Section two The fifth year
The Northern Ireland Policing Board
Independent Custody Visiting Scheme
(NIPBICVS) achieved an increase in the
percentage of visitors aged between 16
and 29 within the scheme, from 9% in
2012–13 to 11% in 2013–14. NIPBICVS
plans to further increase the representation
of younger people in the custody visiting
scheme and this group will be targeted in
future recruitment campaigns. NIPBICVS
reported that despite a reduction in the
overall number of people in detention at the
time of its visits, there was a slight increase
from 2012–13 on the number of detainees
spoken to by its custody visitors. NIPBICVS
also entered into a voluntary agreement
with the Northern Ireland Policing Board,
the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI)
and the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism
Legislation by which it is informed of the
arrest and detention of individuals under
Section 41 of the Terrorism Act. Under this
agreement, visitors make announced visits to
the detainee as soon as is practicable.
Ofsted continued its twice-yearly programme
of unannounced inspections of Secure
Children’s Homes (SCHs), as well as its
annual inspections of Secure Training Centres
(STCs) with HMI Prisons and CQC. Emphasis
was placed on considering the views and
experiences of young people, through a
detailed questionnaire and interview with all
children in STCs, as well as contacting those
who had left centres to obtain their reflections.
Ofsted noted increased awareness within
SCHs and STCs of the rights of young people.
In addition to its ongoing visits, the Office
of the Children’s Commissioner for England
(OCC) intervened in the case of L and others
[2013] EWCA Crim 991, raising the issue
of criminal court judges ‘deeming’ the age
of undocumented individuals and resulting
in children being detained in adult prisons.
The judgment provided useful guidance to
the criminal courts to prevent this practice.
The Children and Families Act 2014, which
achieved Royal Assent on 13 March 2014,
conferred new powers on the Children’s
Commissioner and requires the Commissioner
to have regard to the UN Convention on
the Rights of the Child in considering what
constitutes the rights and interests of children.
Regulation and Quality Improvement
Authority (RQIA)’s Mental Health and
Learning Disability Directorate increased its
inspection activity by 63%, carrying out 75
inspections of mental health and learning
disability wards. Additional inspections
were undertaken in response to complaints,
whistleblowing and RQIA’s need to review
the management of patients’ finance and
belongings. RQIA also provided independent
assessment of the completion of the
health‑related recommendations in the
reform programme instigated as a result of
the review of the Northern Ireland Prison
Service by Dame Anne Owers.30
The Scottish Human Rights Commission
(SHRC) raised concerns relating to the
treatment of prisoners in Scotland before
the UN Committee on the Elimination of
Discrimination against women and the
UN Committee against Torture during
their periodic reviews of the UK in 2013.31
Among the SHRC’s recommendations were
the full implementation of the conclusions
of the Commission on Women Offenders;
improved availability and accessibility of
30 Published October 2011.
31 http://www.scottishhumanrights.com/resources/policysubmissions/cedawnews2013 and http://www.scottishhumanrights.
com/news/latestnews/article/CATreportnews2013
23
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