Staff burnout in the Children and Young People Secure Estate (CYPSE) in England

Abstract

Staff working in secure settings tend to experience elevated levels of work stress and burnout, with most of the evidence emerging from studies conducted in adult prison settings in the United States. There is a general lack of research on staff working in the Children and Young People Secure Estate (CYPSE) in England. The present study examined levels of burnout in a range of staff groups across CYPSE settings using data collected between October 2018 and March 2019. Findings revealed moderate burnout levels across a sample of 383 staff from 17 sites. Frontline operational staff in Young Offender Institutions (YOIs) had significantly higher burnout levels than operational support staff, health staff, and non-disclosed staff, but their burnout profile did not significantly differ from residential, operational management, and education staff, according to the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI). Our findings indicate YOI frontline operational staff may be a particularly vulnerable group for whom workplace support is essential to reduce burnout rates, as are other frontline staff with a considerable amount of direct interaction with young people in secure settings, such as teachers and residential staff.

Keywords:

• Children and Young People Secure Estate
• staff burnout

Acknowledgments

The authors thank all the sites and professionals who took part in this study. Thank you also to NHS England and NHS Improvement colleagues, for comments on the earlier draft.

Disclosure statement

AR is engaged by the NHS England and NHS Improvement, Health & Justice, Children & Young People Team, to support the development and implementation of the Framework for Integrated Care across the children and young people secure estate. He also acts in an advisory, non-decision-making role in the national evaluation of the framework for integrated care (SECURE STAIRS). No other authors have declared any competing interests.

Data availability statement

The data that supports the findings of this study are available from the research team ([email protected]), upon reasonable request and approval from NHS England and NHS Improvement.

Additional information

Funding

This work is supported by NHS England and NHS Improvement and is sponsored by University College London (UCL).