Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre

Inspection report for Secure Training Centre

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Inspection date 24 th July 2008 Lead inspector Ian Dickson Additional inspector(s) Mr Malcolm Stannard Mrs Elizabeth Taylor Ms Jenny Gwilt, HMI Type of inspection Random – unannounced Type of registration Secure Training Centre

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Service address Rainsbrook secure training centre Willoughby, Near Rugby, Warwickshire CV23 8SY

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Telephone number 01788 528800 Email address Vince.Raymond@gslglobal.com Director Mr Vince Raymond Inspection report Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre Page 2 of 22

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This document may be freely reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided the source and date of publication are stated. Inspection report Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre Page 3 of 22

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About this inspection

This inspection was carried out in accordance with Statutory Rules for STC inspections made under Section 47 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, and in line with section 37(1) of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 which states that: It shall be the principal aim of the youth justice system to prevent offending by children and young persons.

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About this inspection

The purpose of inspection is to provide assurance to the Secretary of State that STCs provide an environment that promotes the safety and welfare of young people and that will help prevent children and young people offending in the future, and in particular that:

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About this inspection

• The safeguarding of children and young people is effective • Programmes exist to tackle offending behaviour and meet the citizenship and resettlement needs of children and young people • The performance of the STC provider meets the quality of service expected in the inspections standards • There is a purposeful regime in which children and young people are encouraged to take part • There is effective security and control within the STC • High standards of social care, health care, education and training are provided for children and young people • The individual needs of children and young people are fully assessed and there are plans for meeting them as far as possible.

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough Not judged: this aspect of the provision was not judged

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

For more information about Ofsted inspections, please see Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk Inspection report Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre Page 4 of 22

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Brief description of the service

1. Rainsbrook secure training centre (STC) is managed by Rebound ECD. It is one of four purpose built secure training centres that between them offer secure provision to young people across the country.

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Brief description of the service

2. The STC is situated near Rugby. It offers secure provision for up to 87 young people aged from 12 years to 17 years who meet the criteria for a custodial sentence. Young people may be sentenced or remanded to the centre. During the period of this inspection 82 young people were in residence.

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Brief description of the service

3. The centre was originally designed to house 40 young people, but this maximum number was increased to 76 following completion of a major extension in June 2002, and to 87 following the opening of the new female enhanced unit and the mother and baby unit (MBU) in 2006.

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Brief description of the service

4. This new unit includes a resource for three mothers and babies on the ground floor, an enhanced unit for young women on the first floor, and crèche facilities for up to four babies.

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Summary

5. This is an overview of what the inspectors found during the inspection.

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Summary

6. This was a random unannounced inspection carried out in accordance with the service level agreement between the Youth Justice Board (YJB) and Ofsted in 2006. The standards used during the inspection were those agreed between the YJB and Ofsted, and included as 'Annex B' of that service level agreement. Its purpose was to monitor progress and to validate the centre's actions against its action plan, and to make any recommendations necessary.

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Summary

7. The last announced key inspection was carried out in December 2007.

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Summary

8. Rainsbrook STC continues to be a child centred organisation where reflective practice is routine. In spite of recent management changes, it is a stable, settled and well managed organisation. The management roles and expectations continue to be clearly defined. The centre's management team has high aspirations and very high expectations of its staff to deliver good practice and high quality care to young people. These standards are shared and monitored by the external manager.

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Summary

9. The ‘corporate pride’ in their achievements for young people noted amongst the managers and staff at Rainsbrook in previous inspections remains strong at the Inspection report Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre Page 5 of 22

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Summary

centre. The changes in the management team are viewed as an opportunity to improve rather than as a potential disadvantage.

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Summary

10. The centre has responded positively to the recommendations of the last inspection, and continues to improve and develop its service. It continues to offer a very high quality of care to the young people placed.

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Summary

11. Work needs to be done to improve the reading material routinely available to young people on the residential units, and to develop the life skills work available for young people on their residential units, and vocational opportunities available within the centre. These are areas for further development.

