secure training centres

November 2012

Inspection dates: 5-9 November 2012 Lead inspector: Sean Tarpey HMI

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November 2012

Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated. Inspection of secure training centres Medway Secure Training Centre

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Contents

Inspection of secure training centres ..................................................... 2

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Contents

The inspection judgements and what they mean .................................. 2

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Contents

Overall effectiveness ................................................................................ 2

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Contents

Areas for improvement ............................................................................ 2

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Contents

About this inspection ............................................................................... 5

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Contents

Service Information ………………………………………………………………………………6 Overall effectiveness ................................................................................ 6

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Contents

The safety of young people ...................................................................... 8

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Contents

Arrival in custody ...................................................................................... 8

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Contents

Security ................................................................................................... 10

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Contents

Child protection ...................................................................................... 10

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Contents

The Management of Vulnerable young people …………………………………. 11

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Bullying …………………………………………………………………………………................12

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Contents

Suicide and self-harm prevention ...................................................... ….13

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The behaviour of young people ............................................................. 13

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Behaviour management ......................................................................... 13

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Contents

Incentives and sanctions ....................................................................... 16

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Restraint ................................................................................................. 17

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Contents

Single separation ……………………………………………………………………………..… 20

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The well-being of young people ......................................................... .. 20

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Contents

The achievement of young people ........................................................ 24

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The resettlement of young people ........................................................ 27

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Contents

Record of main judgements ................................................................... 30 Inspection of secure training centres Medway secure training centre

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

1. All inspection judgements are made using the following four point scale.

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding There is substantial evidence that the cumulative requirements set out in the good and adequate grade descriptors are met or exceeded and also of highly effective or innovative practice that make a significant contribution to achieving the highest standards of care and outcomes for young people

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

Good There is evidence that the cumulative requirements set out in both the good and adequate grade descriptors are met or exceeded and as a result outcomes for young people are good Adequate There is evidence that the cumulative requirements set out in the adequate grade descriptors are met and as a result outcomes for young people are adequate. Inadequate There is evidence of a failure to meet the requirements of an adequate judgement and as a result outcomes for young people are inadequate.

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Overall effectiveness

2. The overall effectiveness of Medway secure training centre (STC) to meet the needs of young people is judged to be good.

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Areas for improvement

3. In order to improve the quality of practice at Medway secure training centre, the Director and the Youth Justice Board should take the following action.

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Immediately:

 ensure that handcuffs are not used when transporting young people to a hospital appointment, other than in exceptional circumstances that are risk assessed in order to prevent injury to the young person or others, and to prevent escape where such a threat is clear. Robust governance arrangements must be in place to authorise such practice Inspection of secure training centres Medway Secure Training Centre

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Immediately:

 ensure that on the rare occasions full searches take place, these are based on a thorough risk assessment that identifies a risk of serious harm to the young person or others, and that all other methods to keep the young person and others safe have been judged to be unsuitable in the circumstances

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Immediately:

 ensure that for those young people who are admitted to the centre without contact details of family within the supporting documentation, that every effort is made to facilitate a telephone call to a member of their family on their first night in custody, subject to risk assessment

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Immediately:

 ensure that staff involved in a restraint do not undertake the subsequent formal debriefing with the young people concerned

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Immediately:

 review the functioning of the safeguarding and effective practice meeting (SEP) to promote attendance in order that external scrutiny of all safeguarding activity routinely occurs

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Immediately:

 ensure that the period of restraint is accurately recorded, in order that managers can be assured the duration is proportionate and necessary.

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Within three months:

 the YJB should continue to take actions to prevent late admissions to the STC

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Within three months:

 improve the overall quality of teaching and learning to ensure that all lessons provide sufficient challenge to enable the most able learners to make good progress.

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Within three months:

 ensure that the changes to the curriculum are embedded and enable young people to achieve appropriate levels of accreditation, which support their progression to the next stage of their education and training Inspection of secure training centres Medway Secure Training Centre

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Within three months:

 ensure the complaints policy and procedure is commensurate with practice and incorporate within it a requirement that young people receive a written response to the outcome of any complaint

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Within three months:

 ensure that data outlining reasons for the use of single separation is collected and analysed to enable the safeguarding and effective practice meeting to robustly monitor practice

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Within three months:

 revise the policy and practice regarding first night admissions to the centre to ensure that young people may retain some personal possessions and have suitable activities in their room subject to robust risk assessment.

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Within six months:

 collate and analyse achievement and progress data to ensure that any significant differences in outcomes for learners are identified and eliminated

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Within six months:

 broaden the collection of data relating to diversity, to ensure they include all aspects of behaviour management and all other protected characteristics.

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About this inspection

4. This is a report following the unannounced inspection of Medway STC to the standards within the revised inspection framework published in October 2012. The report will be made public. The findings and recommendations should be used by the secure training centre to improve practice and outcomes for young people, and progress against these will be considered during the next inspection.

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About this inspection

5. The inspection considered key aspects of young people’s experiences of living in this secure training centre and the effectiveness of the support available to them. Inspectors scrutinised randomly selected case files, observed practice and met with young people. In addition, the inspection was informed by a survey of young people’s views undertaken by researchers from Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons. Sixty-four percent of young people responded to the survey. Inspectors also spoke with former residents of the secure training centre, frontline staff, managers, the Youth Justice Board monitor, a representative of Medway Children’s Social Care and key stakeholders, such as the advocacy service provided by Voice. In addition, inspectors analysed performance data, reports and management information that the secure training centre holds to inform its work with young people.

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About this inspection

6. This inspection judged how well young people are supported to be safe during their time in the secure training centre. Inspectors also evaluated how well staff promote appropriate behaviour and manage challenging behaviour in a safe and child-centred manner. Progress in education and skills development, improvements in health and well-being, and the effectiveness of case planning for young people to move on from the centre, either to other establishments, or resettlement into the community were also scrutinised.

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About this inspection

7. The inspection team consisted of three Ofsted social care inspectors, two inspectors from Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP), one specialist Ofsted HMI for learning and skills and one inspector from the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

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About this inspection

8. This inspection was carried out in accordance with Rule 43 of the Secure Training Centres Rules (produced in compliance with Section 47 of the Prison Act 1952, as amended by Section 6(2) of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994), Section 80 of Children Act 1989. Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector’s power to inspect secure training centres is provided by section 146 of the Education and Inspection Act 2006. 9. Joint inspections involving Ofsted, HMIP and the CQC are permitted under paragraph 7 of Schedule 13 to the Education and Inspection Act 2006. This enables Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector Ofsted to act jointly with other public authorities for the efficient and effective exercise of his functions.

