Official Statistics

Safety in the Children and Young People Secure Estate: Update to June 2024

Published 31 October 2024

Applies to England and Wales

Main Points

546 assault incidents Apr to Jun 2024, of which 45 were serious 381 different children and young people involved as assailants or fighters

The annualised rate of assault incidents per 100 children and young people per year was 412.2 in the 3 months April to June 2024, remaining stable when compared to the same period last year. The number of unique children and young people involved in incidents as assailants or fighters decreased by 3% in the 3 months April to June 2024 compared to the same period last year, from 391 to 381.

279 assault incidents on staff Apr to Jun 2024, of which 27 were serious

The annualised rate of assault incidents on staff per 100 children and young people per year was 210.6 in the 3 months April to June 2024, a decrease of 5% compared to the same period last year.

743 self-harm incidents Apr to Jun 2024 93 different children and young people self-harmed Apr to Jun 2024

The annualised rate of self-harm incidents per 100 children and young people per year was 560.9 in the 3 months April to June 2024, an increase of 61% compared to the same period last year. The number of unique children and young people self-harming increased by 8% in the 3 months April to June 2024 compared to the same period last year, from 86 to 93.

No deaths reported in the year to Jun 2024

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

This Safety in the Children and Young People Secure Estate (CYPSE) Bulletin publishes statistics across all CYPSE sectors for assaults, self-harm incidents and deaths from April 2014 to June 2024.

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

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

1. Changes in this Publication

Average population figures and all related incident rates between April 2014 and March 2024 have had a minor revision following a data quality review. Some minor adjustments to previously published data have also been included.

2. Statistician’s Comment

These statistics present data up until June 2024 across each sector of the CYPSE. Throughout these statistics, the latest reporting quarter is annualised and compared to the same annualised period from the previous year.

The CYPSE is built up of distinct sectors; Young Offender Institutions, a Secure Training Centre, Secure Children’s Homes and a Secure School which opened in August 2024 and so is not included in this publication. Additional statistics will be included for the Secure School in this publication from January 2025 subject to data quality standards being met. Each sector is operated under different models which are governed by different rules. Caution should be taken when comparing sectors to each other. More information can be found in the accompanying guide to the bulletin.

Given the CYPSE’s small population size, individual children and young people (CYP) can significantly impact statistics. This is particularly apparent within Secure Children’s Homes where site populations are the lowest within the CYPSE, however it can also be seen across the larger sites.

Girls are placed in Secure Children’s Homes and have more recently been placed at Wetherby YOI since July 2021, and Oakhill STC since November 2022, and the impact of these placements can often be seen clearly within these statistics. The average number of girls within the CYPSE was below 10 for the 12 months to June 2024, so no rates have been calculated for girls throughout these statistics and it is not possible to draw comparisons on rates between sexes of children and young people.

It is shown that there has been a small decrease in the rate of assault incidents and an increase in the rate of self-harm incidents per 100 CYP per year in the CYPSE when comparing the 3 months April to June 2024 to the same period from last year.

The rate of self-harm incidents per 100 CYP per year have shown a large increase of 61 for the 3 months April to June 2024 when compared to the same period last year, and an increase of 36% when compared to the previous 3 months January to March 2024.

It was announced on 21st March 2024 that CYP located in Cookham Wood YOI would be transferred to other establishments and the site repurposed as an adult prison, with the transfers of CYP being completed by the end of May 2024.

3. Assaults: April 2014 to June 2024

Assault incident rate remained stable when compared to same period last year

In the 3 months April to June 2024, there were 546 assault incidents in the CYPSE involving 381 different Children and Young People (CYP) as assailants or fighters. The annualised rate of assault incidents was 412.2 per 100 CYP per year, remaining stable compared to the same period in 2023 when the rate was 417.1 incidents per 100 CYP per year.

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

In the 3 months April to June 2024, there were 279 incidents in the CYPSE where staff were assaulted. The annualised rate of assault incidents on staff was 210.6 per 100 CYP per year, a decrease of 5% compared to the same period in 2023 when the rate was 222.2 incidents per 100 CYP per year.

Figure 1: Rate of assaults and fights by quarter from April 2014 to March 2018 and assault incidents from April 2019 to June 2024

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

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

For the most recent quarter, the 3 months April to June 2024, the rate of assault was 412.2 incidents per 100 CYP per year which remained stable in comparison to the same period last year, the 3 months April to June 2023.

In the latest 3 months April to June 2024 there were 279 assault incidents on staff at a rate of 210.6 incidents per 100 CYP per year, a 5% decrease compared to the same 3 months last year where the rate was 222.2 incidents per 100 CYP per year and 326 assault incidents on staff.

The rate of serious assaults in the 3 months April to June 2024 was 34.0 incidents per 100 CYP per year, which is an increase of 2% in comparison to the same period last year where the rate was 33.4 incidents per 100 CYP per year.

During the 3 months April to June 2024 there were 381 unique assailants / fighters compared to 391 over the same period in 2023.

During the 3 months April to June 2024 there were 117 unique CYP victims compared to 125 over the same period in 2023.

Figure 2: Rate of assault incidents per 100 CYP per year from April 2023 to June 2023 and from April 2024 to June 2024

The CYPSE-wide rate of assault incidents remained stable during the 3 months April to June 2024, increasing in the YOI sector, and decreasing in both the STC and SCH sectors when compared to the same period last year. The lowest assault rates in the 3 months April to June 2024 were recorded in SCHs.

