The government has committed to giving due consideration to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child when developing new policy and legislation. This pledge was first made on behalf of the coalition government by former children’s minister Sarah Teather, back in December 2010. The renewed promise came in response to a parliamentary … Read more
In a reply to a parliamentary question from Conservative MP Phillip Davies, prisons minister Andrew Selous says the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) no longer keeps track of compensation payments made to prisoners for, among other things, assaults and medical negligence. Details of such claims were last released to parliament in September 2010 and showed … Read more
In a review of support and services offered to care leavers, the National Audit Office (NAO) urges the government to “do more to listen to care leavers and hear their suggestions for improving services”. Praising the work of the Office of Children’s Commissioner and local authorities like Derbyshire County Council, the NAO says not enough … Read more
Ofsted’s assessment of the backgrounds and placements of children in care shows that those from Black and minority ethnic communities are “substantially more likely” to be locked up. 41% of the 453 ‘looked after’ children held in secure units or prisons on 31 March 2014 were from Black and minority ethnic communities. Children from Black … Read more
The prisons minister, Andrew Selous, has confirmed in an answer to a parliamentary question that the government will not be pressing ahead with building a huge child prison in Leicestershire. Legislation was passed last year that would have permitted the detention of children aged 12-17 years in ‘secure colleges’ – large prisons staffed by custody … Read more