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About this inspection

10. All inspections carried out by Ofsted and HMIP contribute to the UK’s response to its international obligations under the UN Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT) and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. OPCAT requires that all places of detention are visited regularly by independent bodies – known as the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) which monitor the treatment of and conditions for detainees. Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons is one of several bodies making up the NPM in the UK .

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Service information

11. Medway Secure Training Centre is one of four purpose built secure training centres and is situated in Rochester, Kent. It offers secure provision for young people aged from 12 to 17 who meet the criteria for a custodial sentence, or who are remanded to a secure setting. The centre is one of three secure training centres managed by G4S Care and Justice Services Limited. At the time of the inspection 65 young men and 8 young women were in residence. Education is provided by G4S. Health services are now also provided by G4S Integrated Services under a service level agreement with the centre. There is also appropriate access to community based provision.

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Overall effectiveness

12. The overall effectiveness of the centre is good. Staff know young people well and have positive and constructive relationships with them. The number of physical care and control (PCC) incidents continue to reduce and inspectors witnessed staff very effectively de-escalating incidents to prevent and minimise the use of restraint. The number of single separations and full searches is low and is reducing over time. In a number of areas, the centre’s written records fail to consistently reflect such good practice, for example, although young people know how to complain and are generally satisfied with the outcomes, records are not collated to read as a complete document and young people are not provided with a written response when complaints are concluded. Additionally, in a number of important aspects, such as the undertaking of full searches or the handcuffing of young people to attend external medical

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Overall effectiveness

appointments, risk assessments are insufficiently robust and fail to demonstrate fully the basis for decision making. Senior managers are aware that improvements in recording are required and there is on-going work to achieve this. However, it is too early for the impact to be seen.

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Overall effectiveness

13. Young people are looked after by staff who have skills in forming appropriate professional relationships with them and who manage their behaviour well. Staff communicate effectively with young people and discuss with them the potential outcomes and consequences of their behaviours and decision making. Inappropriate behaviour, comments or language are consistently challenged and there is a strong response where these could be construed as bullying. The rewards and sanctions scheme encourages young people to modify their behaviour and there are tailored programmes to address offending behaviours.

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Overall effectiveness

14. There is timely and thorough assessment of health and well-being which identifies the diverse and holistic needs of each young person. The physical and mental health needs of young people are addressed well, with support from a range of specialist staff. As a result young people receive good health care including the updating of immunisations. However, data is not routinely collated on physical health outcome measures. This is a lost opportunity to identify trends or issues that could be significant in improving services to meet the needs of young people.

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Overall effectiveness

15. The quality of teaching and learning is adequate overall. Young people are effectively engaged through educational, leisure and enrichment activities during the day and in the evenings. Almost half of the teaching staff have been recruited in the last few months. The curriculum and accreditation offer has been redesigned since the last inspection to better match the needs and interests of young people, but many systems are new and not embedded. The head teacher has provided good continuity during this period of significant staff turnover. Teachers and care staff work well in partnership to manage behaviour. However, too many lessons are insufficiently challenging for the more able learners, who do not always make the progress they should.

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Overall effectiveness

16. Resettlement arrangements are highly effective in planning for discharge or transfer to a further secure facility. Quality assurance and performance monitoring are being developed to provide an increasingly wide range of data for managers to inform and improve service development. However, inspectors identified a number of areas where the centre fails to use existing data to improve outcomes for young people by seeking to identify trends and issues, and address these. For example, although concerns expressed by young people when transported to the centre are dealt with on a case by case basis, they are not collated to identify potential themes.

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Overall effectiveness

In other areas data is partially collected, but there is insufficient consideration to matters of equality and diversity, for example, in relation to rewards and sanctions. In other areas such as the duration of episodes of restraint no data is currently collated. Such examples highlight missed opportunities to use performance data to consider and improve practice.

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Overall effectiveness

17. Equality impact assessments have been carried out to assess the likely or actual effects of policies, procedures or services for all those living and working within the centre. This ensures there are a range of appropriate assessments covering the centre’s functions.

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Arrival in custody

18. In our survey, 93% of respondents said that they felt that staff appropriately looked after them on their journey to the centre and this view was confirmed by the young people inspectors spoke to. Centre managers report that there were mechanical problems with the vehicles which had been used following the introduction of the new contract arrangements, leading to the recall of those vehicles. Current replacement vehicles display the name of the contractors which could stigmatise young people and does not afford an appropriate level of privacy. On arrival at the centre, all young people are routinely asked about their journey by a member of staff carrying out the reception procedures. Any complaints or concerns are noted and addressed on a case by case basis. There were examples of effective action having been taken on a number of occasions as a result. There is no mechanism however, to collate a record of concerns, in order to identify any patterns or trends. For

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Arrival in custody

example, inspectors were informed that the majority of young people arrived after 5.00pm. There is no analysis of arrival times to identify significant or common problems, which might benefit from a more strategic response.

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Arrival in custody

19. New arrivals are greeted individually in the vehicle lock by a residential service manager during normal working hours or a duty manager after hours. Young people inspectors spoke to describe a friendly welcome by staff. The vehicle lock area is stark, however once inside the building there are eye catching displays of posters that create a more favourable impression of the centre. All new arrivals are interviewed in private by a residential or duty manager and a member of the healthcare team. Initial assessments related to their first night care are completed before they are taken to their allocated residential unit. The assessments inspectors examined were detailed and demonstrated good use of available assessment information (Asset) and pre and post court reports, that highlight any significant concerns for the attention of unit staff.

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Arrival in custody

20. Young people are searched in a room which is suitable for the purpose. The majority of young people undergo a dignity search that entails a pat down search over clothing. Records indicate that in the last six months, only one young person had been subjected to a full search requiring the removal of clothing. Inspectors examined the documentation to account for the need for this full search, however, the assessment lacked sufficient detail to justify a full search.

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Arrival in custody

21. The majority of young people arrive at the centre after the evening meal has been served. Some young people have spent most of the day in court cells and not had a hot meal which is unsatisfactory. Young people inspectors spoke to all reported that they had been offered a snack of cereal and/or toast on arrival. At the admission observed by inspectors this did not occur. However, centre staff report that a range of prepared meals are available for young people and can be collected from the main kitchen as required after the dining hall has closed for the evening.

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Arrival in custody

22. Young people are permitted to telephone their parents or former carers, providing their contact details, are set out in accompanying documentation. In the absence of contact details young people are not permitted to make a telephone call on their first night, or until such time as the details they provide to staff can be verified. This approach does not address risk in a proportionate manner or take proper account of the young person’s need to speak to a parent on their first night in custody. Similarly, all new arrivals are locked in for the night in rooms without access to a television, radio, books or magazines. Neither are they permitted to retain any personal possessions, including letters, until they progress to the next stage of the incentive scheme. This is inappropriate in the absence of an individual risk assessment.

