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Communities and Culture Committee

Purpose

Members are invited to use this paper to:

Note the themes which Committee Secretariat have identified as emerging from their visits to Young Offender Institutions, Secure Training Centres and Secure Children's Homes in Wales and England.

Determine whether they consider there to be any additional themes emerging from their visits.

Background

As part of its inquiry into Youth Justice, the Communities and Culture Committee has focused on the experiences of Welsh children in the secure estate.

Committee Members have undertaken a series of fact finding visits to Young Offender Institutions, Secure Training Centres and Secure Children's Homes in Wales and England, which housed young Welsh people. Notes of these visits are attached at annexes 1-6.

These rapporteur visits were aimed at informing the Committee on the work being done by the different institutes in this field, and to allow the Members to gain an insight on the experiences of young people in the secure estate.

Emerging themes:

1. Short-term sentences were generally perceived to have a limited remedial role

2. Resettlement, following release, is complicated by:

Difficulty in accessing or communicating with Careers Wales for young persons held in the secure estate in England
young people do not know their rights outside in the community
lack of information about re-offending rates
unsuitable bail hostels for age group

3. However, resettlement in Wales was perceived to sometimes be better than in England because local authorities in Wales were perceived as less likely to attempt to absolve their duty to accommodate young people on the grounds that the individual made himself intentionally homeless by offending, than their English counterparts.

4. Resettlement could be assisted through:

instant access to a college course
use of ROTL (release on temporary licence)
structured routines, enabled through support
- gained through obligations on key partners and local authorities to take responsibility
- including intensive support during the first 2 – 3 weeks after discharge
- including one to one therapy
- including use of ‘a half way house’
a link resettlement officer based in institutions that take significant numbers of young people from Wales to deal with resettlement in Wales.
specialist foster carers

5. Variable relation of Education to Wales’ curriculum

Ashfield indicated it had its own education curriculum, but qualifications gained were nationally recognised UK ones.
Stoke Heath stated that learners from Wales are able to access the Welsh curriculum through the implementation of the Cwricwlwm Cymreig.
Parc staff considered consistency of education to be important across the secure estate.

6. Lack of Funding for Education beyond GCSEs

Eastwood Park lacked funding for education beyond ‘level 2’ – funding after level 2 had to be found through various charitable organisations.
One young person at Parc stated he could not pursue education qualifications beyond GCSE.

7. Limited provision of Education in medium of Welsh language

Ashfield: “provision of Welsh Language classes was seen as a voluntary extra that Ashfield itself chose to provide”
Eastwood Park: unable to deliver lessons in the Welsh language (but could buy in support if there was perceived to be need)
Parc provides more provision on Welsh culture and history [than language – Committee informed that there were very few Welsh speakers at Parc]
Rainsbrook had purchased books and learning materials for a trainee interested in learning Welsh
Stoke Heath: Welsh Language classes took place once per week, lead to NOCN qualifications at Level One.

8. Variable availability of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services

Parc sent Welsh Young Offenders to Ashfield for CAMHS support
Ashfield often sent Welsh Young Offenders to Northampton for CAMHS support, although there were sometimes delays getting assessments
Hillside provided a full time clinical psychologist
Rainsbrook provided three psychological workers
Stoke Heath provided primary and secondary mental health services for all young people within the establishment, with different commissioning arrangements for hospital care

9. Suggestions on alternatives to custody arising during visits

Specialist foster carers
More youth facilities to occupy young people (particularly over 15)
However, Members also noted some support from young people themselves for what they perceived as the ‘discipline’ imposed by custody.

10. Distance from home was generally agreed to make family visits more difficult, which could mean less support from friends and relatives, and limiting access to support services offered by a young person’s local authority.

11. General agreement that young people’s placements are made primarily on availability of beds, rather than needs of child.

Although Stoke Heath pointed out that one young offender had been transferred to a Secure Children’s Home (and stated that the offender was subsequently moved back into “YOI conditions after a short period as the secure children’s home could not cope with him.”)

Annex 1

Note of Visit to Ashfield Young Offenders Institution

Date: Monday 13 July 2009

Assembly Members in Attendance

Dai Lloyd AM

Joyce Watson AM

Committee Secretariat

Sarah Hatherley, Members’ Research Service
Tom Jackson, Clerk

Introduction

Members were met on arrival and given a tour of the facilities by Ashfield staff. During the tour it was commented that:

General

Ashfield has a maximum capacity of 400 young male offenders, aged between 15-18, though this was expected to fall to 360 because Ashfield will be expanding their “lifers” wing.
Between 23 and 36 young people from Wales were based there on a typical day. Staff commented that the number of young people held at Ashfield from Wales had fallen in recent months.
It was felt that short-term sentences had a limited remedial role, as there wasn’t sufficient time for staff to do anything significantly developmental with the young person.
It was felt that a stable ‘halfway house’ would help with rehabilitation.
There was a perception that a significant number of young offenders from Wales were involved with drug offences.
Ashfield runs a mentoring scheme where young offenders provide support to new arrivals and vulnerable young people.
Ashfield has a dedicated Welsh co-ordinator

Education, Employment and Training

Ashfield has its own education curriculums, rather than following the England or Wales national curriculums, which it operates on a 12 week cycle.
Young People normally attend 4 lessons a day, each 90 minutes long.
Qualifications gained at Ashfield are nationally recognised UK ones.

