A 17-year-old girl died by suicide in a secure children's home in February 2017, the first such death in over 20 years, according to the Prison and Probation Ombudsman's annual report. The teenager was found hanged, and the acting ombudsman, Elizabeth Moody, highlighted 'deficiencies' in her management, noting that wellbeing checks had been 'ineffective'.
The girl was placed in a secure home in the north of England by a local authority. Secure children's homes, run by local councils, accommodate children aged 10 and above who have been convicted of serious crimes or placed for welfare reasons.
In a separate incident the same month, a 17-year-old boy died in another secure children's home in Wales after a seizure. He had been convicted of an offence.
The ombudsman also raised concerns about the widespread use of psychoactive substances (PS), such as Spice, in prisons, describing it as a 'destructive epidemic' that has become the 'new normal'. The report noted increasing use among released prisoners and those in bail hostels.
