Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre - Ofsted key findings

Ofsted inspected Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre in February 2020, and again in October2020. Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre provides accommodation for up to 87 children aged 12 to 17 years who are serving a custodial sentence or held on remand. It is operated by MTC, an American company which is worth researching.

Ofsted's key findings in relation to any failings at Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre in February 2020 were:

1. High staff turnover

2. Inequitable treatment of boys and girls at induction, with boys being provided with more support.

3. Poor educational provision

4. Restricted range of activities and enrichments at Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre, especially for girls.

5. Children often locked in their rooms if they refuse education

6. The use of force had improved (ie lessened, become less harsh) and ONLY used 480 times in preceding six months.

7. The Ofsted report notes, but does not criticise the fact that 'A total of 16 serious injury and warning signs (SIWS) were identified from children's experiences of restraint in the last six months. In most cases these feature children reporting breathing difficulties, or feeling sick following a restraint'.

8. There were 110 assaults on staff and five required follow-up hospital treatment. There were 102 assaults on chldren and 93 fights between children over the past six months with 15 children requiring follow-up hospital treatment.'

By the time of the October 2020 Ofsted assurance visit to Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre, the Covid 19 pandemic had taken its course and everyone was aware of the need to reduce exposure to infection. However, the October 2020 report found 'serious concerns':

1. Newly admitted children who needed to self isolate for 14 days were locked in their bedrooms for 23.5 hours a day and allowed out only for half an hour.

2. There was a failure to follow the recommendations made by Ofsted in their February report.

3. There was an increased incidence of emotional abuse inflicted by staff

4. About a quarter of children do not feel safe at Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre

These are just children...

If parents treated their children like this, they would be taken into care

Spot the irony...