Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to support young offenders identified as SEND.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
The Ministry of Justice does not currently hold the requested data on the number of young offenders identified as having Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). However, in 2023 the Ministry of Justice introduced a new Key Performance Indicator (KPI) for Youth Offending Teams (YOTs) which measures the proportion of children with identified SEND and whether they have a formal support plan in place. KPI data is intended to be published by the Youth Justice Board (YJB) after complete collection of 2025/26 data and ensuring quality standards are met.
The Ministry of Justice and the Department for Education jointly hold a linked dataset - the MoJ DfE share - which may provide helpful context: Education, children's social care and offending. This analysis examines a cohort of children who were cautioned or sentenced for an offence between the ages of 10 and 17, comparing their education and social care characteristics, including whether they had ever been identified as having Special Educational Needs, with those of the wider pupil population.
The Ministry of Justice recognises the importance of SEND within the youth justice system and is committed to ensuring that children with SEND receive the right support to meet their individual needs and reduce reoffending.
Last year, this Government invested over £100 million for Youth Offending Teams (YOTs) to deliver multi-agency support for young people, including those with SEND, who have offended or are at risk of offending. This included extending the Turnaround early intervention programme until March 2026. Turnaround supports children on the cusp of the justice system, via bespoke interventions including social and emotional support and mentoring. In the first year of delivery, to December 2023, 27% (2,214) of children who proceeded to a Turnaround assessment had a formally recognised SEND.
Moreover, the Ministry of Justice has funded training for youth solicitors, through the Youth Justice Legal Centre, to help them identify and respond to children’s individual needs, including communication difficulties. The Department also funds intermediaries to facilitate effective communication with children who have specialist communication needs in court.
To support inclusion, Young Offender Institutions (YOIs) have Neurodiversity Support Managers, and public-run YOIs have qualified Special Educational Needs Coordinators and psychologists to meet the needs of children.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many young offenders are identified as SEND.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
The Ministry of Justice does not currently hold the requested data on the number of young offenders identified as having Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). However, in 2023 the Ministry of Justice introduced a new Key Performance Indicator (KPI) for Youth Offending Teams (YOTs) which measures the proportion of children with identified SEND and whether they have a formal support plan in place. KPI data is intended to be published by the Youth Justice Board (YJB) after complete collection of 2025/26 data and ensuring quality standards are met.
The Ministry of Justice and the Department for Education jointly hold a linked dataset - the MoJ DfE share - which may provide helpful context: Education, children's social care and offending. This analysis examines a cohort of children who were cautioned or sentenced for an offence between the ages of 10 and 17, comparing their education and social care characteristics, including whether they had ever been identified as having Special Educational Needs, with those of the wider pupil population.
The Ministry of Justice recognises the importance of SEND within the youth justice system and is committed to ensuring that children with SEND receive the right support to meet their individual needs and reduce reoffending.
Last year, this Government invested over £100 million for Youth Offending Teams (YOTs) to deliver multi-agency support for young people, including those with SEND, who have offended or are at risk of offending. This included extending the Turnaround early intervention programme until March 2026. Turnaround supports children on the cusp of the justice system, via bespoke interventions including social and emotional support and mentoring. In the first year of delivery, to December 2023, 27% (2,214) of children who proceeded to a Turnaround assessment had a formally recognised SEND.
Moreover, the Ministry of Justice has funded training for youth solicitors, through the Youth Justice Legal Centre, to help them identify and respond to children’s individual needs, including communication difficulties. The Department also funds intermediaries to facilitate effective communication with children who have specialist communication needs in court.
To support inclusion, Young Offender Institutions (YOIs) have Neurodiversity Support Managers, and public-run YOIs have qualified Special Educational Needs Coordinators and psychologists to meet the needs of children.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to help improve the standard of education delivered in (a) prisons and (b) young offender institutions.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
Improving education standards in prisons and young offender institutions (YOIs) is a priority for the Ministry of Justice. Governors and Heads of Education, Skills and Work tailor provision to meet local needs, supported by regional managers and strengthened oversight of contracts. Investment in digital infrastructure is widening access across the estate to enable secure and flexible learning opportunities. Governors can commission both enrichment and vocational courses via the Dynamic Purchasing System, and pathways to employment are further supported by apprenticeships and the Future Skills Programme which provides short-sector specific training opportunities in areas like construction and waste management for those nearing the end of their sentence and provides a guaranteed job interview on release. Ofsted and HMIP feedback are closely monitored, and establishments are held to account for improvements.
To support inclusive education, all prisons, including YOIs, have Neurodiversity Support Managers, and public YOIs have qualified Special Educational Needs Coordinators. The Youth Custody Service has launched ‘Roadmaps to Effective Practice’ in partnership with NHS England, education providers and psychology services, focused on improving safety, behaviour and education. Each YOI has a site-specific plan for education with performance monitored, and broad, balanced curriculums are being developed to support trauma-informed child-centred rehabilitation.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the the potential merits of increasing prison educators pay in line with their counterparts in other further education workplaces.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
The Ministry of Justice recognises the vital role prison educators play in supporting rehabilitation and reducing reoffending. Prison educators are employed by Further Education or Training Providers contracted to deliver education in custody. As such, their pay and terms and conditions are set by those providers. Providers typically align prison educator pay with equivalent roles in community-based further education settings.