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Arrival in custody

23. Young people have a range of interviews with key staff on the day after their arrival for the purpose of carrying out assessments of their needs. This keeps them fully occupied in their first few days and also provides them with the information they need to know about the centre. Young people complete assessments during the morning following their arrival and then attend Education for the afternoon of their first day. There is access to interpretation services for young people whose first language is not English and interpreters support young people where required in all aspects of life at the centre. New arrivals are also offered the opportunity to meet peer mentors for advice and guidance.

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Arrival in custody

Peer mentors are young people who are trained and supported to provide initial information to young people newly admitted to the centre. Inspectors met with a group of peer mentors and were impressed with the support they provide and their understanding of the role.

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Security

24. Almost a third of the young people who responded to our survey said that they had felt unsafe in the centre at some point, although the same survey reported 87% of young people felt safe at present. Residential staff generally demonstrated a good level of knowledge about individual young people and are aware of potential disputes and disagreements that may lead to bullying or other forms of aggression. Security information reports are used appropriately. For example, intelligence about a young person’s involvement in gangs in the community is used effectively to manage movement around the centre without unnecessarily restricting their access to activities.

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Security

25. The use of handcuffs is not monitored sufficiently through the safeguarding arrangements. The centre’s policy on the use of handcuffs states ‘Handcuffs must only be used in exceptional circumstances’. However, inspectors found that the majority of young people taken out of the centre for a hospital appointment were handcuffed using a double cuff or single cuff. The policy on the use of handcuffs and external escort arrangements does not specify consideration of the removal of handcuffs during medical treatment. It was not possible for inspectors to fully ascertain the basis for decision making in this regard, or when handcuffs were removed during treatment. The related risk assessments that inspectors examined were inadequate to support the exceptional need for handcuffs.

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Child protection

26. Internal child protection procedures are managed efficiently. Referrals examined by inspectors were timely, sufficiently detailed, and appropriate. Inspectors met with the senior practitioner from Medway Children’s Services with responsibility for child protection referrals relating to allegations against professionals on behalf of the local authority designated officer. The practitioner spoke of a very good professional relationship with the centre and confirmed that he very rarely had cause to challenge the quality or timeliness of child protection referrals. The practitioner attends the centre routinely on a quarterly basis to monitor internal child protection procedures. This includes checks on complaints and requests made by young people, to ensure that all child protection referrals have been identified and referred. No concerns had been identified through this process in the previous 12 months. There had been no Section 47 investigations and no strategy

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Child protection

meetings chaired by the local authority in the previous 12 months.

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Child protection

27. There had been 14 child protection referrals made to Medway Children’s Services since the last inspection. All related to allegations made by young people that staff had assaulted them during incidents of restraint or were allegations of unprovoked assaults. Initial information gathering by the centre, in accordance with existing procedures requires the obtaining of full statements from staff, interviewing the young person and the viewing of any available CCTV. In cases where there was little corroborating evidence to support the young person’s allegation, records indicated that the referral had been deemed not to be a child protection concern. In some cases, the young person had not been interviewed by the independent senior practitioner, but instead a recommendation had been made that the centre should carry out an internal investigation to resolve the matter. Full reports of internal investigations are submitted by the centre for sign off by the local authority

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Child protection

designate. If poor practice is identified through the investigation, action is taken by centre managers to address this directly with the member of staff.

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Child protection

28. Strategic management of safeguarding procedures occurs through the monthly safeguarding and effective practice meetings. A range of data is increasingly provided to inform and improve practice, however, some gaps remain, for example, child protection and bullying information is limited to the number of referrals made each month. Practice should be further developed to expand the breadth and sophistication of data collection to include all aspects of ethnicity and diversity, in order to seek to identify trends or patterns that may further improve practice and outcomes for young people. The centre director attends the Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) meetings regularly and plays an active part to keep the LSCB informed of issues relating to the centre.

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The Management of vulnerable young people

29. Information sharing about vulnerable young people is effective. A good level of contact is maintained with youth offending teams and the parents or carers of young people.

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The Management of vulnerable young people

30. Vulnerability assessment meetings are arranged whenever a member of staff identifies a concern about a young person. A comprehensive database is maintained and a daily ‘vulnerability update’ in the form of a spreadsheet is produced, setting out the status of all young people in the centre with regard to specific safety procedures and related monitoring arrangements. The categories of vulnerability include young people who have been identified as potential or actual victims or perpetrators of bullying, young people subject to a behaviour management plan, young people subject to a vulnerability support plan and young people at risk of self-harm.

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The Management of vulnerable young people

31. At the time of the inspection, there were no young people being monitored for self-harm concerns. Three young people had been identified for bullying concerns and one young person had been identified as having complex needs, and had been the subject of multi-disciplinary case conferencing. The level of understanding of this young person’s difficulties and ongoing multi-disciplinary management observed by inspectors was impressive.

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The Management of vulnerable young people

32. The vulnerability update speadsheet usefully informs daily management meetings, unit briefings, weekly trainee management meetings and weekly safeguarding meetings. Daily management meetings and unit briefings observed by inspectors appropriately provided staff with information about significant changes relating to individual young people or centre wide issues. Inspectors observed a weekly safeguarding meeting which was well attended with wide representation of all relevant departments. There was an excellent level of discussion about vulnerable and problematic young people, which demonstrated considerable collective knowledge of their individual needs. Some innovative suggestions were put forward to motivate young people, recognising their distinct needs and there was evidence of improvements over time in the majority of cases.

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Bullying

33. Almost a quarter 11 of the respondents to our survey said that they have been bullied or victimised by another young person while at Medway. In the main this concerned the use of insulting remarks. The majority of young people in our survey, as well as those spoken to during the inspection, said that they would tell staff if they were victimised or bullied and that staff would take it seriously. Tracking logs are opened every time that there is an altercation between young people that raises concern, every time that a young person or a member of staff raises any concern relating to the behaviour of one young person towards another or others and whenever there is an assault or fight involving young people. In the previous six months 63 tracking logs had been opened. Of the 22 named perpetrators, 13 of them were subject to additional management plans such as BMPs and 15 were engaged with the specialist

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Bullying

intervention service either through further assessments, one to one intervention and/or input from the psychiatrist. 34. The care and management of young people with particular needs, for example as perpetrators or victims of bullying, those who might be at risk of self-harm, or those who are assessed to be more vulnerable, are frequently discussed at a range of multi-disciplinary meetings. Unit staff who spoke with inspectors are conversant with young people on their unit who are identified as vulnerable or are being monitored for bullying concerns.

