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.

• All aspects of a child’s physical and mental health, general welfare and offending behaviour are addressed within the training or remand management plan and are regularly reviewed.
• Training or remand management plans are clearly linked to constructive goals identified by the child.
• Planning is focused on the future and targets are based around resettlement.
• Children are not confused by being subject to many different plans instigated by different departments or agencies in the establishment.
• Training or remand management plans take precedence over other plans, and all other plans are properly linked to training or remand planning targets.
• Parents/carers and community agencies routinely have an active role in planning and receive copies of planning documents, including action points and those responsible for carrying them out.

Cross reference with: children, families and contact with the outside world; safeguarding of children.

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

• Children’s needs are assessed during induction and referrals are made to the relevant agencies as early as possible and at an early enough stage to obtain support.
• All staff who are involved in the care of children contribute to training or remand management planning.
• All relevant assessments, including the risk of harm to others and an assessment of the likelihood of reoffending, are completed and available at the child’s initial training planning meeting.
• Children have input into the individual targets in their training or remand management plans.
• Training and remand management planning is well integrated with other departments, including residential staff.
• Training and remand management meetings take place in suitable venues, at appropriate intervals and, where necessary, in response to a significant change or event.
• Reviews routinely consider early release, late release, home detention curfew (HDC), release on temporary licence (ROTL), and parole.
• Children who are to be transferred are well prepared and supported.
• The establishment takes active steps to encourage and facilitate the attendance and participation of parents and/or carers in training and remand planning.
• Children are enabled and helped to participate actively in the training planning process and encouraged to take responsibility for their own plans and the achievement of them.

Cross reference with: early days in custody; daily life – residential services; safeguarding of children; education, skills and work activities; relationships between staff and children.

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

• Children have targets that they can continue to work towards following transfer or release.
• All staff working with children have access to up-to-date and comprehensive information about children, including their targets. Information is managed and stored with respect for confidentiality.
• Children understand their training or remand management plan and feel their targets are meaningful.

Cross reference with: relationships between staff and children.

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

• Children who may present a risk to the public on release are identified immediately on arrival.
• Children are assessed appropriately and decisions are explained clearly to them.
• Individual cases are reviewed regularly and monitored to consider any changes in circumstances.
• Restrictions imposed are fair and proportionate, clearly communicated to the child and last for the shortest time possible.
• Children are informed of the arrangements for managing the risk of harm they pose to others and the implications for them personally. They are given the opportunity to appeal and any support necessary to do so.
• The best interests and safety of the child in the community are considered when a child’s access to his/her children is being assessed.
• Multi-agency structures for protecting and safeguarding the public are used effectively. Relevant cases are referred in a timely manner to the local multi-agency public protection panel for release planning.
• Staff attend relevant community-based multi-agency public protection arrangements (MAPPA) meetings before and after release.
• There is routine management oversight of assessment and sentence planning in all high risk of harm cases or those involving child protection issues.

Cross reference with: security; safeguarding of children; early days in custody; children, families and contact with the outside world; daily life – residential services.

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

• Children potentially facing or serving indeterminate or long sentences are identified on arrival and fully supported.
• Where relevant, children and their families are provided with age-appropriate information about indeterminate and long sentences.
• Individual assessments take full account of specific needs and the risk the child may pose to themselves or others.
• Training plans and any other relevant plans take full account of the individual needs and risks that the child presents.
• There is a range of services to meet the risks and needs of children serving indeterminate or long sentences.
• All documentation associated with children serving long-term sentences is completed fully and on time.

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

• Children who are likely to transition to the adult estate are identified at the point of entry into the establishment, so that transition planning can begin at arrival.
• Sentence planning takes account of future transfer to adult services where appropriate, and plans managed by the Probation Service and the adult custodial estate take account of information from youth-based services, to ensure that outstanding interventions are implemented.
• Decisions to transfer young adults to adult services or to retain them in youth-based services are recorded. They take into account the views of children and the work which needs to be undertaken in meeting the aims of the sentence, to address the likelihood of reoffending and the risk of harm to others, and to manage vulnerability.
• Children are thoroughly prepared for transfer to adult services.
• Notification of transfer, and all essential advance information, is sent to the Probation Service and adult establishments in sufficient time to ensure continuity of delivery of interventions.
• All intervention providers (including health and education, training and employment providers) are informed of transfers to Probation Trusts and adult establishments in advance and are involved appropriately in case transfer meetings.
• Parents/carers are involved, where appropriate, in discussions about transfer and in case transfer meetings where it is likely to aid the child’s progress and engagement.
• Staff have the skills to prepare children for transfer to adult services and to work effectively with transferred cases.

Cross reference with: safeguarding of children, training planning and remand management; daily life – residential services.

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

• There is a dedicated lead in the establishment with responsibility for developing policies and procedures for looked after children, and maintaining links with local authorities to ensure that the specific needs of looked after children are met, including their needs following release. This is a senior post, preferably undertaken by an experienced social worker.
• The designated lead challenges failures by local authorities to fulfil their statutory obligations to a looked after child, escalating concerns to the director of children’s services and lead member when necessary.
• There are clear procedures which set out how children with looked after status are cared for and supported.
• The procedures ensure that there are systems in place to identify looked after children on reception, inform their local authority and conduct statutory looked after children reviews as required.
• Training plans and any other relevant plans take full account of the specific needs of children with looked after status and involve their local authority at all stages.

Cross reference with: early days in custody; safeguarding of children; reintegration planning; training planning and remand management.