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Wednesday, 3 October 2023

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Young people

How young people can get advice and support when in custody

If you are in custody you may have worries or problems that you need to talk through with someone. As well as talking to members of staff, there are lots of organisations that can help you. Find out how you can get support.

Young people and custody

If you are under 18 and sentenced to custody, you will be sent to either a:

secure children’s home
secure training centre
young offender institution

These secure centres are very different from adult prisons. To read more, follow the link ‘Young people and custody’ below.

Young people and custody

Advocacy services

‘Advocacy’ means speaking up for yourself or having someone do this for you. In custody you can ask an advocacy service for help if:

you feel you can’t speak for yourself
you don’t understand something
you can’t make yourself understood

Advocacy services are run by children’s charities and are confidential. They can help you with any problems you have, and give you information and advice.

Advocates regularly visit centres, and you can meet them when they visit.

You can also telephone them - see the table below. If you are in a secure children’s home the numbers are different, so you’ll have to ask a member of staff for the number.

**Advocacy services that you can phone**
Where you are	Who to call
Medway Secure Training Centre Ashfield YOI Cookham Wood YOI Downview YOI Eastwood Park YOI Feltham YOI Parc YOI	Voice - freephone 0808 800 5792
Hassockfield Secure Training Centre Hindley YOI New Hall YOI Wetherby YOI	Barnardo's - freephone 0808 168 2694
Oakhill Secure Training Centre Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre Stoke Heath YOI Warren Hill YOI Werrington YOI	Barnardo's - freephone 0808 168 2695

Young people and custody

Voice - children's advocacy organisation Opens new window

Barnardo's Opens new window

Support available from staff

If you want, you can also speak to a member of staff within the secure centre. These could be:

your personal officer
a chaplain
a social worker
a doctor, nurse or other health worker
a teacher or teaching assistant

Your personal officer is the person in charge of your wellbeing while you are in the secure centre. You meet them within your first few days, and they will be available to talk to whenever you need.

Chaplains provide moral and spiritual support to everyone in the secure centre, whatever their faith. But you can also ask to speak to a chaplain of your own faith if you want to.

Many secure centres have full-time social workers who can help with all kinds of problems.

There are also nurses, doctors and other health workers there to help with any medical problems you have. The centre’s teachers and teaching assistants can help with your education and learning.

Remember, there should always be someone to talk to you. If you don’t know who to ask, talk to the person you feel most comfortable with. They will know who the right person is that can help you.

Young people and custody

Support from the youth offending team

Someone from the local youth offending team will have been in contact with you since you were in court, if not before. They will continue to stay in contact with you when you are in custody, and you can get in touch with them whenever you need.

Youth offending teams: what they are

Support from your family

Staying in touch with your family can be very important, and you will be able to contact them regularly. You can also ask for visits to be arranged for them.