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Summary

12. The behaviour management strategy at the centre seeks to reinforce and reward positive behaviour and reduce the need for sanction. Staff use positive professional relationships to persuade young people to comply with instruction before any consideration of sanction, single separation or restraint. Rainsbrook has continued to care for some extremely challenging young people since the last inspection in December 2007. The continued fall in the use of PCC at the centre is a positive achievement. It has fallen consistently each year since 2002, even though the number of young people cared for has increased.

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Summary

13. There are good child protection and complaints procedures in place, and robust and up to date strategies and procedures in place that keep young people safe and safeguard them from abuse, bullying and self harm.

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Summary

14. However, although the safeguarding procedures are explicit, case tracking shows that they are not always followed in full. The practice of using staff at the centre to investigate allegations against other staff at the centre, carried out at the request of the local authority designated officer, does not promote transparency or confidence in the system even though there is no evidence that these investigations are not managed thoroughly and honestly.

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Summary

15. There are well developed activities and enrichment programmes that enhance self esteem and confidence amongst young people, and encourage positive engagement with the wider community.

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Summary

16. The centre has very well developed and sophisticated management information systems that monitor all aspects of the work the staff are doing with young people. These link with a range of internal multi disciplinary meetings to ensure that young people are cared for properly and the centre continues to develop and improve. Inspection report Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre Page 6 of 22

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What has been improved since the last inspection

17. The last inspection in December 2007 made 20 recommendations related to: ƒ health care ƒ improvements to personnel procedures and the incentive bonus scheme ƒ improvements to the management of activities and reading materials available to young people ƒ improvements to the offending behaviour programme ƒ training opportunities for staff ƒ improvements in the arrangements for resettling young people back into the community upon discharge.

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What has been improved since the last inspection

18. Fourteen of the twenty recommendations are met in full. A further two were made by HMI education and not inspected during this visit. Four recommendations remain outstanding.

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What has been improved since the last inspection

19. There have been good improvements in the quality monitoring of health care practice and procedures, and a system has been introduced to monitor and audit medication used at the centre. Health care staff are now trained in 'breakaway' techniques to protect them if they become involved in any episodes of challenging behaviour by young people.

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What has been improved since the last inspection

20. The incentive bonus scheme for young people has been improved further to allow more young people to gain the benefits of it and to widen the range of benefits achievable on each level. This encourages more young people to become involved with the scheme. Similarly, young people are able to engage in a wider choice of organised activities than previously which are not dependent on their incentive level.

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What has been improved since the last inspection

21. The centre has reviewed and introduced monitoring to ensure that newly admitted young people are given their property as soon as possible, and has improved the evaluation of the offending behaviour programmes delivered by the staff team.

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What has been improved since the last inspection

22. The centre has also introduced improvements in training opportunities for staff working to resettle young people into the community, and is developing new material to assist staff to introduce young people to the necessary life skills they will need to be reintegrated successfully into the community. Inspection report Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre Page 7 of 22

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Helping children to be healthy

23. There were three good practice recommendations made under this outcome heading at the last inspection. All have been met in full.

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Helping children to be healthy

24. A quality monitoring system to review health care practices and procedures has been implemented. Three audit forms have been devised to address healthcare, medication and health policies and procedures. The monitoring system should help to inform the development of the health service, to ensure young people’s health needs are fully addressed.

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Helping children to be healthy

25. An audit trail for the recording of all medicines has been implemented. The auditing system will safeguard the welfare of young people by ensuring systems for the storage, administration and disposal of medication are safe and robustly applied.