Health & Substance Misuse

Ashfield ran both voluntary and compulsary drug testing schemes. We were told that voluntary drug testing was not linked to the reward system regime
We were told that the substance misuse workers tend to have caseloads of around 20-25 young people at any one time.
There were 7 beds in Ashfield’s nursing unit
Welsh Young Offenders who needed Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services often had to go to Northampton, and there were sometimes delays in getting them assessments, because funding had to be agreed with Health Commission Wales. We were told that the young people from England were able to access treatment more quickly that the young people from Wales.
There was a perception that the lack of mental health provision in the community was contributing to an increase in the number of young people being given custodial sentences.
We were told that Welsh young offenders with mental health needs were being transferred to Ashfield from Parc because of a lack of provision there.

Meeting with Elaine Pope, Head of Learning and Skills

Members then met with Elaine Pope, Head of Learning and Skills, who commented that:

There was only 1 Careers Adviser at Ashfield, and sometimes it was difficult to maintain connections with Careers Wales.
Young Offenders themselves didn’t have internet access to visit the Careers Wales webpages.

The Youth Justice Board, who were the immediate supplier of funding to Ashfield, had not made clear that there was any expectation that the Welsh Government’s objectives should be delivered in the ‘Offending Learning Journey Document.’ Point 0403 of the OLJ states that “for Welsh Young People in English Young Offender Institutions, there needs to be access to learning centered on the cultural, economic, environmental, historical and linguistic characteristics of Wales. The usage and incorporation of Curriculum Cymraeg will mirror the school provision back in Wales. This will help in the resettlement process and improve outcomes.”

Ashfield received a standard amount of funding from the Youth Justice Board for each young offender in their care, whether they were English or Welsh. There was no additional funding from the Welsh Government to provide Wales-specific education for Welsh young people.
There was also a perception that the Youth Justice Board did not consider Wales-specific education objectives to be of priority on a day-to-day basis, although reference was made to Wales-specific education objectives in the Offender Learning Journey (OLJ) Document. Consequently, the provision of Welsh Language and Culture classes was seen as a voluntary extra that Ashfield itself chose to provide.
It was suggested that a college mentoring project might help with rehabilitation if young people leaving custody could get instant access to a college course so that there was a rolling programme rather than needing to wait until September each year.

Meeting with Norman Abusin, Deputy Director

Members then met with Norman Abusin, Deputy Director, who commented that:

It was felt that there was a lack of open facilities for young people.
Serco are developing a ‘half-way-house’ in Bristol for ex-young offenders who were resettling into the community.
Ashfield actively promote the use of ROTL (Release on Temporary Licence) to enable young people to take up training places in the community (i.e. one of the young offenders we spoke to was undertaking a placement in local cafe). This works well with employers which are Bristol based but it is more difficult to find suitable placement for the Welsh boys.
Many young offenders reoffended because there was a lack of support for them in the outside world, which meant they could more easily get out of structured routines. Work for example was seen as a key element in preventing reoffending, but once they left a Young Offenders Institute there was often no-one to help ex-young offenders with problems over bus routes, ways into work, etc.
Ashfield had a ratio of 1:15 staff to young offenders on its wings, and ratios of 1:6 or 7 in its education, which the Deputy Director suggested was comparable to ratios in Secure Childrens’ Homes.
It was felt that there could be stronger links between Ashfield and organisations in Wales to help resettle young people on their release. This included the Welsh YOTs.
There were concerns raised around the number of Welsh young people leaving Ashfield with no fixed address to go to.
Reoffending rates were very difficult to monitor.

Meeting with Young Offenders

Finally, Members met with 3 Young Offenders, who commented that:

They appreciated the Educational facilities available at Ashfield, and thought their teachers were good. They noted that courses were chosen for them, rather than them making choices. However, one young person commented that some rooms could get stuffy and hot, as they were without windows, which could make it difficult to concentrate in lessons. One young person also commented that they were worried that they might reoffend if there was a significant delay between leaving Ashfield, and going into a job or college.
They were aware they could go to staff, or a Family Liaison Officer if they wished to make a complaint about something, albeit one had the impression that an initial response would take about a week to happen.
They had different impressions of contact with YOTs, with one commenting that they hadn’t seen a YOT worker in their first 3 months at Ashfield, and another commenting that they had seen theirs twice in their first 7 weeks at Ashfield. However, several commented that they felt confident that they could trust their YOT worker.
They felt they had needed the discipline of Ashfield, and that community orders- for example- wouldn’t have led them to try to change their lives.
They told us that the Welsh lads tend to stick together and look out for one another in Ashfield. They explained that at Parc the Welsh young people tend to group together by area i.e. Cardiff, Rhondda, Swansea etc.
One young person explained that he told his mother not to visit him whilst at Ashfield because he was concerned about the distance she needed to travel to see him and the difficulties of using public transport to get there.

