“Totally unacceptable” safeguarding failings and a sharp increase in violence has seen Oakhill Secure Training Centre (STC) issued with an urgent plan to improve by the government.
The Milton Keynes facility, run by private contractor G4S, has seen its rating drop from “requires improvement” in April 2019 to “inadequate” following a joint visit from Ofsted, HM Inspectorate of Prisons and the Care Quality Commission.
“Serious failings” including the “unjustifiable and in some cases unlawful” levels of force on vulnerable children led to an urgent notification to improve being issued to Oakhill by inspectors last month.
As part of an improvement plan for Oakhill (see box), Justice Secretary Dominic Raab notes that G4S will be introducing a revised behaviour management strategy aimed at de-escalating situations and that an urgent review of the use of force is also being undertaken with the Youth Custody Service (YCS).
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