Secure Children's Homes Commissioning

Government Transformation and Service Delivery

Record date: 31 March 2026

Whole-life cost: £270.9m
Published schedule: 28/07/2022 – 30/04/2026
NISTA delivery confidence: Not disclosed
Senior responsible owner: Lynne Abrams

What the project is for

The project aims to improve children's experiences in custody and their life outcomes by ensuring that there is an aligned cross government approach to Secure Children's Homes and that justice provision is commissioned to deliver consistently optimal care.

Departmental delivery commentary

Compared to financial year 24/25-Q4, the Delivery Confidence Assessment at 25/26-Q4 has increased to Green. This is due to the completion of all transition activities. The project is on schedule to close in line with project plan.

Schedule

Compared to financial year 24/25-Q4, the project's end date at 25/26-Q4 changed from 31/03/26 to 30/04/26. This is primarily due to the project allowing additional time to ensure a full closure process is completed.

Cost

Compared to financial year 24/25-Q4, the project's Whole Life Costs at 25/26-Q4 increased from £246.01m to £270.91m. This is primarily due to the additional funds being made available to maintain as much capacity as possible within the custodial sector. All costs have been reported in 2024/25 base prices in line with NISTA requirements. This is a change from previous years where costs were reported in nominal prices. All costs reflect this accounting reduction regardless of any actual changes.

Benefits

This project currently reports no monetised benefits. The project benefits focus on the quality of services contracts.