Annex 2

Note of Visit to Eastwood Park Learning Centre, HMP Eastwood Park

Date: Monday 6 July 2009

In Attendance:

Assembly Members

Dai Lloyd AM

Joyce Watson AM

Committee Service

Annette Millett, Deputy Clerk

Sarah Hatherley, Members Research Service

Eastwood Park Staff

Tim May, Staff Training Manager

Debra Rook, SO Intervention and Resettlement

Inquiry into Youth Justice: Eastwood Park Learning Centre, HMP Eastwood Park

Purpose for Visit

As part of its inquiry into Youth Justice in Wales, the Communities and Culture Committee is focusing on Welsh children in the secure estate. This fact finding visit was one of a series of visits to Young Offender Institutions, Secure Training Centres and Secure Children's Homes in Wales and England which house young Welsh people. These rapporteur visits are aimed at informing the Committee on the work being done by the different institutes in this field, and allow the Members to gain an insight on the experiences of young people in the secure estate.

General

Eastwood Park is the main reception area for females from Wales and covers the area across to Aberystwyth and down.

The age range for juveniles is 16 to 18 years but they have had young people in as young as 15 years of age.

During the visit it was mentioned that there are plans to move the 18 – 21 year olds in with older prisoners.

The young people do not mix with the adult section of the prison, they have their own self contained unit which is separate. The prison has approximately 320 remand prisoners and the average stay is 49 days. It was felt by the time young people reach custody they have exhausted all avenues. The length of time of remand varies from three days to nine months.

Prison Visits

Family visits for young people from Wales are logistically difficult. If a carer has problems with visiting, arrangements can be made for the Youth Offending Team worker to pick up the carer and bring them at the same time as the YOT visit. We were informed that transport to the prison is poor from Bristol.

Eastwood Park has recently started family visit days, the first was held in April second in July, the visits are three hours in duration, which allows mothers to have reasonable contact time with their children.

The travel costs for visits are expensive and there is a scheme to assist prison visitors but the visitor has to find the money up-front, then complete paperwork after the visit to claim travel costs.

The facilitators for the visit felt that a female prison based in Wales would be beneficial. They noted that the Corston Report stated that smaller units are more useful.

Self harm is high in the female prison population there seems to be a copycat situation.

Eastwood Park provided the following information on the number of women aged from 18 – 25 from Wales in Eastwood Park

on 10 July 2009:

Number of Welsh prisoners who were in the Prison on10/07/2009

TOTAL PRISON ROLL: 322

TOTAL NUMBER OF PRISONERS

AGE RANGE OF PRISONERS

NUMBER OF PRISONERS

FROM WALES

19 yrs.-25 yrs

27 from Welsh courts

28 from Welsh addresses.

18 year olds

3 from Welsh courts & Welsh addresses

17 year olds

No Welsh prisoners

There were no prisoners from Wales under the age of 17 in the establishment at this time.

Education

Welsh Language – we were advised that there were few Welsh speakers at the prison – the majority of young people from Wales speak languages other than Welsh. The education department have all their leaflets translated into Welsh and other ethnic minority languages. At present they are unable to deliver lessons in the Welsh language, but as the education programme is contracted out if there was a demand for lessons to be delivered in Welsh this could be accommodated. They cannot speak to other prisoners in Welsh or on the telephone in Welsh as far as we were aware for security reasons.

Curriculum – a key factor is that many of the young people have received minimum education. Literacy and numeracy are a big issue, english and maths classes are held and they try to bring the young people up to a level acceptable for employment. The young people attend 22 hours of education a week – two physical exercise day sessions and two evening sessions during the week. NVQs are offered and computer classes held but there are no workshops at Eastwood Park.

Members asked what happens when someone is at a major stage in their education eg GCSE/A level. The education department were able to provide the following example – they recently had a young person about to sit A level art – they contacted the appropriate College and the young person sat the exams at the prison.

There is no funding beyond level 2 – the education department has to find extra money from charitable organisations to provide higher than level 2.

Special educational needs –we were advised that young people with special needs can have one to one individual support. They are also encouraged to join textile classes.

Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation

Drug rehabilitation – we were informed that staff at Eastwood Park work closely with drug services outside the prison. We were told that there are high numbers of inmates from Wales arriving with drug and alcohol problems. Drug rehabilitation is offered but it is often voluntary and difficult to deliver to offenders on short sentences - many do not want to come off drugs. The staff felt that the support and aftercare in cities is good but poor in rural areas.

