Young people at YOI 'unnecessarily missing education and therapy'
Neil Puffett
Tuesday, January 9, 2018
A young offender institution (YOI) has been criticised for "cumbersome security measures" that have resulted in young people being locked in cells while "skilled and enthusiastic" professionals wait for them in empty rooms.
An inspection of Cookham Wood YOI in Kent, which holds 15- to 18-year-olds, found that difficulties in getting young people out of cells to attend the wide range of group-based services available led to a "significant waste" of resources, undermining education and therapy work.
The report found that Cookham Wood had "many redeeming features," including some enthusiastic staff with the vast majority of teaching, learning and assessment deemed to be "good" and boys found to be achieving "very well".
However, the report noted that a lack of escort officers resulted in difficulties getting boys to group lessons.
Between April and June 2017, about 40 per cent of planned groups, such as art therapy and managing emotions and resilience groups, had been cancelled.
"The poor regime and delays in movements affected access to all services and represented a significant waste of resources as professionals waited in empty rooms for boys to arrive," the report states.
Inspectors also found the establishment to be less safe and more violent than at the previous inspection in 2016, with "little evidence of an effective strategy to reduce violence".
HM chief inspector of prisons Peter Clarke said: "While we did not underestimate the risks presented by some of the boys at the establishment and the need to manage their movements carefully, some of the unlock procedures were unnecessarily cumbersome and created further delays to an already curtailed regime."
"The main prison regime was also poor and unpredictable. The lack of time out of cell restricted access to education, interventions and meaningful interaction with staff and other boys. What was perhaps most unforgivable was that there were many skilled staff and partners who were keen to work with boys to help them progress but their efforts were frustrated by the failure to unlock boys on time, if at all. We were told by numerous professionals that this was not uncommon."
Inspectors did highlight a number of strengths at Cookham Wood. This included work carried out with boys in their early days in custody, when they were well supported in reception and on the induction unit. Meanwhile, boys with potentially life-threatening medical conditions were encouraged to wear a medical alert wristband to help custody staff to ensure their safety, which was good practice.
Clarke said a new governor had been appointed just weeks before the visit in August 2017, adding that he was encouraged by his "optimism and plans to address the issues highlighted in the report".
"Cookham Wood retains many redeeming features, not least an extended team of enthusiastic staff with a wide range of skills," Clarke said.
"They now need to focus on ensuring that boys can access the services they need to progress."
Michael Spurr, chief executive of Her Majesty's Prisons and Probation Service, said: "Regrettably, staffing shortages did affect the regime we were able to provide for boys at Cookham Wood, which is why we prioritised the recruitment of staff last year.
"As the Chief Inspector points out, the quality of teaching and learning provision is good, and we were able to provide greater access to education and training prior to the inspection. More officers are now in post, with additional recruits in training, and with these new staff in place, the governor will be able to provide a more consistent regime, reduce violence and provide better support for the young people in his care."