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Helping children to be healthy

26. Young people enjoy a varied diet and healthy eating is generally well promoted though not always implemented in practice. Mealtimes are orderly social occasions, with staff and young people sitting together. Catering staff serve lunch and evening meals to young people in a central dining room whilst breakfast and tea are taken on individual residential units. A rolling four week menu includes culturally appropriate food. Young people are encouraged to understand the importance of diet in contributing to a healthy lifestyle. This is achieved by information being made available to them in different mediums such as colourful wall murals, leaflets and as part of the education curriculum. However, the content of an evening meal served during the inspection did not fully support healthy eating.

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Helping children to be healthy

27. Young people indicate their preference for lunch and evening meals a day beforehand. These two mealtimes are organised so that different residential units attend the dining room in a ‘phased’ manner. Supplies for breakfasts, suppers and drinks are provided to the residential units on a daily basis. Young people say the quality and quantity of food varies, both on the residential units and in the central dining room. For example, healthy foods such as salad and vegetables are not always available at lunch and teatime. Whilst fresh fruit is readily available to all the young people on the units, healthy dessert alternatives are not always offered at mealtimes. There is sufficient food made available to have additional helpings at lunch and tea time, but breakfast items can be limited. Staff and young people confirm this. Inspection report Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre Page 8 of 22

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Helping children to be healthy

28. Young people can access facilities within each residential unit to prepare and cook snacks and make hot and cold drinks, based on their individual risk assessment.

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Helping children to be healthy

29. Arrangements for young people to receive a range of health services on-site are embedded in practice and are well organised. The healthcare team comprises male and female staff, based on site. Two members of the team are on duty during waking hours and an overnight on-call service is available. Members of the health care team hold qualifications in the field of learning disability, mental health and general nursing. The healthcare team are integrated in to the work of the establishment though they are striving to raise their ‘profile’ by spending more time on the residential units. Visiting health professionals provide a support service to ensure young people’s holistic health needs are addressed. These include a general practitioner, optician and dentist who visit on a weekly basis. A full-time psychologist and a psychiatrist attend on a sessional basis. They ensure the emotional well-being of young people is addressed alongside their physical

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Helping children to be healthy

well-being. A named midwife and health visitor provide specialist health care and support for mothers and babies, as required.

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Helping children to be healthy

30. There is a well established process for assessing young people’s health needs on admission, including an initial mental health assessment. This is carried out in a timely manner by nursing staff, immediately on arrival. Information gained from the assessment and accompanying documents is used to develop individual health plans for young people. This promotes good health for young people.

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Helping children to be healthy

31. The on-site healthcare service is child-centred and evolving. An example of this is the development of a provision for offering immunisations to young people on– site. Discussions are currently taking place with appropriate agencies to provide the resources for such a service although it is not yet implemented in practice. Also, a young person’s survey has recently been carried out to evaluate the health service offered to them. This exemplifies good practice and demonstrates the team’s commitment to ensuring young people’s views are gained and used to inform the development of a health service best suited to address their needs. Inspection report Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre Page 9 of 22

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them stay safe

32. There were three good practice recommendations made under this outcome heading at the last inspection. All have been met in full.

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them stay safe

33. Health care professionals are now appropriately instructed in the use of appropriate breakaway techniques to ensure that they remain safe if confronted by challenging behaviour from young people.

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them stay safe

34. The incentive bonus scheme has been reviewed, and positive improvements introduced to allow greater benefits and rewards to be accessible to young people on each incentive level. This has created more opportunities for young people to gain benefits on the scheme.

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them stay safe

35. Human resource procedures have been amended to enable senior managers to review references for new employees. This enables the managers to have a clearer knowledge of people being employed at the centre, and promotes the recruitment of good staff to care for the young people placed.

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them stay safe

36. The centre has a child centred ethos that recognises the needs of the child and seeks to address challenging behaviour through interpersonal relationships, persuasion and negotiation where possible before recourse to sanction, single separation or restraint.

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them stay safe

37. Young people’s dignity and privacy is respected and promoted. The atmosphere at the centre is pleasant and friendly, and episodes of challenging behaviour are managed fairly, discreetly and effectively. Young people are treated with courtesy and respect, and relationships between staff and young people are predominantly friendly and positive. This supports young people to make progress at the centre.

