Children Involved in the Youth Justice System: Additional National Guidance

Scope of this chapter

Related guidance

• Youth Justice Board - Standards for Children in the Youth Justice System - These standards define the minimum expectation for all agencies that provide statutory services to ensure good outcomes for children in the youth justice system.
• Youth Justice Board Case management guidance - Guidance for youth offending team practitioners and managers on how to work with children in the youth justice system.
• Youth Remand Concordat - Guidance and principles to follow a joint approach throughout the youth remand process for local and national partners.
• YJB and Probation Joint National Protocol for Transitions in England - Protocol to support the planned and safe movement of young people from youth offending teams (YOTs) to the Probation Service when they turn 18.
• National Appropriate Adult website
• Probation Service Management of Young Adults Policy Framework - This Policy Framework sets out the expected ways of working with Young Adults aged between 18 and 25 years old by the Probation Service.
• HMPPS Child Safeguarding Policy Framework - This framework provides HMPPS staff and strategic leads with a summary of requirements as part of their child safeguarding responsibilities.
• Healthcare standards for children and young people in secure settings - The standards take a pathway and multi-professional approach, following the young person’s journey through a secure setting. They apply to children and young people aged between 10-17 (inclusive) on both welfare and justice placements in secure centres, including young offender institutions, secure children’s homes, secure training centres and their equivalents.
• Matters of Concern, Safeguarding Concerns, Allegations and Complaints for Children in Custody – Youth Custody Service (Youth Justice Resource Hub) - key safeguarding contact list and a slide pack concerning matters of concern, safeguarding concerns, allegations and complains for matters relating to children in custody.
• Care Experience Matters (GOV.UK) - a guide to how prisons, probation and local authorities can work together to support people with care experience in custody and on probation.
• Children as Suspects and Defendants (CPS) - this guidance sets out the approach prosecutors should take in applying the Code for Crown Prosecutors when deciding whether or not to prosecute, including offering an out of court disposal.
• Guidance: Use of Force, Restraint and Restrictive Practices in the Children and Young People Secure Estate - This policy framework sets out rules and guidance on the use of approved restraint techniques and restrictive physical interventions for staff at secure settings and escort providers in the Youth Custody Service (YCS).
• Youth Justice Resource Hub – Sector Practice
• YJB's Child First Self-Assessment Toolkit (Youth Justice Resource Hub) - the Child First Self-Assessment toolkit is a self-led resource commissioned by the Youth Justice Board, which invites organisations to consider how far into the Child First journey they may be. It supports organisations to reflect on their current practices, how far they are aligned with the evidence base of what works for children, and how they might adopt and implement a whole-service approach to being Child First.
• Guidance: Prison Public Protection Policy Framework - policy and guidance for staff on how HMPPS deliver its responsibility to implement controls and restrictions to protect the public during the custodial term of a prisoner’s sentence and through to release into the community.
• Delivering the best for girls in custody - an independent review into placements and care for girls in the Children and Young People Secure Estate.

Amendment

September 19, 2025