A briefing note by the National Youth Advocacy Service (NYAS) warns that the proportion of children referred under section 25 of the Children Act 1989 who were offered a placement dropped by almost eight per cent between 2018 and 2020.
In 2018, 57.69 per cent of young people referred to secure children’s homes under welfare grounds were offered a placement, this figure decreased to 50.95 per cent in 2019 and 49.77 per cent in 2020.
The findings, based on data shared by the Secure Welfare Coordination Units, have been published as part of a series of briefings by NYAS on the use of secure children’s homes for welfare which will be published over the next year.
The series will focus on young people subject to section 25 orders.
Section 25 orders allow local authorities to place young people in secure children’s homes if they have a history of running away and are likely to run away from other accommodation or suffer significant harm, or if young people are likely to injure themselves or other people if living in any other accommodation.
The report also warns that the average distance travelled by children to their placement is the same as the distance between London and Cardiff.
Three in 10 young people travelled more than 200 miles from home to their secure accommodation, it adds.
Some 1,487 young people are currently placed in secure children’s homes in England and Wales, 43.59 per cent of whom had a suspected mental health condition in 2020.
The average age of young people referred to secure children’s homes between 2018 and 2020 was just 15, according to the briefing.
Ben Twomey, NYAS director of policy and research, said: “Children living in secure homes are hidden from view. Our research series aims to uncover the realities of secure homes for welfare, exploring the protection provided to children as well as the system failures that lead to children being deprived of their liberty.”
In October’s Comprehensive Spending Review, Chancellor Rishi Sunak pledged £259m for additional children’s home places including in secure children’s homes.
