A significant proportion of children in custody have a mental health need. The Secure Stairs model is a welcome development, but we are disappointed to hear that children are sometimes held in custody because of an absence of appropriate mental health treatment beds. In cases where the mental health of offenders is a substantial factor in their self-harm or their level of risk to staff or fellow offenders, we recommend that the Ministry work with the Department of Health and Social Care to id...

A significant proportion of children in custody have a mental health need. The Secure Stairs model is a welcome development, but we are disappointed to hear that children are sometimes held in custody because of an absence of appropriate mental health treatment beds. In cases where the mental health of offenders is a substantial factor in their self-harm or their level of risk to staff or fellow offenders, we recommend that the Ministry work with the Department of Health and Social Care to identify mechanisms to ensure appropriate placement for individuals who require treatment and to make sure that young offenders are in the right place to r Type: recommendation | Number: 4 | Paragraph: 37 | Response status: under_consideration