make clear how they can support their positive identity development on release. You should also explain that some conditions are standardised and ensure children fully understand their implications. Children will need to be given an official copy of their licence conditions or notice of supervision on release. The language may not be clear or understood by the child. You should consider whether a second document could be given to them which explains the conditions in terms they understand. If the YJS or secure site has access to speech, language, and communication specialists, they may be able to advise on how best to do this. Please also see this guidance on how to adapt your approach for speech language and communication needs and neurodiversity.

Care should be taken to ensure conditions are reasonable, manageable and do not set the child up to fail. As a YJS case manager, you should ensure that children who turn 18 before or during their release on license understand that if they breach their license or are recalled to custody, that they will serve any custodial time in an adult prison.

For further information please read the Licence conditions Policy Framework.

How to ensure that the licence condition is proportionate

The Youth Justice Board strongly recommends that Intensive Supervision and Surveillance (ISS) is not used as a licence condition.   

Intensive Supervision and Surveillance is an important alternative to custody. However, the evidence shows that it is not effective in supporting children post custody, and may encourage, rather than reduce, future offending behaviour. Intensive Supervision and Surveillance is therefore unlikely to ever be appropriate or proportionate as a licence condition.

As a youth justice service case manager if you are concerned about the safety of the child and/or members of the public this should be mitigated by the use of well-considered licence conditions. These, with careful work with the child, can be used to provide a proportionate approach to maintain safety in the community, and address any specific concerns directly.

How GPS location monitoring can be used for children

GPS location monitoring may be applied as a condition/requirement for licences/ notices of supervision for children in some circumstances. For further guidance and the relevant criteria please see Licence conditions and Notice of Supervision (NoS). Section 7: Electronic monitoring.

When considering GPS location monitoring the youth justice service (YJS) case manager has a responsibility to ensure there is a clear basis and objective for its use. There should also be clarity around how it would support a child, for example, there may be instances where giving a curfew to a child may provide a reason for them to avoid their peers. As with all licence conditions the YJS case manager has a responsibility to consult other stakeholders including the Victim Liaison Officer or YJS victim worker to understand whether GPS location monitoring is necessary to help safeguard the victim.

Where GPS location monitoring is applied to a child’s licence, the youth justice service case manager should work with the secure setting to ensure careful consideration is given when designing any exclusion zones to ensure they support the child to live safely in the community and safeguard victims, without unnecessarily preventing the child from accessing the support they need as part their constructive resettlement plan.

For example, a child may have to travel through one area to reach another, to visit family or to attend an education provider or a YJS office. The vulnerability of the child, including any emotional, health or other personal needs must be considered before applying exclusion zones. Careful explanation of the requirements such as battery charging must be given.

To find out more, read How to manage the YRO Electronic Monitoring Requirement.

How to support a child in the community

As a youth justice service (YJS) case manager, you must meet the child, or arrange for a colleague to do so, on the day of their release.

The following arrangements must be in place on release:

1. Who is meeting the child at the secure establishment: this should be a pre-agreed appropriate adult, e.g. a parent or carer, or a representative of the local authority, e.g. their social worker or YJS case manager.
2. How they are travelling from the secure site to home and who they are travelling with: this must be an appropriate adult or local authority representative. Under no circumstances should a child travel alone by public transport, or other means, from the secure site to their home.
3. Face to face meeting with their YJS case manager: if you have not met them at the secure site and travelled with them to their home, then you must meet them at another time on the day of release, either at the child’s home or the YJS.

Children are likely to struggle with understanding or taking in new information during such a significant transition. For your first meeting on the day of release, wherever it takes place, you should:

• re-confirm they understand their licence conditions
• let them know how they can get in contact with you if they need to and other agencies that they can contact if they need help
• confirm the date and time of the next appointment

If the child’s appointment is arranged for somewhere other than their home you should confirm that the child knows how to get there and can get there. This could include checking they know the time and stops of any public transport they need to use, and have a ticket for the journey, or, know how to get one and have the means to do so.

Secure establishments should not release a child without the pre-agreed and named appropriate adult being there to take responsibility for the child in person. The only exception is that they may be released to a YJS or local authority representative if the pre agreed appropriate adult is unable to be there.

You should arrange a second appointment within 5 days of release. If you have not attended the child’s home on the day of release, then this must be a home visit.  For the remainder of the supervision period, you should visit them at their home at least monthly to ensure that their home remains suitable.

Throughout the supervision period, you will give appointments as necessary for you to offer the personal support to enable the child to meet the requirements of their resettlement plan. Further guidance on how to set the frequency of appointments can be found within How to assess children in the youth justice system. These appointments should continue to follow the requirements of the resettlement planning meetings including information gathering from other professionals working with the child.

For the first of these meetings, and subsequently, if it would benefit the child, you should invite the secure resettlement practitioner.

During the supervision period you should work with the child, their family/carer, and other services to provide the structural support they need as informed by the routes identified in personal support (this should be reflected in the planning paperwork). The support should be in line with the 5Cs and should include:

• suitable and supported living arrangements
• work to support children and their relationships with their family and/or carers
• work to protect victims and support the safety of the child and the public
• education, training, and employment provision (including any necessary contact with local careers advisory services)
• constructive leisure activities
• support for health, mental health and substance misuse issues as needed
• work towards their individual goals and aspirations for their personal development
• provision of any support necessary for dealing with finances, debts, and benefits
• protecting children from the risk of exploitation
• updates to licence conditions/NoS requirements, these should be authorised by the issuing governor of a young offender institution by contacting the establishment’s resettlement team or, in the case of secure children’s homes or secure training centres, the Youth Custody Service’s sentence and release team
• a plan for how the child will transition to universal services at the end of the order and how any additional support will be provided

For further advice on supporting the child in the community see the how to work with children section of this guidance.

