Inspectorates: Urgent action needed at Oakhill Secure Training Centre

Vulnerable children face frequent violence and excessive use of force at Oakhill Secure Training Centre, while living conditions are ‘dilapidated’, Ofsted, HMI Prisons and the CQC find.

Such is their concern about the safety and welfare of children at the G4S-run secure centre, the inspectorates have issued an Urgent Notification to the Secretary of State for Justice. Dominic Raab has 28 days to respond with an action plan for improvement at the centre.

The notification follows an October inspection at the Milton Keynes centre, which highlighted unjustifiable – and in some cases unlawful – levels of force being used on children as young as 15. Staff lack the skill to carry out restraint safely, while oversight of the use of force is inadequate, inspectors found.

Systems for keeping children safe are in ‘disarray’, leaving children at risk of serious harm. Leaders have failed to pass on concerns and allegations to outside agencies, while some issues have been investigated internally – contrary to statutory guidance – potentially compromising any future external investigations.

Frontline staff are poorly managed and supported. Many haven’t received any purposeful training and development beyond their mandatory programmes.

Staff are reluctant to challenge low level poor behaviour, leading to more serious incidents and violence. This is made worse by the lack of an effective behaviour management strategy to support staff in how to deal with challenging behaviour.

Most children said they lacked confidence in the complaints system, discouraging them from raising concerns. This has serious implications for safeguarding as it could allow harmful behaviour to go undetected.

Children are being cared for by staff who aren’t equipped with all the information they need to keep them safe or meet their needs. Some staff told inspectors they had been given the choice of whether to read relevant information and had chosen not to.