CYP Now - Government sets out improvement plan for Oakhill STC

The government has published a plan to address “unacceptable” safeguarding failings at Oakhill Secure Training Centre (STC) run by private contractor G4S.

The number of children at Oakhill STC has been reduced to 40. Image: YJS

The plan announced by prisons minister Victoria Atkins includes appointing a new permanent director to strengthen leadership at the STC in Milton Keynes, having fewer children on site and more time spent out of cell.

However, campaigners said the plan – developed in response to an urgent notification for improvement being issued by inspectors against Oakhill STC last month – “continues the long history of the government giving G4S unlimited chances to fulfil basic obligations”.

The urgent notification was issued by Ofsted, the Care Quality Commission and HM Inspectorate of Prisons after a joint inspection in early October found that vulnerable children faced frequent violence and “unjustifiable and in some cases unlawful” levels of force. Conditions were described as “dilapidated”, staff lacked skills to use restraint safely while systems for keeping children safe were in “disarray”.

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