Figures published by the Department for Education today reveal there were 142 children accommodated in the 14 SCHs in England and Wales in 2020/21 compared with 184 the year before, a fall of 23 per cent.
There are 253 approved places in the 14 SCHs in England and Wales, of which 223 are available for placements. However, occupancy levels feel from 72 per cent in 2019/20 to 56 per cent over the past year, the lowest level since 2010.
SCHs are children's homes which provide a locked environment and restrict a child or young person's liberty. They provide care and accommodation to children and young people who have been detained or sentenced by the criminal courts and those who have been remanded to secure local authority accommodation. They also accommodate and care for children and young people who have been placed there on welfare grounds by local authorities and the courts.
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