In the 3 months April to June 2024, the comparative rate of assaults across the sectors were 409.2 incidents per 100 CYP per year in YOIs, an increase of 17%; 563.0 incidents per 100 CYP per year in the STC, a decrease of 45%; and 307.2 incidents per 100 CYP per year in SCHs, a decrease of 11% when compared to the same period last year.

The rate of assaults on staff in the 3 months April to June 2024 was highest within the STC at 319.2 incidents per 100 CYP per year, a 48% decrease compared to the same period last year. For SCHs the rate was 144.6 incidents per 100 CYP per year, a 47% decrease compared to the same period last year. In YOIs the rate for the 3 months April to June 2024 was 206.2 incidents per 100 CYP per year, an increase of 26% on the same period last year.

In terms of protected characteristics, the rates of involvement as an assailant or fighter over the 12 months to June 2024 were higher than other groups for CYP aged 15 at 792.0 incidents per 100 CYP, for CYP from a Black background at 751.6 incidents per 100 CYP, and for Muslims at 710.8 incidents per CYP per year (where a religion is known). Due to the low number of girls within the estate over the 12 months to June 2024, it is not possible to draw comparisons on rate between sexes.

The groups with the highest rate of involvement as a victim were CYP aged 10 to 14 years, at 179.5 incidents per 100 CYP per year and for CYP who are non-Christian and non-Muslim at 130.4 incidents per 100 CYP per year. Due to the low number of girls within the estate over the 12 months to June 2024, it is not possible to draw comparisons on rate between sexes.

4. Self-Harm: April 2014 to June 2024

Self-harm incidents increased compared to same period last year

In the 3 months April to June 2024 there were 743 incidents of self-harm involving 93 different CYP. The annualised rate was 560.9 incidents per 100 CYP per year, an increase of 61% compared to the same period last year.

Figure 3: Rate of self-harm incidents per 100 CYP per year from April 2014 to June 2024

The self-harm rate for the 3 months April to June 2024 was 560.9 incidents per 100 CYP per year, an increase of 61% compared to the same period last year, and a decrease of 5% from the peak of 589.7 incidents per 100 CYP per year for the 3 months October to December 2022.

The number of unique children and young people self-harming in the 3 months April to June 2024 was 93, compared to 86 unique children and young people who self-harmed in the 3 months April to June 2023.

Figure 4: Rate of self-harm incidents per 100 CYP per year from April 2023 to June 2023 and from April 2024 to June 2024

The rate of self-harm incidents during the 3 months April to June 2024 increased overall, with an increase in the YOI sector, a decrease in the STC sector and remaining stable in the SCH sector, when compared to the same period last year. The lowest self-harm rates in the 3 months April to June 2024 were recorded in SCHs.

In the 3 months April to June 2024, the comparative rates of self-harm across the sectors were 587.5 incidents per 100 CYP per year in YOIs, an increase of 114%; 888.0 incidents per 100 CYP per year in the STC, a decrease of 18%; and 194.3 incidents per 100 CYP per year in SCHs, an increase of 2% when compared to the same period last year.

The rate of self-harm incidents is influenced by small numbers of individuals self-harming multiple times, so it is important to consider the number of different individuals self-harming as well as the overall count of incidents. The highest rate of unique CYP self-harming over the 3 months April to June 2024 was in the SCH sector (18 different self-harmers from an average population of 88.8), followed by the STC (12 different self-harmers from an average population of 69.2) and then the YOI sector (63 different self-harmers from an average population of 373.7).

The number of self-harm incidents that resulted in an injury requiring treatment in the 3 months April to June 2024 was 170, representing 22.9% of self-harm incidents which is an increase from 19.8% when compared to the same period last year. The number of self-harm incidents that required hospital attendance in the 3 months April to June 2024 was 14, representing 1.9% of incidents.

Despite making up around 1.5% of the total average population over the 12 months ending June 2024 (an average of 9.0 girls out of a total average population of 568.6), girls were responsible for over 55% of all self-harm incidents (1,293 incidents out of a total 2,332).

Within protected characteristic groupings, self-harming was most common over the 12 months to June 2024 among 15-year-olds (832.6 incidents per 100 CYP per year) and white CYP (737.0 incidents per 100 CYP per year) in comparison to others in the group. Due to the low number of girls within the estate over the 12 months to June 2024, it is not possible to draw comparisons on rate between sexes.

5. Deaths: April 2014 to June 2024

No deaths were reported in the CYPSE in the 12 months ending June 2024

Deaths of children and young people are fortunately rare and there were no deaths in the 12 months ending June 2024. Since April 2014 there have been three deaths of children and young people within the CYPSE.

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

• One at Hillside SCH, in February 2017

• All deaths were due to natural causes

Further Information

Accompanying files

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

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

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

Contact

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

Tel: 020 3334 3536

Email: newsdesk@justice.gov.uk

Other enquiries about these statistics should be directed to:

Katherine Tatlock

Youth Custody Service
HM Prison and Probation Service
1 Ruskin Square
Ruskin Road
Croydon
CR0 2WF

Email: YCSInformationAndPerformance@justice.gov.uk

Next update: 30th January 2025 (assaults, self-harm, deaths)

Next update: 31st July 2025 (assaults, self-harm, separations, use of force, deaths)

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

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Produced by the Ministry of Justice.

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