Today, the Government published its response to Isabelle Trowler’s independent review into the safeguarding of children in youth custody.

No child should ever come to harm, least of all whilst within our care. That's why safeguarding children, within the youth custodial estate, as well as those being cared for by the state more broadly, must be an absolute priority for all of us in Government.

In November 2025, the Prison and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) published a report into the historic abuse at Medomsley Detention Centre. There had been shocking and systematic abuse of young men and boys held there, by the very staff who were meant to protect them, between 1961 - 1987. The PPO’s report examined what was known by authorities and identified serious, missed opportunities to act. We must ensure that the failings of the past are never repeated.

While the youth custodial estate has changed significantly in recent years with fewer children in custody and more held in therapeutic environments such as Secure Children’s Homes and Secure Training Centres; those who remain often present multiple complex needs. Despite clear progress, there remains troubling evidence that safeguarding issues persist.

In light of this, and the findings of the PPO’s report, I commissioned Isabelle Trowler, the Chief Social Worker for Children and Families to undertake a rapid review of current safeguarding arrangements in youth custody.

I am extremely grateful to Isabelle for undertaking this comprehensive review and to the whole panel of experts, for all their contributions.

The review makes 34 wide-ranging recommendations for the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and the Youth Custody Service (YCS), as well as other partners across government. It concludes that safeguarding responses within the youth custodial estates are generally robust but highlights notable failings and areas where more must be done to ensure children’s safety whilst they are within our care.

The report importantly addresses the management of allegations against staff and highlights how important independence and specialist expertise are within decision making which relates to child safeguarding. The recommendations also focus on the role of other key partners within the system, including strengthening counter-corruption measures and with Local Authorities. Other important functions within the system are also addressed, such as reinforcing the importance of timely and regular vetting and DBS checks. I welcome all of Isabelle Trowler’s recommendations and support the direction they set both within the youth custodial estate, and across government.

We are committed to working closely with our partners across government to consider how best to deliver these for the whole system. I thank my colleagues across government for all the work which has been undertaken on these recommendations so far.

The YCS’s capacity and capability is crucial in delivering many of these reforms. That’s why we have already begun implementing key changes within the youth custodial estate. We are bolstering expertise within the YCS, to ensure there is specialist child protection proficiency, and establishing a new Safeguarding Oversight Board to provide dedicated scrutiny of risks, allegations and decision-making. We have also improved the management of allegations against staff by ensuring that all abuse of trust cases are routinely referred to Local Authority Designated Officers and that safeguarding specialists are directly involved in counter-corruption investigations.

As the review makes clear, staff in the secure estate do one of the most demanding jobs in public service. It is our responsibility to ensure our staff have the support and skills to keep children safe and deliver effective rehabilitation. That is why we are redesigning initial training for frontline Youth Justice Workers, and why we are strengthening recruitment - to ensure the right people are better equipped in the right roles.

We will be taking forward the Trowler Review recommendation for a proactive safeguarding enquiry and will reform the complaints system to allow trusted adults to raise concerns on behalf of children. Ensuring that processes accessible, particularly for those with additional needs is also crucial within this work. This will all ensure that children’s voices are heard and acted upon.

The Trowler Review highlights the importance of a whole system approach to safeguarding. The youth justice system has a strong history of effective partnership working at a community level. We will further enhance cross-government governance structures and ways of working, bringing together justice, children’s services and health partners.

The reforms recommended represent significant change across government to how we support and safeguard children. Some of these measures will take time to implement and will need careful consideration to ensure they are practical and sustainable for the whole system.

Many of these recommendations will be taken forward as part of the forthcoming Youth Custody Transformation Plan, which will set out our longer-term vision for a safer and more effective youth custodial system.

And finally, I want to acknowledge the men who survived the horrific abuse at Medomsley, which was the catalyst for this review. Whilst we cannot change the abuse which occurred, I would like to use this opportunity to reiterate the Government’s apology.

On our own behalf and that of past governments, we are truly sorry for what you endured and for how long it was allowed to continue. Without your courage in coming forward and sharing their experiences, the full extent of the abuse may never have come to light. Hearing directly about the profound and lifelong impact this has had, has only reinforced to me the importance of this work and the imperative of strengthening safeguarding for children in custody today.

I will deposit a copy of "A Rapid Review of Safeguarding in Youth Custody" in the Library of the House, and the Government response has been laid before Parliament.

https://www.theyworkforyou.com/wms/?id=2026-07-07.hcws192.0