How to support a child with the conditions of their licence

This guidance should be read in conjunction with How to respond to non-engagement (‘breach’).

As a youth justice service (YJS) case manager, you are responsible for supporting the child to meet the requirements of their licence/Notice of Supervision (NoS). This includes:

• ensuring the provision of necessary support services
• identifying and tackling any barriers to engagement as they emerge
• tailoring the plan to meet changing needs
• you also have a responsibility both for setting boundaries and encouraging children to understand how those boundaries can keep them and others safe

You should speak with the child to understand any barriers to their engagement with licence conditions/NoS requirements and any additional support they may need to engage with them.

You must respond to any breaches of the conditions/requirements and should do this with a visit or telephone call where possible, followed by a letter within 24 hours. As with all letters to children, you should use clear, understandable language.

If the YJS has access to speech, language, and communication specialists, they could advise as to the content and structure of any written letters to children under supervision. Please see this guidance on how to adapt your approach for speech language and communication needs and neurodiversity.

This includes monitoring and managing breach of electronically monitored curfews where these are a part of the licence, through liaison with the agency supplying the equipment.

Breaches of licence conditions/NoS requirements may include:

• committing a further offence
• not attending a scheduled appointment with the YJS supervising officer, or partner agency as instructed, without a reasonable excuse
• attending a scheduled appointment but not engaging in planned work, or disrupting a session
• missing a curfew without a reasonable excuse
• staying away from the address overnight without informing you

You will need to take a view as to the severity of each incidence of breach; and implement a suitable and proportionate response. This may include asking the child to make up a missed appointment; discussion with the parent or carer; involving a manager in the YJS to explain the importance of engagement; or referral to a compliance panel.

Compliance panels should provide opportunity for additional support to be put in place to help the child succeed in completing their licence without the need to return to custody.

With the agreement of a manager of operations level at the YJS, repeated compliance panels may be necessary to support the child to engage.

In cases where the YJS is unable to engage the child successfully, it may be necessary to revoke the licence or notice of supervision.

In some instance it may be necessary to revoke the licence or notice of supervision immediately to keep potential victims safe.

Revocation of a Notice of Supervision

For children subject to Detention and Training Orders (DTOs) this will be dealt with by the court.

You should have the following information ready:

• a breach report detailing the:
  • facts of the offence and the breach
  • efforts made by the YJS to engage the child
  • an assessment of why you think they have failed
  • any further proposals for engaging them in the community
  • implications for the child of returning to custody
  • progress towards positive identity development
  • any concerns you have on your ability to support the child to remain safe to themselves and others, including any victims, in the community
• Crown Prosecution Service papers for the original offence
• a copy of the Detention and Training Order and agreed NoS requirements
• a copy of the summons

Revocation of a licence

For children who are subject to a licence (all sentenced children not serving a DTO), the youth justice service (YJS) can implement recall proceedings that may not require the child to appear in court before they are returned to custody.

The guidance on understanding why children may have breached and supporting them to comply with their licence conditions in the community still applies in these cases.

The decision to initiate recall proceedings is made by the supervising YJS case manager, normally following a breach or compliance panel. The recall decision should be agreed and signed off by an operations manager or manager of at least equivalent seniority.

In these cases, as the YJS case manager, you must contact the appropriate Public Protection Casework Section (PPCS) Recall Team as soon as is reasonable after the incident or behaviour that triggers the recall process:

Team 1 

Responsible for London Division, Southeast and Eastern Division, Southwest Division and HMPPS Wales

Email: Recall1@justice.gov.uk

Phone: 07970 670915

Team 2

Responsible for Northeast Division, Northwest Division and Midlands Division

Email: Recall2@justice.gov.uk

Phone: 07773 183028

The PPCS will provide further advice on the recall process and provide you with the necessary forms where appropriate. The PPCS does not need to be notified of cases involving the revocation of a Notice of Supervision.

Once you have completed and returned the necessary paperwork the PPCS will review the recall request report and then issue the YJS with a revocation of licence for the child’s arrest. If you are a YJS case manager, you should then:

• send the revocation of licence to the police, this will usually be the seconded officer in the YJS
• send a copy to the Youth Custody Service’s (YCS) Placement Team by secure email
• complete the Custody module of AssetPlus and send to the YCS Placements Team
• save a copy with the child’s file to prepare for their return to custody

Please see the HMPPS recall policy for further guidance on this process.

When the child has been arrested you must contact the YCS Placement Team to discuss the child’s return to custody and complete and send any remaining necessary paperwork.

You should also inform their parent/carer and social worker if it is appropriate to do so. Once placement has been confirmed, prison escorts contracted services will be notified by the Placement Team to collect the child from police custody and take them to the identified secure setting.

What to do following a child being recalled to custody

If a child is recalled to custody the youth justice service case manager should confirm that the parent/carer and social worker know that they have been recalled and where they have been placed. You should also make sure the child, parent/carer and social worker understand the reasons why the recall has taken place.

As the youth justice service case manager, you must update their resettlement plan and at the earliest opportunity, contact the secure resettlement practitioner. The resettlement plan will need to be revised to account for the additional period in custody. The resettlement meetings will continue in custody in line with the Constructive Resettlement framework. Children recalled to custody are likely to experience it as reinforcing the ‘pro-offending’ narrative of their identity.

Whilst not excusing the offending behaviour that may have taken place, professionals should support the child to recognise positive activity that has taken place in the community and build on that within their resettlement plan.