Young people are mixed in with adults for substance misuse detox. Staff from the Mary Carpenter Unit (Juvenile Unit) will visit juveniles every day during this period.

Alcohol is more of a problem for under 18s – alcohol detox is harder as there is no alternative and the young people return to drink very easily when they leave as it is so accessible.

Detox facilities are only at Eastwood Park and Yorkshire.

Mental Health

Facilities – Offenders have two screenings on reception. There is a psychology team that work with mental health issues. They have five psychologists and they feel the range of healthcare is good. The co-ordination when offenders go back into the community they believe is good. The prison has close links with hospitals and Hafal is looking to build up their programme within the prison.

Resettlement

Resettlement in Wales – Members were concerned about how resettlement works in partnership in Wales. Members were informed that there are many community links especially with South Wales, but there were concerns re resettlement as their catchment area is so vast. Resettlement is difficult especially when young people are not at Eastwood Park for long periods. The Mary Carpenter Unit has their own set up for resettlement.

The Mother & Baby Unit has contact with health visitors in local areas;

On release they have tried resettling people to different areas in the hope of a new start but it has not proved a huge success.

The facilitators felt that a halfway house could be beneficial.

Link Officer – it was recommended that it would be useful to have another member of staff (a link officer) to deal with Wales, they had mentors from Bristol and Birmingham but not Wales;

Courts

Video Link – there have been improvements since Crown Court went on line and Cardiff, Bridgend and Milford Haven have started to use a video link. It was felt that the video link should be used more widely as it avoids young people having to make the long journey for a short court appearance. When young people do have to travel to court nine times out of 10 they travel to court with other adult prisoners.

Juvenile Unit

We were told young people are placed at Eastwood Park based on bed availability as opposed to the needs of the child. For example, Eastwood Park take young people who would have otherwise been placed at Hillside Secure Children’s Home because of the lack of bed spaces available at sentence.

Bullying is managed in the young people unit, they have a programme to follow and not much bullying is seen in the young people unit. First name terms are used on the young people unit and staff wear softer clothes, the young people are allowed to wear their own clothes.

Young people have their own cell they will only share after a full risk assessment is made.

Domestic Abuse

In domestic abuse cases they use the Carousel programme but are looking at the Freedom programme.

They will provide a breakdown of how many women have ended up at Eastwood Park because of domestic abuse;

Annex 3

Note of Visits to Hillside Secure Children’s Home

Dates: Thursday 2 July 2009 / Monday 6 July 2009 / Thursday 16 July 2009 / Monday 28 September 2009

In Attendance:

Assembly Members

Thursday 2 July

Janice Gregory AM

Alun Cairns AM

Monday 6 July

Dai Lloyd AM

Thursday 16 July

Bethan Jenkins

Joyce Watson

Monday 28 September

Mark Isherwood

Committee Service

Thursday 2 July

Annette Millett, Deputy Clerk

Sarah Hatherley, Members Research Service

Hillside Secure Children’s Home Staff

Colin Davies, Centre Manager,

Mark Lazarus, Operations Manager

John Glover, Education Manager

Karen Wedmore

Inquiry into Youth Justice: Hillside Secure Children’s Home (Neath)

Purpose of Visit

As part of its inquiry into Youth Justice in Wales, the Communities and Culture Committee is focusing on Welsh children in the secure estate. This fact finding visit is one of a series of visits to Young Offender Institutions, Secure Training Centres and Secure Children's Homes in Wales and England which house young Welsh people. These rapporteur visits are aimed at informing the Committee on the work being done by the different institutes in this field, and allow the Members to gain an insight on the experiences of young people in the secure estate.

General

The staff at Hillside informed us they are governed by Children’s Legislation Regulations and National Minimum Standards. Hillside is part of the Local Authority Social Services Children and Families Department.

Hillside adopts a social care planning framework based on a social work model on assessment of children.

When the young people arrive at Hillside they are given individual plans with smart objectives. The young people are set individual achievable smart objectives which are reviewed every four weeks when new targets and objectives are agreed.

We heard about the difficulty of balancing a youth justice and welfare approach to managing young offenders. The view of the Manager is that Youth Offending Teams should be returned and managed within Social Services Children and Families Departments to ensure a child centred, better integrated, seamless service to offending children who are children in need. He felt that the offender first approach stigmatises and labels children and takes them through an offender led system not child focussed services.

Hillside is monitored and inspected by the Local Authority, CSSIW and Estyn. The Manager informed us that children’s legislation (1989 Children’s Act, 1989 Children’s Act volume 4 (Residential Care), all previous relevant Children’s Acts, 2002 Children’s Homes (Wales) Regulations, 2002 National Minimum Standard for Children’s Homes, 2004 Children’s Act) does not apply to Secure Training Centres or Youth Offender Institutes. We were informed that over 75% of children at Hillside who are resident in access of six weeks achieve positive change and personal development that enables them to make better informed decisions and better self manage themselves when they return to the community.

