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The COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented for young people within the UK. The pandemic has presented particular challenges for vulnerable children and young people. For example, a recent study in the UK indicated that 83% of young people with existing mental health conditions said the pandemic had made their condition worse (Young Minds, 2020). To date, the impact upon populations such as young people in Secure Children’s Homes (SCHs) is unknown. This study aims to elucidate this area.

SCHs provide a safe, supportive environment for vulnerable young people who frequently present with multiple and complex needs. Young people residing within a SCH may be residing at the setting because of a Secure Accommodation Order under a Section 25 Order of the Children’s Act (1989) or for criminal justice reasons, i.e. serving a Remand period or custodial sentence. Preliminary research compared a baseline period to a follow-up period after the commencement of COVID-19 national lockdown measures within a SCH in the North of England to develop understanding of the impact for young people.

A significant decrease in overall incidents (t (5) = −6.88, p < 0.001), restraints (t (5) = −9.07, p < 0.001) and other incidents including assaults occurred during follow-up. The SECURE STAIRS framework supports trauma-informed care and enhances support within the setting. Consistent with the framework, provision of formulation meetings was significantly increased within the follow-up period (Welsh’s t (74) = −2.74, p < 0.001). Reflections and future recommendations are outlined.

The unanticipated results highlight the value of examining incident data within secure environments and could lead to effective practice changes for practitioners working within this domain. This research also demonstrates how frameworks such as SECURE STAIRS can be beneficial for vulnerable young people during periods of change and stress in mitigating some of the potential negative effects. The implementation of such frameworks within SCHs is still novel and thus evaluative research is valuable.

The SECURE STAIRS framework has promoted young person involvement as a key feature of innovative service provision. In the North East of England, Secure Children’s Homes (SCHs) have pioneered young person involvement in team formulation. Young people have also led on the development of formulation materials through a young person involvement project. Young people’s attendance at team formulation meetings has become embedded. These service developments have also begun to expand across broader SCHs, Secure Training Centres (STCs) and Young Offender Institutions (YOIs) and reflect the national impact of such pioneering developments. There is a notable lack of research examining the impact of young person involvement in formulation. The purpose of this study is to elucidate this area.

Between April and August 2019, there were 86 staff attendances at formulation meetings where young people were present across two SCHs in the North East of England.

Paired samples t-tests indicated staff-reported significant post-formulation improvements across all domains measured including knowledge [t(85) = 11.38, p < 0.001]; confidence working with the young person [t(85) = 5.87, p < 0.001]; motivation [t(85) = 3.58, p < 0.001]; understanding [t(85) = 9.03, p < 0.001]; and satisfaction with the treatment plan [t(85) = 8.63, p < 0.001].

Implications of findings are discussed and further developments outlined.

Young people attending team formulation is a new and evolving area, and to the best of the authors’ knowledge, there is no existing research evaluating this area. The current findings suggest that staff knowledge, motivation, confidence and satisfaction with the treatment plan is improved following attendance at team formulation where the young person is present and actively participating. Young people’s participation and involvement is central to planning, developing and progressing meaningful provision within children and young people secure provision.

Involving children and young people in decision-making, service development and evaluation are also key components of ensuring the voice of young people is central in our minds. It also supports empowering the young people we work with. Young people and their journey should always be at the heart of what we do.

Young people attending team formulation is a new and evolving area, and to the best of the authors’ knowledge, there is no existing research evaluating this area. This is the first study of its type evaluating formulation directions within the SECURE STAIRS framework.

The purpose of this single-case experimental design paper is to examine the efficacy of the high-dosage Life Minus Violence – Enhanced (LMV-E) programme with a small sample of four violent women in custody. All participants were undertaking LMV-E as one component of their treatment pathway in an Offender Personality Disorder (OPD) treatment service for women with personality disorder. The methodology employed an AB baseline design with a six-month baseline period, nine-month treatment period and six-month follow-up. Levels of direct and indirect aggression were recorded throughout the baseline, intervention, and follow-up period. In the follow-up period, women were engaging in further treatment. Psychometric measures linked to treatment domains were used to explore clinically significant and reliable change following the intervention. Clinical and reliable change was indicated in some treatment domains for each participant following the intervention. The pattern of these reductions varied between the women. The patterns of findings are discussed and recommendations presented.

The methodology employed an AB baseline design with a six-month baseline period, nine-month treatment period and six-month follow-up. Levels of direct and indirect aggression were recorded throughout the baseline, intervention and follow-up period. In the follow-up period, women were engaging in further treatment. Psychometric measures linked to treatment domains were used to explore clinically significant and reliable change following the intervention.

Clinical and reliable change was indicated in some treatment domains for each participant following the intervention. The pattern of these reductions varied between the female offenders. The patterns of findings are discussed and recommendations presented.

The LMV-E programme was associated with some positive improvements in treatment domains measured in a small sample of female violent offenders. Improvements to some degree were most commonly found in the domains of anger, emotional control and components of criminal thinking. It would be clinically useful to examine characteristics of individuals that appear to benefit most from particular interventions.

There are no existing published findings related to the implementation of LMV-E with females. Therefore, this paper provides preliminary contribution to the evidence base in this area.

Some psychodynamic approaches conceptualise female violence as a communication of experiences too difficult to think about. As practitioners, understanding what may be too painful to be thought about is incredibly important in assessment and treatment of forensic populations. Incorporating psychodynamic concepts such as splitting, transference, projection and counter-transference into formulation can be extremely helpful in understanding and formulating women’s risk of violence. The purpose of this paper is to introduce how psychodynamic concepts can be incorporated into understanding, assessment, formulation and treatment with this complex client group. This paper will also outline treatment approaches with this population.

This paper will review existing psychodynamic literature and apply this knowledge to working with violent female offenders. Translating theory into reflective practice will be presented.

This paper presents the value of incorporating psychodynamic considerations into existing strategies of understanding and working with violent female offenders. Ways forwards and research directions are proposed.

This paper is focussed primarily on psychodynamic approaches to understanding this population

Psychodynamic concepts can add an additional dimension to formulation, supervision and treatment approaches with this population. Examining the meaning of violence perpetrated by women as well as enactments can improve practitioner’s depth of understanding. Empirical research examining the benefits of psychoanalytic supervision would be extremely useful to explore the impact on formulation, treatment approaches, treatment effectiveness, staff well-being and staff retention.

There is a lack of literature considering the application of psychodynamic constructs to help formulation of complex female offenders in the Offender Personality Disorder Pathway for women.

The purpose of this paper is to inform understanding of female offenders who commit domestic violence. This contentious area of research is growing and there are strong indications that men and women perpetrate similar levels of domestic violence. This has resulted in increasing interest in understanding the characteristics of such offenders as well as considering treatment pathways.

In this study, female prisoners (n=92) completed a measure of psychological and physical aggression (Revised Conflict Tactics Scales, Straus et al., 1996) to explore the types of domestic violence experienced and perpetrated in most recent and previous relationships.

Results indicated high levels of psychological aggression and physical assaults both experienced and perpetrated by female offenders in current and previous relationships. Physical assaults tended to be severe and high levels of mutual violence were reported both in most recent and previous relationships.

The findings suggest the importance of service provision and treatment pathways for female domestic violence perpetrators. On the basis of the findings, treatment needs of such offenders are considered and potential treatment pathways are reflected upon.

There are little known publications exploring the prevalence and characteristics of female domestic violence perpetrators in prison. Research has also tended to focus on current relationships as opposed to considering both current and previous relationships. This paper explores these areas and will be of interest to practitioners working with this client group.