Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to improve contact between children in young offender institutions and their (a) parents, (b) carers and (c) friends.

During the COVID-19 pandemic it is more important than ever that children are able to speak to family, friends and carers given this will be a particularly unsettling period for many children in custody.

There has been a focus within the Youth Custody Service (YCS) on delivering essential activities such as regular phone calls (with young people having been allocated additional free phone credit and phone lines being opened for longer periods) and ‘Enhanced SECURE STAIRS’. This integrated framework of care jointly led by NHS England and NHS Improvement and the YCS provides the foundations on how the YCS works with children, underlining the vital role of social interaction and the importance of connectivity while adhering to the guidance on physical distancing. The Youth Estate has also been prioritised for in-room telephony installation and have used technology to facilitate virtual visits to enable all children and young people to stay in touch with their loved ones, and additional funding has been received for the roll out of secure in-room technology across public sector YOIs. Children and young people also have the opportunity to write and send letters, as well as having access to advocacy services and charities such as Barnardo’s and Childline.

Following publication of the National Framework for Prison Regimes and Services on 2 June, key aspects of regime delivery restarted across under 18 Young Offender Institutions (YOIs) from mid-July including social visits and the Custody Support Plan (CuSP) – providing children with a personal officer to work with on a weekly basis in order to build trust and consistency - as we continue to look to maintain regime in a manner that is safe and sustainable. During this period, it has been the priority of the YCS to maintain social interaction with children and their family: that is why, following the further national restrictions announced in England, face-to-face social visits with family (and contact with corporate parents and professionals) will continue for children in custody, ensuring sustained mental health and wellbeing. Where face-to-face visits are not possible, children and young people will still be able to continue contact virtually with their loved ones.