Education

We were informed there are six qualified teachers employed at Hillside, between them they teach ten subjects over a 27 hour classroom week. These are attended by all children. We saw evidence of children gaining accreditation and qualifications. During our visit we heard from staff that children also completed homework and engaged in activities each evening and over the weekends.

Both the Manager and staff informed us of the high level of staff supervision and low staff turnover which has enabled a high level of training focussed on assessment and quality intervention work undertaken by Hillside staff. We witnessed evidence of good relationships between staff and young offenders.

The Education Manager explained how the special needs statement does not apply in custodial sentences. This can create problems as the young person loses all their specialist support and access to their educational psychologist.

The Education Manager also expressed concerns over the young people who had special needs identified while in Hillside, as there is no legal framework to ensure their special educational needs are addressed in the community on release.

Health

We received information that a full time Clinical Psychologist works with the Hillside staff to assess and construct an outcome focussed child care plan, which is based on needs.

The staff at Hillside relayed to us that the NSPCC undertake abuse counselling and provide an advocacy service regularly accessed by children to fully support children’s represented views.

We were also informed that Barnardos provide Sex Offender / Sexualised Behaviour Assessment and Therapy with Hillside care staff co-working as an integrated model.

They have a Substance Misuse Worker undertaking assessment and counselling with children and providing group education in conjunction with Hillside care and education staff. We saw evidence of good practice of work that had taken place with the young people. When Mark Isherwood visited on 28 September he was informed that they now have a drug and alcohol worker five days a week, who follows the YJB rules and uses the Christo (CISS) assessment system. Staff assess the young people when they arrive and the young people who are medium or high on the scale are referred to the drug and alcohol worker who carries out a further assessment and draws up a care plan for that young person.

Hillside staff advised us that the majority of young people come into Hillside with PTSD (Post-traumatic Stress Disorder) – and yet have been medicated. Much of this medication relates to ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), psychosis etc. Assessment and re-evaluation by the psychiatrist sometimes shows that the young people do not need the medication and that this has been used to mask the underlying problems.

We were told a Consultant Psychiatrist undertakes Mental Health Assessments and directly works with children and managing drug detoxification programmes.

Staff felt that the majority of the needs of young people referred to them were met but felt those young people with serious mental health issues and eating disorders could be resolved within a secure environment with more specialist help.

When a young person arrives at Hillside a multi-agency care planning meeting is held after five days involving staff from Hillside, Youth Offending Teams (YOTS), Social Services and a mental health psychologist to develop a plan based on the child’s needs. However we were told the involvement of YOTs varied considerably.

Rehabilitation and Resettlement

Concerns were expressed by the Manager around young people being given short sentences, the Manager felt this was not allowing enough time to address the young person’s needs and the reasons for the offending behaviour.

Staff were concerned for the young people when leaving Hillside where they received enhanced support which cannot be followed through into the community. Staff felt this is an area where better partnership working is needed and there should be clearer obligations on key partners and local authorities to take responsibility.

Provision of Beds

The Manager expressed concern at the decision of the Youth Justice Board not to commission a six bed expansion in the number of Youth Justice Placements at Hillside. The Youth Justice Board decided to only contract three additional beds despite the fact that over 70 Welsh children continue to be placed in England. The manager felt there needed to be an additional eight beds at Hillside. Given the average length of stay at Hillside is approximately three months this will result in approximately 12 Welsh children a year continuing to be placed in England.

Placement statistics provided by Hillside evidenced between April 2008 – March 2009:-

45% of Male Youth Justice Admissions were 15 years of age or over.

89% of Female Youth Justice Admissions were 15 years of age or over.

There were no admissions under 13 years of age.

The Manager felt that Hillside should be utilised for older children as well as younger children and that placement should be based on the needs of the child and not bed availability.

A snapshot of Welsh children within the secure estate on 31 January 2009 evidenced:-

139 males and 5 female Welsh children placed.

Of the 144 Welsh children placed approximately 72 were placed in England.

118 were placed in prison YOI’s

26 were placed in Secure Training Centres and Secure Children’s Homes.

There were 109 children from South Wales and 35 from North Wales.

Of the 26 children placed in STC’s or SCH’s only 4 from North Wales were placed closer to their home area.

It was the Manager’s view that there should be more SCH provision in Wales, particularly in North Wales to enable children to be placed closer to their homes. He felt that if there were more SCHs it would allow for more specialisation thus meeting the different needs of young offenders such as those with mental health problems / sexual offences / girls and young women / those on remand.

Expansion of Hillside

The Manager explained some details about the physical expansion particularly the new build provision of four vocational training workshops. These will expand the education and training provision and increase career opportunities for all resident young people. The close links with Careers Wales will enhance the education training and employment opportunities.

