Review mixed justice/welfare placement risk
The Chair and Panel recommend that the Department for Education and the Youth Custody Service conduct a full review of the practice of placing children for justice and welfare reasons together in secure children's homes to establish whether it increases the risk of sexual abuse to children. If so, appropriate action should be taken, including consideration of alternative models. The review should be completed within three months, and an action plan should be published within six months.
- In May 2023, the government confirmed that this recommendation had been completed (Government Response to IICSA Final Report, HM Government, May 2023).
How was this evidence gathered?
Response
Accepted
Response
AcceptedOn 7 May 2021, the Department for Education published its review of placement practices in secure children's homes. It concluded that the practice of placing children in mixed justice and welfare homes does not create or exacerbate systemic risk of child sexual abuse. In light of the review, the Department for Education stated that it did not propose exploring alternative models as recommended by the Inquiry.