Oakhill STC inspection raises safeguarding concerns

A joint inspection of Oakhill Secure Training Centre (STC) in Milton Keynes by Ofsted, the Prisons Inspectorate and the Care Quality Commission, rated the wellbeing, achievement and resettlement of young people at the establishment as good.

Inspectors found that senior managers have “a clear shared determination to achieve continuous improvement” and staff have good relationships with young people.

Meanwhile, incidents of bullying were addressed robustly and taken seriously by staff, with a successful rewards and sanctions scheme encouraging young people to modify their behaviour.

However inspectors found that policies around child protection need to be revised.

“At the present time, safeguarding concerns such as peer assault [and] abuse allegations that occur in the centre are not routinely referred to Milton Keynes children’s social care for decisions about next steps,” the report states.

“Instead, the originating local authorities, where the young people are from, are notified.

“While best practice would suggest that responsible authorities should be notified of concerns, the accountability for consideration of the need for child protection and potential criminal enquiries is firmly located in the area the child lives.”

Mark Gettleson, campaigns manager at the Howard League for Penal Reform, said that despite the “good” overall rating, immediate action was needed on areas of concern highlighted in the report.

“The fundamental purpose of a secure environment is to keep children safe,” he said.

“The fact that Oakhill’s approach to child protection has been found to be lacking raises serious concerns and it is imperative that improvements are made without delay.”

Ray Hill, head of secure accommodation at the Youth Justice Board, said: "We will continue to work with the management team at Oakhill STC to ensure any necessary improvements.

"We are currently working with Oakhill's managers to ensure that the centre's safeguarding procedures are appropriate and have the full approval of Milton Keynes Council.

"We are also in discussions with the Association of Local Safeguarding Children's Board Chairs to ensure the obligations that local authorities have towards children and young people in custody are met."