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them stay safe

38. The centre has clear and up to date safeguarding procedures agreed with the Local Safeguarding Children Board. One of the management team sits on the LSCB.

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them stay safe

39. Any complaint or concern that includes safeguarding issues is routinely referred to the local authority designated officer (LADO) within the local authority. However, files reveal that the LADO invites the centre to investigate the majority of referrals internally. This can result in the centre investigating allegations against its own staff. Although there is no evidence to suggest that any investigations carried out by centre staff are not objective or carried out diligently and honestly, the lack of independence of the investigation potentially compromises it. Inspection report Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre Page 10 of 22

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them stay safe

40. There is no written guidance included in the centre’s safeguarding children policy that clarifies the circumstances in which the centre will carry out investigations on behalf of the local authority.

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them stay safe

41. Case tracking of child protection referrals shows that young people who may have witnessed an incident are not always interviewed during every investigation. This is contrary to the centre’s own guidance on dealing with allegations made against staff at the centre. There is no evidence that this has affected the outcome of the investigation, but it does allow greater possibility for error and an incomplete investigation.

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them stay safe

42. The centre has an effective CCTV system that is used to ensure that young people and staff remain safe. The CCTV recording of incidents is routinely used during investigations into alleged incidents and is an integral part of the investigation process. However, the CCTV does not yet cover all communal areas within the residential houses and incidents occurring in these areas are not recorded.

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them stay safe

43. The centre has very good and robust systems in place to monitor the use of restraint in detail as part of its quality assurance system. All staff are appropriately trained in the approved means of restraint ‘Physical Control in Care’ (PCC). Initial training takes place during induction, and all staff have refresher training at least annually.

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them stay safe

44. There are very effective mechanisms within the centre to monitor and manage routinely the use of sanction, single separation, PCC and restrictive physical intervention. The use of PCC at Rainsbrook has reduced consistently each year for the last six years. This is a highly positive achievement, and the decrease in the use of PCC ensures that young people are safer from injury, accident or abuse through the use of restraint.

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them stay safe

45. The centre has clear and robust guidelines to advise staff about the use of single separation and how it should be recorded appropriately. The use of single separation and ‘removal from association for the maintenance of good order and discipline’ is carefully and appropriately recorded, monitored and evaluated to ensure transparency and fair practice. Incidents of the use of ‘removal from association’ have fallen each month over the last three months since they have been recorded separately, and the use of ‘single separation’ has been consistently low each month for at least the last 12 months. This also is a positive achievement.

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them stay safe

46. Good reflective procedures are in place to collect, evaluate and analyse behaviour management data. Behaviour management is critically reviewed each month to identify trends or weaknesses within the centre, and to see if any improvements to practice can be made. This advises the managers and the quality assurance system to improve practice. Young people are routinely involved in this process. Inspection report Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre Page 11 of 22

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them stay safe

47. Young people are well protected from harm inflicted by themselves or others. The centre has explicit procedures for the management of suicide and self harm and anti bullying which remain robust and effective.

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them stay safe

48. The centre has a proactive and effective advocacy service. The advocates are treated courteously and well supported by management and staff at the centre to assist young people. The advocates work in partnership with the staff to support young people who are due to be discharged from the centre and ensure that they have appropriate accommodation.

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them stay safe

49. The centre has well-developed, well-established and transparent complaints procedures which are known to staff and young people. Young people are advised of complaints procedures at admission, and are able to make a complaint without the need to ask or advise staff. The centre has improved the procedure to try to ensure young people are satisfied with the outcome. Every complainant is now visited by a Youth Offending Services worker when the complaint is completed to ensure that they are satisfied with the outcome. Young people spoken with know of the complaints forms and felt that they could complain, and their complaints would receive a response. Inspection report Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre Page 12 of 22

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Education

50. There was not an education or vocational training inspection carried out by HMI as part of this random inspection. Inspection report Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre Page 13 of 22

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Welfare

51. The centre employs a youth worker who has responsibility for the planning, resourcing and delivery of activities and leisure opportunities for young people. This staff member holds the youth work diploma. He is provided with a budget which allows him to purchase equipment, pay for training courses for staff and fund sessions by trained external practitioners when required. A store of equipment for physical activities has recently been provided for residential staff to access when carrying out activities with their unit. This is a positive initiative which improves the range of recreational facilities available to young people at the centre.

