National Preventive Mechanism Eighth Annual Report 2016–17 The process of transferring a child to adult custody Transfers from young offender institutions (YOIs) Most children who transfer to adult custody in England and Wales do so from YOIs holding 15–17-year-old boys. It is the responsibility of casework teams within these establishments to prepare boys as they approach their 18th birthday. There are also many instances in which children are remanded close to or soon after their 18th birthday. In these cases, they are sent to the children’s estate for a planned transition. The success of planning in these scenarios depends on the links and support from receiving establishments. In all cases transitions from YOIs are discussed from an early stage in sentence planning meetings which means family/ carers are involved and know what the likely options will be. Often there are specific managers who lead on the issue within an establishment. These managers or caseworkers will canvass views on the most suitable establishment for the boy to move to around six months prior to transition, taking into account identified offender behaviour programmes or education needs and family ties. This model works most successfully when receiving establishments and the National Probation Service or Community Rehabilitation Company contribute to the process by attending transition planning meetings in person or via videolink. This enables the boy’s questions to be answered and gives him a more accurate view of what will happen to him once he moves to the adult estate. HMI Prisons has identified particularly good examples of the adult estate supporting transition planning at HMP Belmarsh (from HMYOI Cookham Wood), HMYOI Deerbolt and Aylesbury (from HMYOI Werrington and HMYOI Cookham Wood) and HMP/ YOI Swinfen Hall from several childrens’ institutions.130 However, in some cases there was no input from the receiving establishment. This left caseworkers unable to effectively answer more specific questions from boys or their families. In addition to these meetings, caseworkers shared information with the adult establishment around education and other interventions the boy had completed or may need to complete in the adult estate. While this planning provided useful information to prepare and reassure boys who would transition, it did not always impact on the detainee’s experience of their early days at the adult establishment. HMI Prisons inspections have identified that this experience is not always positive. For example, at one young adult YOI HMI Prisons found that reception, first night and induction processes did not ensure that all needs were met or that new arrivals understood what would happen next.131 130. HM Inspectorate of Prisons, 2015, Report on an announced inspection of HMP Belmarsh, 2–6 February 2015. HM Inspectorate of Prisons, 2017, Report on an unannounced inspection of HMP/YOI Swinfen Hall, 24 October – 4 November 2016. HM Inspectorate of Prisons, 2017, Report on an unannounced inspection of HMYOI Werrington, 13–24 February 2017, paragraph 4.10. HM Inspectorate of Prisons, 2017, Report on an unannounced inspection of HMYOI Cookham Wood, 12–23 September 2016. 131. HM Inspectorate of Prisons, 2017, Report on an unannounced inspection of HMP/YOI Swinfen Hall, 24 October – 4 November 2016. 52