Prison service blocked access to education for children at two YOIs, inspectors find

Short scrutiny visits to Feltham YOI and Werrington YOI also revealed that most children at both sites were still locked up for most of the day after four months of lockdown restrictions.

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Peter Clarke, HM chief inspector of prisons, says in his report on the visits that the “main concern” of HM Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) when lockdown restrictions were introduced in YOIs in March “was the decision to stop face-to-face education”.

“As a consequence, nearly all children had been locked up for more than 22 hours every day since the start of the restrictions, which had been imposed some 15 weeks before our visit. “This was both disproportionate and avoidable,” Clarke says.

He adds that in line with the government guidelines for schools, children in YOIs should have been able to continue with face to face education due to being deemed vulnerable.

“Governors at both sites wanted to provide education and had, months before our visits, prepared plans that would have enabled it to be delivered. These plans were stopped by HMPPS and national staff associations,” the report adds.

Clarke states that the lack of face-to-face education in YOIs run by the Youth Custody Service, part of the prison service and Ministry of Justice, was in “stark contrast” to the provision at other establishments holding children, delivered by other providers.

“After an initial suspension to put health and safety measures in place, every YOI, secure training centre and secure children’s home managed by private or local authority providers has been able to deliver face-to-face education throughout the pandemic,” he says.

The report highlights that managers and staff at Feltham and Werrington YOIs were “aware of the potentially negative impact” of children spending so much time alone in their cells and the effects of such a restricted regime.

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It adds that they had put measures in place to mitigate the risks of isolating children including “seconding prison staff to increase the youth work provision” across both sites.

At Feltham, limited opportunities for children to eat communally was introduced, the report adds. 

It also raises concerns over the impact of spending upto 22 hours a day in cells on children’s well-being.

“Children at both sites told us they initially understood and largely accepted the need for the restrictions, but after 15 weeks of being locked up for more than 22 hours a day some were understandably frustrated about the slow progress in implementing activity, particularly as they saw restrictions easing in the community. 

“Children spent most of their day sleeping, watching TV or playing computer games,” Clarke says.

The chief inspector also notes that despite the restrictions, incidents of self-harm across both sites lowered during lockdown.

Clarke also praised work by managers and staff to ensure children’s contact with relatives after face-to-face visits were stopped due to lockdown restrictions.

Secure video calls were introduced in both Werrington and Feltham in June and additional phone credit and letters were given to children at both sites.

Both establishments worked hard to ensure that all children had accommodation on release and were met at the gate by a suitable adult, the report states, however, inspectors note concern over cases at Feltham where difficulties in finding someone to take a child home delayed their release.

In the most serious case a lack of engagement by a local authority led to a child being held overnight in custody, despite being bailed, the report states.

Clarke said: “This report outlines positive work by local governors and their staff who acted quickly to keep children safe, delivered a consistent regime and implemented additional safeguards when needed for the children in their care. 

“However, progress in implementing activity has been far too slow nationally. HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) national guidance has taken little account of the specific needs of children, and this has resulted in children at Feltham A and Werrington being locked up for 22 hours a day for nearly four months.”