Criminalisation of Children in Care
2026-05-19
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Questions & Answers
Q1
Partial Answer
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Context
Children in care face significant trauma and are ten times more likely to end up in prison than the general population. Trauma counselling has been shown to help prevent criminality among these children.
I refer to my entry in the Register of Members' Financial Interests. Children in care have often faced significant trauma, instability, neglect or abuse. As a result, many of them end up in the criminal justice system, and care leavers are 10 times more likely to end up in prison. Counselling has been shown to help keep children in care out of prison, which is obviously better for the young people, and saves the state money in the long term. Will the Minister consider changing national protocol guidelines to ensure that trauma counselling is provided to children in care who are identified as being at risk of engaging in criminality?
My hon. Friend is right to raise that important issue. The disproportionate number of care leavers and children who have been in our criminal justice system is a national disgrace. Just yesterday, the Deputy Prime Minister met the Under-Secretary of State for Education, my hon. Friend the Member for Whitehaven and Workington (Josh MacAlister)—the Minister responsible for children's social care—to look at the issues in the round. As I said, we are looking at strengthening the protocol, and we will publish that in due course.
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Assessment & feedback
The answer did not commit to changing national protocol guidelines specifically for trauma counselling.
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Response accuracy
Q2
Partial Answer
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Context
Children in care face significant trauma and are ten times more likely to end up in prison than the general population. Trauma counselling has been shown to help prevent criminality among these children.
I refer to my entry in the Register of Members' Financial Interests. Children in care have often faced significant trauma, instability, neglect or abuse. As a result, many of them end up in the criminal justice system, and care leavers are 10 times more likely to end up in prison. Counselling has been shown to help keep children in care out of prison, which is obviously better for the young people, and saves the state money in the long term. Will the Minister consider changing national protocol guidelines to ensure that trauma counselling is provided to children in care who are identified as being at risk of engaging in criminality?
My hon. Friend is right to raise that important issue. The disproportionate number of care leavers and children who have been in our criminal justice system is a national disgrace. Just yesterday, the Deputy Prime Minister met the Under-Secretary of State for Education, my hon. Friend the Member for Whitehaven and Workington (Josh MacAlister)—the Minister responsible for children's social care—to look at the issues in the round. As I said, we are looking at strengthening the protocol, and we will publish that in due course.
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Assessment & feedback
The answer did not commit to changing national protocol guidelines specifically for trauma counselling.
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Response accuracy
Q3
Partial Answer
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Context
There are currently 36 babies residing in mother and baby units, with the youngest being taken away from their mothers after 18 months. It is questioned whether imprisonment of such young children is appropriate.
The youngest children in care are babies, some of whom reside in mother and baby units around the country due to no fault of their own. With these babies typically taken away from their mothers after 18 months on a case-by-case basis, should part of the sentencing review consider whether it is appropriate for mothers and babies—particularly the babies—to be imprisoned at all, except in the most serious criminal cases?
I thank the hon. Member for that important question; he is right to raise the matter. Indeed, he raised a similar theme in the Commons just yesterday. Lord Timpson has a particular focus on female offenders and women inmates in prison, and he will make an announcement in due course.
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Assessment & feedback
The answer did not commit to changing sentencing review guidelines specifically for mother and baby units.
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Response accuracy