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Welfare

52. There is a good range of formal clubs available during the week and these are run over lunchtimes and evenings on a two weekly rota basis for young people to enjoy. Young people are able to sign up to these clubs making a commitment to attend. A DVD is available for young people to watch which contains examples of the activities undertaken. This is updated whenever a new or different activity is made available within the plan.

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Welfare

53. A recommendation was made at the last inspection that clubs and activities be made accessible to all young people regardless of their attained incentive level. The centre has responded positively by risk assessing all planned clubs. As a result, some sessions changed their content slightly to allow more young people, possibly with lower incentive levels, to partake. Some other clubs, such as fitness, have increased their operation from once to three times a week, which enables differing content to be available for those young people who are working at differing performance levels. These changes allow more young people to take part who would not have been allowed to previously.

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Welfare

54. A youth club runs every evening and is supported by residential staff attendance. During the week the club is available to all young people regardless of their incentive level, whilst at weekends it operates with a restriction whereby it is available to those on the higher incentive levels only.

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Welfare

55. The centre runs an incentive programme where one unit is given the title of ‘unit of the week’. As part of the rewards for winning this accolade, the youth worker enables the young people in the unit to choose one activity of their choice. All young people are able to take part in this activity regardless of their incentive level. The sessions are used as tasters which are intended to encourage attainment. This is a positive initiative which encourages young people to engage with the incentive bonus scheme and gain greater reward. Inspection report Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre Page 14 of 22

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Welfare

56. The youth worker leads trainee input meetings, which are held quarterly. A young person representative from each unit attends these meetings, which enables them to put forward ideas for activities and clubs which they would like to see included on the programme. Any health and safety or diversity issues relating to activities are also discussed and minutes are taken of the meetings. There is no restriction in regard to the incentive level held by a young person to take part in these meetings. This allows the views of a far greater number of young people within the centre to be represented.

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Welfare

57. Meetings have also been introduced where the youth worker meets with unit staff to discuss how the delivery of activities can be improved and what assistance is required to enable staff to offer a wider range of interests. This encourages staff to review activities and develop and improve the range on offer to young people.

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Welfare

58. All of these changes have allowed more young people access to clubs and activities. Some young people stated that although they were able to do different things now, they often found it difficult to get their name on the list for a club before it became full. For safety and practical reasons it is not always possible to run clubs with large numbers of young people.

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Welfare

59. At the last inspection a recommendation was made that the centre reviewed the amount of reading materials available to young people on the units. There has been some increase in availability and daily newspapers are now available. Staff members are aware of the need to ensure content is appropriate for all young people. However, the provision of magazines and books on the units which young people may access for casual reading remains limited.

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Welfare

60. This contrasts with the library based in the education facility at the centre. Staff responsible for this library have identified each young person’s interests and target suggested books or magazines to them. If a young person does not motivate themselves to visit the library in the education facility, then the opportunity for them to access a book or magazine on the residential unit remains restricted.

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Welfare

61. Young people are able to bring their own property and personal possessions to the centre. For security and safety these are checked manually and with an x-ray machine prior to being accessible to the young person. A recommendation was made at the last inspection that the length of time taken to screen and process the property should be audited and an attempt made to decrease this. This has improved. The process of screening is much quicker then was previously the case. Further staff are being trained to operate the x-ray equipment and the practicalities of property being screened during the night are being looked at. A database is held of the time taken to process young people’s property and this indicates that it is ready for collection within two days of a young person’s arrival.

