Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many safeguarding referrals have been made from each (a) young offender institution and (b) secure training centre in the last 12 months.

The safety and well-being of the young people in our care is paramount. I am clear that levels of violence amongst the challenging cohort in our youth secure estate are too high and we are taking strong action to improve safety.

All Youth Custody Service establishments have a safety strategy to address their specific local risks of violence, and conflict resolution practitioners work to resolve conflict where it occurs between individuals or groups. Staff receive specialist training to provide specialised support to young people. They are equipped with body worn video cameras to protect themselves and record vital evidence when an incident occurs.

A safeguarding referral will be made where there is any concern about the wellbeing of a child in our custody. The number of recorded safeguarding referrals for each Young Offender Institution (YOI) and Secure Training Centre (STC) is in the table below.

YOIs

Cookham Wood 108

Feltham 134

Parc 79

Werrington 135

Wetherby 276

YOI Total 732

STC

Oakhill 162

Grand Total 894