{"id":3911,"date":"2019-05-24T09:39:54","date_gmt":"2019-05-24T09:39:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/safeguardinghub.co.uk\/?p=3911"},"modified":"2019-05-24T09:39:54","modified_gmt":"2019-05-24T09:39:54","slug":"secure-childrens-homes-sometimes-the-only-option","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/safeguardinghub.co.uk\/secure-childrens-homes-sometimes-the-only-option\/","title":{"rendered":"Secure Children\u2019s Homes \u2013 sometimes the only option"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A Safeguarding Hub \u2013 20-minute read <\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>Last week, Anne Longfield, the Children\u2019s Commissioner for England published a report looking at the hundreds of children who are detained in institutions across the country. In the first report of its kind, the Commissioner\u2019s office has gathered data on those children detained and living in secure children\u2019s homes, youth justice settings, mental health wards and other residential placements.<\/p>\n

The report, \u2018Who are they? Where are they? Children locked up<\/a>\u2019<\/em><\/strong>, examines why so many children are locked up, where they are accommodated, the cost of keeping them, whether their complex needs are always catered for within the various establishments and whether alternative decision making may have prevented their deprivation of liberty.<\/p>\n

In the various media reports that accompanied the publication of the report, Mrs Longfield was critical of the current system relating to children deprived of their liberty, claiming that there are hundreds of children in England \u201cgrowing up behind closed doors, locked away for their own safety or the safety of others\u201d<\/em>. For us, the most shocking part of the Commissioners report is that there appears to be no single authority or organisation that has oversight or grip of the system. In effect the \u201csystem\u201d appears is in disarray.<\/p>\n

One of the issues highlighted in the report was the problems that face local authorities finding suitable secure accommodation. This has recently drawn adverse comment from the judiciary who have criticised the fact that when beds are unavailable, some local authorities have instead been applying for deprivation of liberty authorisations, and then placing children in alternate unsuitable non-approved settings. This is detrimental to the child and potentially places that child at risk, either from themselves or others. The phrase \u2018quasi-secure\u2019 homes has been used by a senior Judge to describe this situation, criticising the fact that family courts are frequently asked to approve the accommodation of children, but have no means of checking or auditing the suitability of that accommodation.<\/p>\n

At the same time that the Commissioner released her report, the United Nations raised concerns over the UK\u2019s record on dealing and investigating the sexual abuse of children in detention. The committee at the UN relied on evidence from our own Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) looking at the sexual abuse of more than 1,000 children in detention between 2009 to 2017, in accommodation which included young offender facilities, secure training centres and secure children’s homes.<\/p>\n

The Local Government Association (LGA) responded to the Commissioner\u2019s report by pointing out that there had been a \u201csignificant rises in demand for urgent child protection work and a \u00a33.1 billion funding gap facing children\u2019s services by 2025\u201d<\/em>. We believe that LGA Chair, Cllr Antoinette Bramble was honest in her assessment, describing the lack of funding as a reason why local authorities were struggling to put in place early interventions and support for children before their issues escalate and become more complex. The Councillor called on the government to address the shortfall in their forthcoming Spending Review.<\/p>\n

For those that work in secure children\u2019s homes, the release of these two reports may well have been viewed as unfair finger pointing, a kick in the teeth and potentially a blow to morale. These news pieces may well have prompted a degree of irritation, if not anger. We think it is important to acknowledge that most of the managers and staff working in these homes are doing their absolute best when dealing with extremely challenging children with very complex needs. It is also important to recognise that the Commissioner\u2019s report is not a criticism of individual homes, but focuses on the overall system and processes across all forms of children\u2019s secure accommodation. In fact, within the report, the Commissioner acknowledges that \u201cmany children in these settings are likely being well cared for\u201d.<\/p>\n

It is a welcome document because it throws light on inconsistencies and failings that currently exist which include:<\/p>\n