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Placements and transfers

YCS placements team (Back to top)

PECS works closely with the Youth Custody Service (YCS) placements team to transfer children to appropriate secure accommodation when remanded by the courts.

PECS suppliers are responsible for completing moves between courts and secure accommodation, inter-prison transfers between secure sites, and complex escorts.

You can obtain further details on the function of the YCS placements team and they may be contacted via YCSTransfers@justice.gov.uk.

Complex escort procedure (Back to top)

The YCS complex escort process is called upon to manage escorts for children with high risk, high profile or complex needs, or where a child residing in a secure children’s home is required to attend an appointment or event that cannot be managed appropriately by the site.

Examples could include outpatient medical appointments or funerals. Complex escort meetings are chaired by the YCS, and attended by relevant stakeholders including PECS and suppliers, with the purpose to plan specific escorts.

Please contact the YCS should a child located in their estate requires a complex escort and meets the above threshold.

Planning the process should occur one week in advance of the required escort, however, on occasions, this timescale may be reduced where urgency is required.

The minimum requirement to organise any complex escort is 48 hours. For any escort which require an on-site visit and risk assessment, 7 days notice must be given to escort contractors. On occasions and in extreme circumstances the timescale may be reduced where urgency is required.

Transition moves (Back to top)

The transition of a young person from the Youth Custody Service estate into the adult prison estate is a carefully managed process.

These movements will always be prioritised by our suppliers given the level of preparatory work involved to ensure the young person is appropriately supported.

The transfers will normally be completed on a non-cellular vehicle, unless risk assessments demonstrate a cellular vehicle is necessary, and will be completed as a direct move without an overnight lodge unless approved by the YCS.

This is extremely important as the young person will be greeted at their new establishment by a named individual, who will be known to the young person/adult and involved in their transition planning.

Lodging (Back to top)

Whilst on remand children are placed in appropriate secure accommodation according to their needs, which may result in them being located at a site which is a significant distance away from the court managing their case.

Where possible, the YCS placements team may arrange short term lodging at a site closer to the court throughout a child’s trial. This is based on whether the needs of the child can be supported and managed on a case-by-case basis.

Court turnaround times (Back to top)

Should a child receive a custodial outcome in court, it is important that the child commences their journey to secure accommodation as soon as possible, once the YCS have made their placement decision.

This is especially important as children are placed according to their needs, and not necessarily by geographical location, therefore journey times may sometimes be significant.

PECS suppliers must ensure that 90% of children commence their journey within two hours of receiving their placement, and all should commence their journey within four hours.

This flexibility allows PECS suppliers to provide staff and transport in cases where children are remanded into custody at short or without notice (off-bail).

Vehicles used to transport children (Back to top)

It is expected that all children are transported in non-cellular MPV type vehicles with trained ECOs, when moving to and from secure children’s homes, the secure training centre and secure school. Those accommodated in Youth Offender Institutes will be transported with DBOs as a minimum.

Due to resource availability, children collected from police custody may sometimes be transported to court on cellular vehicles with adult prisoners and supervised by Prison Custody Officers (PCOs). In these instances, separation screens will be used where possible to segregate children from adults.

PECS suppliers commit to minimising the use of cellular vehicles to move children, however they will prioritise younger or more vulnerable children to be transported in non-cellular vehicles where possible.

Following risk assessment, children may be transported in cellular vehicles for any movement, should there be any security or safety concerns.

Additionally, where three or more children are making the same journey, a cellular vehicle may be used to maximise supplier resource, minimise late arrival or in response to any other operational concern.

The use of a cellular vehicle should be authorised by the regional Children and Young People Contract Delivery (CDM) manager or a PECS Senior Contract Delivery Manager out of hours or in the absence of the regional CDM.