Young person's escape overshadows progress at Hassockfield secure unit

In May, a 16-year-old who was being held on remand escaped from the centre, but was recaptured by police the next day. Inspectors said this breach of security was followed by a failure to follow adequate emergency procedure, resulting in an overall inadequate rating.

However, the secure unit, run be Serco, was described as outstanding for helping children to be healthy, education provision and helping children make a positive contribution. It also received good ratings for welfare provision and helping children achieve economic wellbeing.

As a result of the security breach, inspectors said the facility was inadequate in its ability to protect children from harm or neglect while management was also reported to be inadequate, despite evidence of "a good standard of management and leadership". The watchdog said the emergency response plan did not stipulate the precise roles, expectations and responsibilities of certain staff and managers, which had the "potential to adversely impact upon the welfare of young people and the safety of staff".

John Drew, chief executive of the Youth Justice Board (YJB), said: "We are pleased that Ofsted inspectors found very good outcomes for young people across a range of indicators and, in particular, with young people’s achievements in education rated as outstanding in the areas of literacy and numeracy.

"We recognise the overall rating has been affected by an escape. The YJB is working hard with Hassockfield to ensure the findings from the investigation are addressed and immediate actions are taken to ensure this never happens again.

"We will be asking Ofsted to make another visit to the centre, in the near future, so that we can be satisfied that Hassockfield has learned from this security breach."

Despite the breach, inspectors described the centre as "calm and relaxed", with good interaction between young people and staff. The centre was also described as "homely".

Young people’s involvement in forums and discussions about their care was seen to be excellent, along with the assessments and planning to ensure individual needs are recognised and met.

Inspectors said staff work well together and set good examples helping young people to develop appropriate social skills. Praise was offered, most notably, in young people’s achievements in education particularly literacy and numeracy.

The report said: "The curriculum meets young people’s needs exceptionally well, although additional higher level courses would be beneficial. Young people receive excellent support in education and their progress is monitored rigorously on an individual basis. The education department benefits from strong leadership."

According to the inspectorate, all six recommendations outlined in an inspection in December 2010 had been addressed. In particular, the report highlights "significant progress" in the development of leisure and enrichment activities for the young people and in education provision.

Director at Hassockfield Trevor Wilson-Smith added: "The safety and wellbeing of the young people in our care is our top priority, and this latest report by Ofsted highlights the excellent work being done in so many areas at Hassockfield.

"The overall rating was affected by the short-lived escape of a 16-year old boy on remand in May, shortly before the inspection.  As well as making immediate improvements to physical security at the centre, we have conducted a thorough investigation into this incident and the findings are currently being considered by the Youth Justice Board.

"We are already working with the Youth Justice Board to implement Ofsted’s most recent recommendations and we welcome the early opportunity of another inspection."