Policy background Secure Children’s Homes and Secure 16 to 18 Academies Temporary release from secure children’s homes
Temporary release is an essential part of the successful rehabilitation of children who are sentenced to custody. Some objectives of a child’s sentence plan will require them to attend meetings or participate in activities outside the secure establishment.
	The Youth Custody Service and Secure Children’s Homes ("SCHs") providers currently rely on inherent powers to make arrangements for the mobility of children detained in such accommodation to help address their offending behaviour and to support the integration of children back into the community at the end of their sentence. Section 163 places existing provisions on a statutory basis. The Secretary of State and SCH registered managers will be able to temporarily release children detained following a court sentence or breach of a civil order. As secure 16 to 19 academies will be legally constituted as SCHs, this will also have the effect of conferring autonomy on that provider to take decisions about temporary release.