My independent review into placements for girls in custody was published this week. I was delighted to be asked to undertake the review by Sir Nic Dakin, Minister for Youth Justice, as I have seen first-hand through my work with the YJB that girls are some of the most complex and vulnerable children in the youth justice system. The report considers short-to-medium term placement options for girls in the children’s secure estate and makes a number of recommendations about how we can better meet their needs.  

I have been especially pleased to see that the government has acted on the first recommendation from my review with immediate effect; to stop placing girls in young offender institutions (YOIs). This is an essential and positive step forward for the treatment and care of girls in custody. It will address a fundamental issue that has long been overlooked; the need for a system that is responsive to the distinct needs of girls. 

What we know about girls in custody 

Following the closure of Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre (STC) in 2021, the Youth Custody Service (YCS) began placing some girls temporarily into Wetherby YOI. However, some 3 and a half years later, YOIs have remained a custody option for girls. 

Currently there are around 10 girls in the custodial system, making up less than 2% of the population, and it’s due to this that placements are often geared around the needs of boys, with girls needs often overlooked. This is a systemic issue, and one I was determined to understand better. 

An incredibly important factor for girls entering the youth justice system are their experiences of trauma, physical abuse, sexual abuse and victimisation, and most girls in custody have experienced more than one of these adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). The YJB’s most recent data also shows that between 75% and 90% have experienced abuse from a family member. This means that too often, when girls arrive in a custodial setting, it serves to retraumatise them.  

Overall, the figures suggest that a significant number of the girls in custody, particularly those on remand, would not be there if appropriate community provisions were in place. 

A range of voices, with girls at the heart  

During the time I spent on the review – alongside my day job – I made it a priority to fully engage with a wide range of voices from across the sector. From frontline staff to think tanks and academics, the breadth of the conversations I had was invaluable. I also had the opportunity to speak directly with girls themselves in the establishments I visited, as well as with two young women who had earlier experience of the children’s secure estate. These conversations, alongside reading wider consultations with girls about their experience in custody, really shaped the direction of the review. I am so grateful to them for their openness and honesty in sharing their voices; it is these voices that are paramount in ensuring that the services we provide are not only effective but tailored to girls’ needs. 

Trauma-informed practice 

As I spoke to professionals across the sector, it became clear that the needs of girls in custody are distinct from those of boys. They require a trauma-informed approach focused not only on containment but about providing appropriate, therapeutic care. While evidence shows that boys are more likely to externalise trauma through violence, girls’ trauma often manifests through self-harm and substance misuse. Girls also often suffer post-traumatic stress disorder which can result in behavioural difficulties. Indeed, my findings were stark: over 50% of self-harm incidents in custodial settings involved girls and their exposure to ACEs is four times higher than their peers in the community.  

I recognise that there are many vulnerable boys in the secure estate who also present with experiences of trauma and abuse. I am hopeful that much of the learning from the girls’ review can also be applied to them as we move forward with this work.  

Gender-responsive settings  

Gender-responsive approaches recognise girls’ experience of gender-based violence, the impact of their trauma and that responses must centre on the abuse, victimisation and systemic inequalities faced by girls. In short, staff working with girls in secure settings must recognise that girls are different and the kind of support they need is different. What came out loud and clear from girls and staff themselves is that high- quality, trauma-informed and gender-responsive training is key to support and deliver the best possible outcomes.

What girls want  

There was a strong level of consensus from the professionals I spoke to, and girls themselves, on a what a model establishment should look like. 

Girls valued small, homely environments, clear boundaries and a caring and skilled workforce who listen to their views: “If we raise something, it needs to be taken seriously.”  

Secure settings should be gender-sensitive, offer physical, emotional and mental health services, including psychiatric support and ability to respond to self-harm incidents. As set out in my recommendations, the evidence suggests that secure children’s homes and the secure school are best suited to deliver this, and I look forward to seeing this shift happen over time. 

A ‘girls consortia’ – the ideal model 

In the review I recommend developing a ‘girls consortia’ – a collective group of secure children’s homes and the new secure school, which work collaboratively across the secure estate, and with cross-governmental support, to provide placements for all girls in custody. By working together, this model would determine suitable placements for girls based on their own individual experiences, tailored to their specific needs. Further to this, the model could support knowledge sharing and access to shared training to better meet the needs of vulnerable girls.  

Alongside the consortia model, we equally need to strengthen and develop provision in the community so many of these girls can be kept out of custody altogether. My review makes some clear recommendations for cross-departmental working, alongside local authorities and local partners, including youth justice services, to come together to develop and invest in community alternatives.  

Conclusions  

I’m excited to see where the government goes with the recommendations, and I’m hopeful that we will see progress in several areas. The Youth Justice Board has a crucial role to play in supporting girls, and this review presents a real opportunity to collaborate with the sector on the development of a national strategy for girls across the youth justice system. 

This review has been an important step forward – building on the great work undertaken by many practitioners, academics and research bodies before me. While I am pleased with the immediate action on the YOI recommendation, there is still much to be done. I hope this review, through the clear evidence base, offers a vision of how we could do things differently; to maximise the positive changes we can make for these girls and deliver the best outcomes for them. Everyone has a role to play in this. It is only by working together that we will make the step change needed.