Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 19 February 2024 to Question 13383, what steps he is taking to reduce the amount young people aged 18 or over in the youth secure estate who are separated from their peers for more than seven days.

Separation is used where there is a clear risk of harm, in order to prevent harm to the child or young person separated, or to others. Separation can be critical to reduce the risk of harm, but should be a last resort when managing behaviour.

In accordance with recommendations made by H M Inspectorate of Prisons, the Youth Custody Service (YCS) has developed and implemented a new policy framework on use of separation in the youth estate. This was published in April 2022, together with a new system for gathering data and managing instances of separation.  It applies to all children and young people in the Youth Estate, including 18-year-olds. A review of the first 12 months’ delivery is in progress.

The YCS has taken a range of actions to improve use of separation in the youth estate, including providing additional resources to ensure effective management and to improve national and local oversight. It is working hard to improve regime and time-out-of-room for all children.