Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 13 December 2023 to Question 5302 on Werrington Young Offender Institution: Abuse, how many substantiated findings of abuse have there been at Werrington Young Offender Institution in the last 12 months.

In the 12 months from November 2022 to October 2023, there were two substantiated cases of physical abuse against children while at HMYOI Werrington. One case related to misapplication of restraint techniques during a restraint incident. There was no intention to cause harm. The member of staff concerned has received further training on use of restraint. The second case related to mishandling of an incident at height: the child did not incur any serious injuries.

The Youth Custody Service (YCS) takes any allegation of abuse extremely seriously. When a safeguarding case is opened, the details of the matter may not be known. The YCS conducts a thorough investigation of every case to identify exactly what has occurred, and to ensure that any necessary actions are taken to protect the children in its care.