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Bullying

35. Young people and staff spoken to by inspectors identified areas where young people felt less safe including the dining hall and areas around the centre where there is no CCTV. Other than through the young people Xchange meetings, there is no regular consultation process to consult with all young people about safety issues. A recent survey had been carried out by staff to establish how safe young people feel in different areas of the centre entitled ‘Safe Zones’. The response rate was high and the analysis of the information obtained thorough. A similar survey has been undertaken with staff and a suitable action plan has been drawn up to address the concerns raised by staff and young people. Improvements to safety procedures have started to be implemented, but it is too soon to judge the overall impact. The safe zones consultation and action plan is now part of an on-going process that will incorporate regular centre wide consultation and an on-going action plan that

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Suicide and self-harm prevention

36. Incidents of self-harm are low. Data submitted to the safeguarding and effective practice meetings showed that on average there were one or two incidents each month. There had been a peak in December 2011 and January 2012 when there were 12 and 9 incidents respectively. Assessments of young people who self-harm or are at risk of self-harm are comprehensive, but related care plans are not sufficiently developed. Although there is a good deal of recorded information retained on the units, for example minutes of meetings to agree how the young person will be cared for, it is not well coordinated and used to develop a comprehensive care plan. As is the case with general vulnerability support plans, care plans for young people at risk of self-harm lack detail and do not reflect the comprehensive assessments, multi- disciplinary planning and input of specialist resources, which in reality underpin the young person’s care. Conversely records of staff observations are detailed

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Suicide and self-harm prevention

and demonstrate regular engagement with the young person.

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Behaviour management

37. The Centre has a comprehensive restraint minimisation strategy which draws together all the procedures designed to address poor and reward good behaviour. The strategy places an emphasis on the development of a child- centered culture, a focus on positive trusting relationships and a safe and healthy living environment. Staff are familiar with the strategy and it is effectively implemented and monitored through robust line management systems. However, apart from a reference to arranging translation on arrival for young people whose first language is not English, the strategy fails to sufficiently address diversity within the context of managing challenging behaviour. This is a significant omission, since respondents to our survey had very diverse characteristics: 55% of respondents reported that they came from a minority ethnic group, 19% said they were Muslim, 22% considered they were a Gypsy/Romany/Travellers, 11% said they were foreign nationals and

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Behaviour management

22% of young people reported that they had a disability.

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Behaviour management

38. Implementation of the restraint minimisation strategy is reviewed in the monthly safeguarding and effective practice meetings. Although the meetings have external participants they are generally not well attended. Inspectors were told by managers that there was a good interrogation of the data and the emerging issues, although the brief notes of the meeting do not reflect this. Good quality data is provided to the meeting; however, diversity monitoring only includes incidents of restraint and imposed sanctions and not the full range of behaviour management procedures, such as the incentives scheme. Similarly, restraint and sanctions are monitored only by gender, ethnicity and age. Other protected characteristics relevant to the centre’s population including religion, disability and gender are not monitored.

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Behaviour management

39. There is a clear code of conduct setting out how young people are expected to behave. This is explained to them on arrival by staff and is reinforced during the induction period. Young people we spoke to said they understand the rules, routines and behavioural expectations of the centre. The principle that respectful relationships are at the heart of the positive management of young people’s behaviour is clearly demonstrated by staff. All staff wear name badges and the use of first names is consistent. These positive relationships were confirmed in our survey, in which 80% of young people said that staff treated them with respect. Inspectors observed practice where kindness and consideration were shown to young people. Difficult behaviours were observed by inspectors to be addressed with patience and an appropriate level of tolerance.

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Behaviour management

40. Restorative justice conferencing is an integral part of the behaviour management strategy since its introduction in 2006 and there has been a steady rise in its use since the restorative justice support worker came into post in April 2010. Seventy-five conferences have already taken place this year. Conferences are facilitated by experienced members of staff who receive training to identify when a conference might be appropriate. Formal restorative justice conferencing is offered to young people who have been involved in fights or significant disagreements or between members of opposing gangs. It was reported to inspectors that all conferences have successful outcomes and as demonstrated by the small number of young people who are prohibited from associating together. There have been two restorative justice conferences involving victims of crime in the community. Both were reported to have been

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Behaviour management

well received by the young person’s victim.

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Behaviour management

41. Young people whose behaviour is a significant concern are placed on a behaviour management plan. There are good systems in place to identify poor behaviour and records examined by inspectors demonstrated that young people were appropriately placed on a support plan. There are good assessment processes in place to ensure that action taken to address poor behaviour is proportionate. At the time of the inspection eight young people were subject to behaviour management plans, which was a typical number in recent months. Data demonstrates a decline in the number of young people on behaviour management plans (BMPs) since September 2011, when in some months the numbers had risen to fourteen and were regularly over ten. Inspectors view this decline positively as it indicates that behavior is also managed effectively through less formal structures than the use of behavior management plans.

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Behaviour management

42. Behaviour management plans examined by inspectors are explicit about the concerning behaviour and gave succinct guidance to staff on the units about how they should manage the young person. This included intervention sessions delivered by a variety of specialist workers. Plans are reviewed briefly during weekly trainee management meetings and more fully during the weekly safeguarding meeting. The daily observational comments in behaviour management plans examined by inspectors consistently show an overall improvement in the behaviour of individual young people. Records of staff observations are clear, but lacked balance with more emphasis on poor rather than good behaviour. 43. The numbers of assaults between young people has remained fairly constant in the six months from April to September 2012, with an average of 7.5 each month. The highest being 11 in April and the lowest five in September.

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Behaviour management

Only one female was involved in an assault during these six months. This has been a significant decrease in comparison with the previous year, where in one month there was 31 and in another month 26 assaults between young people. Young people told us that there were very few fights. Data showed that fights between young people have remained low and constant, with the average over the same six month period being two a month, the highest being four and the lowest in September 2012 when there were no fights. No young women were involved in these fights. Centre data indicates that there has been a 63% reduction in assaults by young people on other young people from January to October 2012, compared to the same period in 2011. The overwhelming majority of such incidents involve either pushing and shoving or assaults that do not lead to injury.

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Behaviour management

44. Injuries resulting from fights are low and in the previous six-month period there had been seven injuries to young people, none of which required medical attention. Injuries to young people after assaults by other residents are greater with eight young people requiring medical attention for minor injuries, with three needing hospital treatment. Assaults on staff remain a problem, with an average of 7.5 assaults per month in the six-month period, from April 2012, two of which resulted in a serious injury. There is no obvious downward trend in the assaults on staff over the 12 month period from September 2011 to September 2012.

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Incentives and sanction

45. There is a well-established incentive scheme, which is clearly explained in the young people’s handbook. In our survey 93% of young people said that they knew what the incentive scheme was. The scheme is underpinned by a comprehensive policy, which is regularly reviewed and improved, demonstrated by recent significant changes to the basic sanction regime. As part of a strategy for continuous improvement, a consultation exercise has been carried out with young people, although the ideas presented by the young people have not yet been agreed and implemented.

