The Corporate Director, Social Services and Wellbeing introduced Caroline Dyer, Service Manager, Western Bay Youth Justice & Early Intervention Services to the Committee.

The Service Manager then presented a report informing the Cabinet Committee of the Local Authorities responsibility in respect of the secure estate following the implementation of the Social Services and Wellbeing (Wales) Act in April 2016.

Bridgend County Borough Council had within its boundary, HMP and YOI Parc, which was a Category B Prison with capacity for 2000 male prisoners, the majority being adult offenders.  The prison opened in November 1997 and was the only private prison in Wales and was managed by G4S on behalf of the Prison Service. Parc’s main population provided Category B and Category C prisoner accommodation for those serving in excess of 18 month sentences.  There were two main sections to HMP and YOI Parc:

·         Young Persons Unit – for males 15-17years

·         Main Prison – for Young Offenders aged 18 to 21 years and Adult Offenders.

The Young Persons Unit accommodated up to 64 young males aged from 15 – 17 years of age. The young people at HMP & YOI Parc were accommodated in one of two units, Echo 1 and Golf 1. They generally came together each day in small groups for Education (25 hours each week) and some other activities. Each evening there was a period of association before the young people were returned to their rooms for the night.

The responsibilities of the Children’s Services department towards children in Wales were contained in the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 which was implemented on 6 April 2016.  There were various parts of the Act that made specific reference to children and young people in the youth justice system. Part 4 of the Act set out how needs should be met in the care planning process; Part 6 of the Act set out the functions in relation to looked after and accommodated children; children placed in secure accommodation, care leavers in the youth justice system, children detained in, or remanded to the secure estate and Part 11 contained miscellaneous and general provisions relating to children with care and support needs in youth detention accommodation, prison, approved premises and bail accommodation. Parts 4 and 6 contained legislation already in existence whereas Part 11 contained new responsibilities in the miscellaneous section.

The    The responsibilities of the Youth Offending Team (YOT) were defined by the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999, the Powers of the Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000, the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001, the Criminal Justice and Immigration act 2008 and the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders (LASPO) Act 2012.  The principle aim of the youth justice system was the prevention of offending and re-offending by children and young people. 

The Service Manager confirmed there were no young people from Bridgend in custody at the moment.

There were a number of trigger points where care and support needs could be identified and assessed when a young person arrived in custody.   For example, once in custody, YOTs and secure estate staff were responsible for holding a joint planning meeting within 10 days of the custodial sentence being imposed (National Standard for Youth Justice Services 9.16) and for developing a plan for the period of time the young person was in custody.

A ‘Sentence Plan’ should include whether the young person had ongoing ‘care and support needs’. This plan was created when a young person had received a custodial sentence by the court and was a plan as to how the young person’s needs would be met during his/her period of incarceration (including health, education behavior/emotional needs).

All young people remanded into custody become Looked After under the provisions of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders (LASPO) Act 2012 and the Care Planning process would commence immediately when they arrived in custody. However, unless the young person’s Looked After status was derived from a Care Order under section 31 Children Act 1989, their Looked After status did not necessarily continue after a young person had been sentenced.

All looked after young people had to be seen by their allocated social worker within 10 working days of arrival at HMP & YOI Parc. When a looked after young person arrived at HMP & YOI Parc, the allocated social worker would be contacted immediately in order to establish any concerns and to arrange an initial visit. The young person’s Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) also had be contacted to confirm that they were in custody and a LAC Review would be arranged to take place within 20 working days of the young person’s arrival at HMP & YOI Parc.

All 100 young people remanded and sentenced to HMP7YOI Parc during this period were the subject of either a Sentence or a Remand plan whilst 5 young people from Welsh Home Local Authority Areas were the subject of Care and Support Plans.

The Service Manager confirmed that he had not been asked to undertake any assessments for children in Parc to date.

The Committee asked if there was a reciprocal arrangement with English authorities.  The Service Manager explained that if a Welsh child went to England, the money followed the child but not vice versa. Members asked how attention could be brought to this imbalance and were advised that this matter was being raised at various working groups with the intention of taking the message back to WG.

The Committee asked if there was a shortage of appropriate places. Members were advised that Hillside was more suitable than Parc because of the number of beds available and the catchment area it covered.

Members asked if the grant of £236,774 was enough to cover the cost of the extra duties. They were advised that it was not possible to say at this stage.

The Corporate Director Social Services and Wellbeing reported that the bulk of the grant had been used to put a new team together to look at the additional needs as a result of changes in the Act. A review was currently taking place in relation to the first nine months.

The Chairperson requested an annual report on the outcomes of those the authority was responsible for.         

RESOLVED

1)    That Cabinet Committee noted the

                                                     Content of the report.

                                                    2)   That a report be submitted to a future     

meeting on the outcomes for young people in prison.