Interventions

The following indicators describe evidence that may show this expectation being met, but do not exclude other ways of achieving it.

• Children are assessed jointly by the establishment staff and the youth offending team (YOT) to determine their accommodation needs.
• Children, including those on remand, are made aware of and have full access to specialist services that provide help and advice in finding accommodation after release.
• Relevant staff demonstrate the level of knowledge required to effectively address the wide range of accommodation issues facing children.
• Relevant staff work closely with local housing agencies and providers.
• Where local authorities do not provide accommodation at least 14 days prior to release, there is a clear procedure to escalate the case to the director of children’s services.

Cross reference with: training planning and remand management.

The following indicators describe evidence that may show this expectation being met, but do not exclude other ways of achieving it.

• Children receive relevant pre-release assessments and interventions and are helped to register with community health services.
• Effective coordinated discharge planning ensures agreed packages of care are continued on transfer within the prison estate and on release, including for care leavers.
• Children receive individual health promotion advice prior to release.
• Children receive drug, alcohol and tobacco harm reduction advice prior to release.
• Effective discharge planning and liaison with case workers, youth offending teams, community rehabilitation companies (CRCs) and community mental health services ensures continuity of care following release.
• Children going to court or being released or transferred receive adequate supplies of medication or a community prescription to meet their needs.

The following indicators describe evidence that may show this expectation being met, but do not exclude other ways of achieving it.

• Children who arrive in reception without private money are offered an advance payment for purchases. Repayment is realistically staged over a period of time and guidance given on how to budget for it.
• On admission, children are asked if they owe money. Where this is established, relevant support is provided.
• Individual financial records are maintained and children have access to them. Children are encouraged and supported to keep track of their own financial records.
• Support is available for children who informally owe money to others in the community or inside the establishment.
• Children are taught budgeting and money management skills in preparation for release and are given relevant information about banking and financial products.
• Children are made aware of and have full access to services providing advice and information about benefits entitlements.
• Prior to release children are encouraged and helped to open a bank account. Where necessary, release on temporary licence (ROTL) is used to achieve this.
• Children are encouraged and helped to apply for a National Insurance number.

Cross reference with: early days in custody; education, skills and work activities.

The following indicators describe evidence that may show this expectation being met, but do not exclude other ways of achieving it.

• Support and interventions are based on an up-to-date needs assessment of the population.
• Interventions are available which support children to identify strengths and which provide them with personal and practical support to work towards positive goals.
• Access to programme work is based on clear criteria and resources are allocated according to need.
• Children are subject to multidisciplinary assessments to identify their needs in relation to offending behaviour programmes and other interventions. These assessments are reflected in individual training plans.
• Children are efficiently referred to offending behaviour programmes and other interventions in a timely manner.
• Basic skill deficits that may underlie offending behaviour are addressed.
• Children are encouraged and motivated to engage with interventions, and prepared thoroughly in advance.
• All staff, especially in residential areas, positively reinforce children’s learning and progress. Children are enabled to consolidate any learning and practise their newly acquired skills.
• All staff have adequate trauma-informed training and understand how to support the emotional well-being/development of the social and emotional skills of the children in their care.
• Children demonstrate improved social and emotional skills, including a capacity to better regulate their emotions and articulate their needs and higher levels of empathy towards each other. Interventions include programmes that challenge the child to accept responsibility for their offending behaviour. Victim awareness work is undertaken in all relevant cases. Children are helped to develop empathy for others. Harm they have experienced themselves is recognised.
• There are systems in place to assess the effectiveness of all interventions.

Cross reference with: relationships between staff and children.