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Welfare

62. Following the last inspection managers at the centre were asked to consider how the range of life skills experiences and provision for independent living could be increased during non formal education time. There has been positive progress Inspection report Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre Page 15 of 22

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Welfare

made in this area. Some young people are now able to assist maintenance staff at the centre with their duties such as decorating, along with some opportunities for kitchen and domestic work. Plans for the provision of a tuck shop which will allow young people to experience budgeting and ordering of stock have commenced.

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Welfare

63. An action plan is in place which identifies the end of 2008 as the timescale to further increase this type of provision. The recommendation is therefore carried forward. Inspection report Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre Page 16 of 22

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Helping children make a positive contribution

64. There were four good practice recommendations made under this outcome heading at the last inspection. Two have been fully met.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

65. Effective action has been taken to improve the method for evaluating the effectiveness of the offending behaviour programmes for young people. The evaluation forms are now completed once a week rather than daily, to give young people time to reflect on their responses. A data base to evaluate the responses is in place and this assists in informing the effectiveness of programmes for young people. This supports young people to address issues which have impacted on their lives to date and assists them to prepare for the future.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

66. Positive steps have been taken to gain additional resources to enhance further development of the offending behaviour programme. A report has been compiled to support the argument for additional resources and is ready for submission to the Youth Justice Board. However, this remains work in progress at the present time.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

67. A recommendation was made to consider improving participation by young people in the trainee council, enabling it to become more representative. Currently, only young people who have gained a high level on the behaviour management system can become representatives on the trainee council. Following a review of the composition and function of the trainee council, it has been decided that no change will be made. However, young people on lower levels of the scheme have increased opportunity to voice their views and suggestions. An additional forum has been developed for them called the Trainee Input Meeting. The meetings take place on a quarterly basis and minutes are displayed for all young people to read. This is a positive initiative that enables more young people to have their views heard.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

68. Some young people continue to be admitted to the centre without essential information being forwarded on them. Sometimes this is not forthcoming for several weeks. This can have a negative impact on the effectiveness of planning for young people’s safety and welfare. Although there is a system for requesting relevant planning and assessment information on young people, there is no written record to demonstrate a chronology of action taken by staff to do so for young people who are resident on a remand basis. This information is important to ensure the planning and assessment needs of young people are known. This remains work in progress.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

69. The offending behaviour work is led by a programmes officer, who is able to provide a wide range of programme initiatives to be used with the young people. Currently, this work addresses the general needs of young people in the group, to meet the needs of all the young people, and does not relate to specific offending behaviours. This limits its capacity to help individual young people. The proposed Inspection report Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre Page 17 of 22

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Helping children make a positive contribution

development of resources within the centre is intended to enable staff to undertake focussed work with individual young people. The centre has introduced some innovative offending behaviour projects including an encounter group with adult offenders and work with 140 district judges. This has helped to raise young people’s awareness about the impact of offending and the role of other people in the judicial system.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

70. The evaluation of young people’s participation in offending behaviour work remains inconsistent. A data base is kept of young people’s responses to the evaluation form for the offending behaviour programme. A random sample of the forms shows approximately fifty per cent of young people’s responses continue to be ‘don’t know’ or ‘disagree’. Comments by staff leading the sessions tend to focus on young people’s behaviour during the sessions but do not always indicate whether a young person has demonstrated a better awareness of the subject. This is an inexact evaluation which does not ensure meaningful information is gained from young people to inform the evaluative process and future programme planning.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

71. Young people are able to maintain appropriate contact with family, friends and other significant people in their lives. Appropriate measures are taken to ensure young people do not make inappropriate phone calls. Staff dial the number and transfer the call to a phone plugged into the young person’s bedroom. Young people are satisfied they can take phone calls in private and say staff are responsive to their requests for access to a phone. Writing materials are available to young people and mail is issued in a timely manner to them. Inspection report Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre Page 18 of 22

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Helping children achieve economic wellbeing

72. There were four recommendations made following the last inspection. All have been met.

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Helping children achieve economic wellbeing

73. Positive training opportunities have been given to residential and Youth Offending Service (YOS) staff on resettlement and preparation of young people for independent living. Members of the YOS team involved in resettlement work have had some specialist training, and in turn are supporting and training their residential colleagues. Approval is being sought to appoint a dedicated full time resettlement worker to help young people prepare for discharge back into the community.

