Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent steps he has taken on improving mental health support for young offenders.

The Children and Young People’s Mental Health Services Transformation Programme is improving mental health outcomes for children and young people. Within the Programme, the Health and Justice and Specialised Commissioning Children and Young People’s Mental Health Services Transformation Workstream is responding to challenges around the commissioning and provision of mental health services for those held in the children and young people’s secure estate (CYPSE), including testing and evaluating the Secure Stairs integrated framework of care across the CYPSE.

The Workstream is also targeting improved mental health service provision for children and young people coming into contact with other elements of the health and justice pathway, such as Liaison and Diversion services, Sexual Assault Referral Centres and crisis care related to police custody.