Future of secure homes in peril

The future of secure children’s homes has been thrown into doubt because of impending budget cuts by the Youth Justice Board (YJB) and local authorities, prompting fears over the care of extremely vulnerable children, CYP Now can reveal.

Young people are placed in secure children’s homes if there are serious concerns about their welfare, if they may cause harm to themselves or others, and as an alternative to custody.

But meetings between the Secure Accommodation Network and the YJB revealed that homes that have contracts with the YJB are almost certainly going to face cuts in the next financial year. Eighteen secure children’s homes currently remain in the country, nine of which have contracts with the YJB.

Andy Copp, chair of the Secure Accommodation Network, said: “We have been given a clear message in a meeting with the YJB that there will be overall reductions in numbers of beds the YJB commissions in secure children’s homes. There is no clear figure yet but all units will be vulnerable.”

In the past 10 years, 12 secure children’s homes have closed as a result of dwindling numbers and limited budgets. There is concern that if some beds are decommissioned in secure units, homes will be forced to close, resulting in vital skills being lost and children being moved to inappropriate placements.

Dave Clarke, manager at Lincolnshire Secure Unit, said: “If the beds that are currently contracted are cut, local authorities will be forced to pay for them or close them. Once a unit closes you never hear of them reopening and children will be moved to placements that don’t have the staff or capacity to properly safeguard them.”

There are also mounting concerns that local authorities are choosing less intensive placements because of the cost.

Michael Nerini, service manager at Clare Lodge secure unit in Peterborough, said: “Despite receiving appropriate referrals, plans to place within this service are being regularly halted purely on financial grounds. There is a real danger these will become invisible children who will drift on until they offend, experience a full-blown mental health episode, or seriously injure or kill themselves.”

A YJB spokeswoman said no decision had been taken on its contracts with secure children’s homes.