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Helping children achieve economic wellbeing

74. The centre has also introduced learning circles for members of the care teams to discuss and examine the issues around resettlement so that they have a greater awareness of its importance and the issues around it. This allows greater focus and insight into necessary work to prepare young people for appropriate discharge.

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Helping children achieve economic wellbeing

75. Some positive progress is evident in introducing life skills work with young people at the centre. A review of practice at the centre has identified the possibility of including greater life skills input into the daily routines of the residential units. To implement this, a ‘life skills pack’ has been devised by the YOS team to instruct young people in life skills and preparation for independence. The life skills pack includes appropriate basic information to offer life skills support to young people. It includes basic legal principles and definitions related to the Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000, and guidance on carrying out life skills work on the residential units.

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Helping children achieve economic wellbeing

76. The pack is being piloted on one unit at the centre prior to being introduced, but is yet to be introduced across the entire centre. It is planned to introduce it on each unit in turn across the centre. Research carried out by staff who developed the pack suggests that it should provide a good foundation from which training development work towards preparing young people for independence can follow. This will ensure that young people are better equipped to cope when they are discharged from the centre. However, progress in using and evaluating the pack on the units is slow. As a result, there has been little significant change to the routines on the residential units to reflect preparation for independence.

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Helping children achieve economic wellbeing

77. Pathway planning work is not yet being done with eligible young people to any depth at the centre. Until this work is introduced, there is limited practical preparation for these young people to assist them to cope when they leave care.

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Helping children achieve economic wellbeing

78. The management of young people’s files to offer greater focus on resettlement issues has improved. All new admission files have been amended to include a section on resettlement, and a section of the case files has been identified to Inspection report Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre Page 19 of 22

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Helping children achieve economic wellbeing

include all documentation related to these issues. Individual case files are routinely and regularly audited by line management to ensure that resettlement issues are appropriately included and addressed.

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Helping children achieve economic wellbeing

79. The centre is very proactive in ensuring young people have appropriate discharge arrangements in place. Not all placing authorities are meeting their obligations towards young people in full. The centre’s managers are acutely aware of this, and case managers and key workers press the need for appropriate discharge arrangements to be in place for young people. They routinely contact responsible authorities to ensure that young people receive appropriate support. The centre routinely engages and confronts community agencies and responsible authorities to try to ensure that young people are resettled appropriately when they are discharged.

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Helping children achieve economic wellbeing

80. An improving range of work experience is on offer to appropriate young people within the centre's secure perimeter. Young people continue to work in the dining room and kitchen and gain experience of the catering and hospitality industry. There is also a more recently introduced opportunity for young people to work with animals, or alongside the maintenance team to do some painting and decorating.

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Helping children achieve economic wellbeing

81. Resettlement staff are liaising with other secure units nationally to identify other vocational training that they are using which might be introduced at Rainsbrook. This includes work currently being carried out at other secure establishments, such as building trades (for example, plumbing, bricklaying, plastering, tiling and roofing) and motor vehicle care.

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Helping children achieve economic wellbeing

82. The centre is well maintained. It has its own facilities team of maintenance engineers who ensure that servicing schedules are met promptly, and who carry out minor repairs and redecoration across the centre. The facilities team ensure that maintenance is carried out quickly and efficiently, and support the residential teams to make the residential units look as homely and cheerful as possible. The residential units are pleasant, homely and well furnished.

