Using physical interventions with children and young people in secure settings is sometimes necessary, but only ever as a last resort. When behaviour is so challenging it presents an assessed risk to others, minimum force may be used by trained staff, for the shortest possible duration, but never as a punishment or to secure compliance with staff instructions.
The YJB is committed to working with the organisations that provide custody for children, to make sure the behaviour of young offenders is dealt with in a constructive and positive way, wherever possible.
To improve the systems of restraint used in custodial establishments, the YJB has completed a review of Physical Control in Care (PCC), the system used in secure training centres. Click to read the:
The YJB met with Prison Service College national PCC instructors and STC PCC trainers on 18 August 2005 to implement the recommendations arising from this review. The YJB will work with the national instructors to redraft the PCC manual in light of the revised policies and procedures. In early December, the PCC trainers within STCs will be retrained, followed by all STC staff at the beginning of next year.
Work is also underway with the Prison Service, to see whether their system of restraint can be modified so that it relies less on the controlled use of pain.
In addition, the Board is working with all providers of custody for children to develop more consistent information on restraints, to ensure that all necessary improvements are identified.
NCB review
Policies on when and which forms of physical restraint can be used differ according to the type of secure establishment. To assist the Youth Justice Board in bringing more coherence to practice in this area, the National Children’s Bureau (NCB) was commissioned to undertake a review of the policies and practices employed in the various sectors of the secure estate for children and young people, in relation to restrictive physical interventions.
Click to download Report to the Youth Justice Board on the use of Physical Intervention within the Juvenile Secure Estate [423Kb PDF, opens in new window], by Di Hart and Steve Howell.