Scottish Government funding to the planned investment in the Kibble Secure Unit: FOI release

Information requested

The following information:

1. Was the decision to award Scottish Government funding (as announced by Natalie Don Innes to Parliament on 8.10.25) to the planned investment in the Kibble Secure Unit to build 2-3 , 4 bedded units to supplement existing secure capacity subject to a public procurement process? If so, please provide details of the process, including invitations to tender, evaluation criteria and competing bids.
2. Why wasn’t there specific consultation with other secure care providers, stakeholders or the wider public about the need for this increased capacity or the decision to invest in only Kibble's infrastructure?
3. Other secure facilities do not appear to have been given any opportunity to apply to extend their capacity -Will other secure care providers be eligible to apply for similar capital investment to support infrastructure developments? If so, what would the criteria be? If not, why not?
4. Has the Scottish Government decided to move away from a plurality model of secure care providers?
5. Has there been a strategic decision to invest in Kibble specifically, despite the recommendations of the RiSC report which talked about 4 bedded flex secure units located in community settings?
6. How does the above fit with the recommendation of the RiSC report?
7. Who was present at the meeting in September 2025 between the Minister (Natalie Don Innes) and Kibble staff, and what was discussed at that meeting?

Response

1. Was the decision to award Scottish Government funding (as announced by Natalie Don Innes to Parliament on 8.10.25) to the planned investment in the Kibble Secure Unit to build 2-3, 4 bedded units to supplement existing secure capacity subject to a public procurement process? If so, please provide details of the process, including invitations to tender, evaluation criteria and competing bids.

Generally, secure care accommodation services in Scotland operate under a national framework which is managed by Scotland Excel (see link for further information). The four secure care providers subscribe to that national framework. However, in addition, the Scottish Government has supported all 4 of Scotland’s secure accommodation services with direct grants to upgrade services and premises and to preserve vacant capacity to meet Scotland’s placement needs.

​​​​​​​The potential award of Scottish Government funding to Kibble, as announced in the Scottish Government’s published Response to ‘Reimagining Secure Care: A Vision for the Future’ Report (the “RiSC Report” and “RiSC Response”) (see page 14 of the RiSC Response) on 26 June 2025, and further referred to during the Minister’s October statement to Parliament, was not subject to a public procurement procedure. Funding for this project may be available through the grant process, as with the recent sector-wide grant funding interventions described in the RiSC Response (see pages 6, 7, 8, 14 and 15).

​​​​​​​More information about the award of grant funding process is contiained in responses to 2 and 3.

​​​​​​​2. Why wasn’t there specific consultation with other secure care providers, stakeholders or the wider public about the need for this increased capacity or the decision to invest in only Kibble's​​​​​​​ infrastructure?

​​​​​​​There was consultation with all 4 secure care providers from January 2025 onwards, through attendance at a joint meeting with the Chairs and Heads of each centre, scheduled monthly calls involving all 4 centres, the Care Inspectorate and Scotland Excel as well as bilaterial meetings with individual providers.

​​​​​​​Meetings were also held between the Scottish Government and a variety of stakeholders, including COSLA, Social Work Scotland, The Care Inspectorate, Police Scotland, The Children and Young People’s Commissioner for Scotland and The Promise Scotland.

​​​​​​​There was no specific consultation process with the wider public. This was due to the acute and immediate capacity pressure, coupled with the specialist nature of the services and highly-regulated nature of the sector. As covered extensively in ministerial statements to Parliament on secure capacity throughout 2025 (8 January; 26 March; 15 May; 8 October), there has been reduced capacity for secure accommodation placements across providers. The reduced capacity across the providers posed an unacceptable child and public safety risk along with the potential that court orders could not be fulfilled.

​​​​​​​Over the past year the Scottish Government has worked with the secure centres to address this risk. Officials have held meetings with all four secure care providers to explore approaches to support restoring capacity whilst also looking to the future of secure care. Each provider has been invited to make its own proposal to work towards restoring lost secure capacity, or to offering and opening up specialist care provision as alternatives to secure care.

​​​​​​​The Scottish Government remains open to receiving proposals from all secure care providers, to realise their own version of a ‘reimagined’, Promise-keeping offer for the future.

​​​​​​​3. Other secure facilities do not appear to have been given any opportunity to apply to extend their capacity. Will other secure care providers be eligible to apply for similar capital investment to support infrastructure developments? If so, what would the criteria be? If not, why not?

​​​​​​​All four secure centres have been invited to submit proposals, including those that would involve restoring or increasing capacity, to be considered and assessed by the Scottish Government.

​​​​​​​The Scottish Government has not published specific eligibility criteria for the award of grant funding, noting that the sector is highly regulated and there are a limited number of secure care service providers.

​​​​​​​4. Has the Scottish Government decided to move away from a plurality model of secure care providers?

​​​​​​​No, the Scottish Government has not decided to move away from a plurality model of secure care providers.

​​​​​​​Our response to the RiSC Report recommendations will consider future models of secure care, including different commissioning and funding models. A 14-week public consultation on the future of secure accommodation will be launched at the beginning of 2026. The consultation will build on discussions with secure providers and wider stakeholders about the challenges facing the secure care system, including accessibility, equity, resourcing, sustainability, capacity, the evolving needs of children and young people, and future demand. The engagement will gather views on the full range of potential options to address these challenges, both in the short and longer-term (including the plurality model). The consultation will also seek views on the case for national co-ordination of secure care in Scotland and models proposed in the RiSC Report around ‘flex secure’ and ‘community-based hubs’.

5. Has there been a strategic decision to invest in Kibble specifically, despite the recommendations of the RiSC report which talked about 4 bedded flex secure units located in community settings?

No, the Scottish Government has offered each secure care provider the opportunity to submit a proposal for funding.

Regarding the recommendations of the RiSC Report, the Scottish Government’s position of the necessity of a phased approach was set out in our June 2025 RiSC Response at pages 13-19. The Kibble proposal is capable of adaptation (including to the 4 bedded flex secure concept). The intention is to develop these new beds for registration as secure beds initially, but for the overall care package at Kibble to be future-proofed and capable of adaptation to flex secure, depending on the agreed future direction of travel as outlined in the forthcoming public consultation on secure accommodation.

6. How does the above fit with the recommendation of the RiSC report?

Please see the response to question 4 and 5.

7. Who was present at the meeting in September 2025 between the Minister (Natalie Don Innes) and Kibble staff, and what was discussed at that meeting?

The engagement at Kibble on 2 September 2025 was a Ministerial campus visit. The Minister had the opportunity to engage with young people, staff and managers about current experiences and initiatives to develop and improve Kibble’s services. During the visit the Minister heard about Kibble’s current service provision and challenges facing the secure care sector. Key items from the RiSC Report and RiSC Response were discussed in the context of future provision of secure care services, such as ensuring therapeutic, care- informed services. The attendees are listed below:

Minister for Children, Young People and The Promise
[Redacted], SG Youth Justice & Secure Accommodation
[Redacted], SG Reimagining Secure Care
[Redacted], CEO Kibble
[Redacted], Chief Operating Officer Kibble
[Redacted], Director of Corporate Services Kibble
[Redacted], Executive Director and Forensic Psychologist Kibble
[Redacted], Head of Operations Kibble

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.