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Helping children achieve economic wellbeing

83. Young people are encouraged to enjoy their private space and make their living accommodation more comfortable. Those assessed as safe and who have achieved appropriate levels on the incentive scheme are encouraged to personalise their rooms with posters, photographs and personal items. They may also have additional electrical items such as TV, stereo or computer games. Inspection report Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre Page 20 of 22

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Management

84. There were no recommendations made under this outcome heading at the last inspection, and this outcome was judged to be outstanding. Only key standards related to management, staffing and staff support were reviewed as part of this visit.

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Management

85. The centre has a new director, a new head of care and a new head of residential services as a result of the planned transfer of the previous post holders to support another centre within the company. Each of these appointments was made from within the existing management team at the centre.

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Management

86. Each of these recently appointed managers is very experienced and qualified, and has worked at the centre for a long time. Each has held responsibility under the previous director as part of the management team. The director and new managers have been inducted into their role by the predecessors who continue to offer support or advice if required.

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Management

87. The values, polices, procedures and practices at the centre have not changed. They continue to be applied and work effectively to ensure young people receive a very good standard of care.

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Management

88. The centre remains a child focused establishment. Members of the staff team speak positively about the young people, and express a common desire to help young people and ‘make a difference’ for them. The quality of care being afforded to young people remains very good and unaffected by the changes in the senior management team.

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Management

89. The centre continues to have excellent external management support and monitoring to ensure that young people are safe and looked after properly.

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Management

90. The care staff receive very good individual supervision and support. Supervision sessions take place routinely, regularly and are well recorded. The care team is very well supported by their colleagues and managers.

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Management

91. All new care staff receive a detailed and thorough induction prior to starting work on the residential units with young people. This training is valued and seen as relevant. The company will sponsor staff to take higher education or to complete professional qualification courses if it is deemed to be appropriate for the position they hold. Staff working at the centre are appropriately trained.

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Management

92. There are very effective systems in place to ensure excellent communication between the different disciplines and departments at the centre. This is achieved through routine multidisciplinary scheduled meetings. These meetings review information which is routinely collected, collated and analysed to identify any Inspection report Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre Page 21 of 22

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Management

significant changes or developments. This data is used to address any identified issues and assist planning to improve the quality of service provision.

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Management

93. Each of the departments and disciplines within the centre is able to contribute fully to ensure young people’s needs are addressed consistently and their welfare safeguarded.

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Management

94. This is supported by excellent quality assurance and management information systems, which are well established and effectively inform service development and delivery. Inspection report Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre Page 22 of 22

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Recommendations

The following recommendations are made to the Director of the secure training centre unless otherwise stated.

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Recommendations

• review the quality of meals and quantity offered to young people (standard 10, being healthy) • ensure that an immunisation programme for young people is implemented (standard 3, being healthy) • review with the Local Authority Designated Officer the appropriateness of the centre investigating allegations against its own staff (standard 19, staying safe) • ensure that the centre's child safeguarding procedures are followed fully, and that all those present at an incident are interviewed and the interview recorded (standard 19, staying safe) • ensure that a written record is available of requests made for relevant planning and assessment information for young people who are resident at the centre on a remand basis (standard 7, positive contribution) • review the evaluation process for the offending behaviour programme (standard 5, positive contribution) • review the amount of generically available reading material on the residential

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Recommendations

units (standard 4, enjoying and achieving) • review the range of vocational activities to incorporate life skills and preparation for independent living during non formal education time (standard 4, enjoying and achieving) • review, update and invest in the design and technology curriculum (standard 3, enjoying and achieving). This is carried forward from the last review of the education provision. • implement plans currently being developed for staff appraisal (standard 3, enjoying and achieving) • ensure that life skills work is introduced for young people throughout the centre as part of the daily routines (standard 2, economic wellbeing) • review the range and variety of vocational opportunities for young people within the centre (standard 1, economic wellbeing).

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