CYP Now has learned that the Youth Justice Board (YJB) has "decommissioned" nine beds at East Moor SCH in West Yorkshire and is in talks to decommission a further six beds at Aycliffe SCH in County Durham.
The move will see the total number of YJB-commissioned beds fall by eight per cent, from 191 to 176 across the 10 SCHs in which it places children. In 2002, the YJB commissioned 274 places.
The news will reignite fears for the future of secure children’s homes in light of falling custody levels and the YJB's ongoing plans to proceed with the decommissioning of beds across the secure estate.
Critics argue that the YJB should maintain the capacity of secure homes since they provide the most intensive support for children in custody and are a far more suitable environment than secure training centres (STCs) or young offender institutions (YOIs).
Penelope Gibbs, director of the Out of Trouble Programme at the Prison Reform Trust, said: "In a sense I’m glad they are decommissioning beds but it is sad that they are decommissioning them in SCHs.
"We don’t think that YOIs are the right place for children of any age and therefore if they are decommissioning it is a pity it is at this end."
A YJB spokeswoman confirmed that nine beds at East Moor will go, taking the number purchased there by the YJB to 25.
She was unable to confirm how many beds could go at Aycliffe, where 30 are currently commissioned, as discussions are ongoing.
Frances Done, chair of the YJB, said: "The numbers of children and young people in custody continue to fall, especially in the younger age group.
"We are pleased that fewer children and young people are entering custody and that prevention and rehabilitation work under way in the community is paying off."
Frances Crook, director at the Howard League for Penal Reform, said if children are going to be locked up, then SCHs "offer the best investment". She added: "Young offender institutions, a child prison by any other name, or secure training centres have higher reoffending rates and lower levels of educational achievement.
"Children sent to secure children's homes are younger and more vulnerable than other children and fewer places means that children will be sent further away from home in order to serve their sentence.
"We know from the second inquest of Adam Rickwood that keeping children miles from their home destabilises them, makes family relationships more difficult and reduces the chances of successful resettlement. Beds in secure children's homes are the most humane places to send troubled children. Why are we getting rid of them?"
SCHs are generally used to accommodate young offenders aged 12 to 14, girls up to the age of 16, and 15- to 16-year-old boys who are assessed as vulnerable. Most staff are qualified to a high level in child care and they are more expensive than STCs and YOIs, costing an estimated £210,000 a year per child.
Decommissioning at East Moor will save the YJB around £1.9m. Should a further six beds be decommissioned at Aycliffe an additional £1.26m would be saved, bringing total savings to around £3.2m a year.
Details of the savings coincide with information regarding YJB investment in social workers in YOIs emerging.
Last week, CYP Now revealed that the YJB has set aside £1m a year for the next three years to fund 22 social worker posts in YOIs as a result of savings being made from reduced custody levels.
The last decommissioning of places in SCHs took place in March 2009, when the YJB opted not to renew contracts with four homes. On that occasion the number of beds fell from 219 to 191.
