The study was commissioned by Social Care Wales.
A CASCADE led report, ‘The experiences and outcomes of young people from Wales receiving Secure Accommodation Orders’, published its findings and recommendations today. The aim of the study was to get a full and true picture of the experiences of children and young people from Wales placed in secure accommodation between April 2016 and March 2018.
43 young people, who the courts decided should be accommodated securely to keep them safe, were directly consulted about their experiences during the study. Some reported that they felt they were being ‘contained’ rather than helped while others expressed that the type of care they received did not always feel appropriate.
The study found that more than 50 per cent of the young people were placed in secure accommodation outside Wales and less than 25 per cent were placed in accommodation that was solely for young people needing to be kept safe for welfare reasons.
Several recommendations have been made in light of the findings, including:
- developing a national strategy to provide the right care for young people with complex needs
- further training for foster carers and residential child care workers to make sure they can meet the specific needs of each young person
- better mental health support when the young people need it
The full report on The experiences and outcomes of young people from Wales receiving Secure Accommodation Orders is now being submitted to the Welsh Government’s Improving Outcomes for Children Ministerial Advisory Group.
For more information visit the Social Care Wales website