The Manager also expressed his future ambitions to broaden provision at Hillside subject to additional funding being made available. This would include increasing the range of appropriate accommodation and improving resettlement. The following examples were expressed:-

Specialist foster carers could be linked to Hillside, with Hillside providing training and skilled support to foster carers working with low risk remand and sentenced children. Children preparing to return to the community as part of their resettlement plan could also be placed with specialist foster carers.

Day care and education provision as well as access to specialist support services could be improved focusing on individual Care Plans to support those placements which are legislatory possible under Section 34 of the Offender Management Act 2007 and Section 92 of the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing Act) 2000.

There could be a dedicated resettlement service managed from Hillside as an extension to the placement Care Plan. Children would receive intensive support during the first 2 – 3 weeks after discharge. This would involve high level preparation work with the child before their release , followed by a high level of supervision and support when they are back in the community.

Other areas of developed work could include family work, restorative justice and medication.

It was the Manager’s view that Youth Justice should be devolved to Wales.

Annex 4

Note of Visit to HMP & YOI Parc (Bridgend)

Dates: Tuesday 11 August 2009 / Wednesday 26 August 2009
Location: HMP & YOI Parc (Bridgend)

In Attendance:

Assembly Members

Tuesday 11 August

Bethan Jenkins AM

Dai Lloyd AM

Wednesday 26 August

Janice Gregory AM

Joyce Watson AM

Committee Service

Tuesday 11 August

Annette Millett, Deputy Clerk

Sarah Hatherley, Members Research Service

HMP & YOI Parc (Bridgend) Staff

Jim McGuire, Controller at HMP & YOI Parc (Bridgend)

Lisa Brunton, Head of Young Persons Unit

Sara Webber, Marketing and Communications Manager

Inquiry into Youth Justice: HMP & YOI Parc (Bridgend)

Purpose for Visit

Mental Health

Members asked staff at Parc about evidence the Committee had heard of Welsh young people being placed in YOI Ashfield because of the lack of mental health provision at YOI Parc? The Members were informed that in the age range 15-17 years they have no access to CAMHS at Parc and these young people are transferred to Ashfield to obtain the help they require. Staff expressed views that these young people would be better served by being at Parc where they are nearer their families and support systems.

Staff recommended that CAMHS be provided for young people at Parc, they felt many young people have suffered major traumas in their lives while growing up. There are also different issues that effect looked after children.

It was also recommended by staff that an educational psychologist for the identification of special educational needs when a young person arrives at Parc was required.

They recommended that they would wish for the provision of programmes to address re-offending behaviour. It was felt that Enhanced Thinking Skills (ETS) is not a suitable offender behaviour programme for the 15-17 age group; JETS is suitable but not run at Parc.

At present there is no clinical psychologist at Parc but there is a forensic psychologist team that works across the prison estate.

Children’s Rights

Members asked if they could be given practical examples of work undertaken at YOI Parc to ensure it has a culture centred on the child and how this work is reviewed and monitored? Members were advised that the child is the centre at Parc and staff are guided centrally and follow the same guidance as for all institutions in England and Wales. They are overseen by the Youth Justice Board and are regularly monitored. The Children’s Commissioner has links with Parc to ensure the child is at the centre. Staff work with local authorities and follow their safeguarding measures.

Members asked what specific experience and training prison officers working at Parc in the young people’s unit undertake to make them suitable for working with this age group? Response was that prison officers working in the young people’s unit have the basic package of training with additional training on working with young men and people. The training is similar to training that the Youth Justice Board offers. There are refresher skill courses, but these are not mandatory.

The question was asked if there were any specific challenges in terms of delivering a child-centred culture at the young people’s unit when the adult prison system is much more punitive and what performance targets had to be reached? Members were informed that the performance targets they have to reach are regarding time out of cells and educational targets. The staff work along the same targets as other prisons which are run by the Youth Justice Board.

With regard to the use of the Welsh language, Parc has its own diversity strategy. Welsh speakers are low in numbers. Parc provides more provision on Welsh culture and history.

At Parc Members were told they celebrate many different religions and dominations taking into account festivals and special dietary needs.

Resettlement

The staff at Parc felt that resettlement is good for the 15-17 age group, but things are very different at 18+ years when young people are on their own when they leave. The age group 18 years and over have restricted access to help and they often return to the same environment as when they entered the secure estate.

Staff felt that one to one therapy would work, and there is a need for more specialist courses.

Members wanted to know if there were any key resettlement issues for young offenders and in what ways are these resettlement needs being addressed? A problem staff felt was that young people do not know their rights outside in the community and this should be addressed.

Safeguarding children and young people

Members asked about what safeguarding measures were in place at Parc and how confident are staff that links with Local Safeguarding Children’s Boards in Wales are as effective as possible? The information that Members received was that at the last HM Inspection 94% of inmates reported they felt safe at Parc. With regard to bullying Parc has a violence reduction strategy, which a recent inspection felt was good – this strategy is currently facilitated through the psychology department.

