Poorly performing YOI told to make improvements on smaller budget

A damning report by chief prisons inspector Dame Anne Owers of the YOI’s 18- to 21-year-old population found support was particularly poor during their first days of custody.

They faced long delays, sometimes late in the evening for accommodation, which was often poorly maintained.

However, North Shropshire MP Owen Paterson says improvements will have to be made on a tighter budget as the YOI will not be immune from public sector cuts.

Following a visit to the YOI, Paterson said: "The discussions focused on how Stoke Heath can deliver a high-quality service given the reductions in public expenditure. Everyone I spoke to understood that the country cannot go on borrowing £300,000 a minute."

He added that he has asked staff to write to him with suggestions "for achieving more for less and any concerns they have". He has pledged to pass these on to Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke.

Dame Owers’ report also found that young adults felt unsafe, risk assessments were poor and efforts to reduce violence were "overcomplicated and underused" by staff.

The YOI was also dirty, with "ingrained food residue on serving trolleys" and education and training opportunities were poor.

Inspectors found, during their unannounced inspection in March and April, that there were only enough training places for a fifth of the YOI’s young adult population.

Stoke Heath YOI was contacted but no one from its senior management team was available to comment.