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Incentives and sanction

46. In the centre’s own survey of young people undertaken during February and March 2012, out of 60 young people surveyed only 13 rated the scheme as good or excellent, 25 rating it as OK and 19 as poor. Some young people told us that they thought that staff had their favourites, and in a survey one young person wrote ‘Trainees all get treated differently’. However, inspectors observed young people and staff discussing at length, their progress on the incentive scheme, with staff responding by consistently applying the rules of the scheme. The scheme rightly treats young people on their own merits and in accordance with individual and different needs. For example, young people who struggle to behave consistently well for a long period of time are given shorter timescales in which to achieve their rewards. Young people who are unable to move up the levels of the incentives scheme are quickly identified

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Incentives and sanction

47. In the centre’s own survey of young people, out of 60 young people surveyed only 13 rated the scheme as good or excellent, with 25 rating it as OK and nineteen as poor. Of the concerns that the young people had, the most common by far was their regime on arrival. Twenty-two young people felt they should be automatically placed on the silver level of the scheme, allowing them more personal items in their rooms. Although some young people felt that the administration of the scheme required improvement, they said that the scheme was motivational and that it benefited them to be on the highest levels. Young people’s progress within the rewards and sanctions scheme is not monitored by ethnicity or other protected characteristics.

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Incentives and sanction

48. There is a range of sanctions to respond to poor behaviour, with a 24-hour basic sanction used for the most serious offences. Sanctions are implemented quickly and they are appropriately authorised by managers. Reasons for the sanction are explained to the young person. This was confirmed by 81% of young people in our survey who felt staff explained to them the consequences of their poor behaviour. The numbers of sanctions each month fluctuate, but there has been a small downward trend over the 12 months from September 2011. The use of basic sanctions also varies significantly each month, but the overall figures remain constant, averaging 20 per month during the 13 months from September 2011 to September 2012 inclusive.

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Incentives and sanction

49. The use of appropriate and proportionate restorative reparations is embedded practice, with letters of apology used on a regular basis. Sanctions are properly adjusted for young people who are prepared to involve themselves in reparation relevant to their behaviour. Data is provided to the monthly safeguarding and effective practice meeting. Data provided in July, August and September 2012, shows that a higher percentage of young people from black and minority ethnic groups received sanctions in comparison with white young people. Senior managers report that these issues are regularly explored, by looking at individual young people’s case histories and are satisfied that there is no discrimination in the application of the sanctions. Ethnic monitoring does not break the sanctions down by type, so the centre does not currently monitor the severity of the sanction imposed, which is an omission.

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Restraint

50. Data in relation to restraint differentiates between the occasions when formal restraint techniques (PCC) are applied and the incidences where a form of control or force but PCC has not been used. This data is presented to the monthly safeguarding and effective practice meeting, although minutes do not reflect a detailed discussion of the issues raised by the data. Apart from the YJB monitoring team, there is no routine external scrutiny of restraint. However, the local authority may examine CCTV coverage when the centre is makes a referral and both the LSCB and YJB receive an annual report on restraint from the Director. VOICE are also notified of all PCC incidents and they then contact the young person to establish their views on whether they wish to take part in a further debrief meeting.

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Restraint

51. The main reason for the use of restraint is in response to a fight or assault. Detailed restraint figures we examined from April 2012 confirmed that neither pain inducing holds nor handcuffs have been used during restraint incidents. Young people inspectors spoke to, said that staff did not deliberately hurt them during restraint. From September 2011 to September 2012 inclusive, there have been 229 instances of restraint. There has been a decline of overall restraint in 2012 where there has been an average of approximately 16 instances each month, apart from a rise in July (21) and August (28), which involved a small number of very challenging young people. De-escalation is used to good effect to minimise restraint and all the evidence collated by inspectors indicated that restraint is only used as a last resort.

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Restraint

52. PCC and use of force have only been monitored separately since April 2012 and six months of figures show that use of force has been used 33 times and PCC on 79 occasions. Inspectors looked at CCTV footage where the use of force was used and were shown two incidents where centre managers were not content with the way it was used and had taken steps to address the issues with staff. In the other incidents we observed, force was appropriately and properly applied. During the period where inspectors examined restraint figures, the overall population varied, but there was no correlation between the population figures and the numbers of restraints. From the evidence inspectors gathered rises in restraint figures relate to the numbers of very challenging young people in the centre at the time, who had to be restrained on a number of occasions. 53. In our survey more young people from black and ethnic minority groups said

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Restraint

they had been restrained than white young people. This was also confirmed by the centre’s own data which also show a greater percentage of young people from black and ethnic minority groups being restrained than white young people. This issue was raised in the July safeguarding and effective practice meeting. Senior managers had examined individual case histories and no evidence was found of discrimination in this regard.

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Restraint

54. The internal scrutiny of restraint is good. Duty managers look at all incidents of PCC and use of force and these are then reviewed by the senior duty operations manager, who has line management responsibility for overseeing all incidents of restraint. Where concerns are identified, the issues are addressed with staff and there was documentary evidence of suitable and robust action being taken to address poor practice with individual members of staff. The senior duty operations manager maintains a database detailing all instances of restraint, including the names of the young person and members of staff involved. This allows for instant recognition of staff who are involved in a number of restraints and can instigate an investigation looking at the possible reasons for this. Such investigations have taken place to ensure there is consistent practice and thresholds for intervention.

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Restraint

55. The recording of incidents of restraint inspectors examined were detailed and provided a comprehensive picture of what took place. The YJB monitor looks at 25% of the CCTV footage of restraints where PCC is applied. The monitor also examines footage of all restraints where a young person has complained and a referral has been made to Medway Children’s Services or an incident report has been completed. The YJB monitors will discuss any concerns in respect of any incidents or the quality assurance process with the centre and generally report few concerns about the practice of restraint and that records generally reflected accurately the accompanying CCTV footage. Inspector’s examination of a sample of CCTV footage concurs with this view.

p.21

Restraint

56. There had been 13 exception reports in 2012, with the highest number being three in July. The majority arise from young people who complained of being unable to breathe properly during restraint. The reports are detailed and signed off by senior managers, before they are sent to the YJB. However, none of the reports suggest that there are issues that the centre need to learn from, which is unsatisfactory as all these incidents involved young people in distress and the length of some of the restraints were reported to take between ten to 15 minutes before they reached a conclusion. We were informed by the centre that the YJB do not respond to the submitted exception reports and have not raised any issues arising from them. 57. Inspectors’ examination of a sample of restraint documentation, indicated that some restraints appeared to take a long time, with some recorded as lasting twenty minutes. However, in some incidents we observed on CCTV, the time

p.21

Restraint

the restraint took was shorter than the time stated in the documentation, as staff report the timing of the overall incident rather than the period of restraint itself. During the inspection, inspectors observed a number of incidents where young people were particularly challenging, but restraint was successfully avoided. Inspectors observed staff working diligently to de-escalate extremely agitated and angry young people. For example, a member of staff sat talking with the young person for a considerable time after a difficult incident, before walking him back to his unit and inspectors observed staff working well to restore normality after potentially violent incidents.

p.22

Restraint

58. All young people are spoken to by a staff member and senior manager after they have been involved in an incident of restraint. The documentation of the discussions is detailed. There is evidence that the discussions were used to identify what had led to the restraint and that they were linked into the young person’s ongoing behaviour support plans. A member of staff involved in the restraint had spoken to some young people as part of the initial debriefing process, which is inappropriate at this stage. Since August 2012 the independent advocate interviews all young people who have been restrained, which is a welcome initiative.

