Limited provision of education undermines positive practice at Parc YOI, inspectors find

An unannounced visit to the YOI in October last year by HMI Prisons found that “purposeful activity had deteriorated and was now not sufficiently good. However, the quality of outcomes in safety, care and resettlement had been sustained, and remained good, a significant achievement.”

Inspectors found that lacking provision of education had contributed to the decline in the quality of "purposeful activity".

According to the report, a limited curriculum and weaknesses in the quality of teaching meant that the provision of education had declined to "adequate", it had previously been rated as "good".

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There were “inconsistencies in the deployment of education staff, and shortcomings in the quality of teaching and assessment” alongside “no reading strategy” and slow action from partnership arrangements and key stakeholders to support the successful transition of education providers.

Inspectors also found that “the education curriculum did not consider [the] labour market or learners’ needs well enough” as it “was not sufficiently vocationally focused” and lacked development of education pathways for children.

Parc YOI is regarded as “the best in England and Wales” according to the report, and currently houses boys aged 15 to 17. 

The facility recently saw a change in director and in its senior leadership team.

Charlie Taylor, chief inspector of prisons, said: “After an extended period of stable and successful leadership, the YOI was in a state of transition. A new director had been brought in to lead the prison as a whole, and a new head of the children’s unit had recently been appointed.

"This change was being managed well, with the supportive culture experienced by staff and children being maintained, and an excellent and innovative programme of enrichment activity. However, we were concerned to find that, for the first time, the quality of education was not good enough.”

A previous inspection in 2022 called for more work to be done to reduce incidents of self-harm, violence, and availability of drugs, but rated the institution as “good” for safety, care, purposeful activity and resettlement.

The 2023 inspection rated the YOI as “good” in these areas, apart from purposeful activity where it was rated “not sufficiently good”. An “inadequate oversight of healthcare” and excessive separation of children from their peers for long periods of time also raised concerns for inspectors.

However, they also highlighted improvements from the year before, as safeguarding and work to prevent self-harm was seen as effective.

Parc's incentive scheme was also seen as “well-structured and effective” as it “motivated good behaviour”. 

Inspectors concluded that “leaders and staff had developed a strong, caring and supportive culture that enabled the maximum number of children to engage in the many varied activities on offer, and children felt that staff cared and took an active interest in them”.

Children also had “very good access to enrichment activity” and “any concerns arising from use of force incidents were promptly addressed”.