Scottish government response to "reimagining secure care" report

2. Executive Summary

This document sets out the Scottish Government’s response to the ‘Reimagining Secure Care: A Vision for the Future’ published by the Children and Young People’s Centre for Justice (CYCJ) in September 2024.

This response sets out our current and planned actions to: i) tackle challenges in Scotland’s secure accommodation system, ii) improve care quality and delivery, and iii) better integrate services to provide holistic, trauma-informed support for children.

In recent months, as a result of various factors, we have seen significant pressure and constraints on the availability of secure accommodation in Scotland.

In response to these constraints, a contingency plan was developed in collaboration with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) and Social Work Scotland (SWS). Recent actions – aimed at stabilisation and capacity restoration - include:

• Up to £8.4 million in funding to cover the placement of sentenced and remanded children, and up to 16 beds across the secure care estate to maintain capacity in 2025-26 and 2026-27.
• Up to £2 million in funding to support contingency actions in 2025-26.
• Updated practice guidance on alternatives to secure care published in March 2025.
• New four-bed national contingency resource opened in April 2025 to restore lost capacity.
• Appointment of a Professional Lead at Social Work Scotland, fully funded by the Scottish Government, to strengthen local government partnerships and coordinate national communications.

“Reimagining” secure care must build on the secure care contingency measures that are already in motion. This approach lays the foundation for gradual, well-supported transformation - progressing at a pace that aligns with the evolving needs of children who require intensive care and support, both now and in the future. That is why our response will be delivered over two phases:

• Phase 1 (2025-26 – 2027-28): Capacity restoration and reinforcement
• Phase 2 (2028-29 – 2029-30): Road-testing / readiness for ‘reimagining’

The response includes a summary of the actions we will be taking over these two phases, including:

• Restoring secure care capacity – addressing current capacity challenges and ensuring long-term resilience.
• Improving data and enhancing system integration – delivering co-ordinated support across health, education, justice, and social care.
• Testing and evaluating change – exploring and piloting new approaches where evidence and consultation are currently limited.
• Reforming commissioning and funding – exploring opportunities to strengthen the secure accommodation funding and commissioning models to ensure transparency and efficiency.