26 April 2023

Melissa Beaumont, CNWL’s Lead Nurse for Children and Young People and Clinical Lead for Health and Justice’s Children and Young People Service Line, was part of the Reference Group for these new standards. Melissa is also Chair of the London Youth Justice CAMHS Forum.

We are pleased to announce the launch of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) Healthcare Standards for Children and Young People in Secure Settings – view the document here.

These standards help healthcare professionals, commissioners, service providers, regulators, managers, directors, and governors ensure that children receive excellent healthcare that meets their individual needs. They were first published in 2013, refreshed in 2019 and again in 2023.

The standards take a pathway and multi-professional approach, following the child’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 settings, including Young Offender Institutions, Secure Children’s Homes, Secure Training Centres, and in the future the Secure School.

The RCPCH would like to thank all those who have contributed to the refresh of these standards, particularly the members of the Expert Reference Group, the Royal Colleges and Faculties, all those from secure settings, and children who shared their insights and experiences of healthcare in secure settings. The children’s participation would not have been possible without the support of the staff at the settings and the child's voice partner for this work, Peer Power.