Members were informed that Parc has a complaints system and an advocacy service facilitated by Voice. They also hold monthly community forums with the young people and the young people have regular contact with their youth offending teams.

Members wanted to know what improvements could be made to the way in which YOIs, Youth Offending Teams (YOTs) and Local Authorities work together to safeguard and protect the welfare of young people in custody? Staff felt that Welsh young people needed to have access to the same funding and services as is being provided for their English counterparts for example social worker provision comes from the Department for Children, Schools and Families – at present Parc has no social worker provision – and there are concerns about funding levels. Staff felt that if youth justice were to be devolved there could be problems when young people are transferred between England and Wales – young people expect the same provisions from each establishment. They felt that the positive side of devolving youth justice would be that it could all be focussed in Wales. It is important to ensure that education is the same throughout to have consistency for young people moving around the secure estate.

Members asked about the bullying issues they had been made aware of at YOI Parc and wanted to know what action had been taken to address instances of bullying and violence among young people? Members were informed that there are more behaviour problems in the population over 21. Gangs are dispersed around different prisons in England and Wales. When young men from Wales are held in Ashfield (for example) they tend to stick together as one group from Wales but when they are held at Parc they group together re area they live eg Swansea, Cardiff etc. Great care has to be taken on the balance of area they come from.

At Parc there is an induction period for the young people when they are about to turn 18 years of age – for the changeover into the young adults unit.

Distance from home

Staff were asked based on their experience, what might be the benefits of placing Welsh children and young people closer to their homes in Wales? Staff felt better able to involve families more if they are nearer the homes of the young persons – when families are unable to be involved the Youth Offending Teams are involved.

Parc has family days when young people who have had successes in education are rewarded with their families in attendance.

Staff were asked if they have any concerns about the current lack of sufficient capacity that enables young people to serve their custodial sentences in Wales and if there is any evidence to suggest that young people from Wales would prefer to be held at YOI Parc because it is closer to their homes? Members were informed that the young people prefer being in Wales close to home, but sometimes they need specialist services which are only available at YOIs in England. The ideal situation would be to have all services at Parc for young people however staff felt that was probably impossible, alternatively there could be the possibility of making all the services available in Wales.

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Forum with young people 15–17 years old

Members met with a group of young people in the age group 15-17 years old.

One young person stated that he did not mind being away from home (young person was from England) and preferred it at Parc to Ashfield. He added that the education choices were not as good at Parc - Ashfield was able to provide everything that a college can provide and they offer more vocational training. He felt education at Parc is basically Maths / English.

There is a problem with provision after GCSE level – we were informed by one young person that he had already taken his GCSEs but was unable to progress any further.

We heard evidence regarding experiences before entering the secure estate:

One member of the group had been to a pupil referral unit during his schooling before entering the secure estate - he felt the work at these units is very belittling and not of a high standard which affected his schooling.
The majority felt there were not enough youth clubs for their age group – youth groups mainly cater for 10–15 year olds. They were of the general consensus that they needed things to occupy them.

One of the young people we met was going out on licence and working on project work in Cowbridge.

All of the young people we met in this forum were on the gold regime – they informed us that it is easier to lose it than to gain it – they are reviewed every week.

The young people were asked what changes would they wish to see to the regime at Parc and they recommended more access to the gym and sports activities, with more variety in the sports department as there is only football offered at Parc. They wanted to have more choice in sport and more gym sessions.

Forum with young people 18–21 years old

Members spoke with a group of young people in the age group 18-21 years old.

We were taken into the drug free wing (the young men are tested frequently). Young men in this wing are given more freedom / gym time and allowed more visits. The young men felt that every prison should have a wing for the better behaved prisoners. They informed us that there was no bullying on this wing.

A few of the young men felt that there was a lack of emphasis on healthcare.

They felt that there was a need for vocational training eg bricklaying / plumbing / trainline maintenance work.

When asked about resettlement the young men felt that they would be found somewhere to live when they left.

The young men explained that they are often given custodial sentences for breaching their community orders or licence conditions - eg missing one probation appointment.

The group felt that mistakes made outside are mainly alcohol related – they are bored and turn to drink.

Visit – Wednesday 26 August

Discussion Points

Education Provision:-

Lack of coherent communication between outside agencies and the prison reference young people eg schools, YOT, Social Services, Community Health:-

Educational assessments
Previous / current qualifications
Educational statmenting
Clarity of EMA while in custody

Educational Psychology Provision:-

No current provision for Young People requiring any form of educational psychological assistance
Hence limited provision provided for those Young People with educational difficulties

CAMHS Provision – Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services

No CAMHS provision for Young People in custody in Wales.
This service is paramount for young people with clinical issues – currently Young People are sent over the boarder into England

“Through The Gate” Interventions –

Introduction of interventions that carry the YP out into the community – look at end to end case management

Employability / Resettlement

Assistance in encouraging employers to give young people opportunities while on ROTL and release

