Supporting Care Leavers to Prevent Custody

Summary

The YJB has produced an evidence summary which highlights what we know about care experienced children in custody in England and Wales, and how we can best support these children to prevent them entering custody. The summary draws on national data from the YJB, Department for Education and Ministry of Justice, as well as the latest youth justice evidence on best practice.

Approach

• This summary is based on a narrative review of available evidence. In contrast to a systematic review, which often focuses on a narrow question in a specific context, with a specific method to synthesise findings from similar studies, a narrative review includes a wide variety of evidence to provide an overall summary. This narrative review was designed to be an informative (rather than all-encompassing) review of recent data and evidence about care experienced children in custody in England and Wales.

Key findings

This evidence summary emphasises the high prevalence of care experienced children in custody, with the latest estimates suggesting around two thirds of children in custody have been in local authority care. It also outlines the challenges faced by these children, including high rates of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), school suspensions, and expulsions. It also discusses the pathways into the youth justice system, such as early adversity and care criminalisation. The summary advocates for targeted prevention and diversion strategies, constructive resettlement, multi-agency and integrated approaches, and mental health and trauma-informed support to address the needs of care experienced children.