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Single separation or removal from association

59. The number of times young people are removed from association against their will is small and most usually occurs because the young person is in an agitated state following a restraint. However, the reasons for removal were not included in the data provided to the safeguarding and effective practice meeting and therefore not discussed. There is no diversity monitoring in relation to single separation.

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Single separation or removal from association

60. Since January 2012 there have been 16 recorded instances of single separation. Although there are no obvious patterns or trends in this area, there were ten instances of single separation in October 2011, which was unusually high. Inspectors observed young people being taken to their room after restraint, but it was not clear on the CCTV whether they were being taken to their room voluntarily to calm down or they were being directed to stay in their room. The senior duty operations manager advised us that this was also not clear on the initial documentation he received and this was an area of reporting that was agreed required improvement. In the sample of cases inspectors examined, where young people were removed from association, the time they spent in their room was usually short with the longest being forty minutes and the shortest seven minutes. The average length is approximately fifteen minutes. Governance arrangements were good, with records indicating

p.22

Single separation or removal from association

regular observations and young people being allowed out of their room as soon as they are calm.

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The well-being of young people is good

61. The well-being of young people is good. Young people receive extensive health and vulnerability assessments informed by the ASSET assessment, court reports, young people, their family (if appropriate), General Practitioners and specialist health services. Inspectors saw evidence of good quality care planning, successful joint working and the timely reviewing of plans that are individualised to each young person’s needs. Health staff also contribute to individual support plans, behaviour management plans, vulnerability plans and attend all safeguarding meetings. This promotes good communication and holistic planning, leading to improved outcomes for young people. The health and wellbeing of young people is further improved by their receiving immunisations and health screening services such as chlamydia testing. However, there is an absence of performance data collated on physical health outcome measures. This is a lost opportunity to inform and further develop

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The well-being of young people is good

services to meet the needs of young people.

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The well-being of young people is good

62. There is good access to specialist health staff and health services who are aware of the diverse needs of young people in their care able to address these. Young people can request a specific meeting with professionals as well as speaking with them during morning, lunch times and after school rounds. Young people have regular access to specialist health services (genitourinary clinics, opticians and dentistry) within the community as well as those administered on site such as relaxation therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy and anxiety management. Services are complemented well by localised initiatives delivered within the centre including Health Fairs that provide young people with information and access to a broad range of specialist external health services such as smoking cessation, substance misuse and solvent misuse. The centre also aligns health and education initiatives within the centre to national awareness campaigns such as road safety awareness to

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The well-being of young people is good

further promote the safety of young people.

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The well-being of young people is good

63. There are good assessments of young people’s substance misuse needs via the ASSET, the substance misuse screening tool screening questionnaire interview for adolescents (SQIFA) as well as specialist assessments by registered mental health nurse, a psychologist and a physiatrist. Clear tiered intervention programmes are delivered with the benefit of complementary interventions such as auricular acupuncture. Good individual outcome data is collated including course evaluation forms to inform future practice.

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The well-being of young people is good

64. Young people have good access to healthy and varied foods and are educated in making healthy choices. All menus are illustrated to highlight healthy choices. Menus are submitted to a dietician to confirm the healthy food options although these are not founded on a calorie assessment. The menus are also complemented by trainee choice meals, themed and taster sessions. Trainee choice meals are provided one day and themed days informed by current events such as black history month. Verbal feedback from young people has been positive and the most popular meals are integrated into the standard menu. There is good awareness and co-operation to ensure health and general dietary needs of young people are co-ordinated across services such as education, catering and residential care. This is achieved at a strategic level via the Healthy Lifestyles Committee and the Food Forum that follows a young person led agenda and has led to changes in food provision such as the

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The well-being of young people is good

inclusion of meals containing rabbit at the request of young people with a gypsy, roman or traveller heritage.

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The well-being of young people is good

65. There is good information available to young people about the rules, routines and services provided at the centre and early opportunities to discuss these with centre staff. This assists young people to understand expectations and settle into the centre quickly. There is a DVD which young people are shown on admission and young people are given a written guide about the centre. However, the information in the guide sometimes uses professional language or jargon that might not always be understood by all young people, for example those with a learning disability or those with special educational needs. Young people have free access to the independent advocacy service provided by Voice and contact details of Childline are provided as part of their reception. This enables them to speak confidentially about concerns or complaints regarding any aspect of their care or treatment.

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The well-being of young people is good

66. All communal and living areas of the centre are clean and sufficiently decorated and furnished. The living units provide a suitable environment for young people who can personalise their own bedrooms. Young people are supported to develop self-care and life skills, by contributing to keep the living units clean and tidy. All young people undertake unit chores and spend time cleaning and tidying their bedrooms. Young people are assisted to learn other skills for adult life, such as doing their own laundry and cooking meals.

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The well-being of young people is good

67. There are good arrangements in place to ensure young people are supported to keep in touch with people important to them. Although 20% of young people in our survey felt it was not easy to keep in touch with family outside the centre, the inspection found that young people can make and receive telephone calls daily in private and can receive visitors to the centre for two hours each week. Visiting times can be varied to take account of family distance from the centre and those young people who have achieved the highest level of the rewards and sanctions scheme are permitted additional time also. The enhanced visiting scheme provides young people with the opportunity to have a private visit that may be deemed appropriate for special occasions or if there have been significant events in the community, for example a family bereavement. Refreshments and toys for younger visitors are available. A new and positive innovation is the introduction of the

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The well-being of young people is good

volunteer visitor’s scheme. Volunteers provide for the small number of young people, five at the time of the inspection, who do not have anyone to visit them with an opportunity for support and friendship. Prior to any visits taking place, volunteers visit the centre and meet young people informally during activity periods. They get to know young people in this way, so they are not seen as strangers. Young people can then decide if they wish to have a visit.

