sexual threats’ towards two other children. One 17-year-old was placed in Secure Care 15 times over a period of 6 months, spending a total of 87 days in Secure, including one stay of 19 days for ‘threatening to sexually assault a female member of staff’, 14 days for ‘inciting behaviour leading to group disorder’, and 13 days for ‘threats to harm himself and damage property’. Recorded reasons for placing children in the Secure Care unit of a Care and Protection Residence included detoxing, absconding, low mood, ‘threatening behaviour’, ‘distressed behaviour’ and self-harm. Only a small minority of children appear to have actually done something, rather than make threats. The length of stay attached to each reasoning appeared almost random, and it was not entirely clear what the Secure placement was meant to achieve. Secure rooms should not be used to accommodate children and young people who are mentally unwell and who self-harm. A distressed child should not be placed in conditions known to be stressful. This runs contrary not only to international human rights law, but also to common sense. It is interesting to note that since 2017 seclusion had not been practiced at the Barnardos run Te Poutama Arahi Rangatahi residence, and that all ‘time-out’ rooms in that unit had been re-purposed. This is a very positive step which demonstrates that it is possible to manage without the use of Secure rooms and other solitaryconfinement like practices. Material conditions and regime in Secure rooms in children and young people’s facilities Thinking Outside the Box? noted that the very existence of ‘Secure rooms’ for children and young people was contrary to international human rights law and good practice, and the drab conditions and prison-like appearance of Secure rooms. Since the original review took place in 2016, some improvements in the material conditions in Secure rooms took place: Secure rooms in both the Care & Protection and the Youth Justice facility examined in this report, were painted with murals, and a sensory modulation area had been added. However, despite the attempts at making Secure Care rooms more child-friendly, these rooms continued to resemble prison segregation cells, and the Secure Care unit’s outdoor yard remained barren. 32