Children in custody to receive dedicated social workers under reforms

Children in youth custody will be given greater protection from abuse under a package of safeguarding reforms announced by the government, including dedicated social workers in every custodial setting, tougher staff vetting and new independent oversight of safeguarding concerns.

The reforms follow an independent review led by England's Chief Social Worker for Children and Families, Isabelle Trowler, which was commissioned after the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman's report into the abuse of children at Medomsley Detention Centre in County Durham between 1961 and 1987.

The government has accepted all 34 of the review's recommendations in principle, with several measures already being introduced. Ministers said the changes are intended to ensure allegations of abuse are investigated independently and that children in custody have access to trusted adults outside the custodial system.

Under the reforms, every site in the youth custodial estate will have access to a dedicated social worker with child protection expertise. Social workers will provide independent oversight of safeguarding concerns and offer children a confidential route to raise worries about their care or treatment.

Other measures include mandatory safeguarding training for all staff working with children in custody, enhanced criminal record checks every three years, strengthened recruitment processes, redesigned induction training, and a new safeguarding board reporting directly to ministers. Children will also be able to have complaints raised on their behalf by a trusted adult, while welcome information will be redesigned to be more accessible for those with learning difficulties or reading needs.

The government also intends to introduce legislation giving children in custody the same formal protections afforded to children in care. Until then, social workers will regularly check in with children and provide private opportunities for them to raise concerns.

Minister for Sentencing and Youth Justice Jake Richards said the reforms were driven by the need to ensure the abuse uncovered at Medomsley could never happen again.

"The abuse that took place at Medomsley is a national scandal and it is right that the Government has apologised. While we cannot undo the pain suffered by victims, we can make sure nothing like it ever happens again.

"That is why we’re taking forward all 34 recommendations, including independent oversight of every abuse allegation, giving every child in custody access to a social worker, and strengthening staff vetting to keep children in custody safe.

"A system that fails to protect children in custody creates more victims, not fewer. These reforms are about breaking that cycle."

Ms Trowler said her review had identified continuing safeguarding challenges despite improvements in recent years and stressed that further action was urgently needed.

"Following on from the Ombudsman’s important report last year into the Medomsley Detention Centre, my review examined the safeguarding challenges that persist across the youth custodial estate. I make a number of recommendations which make clear the urgent action required to better protect some of our most vulnerable children. While there have been improvements in recent years, the evidence is unequivocal: more must be done to ensure every child in custody is safe, listened to and treated with dignity. It is now incumbent upon the Government and, in turn, HMPPS and local authority children’s services to make change happen.

"Meeting children currently in custody and hearing directly about their experiences has been both a privilege and a profound responsibility. This experience, and the stories children shared, will likely stay with me forever. We owe it to them, and to those who suffered in the past, to ensure that the findings of this review lead to meaningful and lasting change.

"The courage and determination of the survivors of Medomsley in their pursuit of truth and justice was instrumental to this work. Without them, the vulnerability of today’s children in custody would not have been brought into sharp relief."

Prisons and Probation Ombudsman Adrian Usher welcomed the government's response, following his investigation into abuse at Medomsley.

"My investigative report revealed the full scale and horror of what happened to thousands of victims at Medomsley Detention Centre. The abuse that took place there was a profound failure by those responsible for the care and protection of children and young people in custody.

"I welcome the Government’s commitment to implementing the recommendations from the Trowler Review and strengthening safeguarding across the youth estate. While nothing can undo the harm suffered by victims, these reforms are an important step towards ensuring lessons of the past are learned and that children in custody are better protected in the future."

The reforms also include a new National Practice Framework to establish consistent standards for staff working with children in custody, a formal learning review process to improve safeguarding practice, and a review of policies to ensure they better reflect children's needs.

The Ministry of Justice said today's announcement builds on the Youth Justice White Paper published in May and comes ahead of a Youth Custody Transformation Plan due later this year, which will set out the government's longer-term vision for a youth justice system focused on safeguarding, rehabilitation and reducing reoffending.