§ Mr. ShawTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the liaison between social services departments and the new secure training centres. [81817]
§ Mr. BoatengMedway Secure Training Centre's main contacts are with home area supervising officers. The arrangements appear generally to be working well. Supervising officers are appointed as soon as possible following sentence and are involved with trainees during the custodial and community parts of the secure training order, providing continuity and consistency of approach to deliver the objectives of reducing offending and protecting the public.
Occasionally, supervising officers from distant areas cannot attend initial assessment meetings, which need to be held at short notice just after sentence. As more STCs come into operation—two more are due this year—the better geographical spread should reduce this problem.