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The well-being of young people is good

68. There are a range of opportunities for young people to have their say about life at the centre and exhibit influence. These include the daily unit meetings, regular meetings with their keyworker as well as formal centre consultation meetings called Xchange. The Xchange meetings are held regularly and young people representing each house unit and managers come together, so young people can give their views and contribute ideas to the running of the centre. Young people’s views are seriously and carefully considered and influence positive changes. Commendably, young people’s request to have a collective Xchange meeting with other secure training centres has taken place. This group looks at matters that affect the running of all three G4S secure training centres and ideas are shared. Although young people reported that most matters that they raise through Xchange meetings lead to change, the meeting

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The well-being of young people is good

minutes do not clearly demonstrate that action points are brought to a conclusion.

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The well-being of young people is good

69. There are very good relationships between staff and young people. This enables staff at the centre to effectively care for young people, which promotes their wellbeing. Although 20% of young people in the survey felt that they were not able to see their keyworker when they wanted to, inspectors found that keyworkers spend regular time with young people offering support, advice and guidance. Care and sentence planning determines young people’s needs clearly from the point of admission and keyworkers effectively undertake specific work packs with young people based on such assessment, for example, on anger management. All young people say that keyworkers support them well. 70. Formal reviews of sentence and training plans are held regularly and are managed well. Young people’s care needs are discussed and assessed and this process demonstrates that young people are making good progress in most aspects of their lives. Young people are central to the review process and

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The well-being of young people is good

decision making and are fully enabled to contribute to their review and their plans for the future.

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The well-being of young people is good

71. Young people’s cultural and religious needs are identified and provided for throughout their stay. The centre chaplain contributes well to the pastoral care of young people and has a range of links to other community faith leaders to enable young people who have specific religious needs to meet with a faith leader and receive support, advice and guidance. For example, a local Imam visits the centre and leads Muslim young people in Friday prayers. The workforce at the centre provides good roles models for young people, reflected in the gender balance and representation from minority ethnic groups.

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The well-being of young people is good

72. There are few incidents of discrimination between young people and these are robustly addressed by staff. There is a clear recording system and audit trail to show the details of these incidents and how these have been managed. The approach to these matters is varied and based on individual circumstances. For example, they could be dealt with through educating young people, restorative justice or sanctions. Incidents are monitored for any patterns or trends and these are acted upon.

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The well-being of young people is good

73. In the survey, 93% of young people felt they knew how to make a complaint. There is good information for young people about complaints and the system is well used. The Grumbles books enable young people to raise low-level concerns. The records show clear responses to young people’s issues raised as well as good auditing and quality assurance. The survey showed that 32% of young people felt that complaints were not dealt with fairly. However, inspectors found that formal complaints are managed well and ensure young people’s worries and concerns are addressed in a thorough and timely manner. After any investigation, young people are seen by a senior manager to clarify their satisfaction with the outcome or to assist them to escalate their concerns where appropriate. Young people can access the advocacy services of Voice. Young people always sign the complaints record to show they are satisfied with the way their complaint was handled and the outcome.

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The well-being of young people is good

74. The current complaints policy is relatively new and is not fully commensurate with practice that is more detailed and robust than described in the policy. For example, the policy does not describe fully the role and responsibilities of the Head of Professional Standards in assessing any complaint or meeting with young people after the investigation, to ascertain if they are happy with the outcome or providing them with advice on taking a complaint to the next stage. Young people also do not receive a written response to their complaint, which is an omission.

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The achievement of young people is adequate

75. The achievements of young people is adequate. On arrival at Medway, young people benefit from a good initial assessment of their literacy, numeracy and information technology skills which informs individual learning plans and sets targets for improvement. The education welfare officer displays tenacity in tracking down statements of special educational needs held by local authorities. All young people, including those with special educational needs, who require additional help to access education, receive bespoke packages of one-to-one support in and outside of lessons. The team of learning support assistants has recently been expanded to further strengthen provision in this area.

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The achievement of young people is adequate

76. All young people have access to a broad range of programmes and learning opportunities designed to build on their skills, knowledge and understanding and to support their personal development. For a significant number Medway provides the first positive experience of formal full-time education. The curriculum and accreditation offer has been redesigned since the last inspection to better match the needs and interests of young people. However, further work is needed to ensure that the needs of young people on long sentences and the most able learners are met. Places on vocational programmes are popular and in very high demand. Only just over half of the young people surveyed felt they had been able to learn work related skills and that their education and training would help them when they leave.

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The achievement of young people is adequate

77. The large majority of young people develop a positive attitude to learning during their stay and behave well in lessons. The numbers of young people taken out of lessons for disruptive behaviour have fallen significantly since the last inspection and attendance continues to be outstanding. A more proactive approach is now in place to follow up swiftly the small numbers of young people who refuse to attend education. The education day has been re- organised to facilitate timely movement between rooms and buildings. However, punctuality during the inspection week was only satisfactory with some late arrivals that reduced teaching time or disrupted lessons. Teachers do not always make productive use of time when young people’s departure from lessons is delayed. During the inspection, young people expressed mixed views about their day-to-day experiences of education, but they were mostly positive about the recent changes.

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The achievement of young people is adequate

78. The quality of teaching and learning is adequate overall. No inadequate teaching was seen, nor any that was outstanding. Almost half the teachers have been recruited in the last few months with some final appointments made in the week of the inspection. The head teacher has provided good continuity during a period of significant staff turnover and, with effective support from the education team in G4S, has risen to the challenge of tackling areas for improvement identified at the last inspection in February 2012..Teachers work hard to create a welcoming, inclusive and calm atmosphere in education. Relationships between staff and young people are good. Teachers and care staff work well in partnership to manage any behaviour which has the potential to disrupt learning.

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The achievement of young people is adequate

79. Too many lessons are insufficiently challenging for the more able learners who do not always make the progress they should. Lesson objectives are not explained consistently in a way that all young people understand the rationale for the tasks and activities set. The most effective lessons are well planned to meet the wide range of individual needs in the mixed ability teaching groups. They also provide varied and stimulating activities, well matched to learning styles, which help young people become more independent and confident learners. One young person described her teacher as ‘an inspirational person who has helped me believe in myself’. Although teachers provide regular praise for young people’s efforts and contributions in lessons, marking and written feedback on what young people need to do to improve their work is inconsistent. The quality of young people’s written work is satisfactory overall

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The achievement of young people is adequate

and some is good, for example in Hair and Beauty portfolios.

