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What is the IPSAR service?

The IPSAR service is for children and young people placed in secure accommodation on welfare grounds under Section 25 of the Children Act 1989 or the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014. These placements involve the lawful restriction of a child’s liberty, and it is a statutory requirement that their rights and welfare are independently safeguarded

What Our IPSAR Service Provides

Every child or young person in secure accommodation has access to an Independent Person (IP), who plays a key role in the Secure Accommodation Review Panel.

The Independent Person:

  • Reviews whether the legal criteria for secure accommodation are still being met.
  • Participates in the secure accommodation review meeting.
  • Provides an independent judgment on whether:
    • the child continues to meet the criteria for being held securely, or
    • the child should be released from secure accommodation.
  • Ensures the child’s voice and best interests are at the centre of the decision-making process.
  • Submits a quality written within five working days, setting out their conclusions and rationale.

Our Independent Persons

NYAS Independent Persons come from diverse, experienced professional backgrounds, including social work, residential care, and youth work. All are fully trained, supported, and quality-assured by NYAS to ensure consistency, fairness, and excellence in every review.

How to Access Our IPSAR Service

NYAS can provide the IPSAR service on a spot purchase basis, regardless of whether your local authority has another commissioned service with us. This ensures that children and young people placed in secure accommodation can still benefit from independent oversight, no matter the existing arrangements. To make an initial enquiry, please contact us.

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