Reducing Secure Remands Toolkit:
Supporting Materials
Bail and Custodial/Secure Remand
Workshop
Session Aims and Objectives
• Presentation of identified factors contributing to the use of custodial
and secure remands in …..
• Workshop facilitation to share good practice & to generate ideas for
improvement, building upon and adding to …….. current performance
improvement plans.
• Agree actions to improve performance & confirm schedule.
Analysis Findings
Barriers to Improved Performance
• Persistent & serious offending & PYOs
• Ineffective early warning systems & appropriate adult scheme
• Ineffectively targeted Bail Support & Bail ISSP
• Poor take-up of Bail ISSP at Youth and Crown Court
• Lack of accommodation that commands court confidence
• Accommodation resources.
Barriers to Improved Performance
(continued)
• Limited inter-YOT communications in out of area court cases
• Cross boundary responsibilities
• Out of hours outcomes
• Non-youth court days
• Asylum seekers
• Fluctuating and unshared police priorities (targeting, charging).
List of Tools
• Examples of emerging good practice – colleagues in the field
• Risk of custody priority conversations / panels / meetings
• Making it Count in Court Toolkit
• Improving communications with sentencers
• Improving the quality of court reports
• Effective remand management strategies
• Improved performance management systems
• Robust quality assurance systems.
Bail Support and Supervision
Good Practice
National Standards for Bail Support and
Supervision.
The following are laid down in National Standards as “must do”:
• Make contact with the young person within 1 working day of the court
hearing;
• Where the young person is under the age of 16, make contact with
their parent/carers within one working day of the court hearing;
• BSS programme must of a minimum of 3 contacts per week, at least
one of which must address issues raised by the assessment;
• Home visits must take place on a monthly basis;
• Failure to comply must be followed up within 24 hours;
• In the case of 2 unacceptable failures to comply, breach proceedings
must be instigated.
National Standards for Bail ISS
The following are laid down in National Standards as “must do’s”:
• Provide a minimum of 25 hours contact per week including evenings
and weekends;
• Ensure the Bail ISS package includes the core elements;
• Failure to comply must be followed up within 24 hours;
• In the case of 2 unacceptable failures to comply, breach proceedings
must be instigated.
Suggested Good Practice Models
Pre – Court Practice:• Custody Panels
• Clear protocol and link with police re young people held overnight.
• Accommodation available:
– Remand foster carers;
– Pre paid beds in accommodation provider.
Suggested Good Practice Models
At Court Practice:• Full and robust assessment to carried out by an experienced worker;
• A written report is produced from the assessment and addresses the
objections to bail;
• Where bail is not given the reasons are recorded so they can be
addressed for the next hearing;
• Bail review reports to keep the court informed;
Suggested Good Practice Models
Bail Supervision Programmes:-
• A bail contract signed by young person, parent/ carer and worker;
• 3 face to face contacts per week (at least 2 with responsible YOT
officer);
• 1 home visit per week to maintain contact with parent/carer;
• Other elements need to reference the assessment e.g. ETE, substance
misuse;
• Enforcement action is swift when a young person breaches.
Suggested Good Practice Models
Saturday and Occasional Courts:• Protocol in place with courts to ensure youth magistrate available for all
Saturday and occasional courts;
• Trained staff cover each court that is running;
• Appropriate MIS available to workers in the court;
• Appropriate resources available to workers outside the court e.g.
accommodation etc;
• Management over sight available on the day.
Action Planning
Exercise: Action planning
Split in to …… groups of 3.
You have 10 minutes to word storm on a flipchart:
What is working well?
What problems are being addressed?
What problems remain to be addressed?
You have 20 minutes to choose 3 problems and discuss
What are the barriers to overcoming the problems
What are the priority actions?
Suggested priority actions
PRIORITY ONE
PRIORITY TWO
PRIORITY THREE
Action Plan
Objective
Action
By Whom
By When
Comms Plan
Next Steps
• Complete action plan
• Implement action plan.
• Set a date to review.
Thank You