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The achievement of young people is adequate

80. Most young people achieve their personal development goals during their stay and make at least satisfactory progress in lessons. They develop good practical skills in vocational courses, such as painting and decorating, community sports leadership and food technology. The small number of work experience placements around the establishment, for example in facilities management, and in mentoring roles help to improve young people’s employability. Progress is made in the development of functional skills in English and mathematics and regular group discussion in lessons builds young people’s confidence in speaking and listening. Young people participate regularly in sport and exercise which promotes their fitness, well-being and healthy life-styles. In workshops and vocational areas, young people know how to work safely with due regard to specialist equipment. Over 60% of young people who sat GCSEs in 2012 achieved grades A-G, marking an improvement on the previous year

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The achievement of young people is adequate

when a high proportion of results were ungraded. Recent changes to the curriculum mean that far fewer young people are working towards low level awards which provide insufficient challenge. Relatively small numbers have successfully achieved full BTEC, entry level and level one qualifications since the last inspection, but their positive outcomes provide a platform for the wider cohort of young people in the future.

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The achievement of young people is adequate

81. Young people’s progress in achieving targets is reviewed weekly with their tutors and monthly by the whole teaching staff to inform detention and training plan reviews and to revise targets. Learner Pathway Plans designed to ensure greater coherence and a more individualised approach in education are in their infancy and yet to have an impact. Young people are re-assessed prior to leaving Medway to determine the overall progress made during their stay. However, data on progress is not analysed centrally or in subject areas, for example by gender, ethnicity or length of stay to determine the impact of provision on improving outcomes for different groups of learners. Therefore, the centre is unable to identify trends, curriculum areas of particularly good and poor performance, and to tackle systematically any significant variation in progress and achievement of different groups.

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The achievement of young people is adequate

82. Although careers education is part of the curriculum, young people’s access to specialist and independent careers information, advice and guidance, on a one-to-one basis, has been sporadic to date. A new service level agreement with Connexions has recently been agreed to better support young people in preparation for their next steps in education or training. Where appropriate, young people have the opportunity, as part of well-planned mobility arrangements, to visit schools, colleges and places of work to help them make more informed choices about the future.

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The achievement of young people is adequate

83. Accommodation for education and training is of good quality. Classrooms, vocational areas and corridors are tidy, well lit and decorated with attractive and interesting displays for every curriculum area. These also showcase examples of young people’s work and achievements, including awards for Student of the Week, High Flyers and external competitions. Electronic white boards are used well to support learning in some lessons. The new teaching team brings a wide range of experience, skills and expertise. A good professional development programme is in place, including opportunities for staff to work alongside teachers in mainstream schools, where effective partnership arrangements are well established.

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The achievement of young people is adequate

84. Young people’s access to enrichment and activities in the evening and at weekends provides very good opportunities for enjoyment, recreation, team work and personal development. Young people’s achievements are celebrated and recognised formally, for example through the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and mentoring accreditation. Recent consultation with young people identified the need to increase activities specifically for young women. Group work sessions, as well as Zumba dance classes, have now been set up for them. Young people’s creative ideas and talents have been nurtured through music and drama projects which have also enabled them to reflect critically on past experiences. Opportunities for mobility are carefully planned into the enrichment programme. For example, five young people completed a course with the local Fire and Rescue Service, taking part in practical exercises and exploring the impact of anti-social behaviour, drink driving, and joyriding.

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The resettlement of young people is good

85. The resettlement of young people is good. The importance of proactive planning for the discharge and resettlement either back to the community or to make the transition to another secure facility of young people is a high priority and commences at entry to the centre. Young people’s individual and diverse needs are robustly considered when planning for their resettlement and are incorporated into effective child centred plans that ensure an appropriate type of placement, whether accommodation, educational or work related training is available for them. However, some educational or training opportunities are very short term placements at the point of release. The centre has identified this as an area requiring further improvement and is working closely with Youth Offending Teams (YOT) to reduce the occasions when only temporary education placements are put in place for young people. There are clear and rigorous processes in place for reminding local authorities

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The resettlement of young people is good

of their responsibilities to young people in planning and preparation for release which is effective as all young people are released to some form of accommodation.

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The resettlement of young people is good

86. Young people benefit from a proactive and supportive approach by staff, who ensure the young person’s wishes are taken into account in all planning. Young people and parents contacted following their release from the centre were very positive about the plans made in association with them and overall reported the centre had contributed positively to their improved outcomes in relation particularly to employment and education. Several young people talked about staff working with them to help manage their anger. One described how badly behaved he was when he first arrived and how much better behaved he is now. Also, a mother spoken with, said her child had returned home a ‘different boy’. She described him as much more polite and able to do practical things for himself around the house. The resettlement database and ‘traffic light’ system is an excellent tool for highlighting gaps or changes in transition

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The resettlement of young people is good

provision for young people throughout their period at the centre.

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The resettlement of young people is good

87. Excellent arrangements are in place to help young people develop practical skills which help them prepare for adult life. The process includes a thorough assessment of the young person’s knowledge and abilities and a systematic focus on developing self-care skills. The moving on guide is a very useful tool for young people to use once placed in the community, particularly when wanting to engage with local resources, such as leisure facilities. Young people have increasing opportunities to prepare for employment through vocational and work experiences at the centre including volunteer work with external organisations. Since January 2012 eleven young people have been involved in off-site reparation or work experience, 32 young people have been in an off- site car maintenance project and a further 17 have been involved with work experience projects or placements within the centre. This raises their

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The resettlement of young people is good

knowledge and skill level and increases their employability, potentially reducing the risk of their re-offending. There are well established links between the centre and external agencies, including regional resettlement forums, to ensure the most appropriate support and resources are available for young people when they are discharged from the centre. The centre contributes well to multi-agency public protection arrangements (MAPPA). 88. The centre has embraced the green paper ‘Breaking the Cycle’ ensuring the involvement of young people subject to risk assessment to work in the community. Projects include young people working as volunteers at a YMCA charity shop, work with the Medway YOT reparation department as well as work within residential homes for people with dementia involving basic garden maintenance. The evaluation forms completed by all young people highlight that they strongly agree that they are more determined not to re-offend in the

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The resettlement of young people is good

future. Such work is augmented by the development of a victim fund for a local hospice, that has raised £552 from the contributions of 62 young people

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The resettlement of young people is good

89. Young people benefit from a wide range of programmes and interventions to help them address their offending behaviours and attitudes. The recently introduced Interventions and Outcomes Planning Programme (IOP) provides a much more individualised and integrated approach to assess and address needs. This includes all aspects of the young person’s care and experiences while at the centre. It is too early to fully measure the impact of this new approach although oversight of the IOP programme by an external clinical psychologist is a positive aspect of the planned process. A range of mechanisms are in place to measure the impact of the interventions with young people, some of which rely upon feedback from external stakeholders.

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The resettlement of young people is good

90. The centre’s resettlement officer makes efforts to track the progress of young people when they have been released back into the community. The tracking is done over a twelve-month period post discharge. Even though continual efforts are made to obtain information about young people the limited response to requests for information from Youth Offending Teams means this is a less than satisfactory process. The centre is continuing to debate this matter with relevant stakeholders, including the Youth Justice Board.

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Secure training centre

The achievement of young people Adequate

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