The Bishop of Derby asked a question on incidences of self-harm among girls in youth custody, during a discussion on levels of self-harm in young people on 28th April 2025:
The Lord Bishop of Derby: My Lords, last month, Susannah Hancock, a member of the Youth Justice Board, published her independent review into placement for girls in custody. Many of the professionals that she consulted through that review identified self-harm by girls in secure settings as one of the biggest areas of concern. In the 12 months to September 2024, 55% of all self-harm incidents in the youth custody service involved girls, although they make up only 1.6% of the total average population in these settings. Can the Minister assure me that her department intends to collaborate with the MoJ to act on the report’s partnership recommendation to ensure greater consistency of good practice in responding to girls in custody who self-harm, including developing clear and consistent protocols on whether and how restraint is used, in order to prevent further traumatisation?
Baroness Merron (Lab, DHSC): The right reverend Prelate makes some key points. I can certainly assure her that I am working with the MoJ on the area she describes, where risk is indeed high, despite the numbers. We must be very alert to that.
The Church of England in Parliament 
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