Addressing and preventing bullying in custody

This theme is about preventing bullying behaviours and ensuring a compassionate, effective response whenever they occur.

We are committed to creating environments where respect, dignity, and inclusion are at the core of everyday interactions. To achieve this, we aim to:

  • Empower staff, those in our care, families, and partners with practical tools, clear guidance, and ongoing support.
  • Promote positive behaviours through strong role-modelling and leadership at every level.
  • Foster a culture of accountability and kindness, where harmful behaviours are challenged and replaced with constructive actions.

Together, we can build safe spaces where everyone feels valued and bullying has no place.

'Think Twice' review

Status: In progress

Recommendation 7☐ and 10∆

We recognise that our current anti-bullying strategy, 'Think Twice' has not worked. We have established a short-term working group to review this, who are working to understand why this is the case, and how we can ensure proactive sharing of information and intelligence.

We will also aim to, with the support of external organisations who have expertise in anti-bullying strategies, work to develop a new strategy and reporting mechanism which delivers against its aims.

The review is progressing well, and having completed the research element, it is moving towards the early implementation and project design stages.

We anticipate this work being completed in late 2025.

Night time supervision and safety review

Status: In progress

Recommendation 7☐ and 10∆

We recognise the importance of effective staff presence during patrol and night shifts in preventing and responding to incidents such as verbal abuse, bullying, drug-related activity, and physical disturbances. 

The review of our 'Think Twice' anti-bullying strategy will examine the current instructions provided to staff, the effectiveness of existing patrol practices, and the adequacy of staffing levels during these periods. 

This review will also explore opportunities to strengthen our approach to night-time safety and supervision.t to identify ways to better reduce harmful behaviours, and to consider the adequacy of staffing levels for this purpose by December 2025.

Strategy implementation pathway

Status: In progress

Recommendation 10∆

We will design an implementation pathway for a new anti-bullying strategy for young people by December 2025.

Information sharing

Status: In progress

Recommendation 10∆

We will evaluate and assess the process of sharing information regarding suspected bullying of young people in custody, with the relevant First Line Manager (FLM) and SPS staff by December 2025.