Interventions / Rehabilitation
- Increased provision for participation in Restorative Justice
- Lack of accredited Offending Behaviour Programmes for Young People

Annex 5

Note of Visit to Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre

Date: Thursday 2 July 2009

In Attendance:

Assembly Members

Eleanor Burnham AM

Mark Isherwood AM

Committee Service

Karl Gomila, Team Support

Rainsbrook Staff

Vince Raymond, Director of Rainsbrook STC

Cindy Brewster, Head of Youth Offending Services Rainsbrook

Kerry Hearthcole, Head of Psychological Services

Michael Melbourne Senior Teacher

Sue Hardwick Senior Chaplain

Rainsbrook Trainees

Nathan

Ioan

Amber

Sabrina

Ruth and baby Ellisa

Inquiry into Youth Justice: Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre

Purpose of Visit

Staff

Members met a variety of staff members from various different service areas within the institution. They were impressed by the level of professionalism of all the staff at Rainsbrook and their dedication to the trainees in their charge.

Facilities

Members were taken on a tour of the institution.

There are eighty seven trainees at the institution, sixty percent being male and forty percent female. The length of the sentences for the young people varies with the longest sentence being six years, of which three years have already been served, and the shortest being four months on a six day week. The trainees live in fourteen units of either five, six or eight rooms with a communal area and kitchen facilities. Every trainee is checked by a member of staff either every 5 minutes or every 15 minutes. A minimum of two staff members are in attendance in each unit at all times.

There is one enhanced girls’ unit where trainees who have been well behaved may be moved and enjoy improved facilities and privileges such as pool tables, games consoles and wide screen televisions.

The mother and baby unit has three rooms including one which can cater for twins. All of the rooms in the mother and baby unit are en-suite. As from the date of the birth, the mothers are given six weeks to be with the baby, after which the mother begins to go to school again and the child is looked after by nurses or at a crèche while the mother is away. Children are often taken out by childminders so that they experience something of the outside world. Social care options for the child are explored after eighteen months, though this timescale is negotiable with the mother. The staff noted that if the mother and child were outside in the community and not in the training centre then it is possible that the child could be placed in care, whereas within the institution they were confident that the children were looked after well.

With the exception of the trainees who are on the ‘basic’ grade of the rewards and sanctions scheme, all trainees are allowed to decorate their own rooms with items such as posters, and to keep a supply of personal items such as toiletries. When asked what they felt about the cells, one trainee remarked; “It’s not home, but it’s all right.”

Many of the corridors and social areas are decorated with colourful posters, many containing motivational text and images, and the entrance to the centre is decorated with a large, colourful sign which was made by one of the trainees. Further efforts are being made to encourage trainees to create more artwork for display around the institution.

There is a yard area which some of the trainees may use in the evenings and during scheduled social periods during which the interactions of the trainees can be observed. There is also a playground for the mothers to take their children when the yard is not in use.

The facilities include several purpose built classrooms consisting of school desks and a whiteboard. Every classroom contains a projector. Additionally there is an arts and craft room which is well stocked with supplies and is decorated by three large murals which were created by the trainees. There is a well equipped gymnasium and a beauty salon. The institute also has a music room which is equipped with recording facilities and various musical instruments.

Computers are available and trainees have access to the internet, though the access is monitored and there are filters in place to block certain searches and websites. Live events such as musical events are often streamed from the internet to the projectors in the classrooms.

Trainees are in charge of keeping their own rooms clean and tidy and they perform a deep clean of the unit as a team every week. There is a daily cleaning rota and each trainee must undertake two chores every day. Shoes are not worn in the unit to enhance cleanliness and as a sign of respect for their living quarters however appropriate indoor footwear is provided.

Integration into the Institution

Trainees are promptly assessed to determine any specific needs on arrival at the institution. Ex-trainees are occasionally brought in to talk to the trainees about life inside the institution and life after release. One Welsh trainee explained that though she had only been there one day, the institution was “better than I thought it would be”.

Staff said that they were not keen on moving disruptive or difficult trainees away from the institution unless they were wholly uncooperative. They were particularly unwilling to release them to young offenders’ institutions as they were less able to deal with issues such as mental health problems.

One trainee who had stayed at a prison before being moved to Rainsbrook said that she had been “scared” there, that the place was “horrible” and complained of having to “walk round in circles” in the yard for exercise. She pointed out however that she had found it “useful to know what a prison is like”. She also said of her experience of Rainsbrook that “here I feel like I’m in a prison, but I’ve got more stuff and time to be myself”.

Staff stated that previous bad experiences of education were the main barrier to rapid integration. They also claimed that most of the young people came into the institution “kicking and screaming”, but that while many were able to apply for early release, some would choose not to, and some trainees did not want to leave when they had served their time.

Family visits are organised every week to ten days and the institution can subsidise travel and organise some of the arrangements such as booking taxis or organising train tickets.

Education

The trainees at the institution have many different requirements, and each trainee’s education is tailored to their individual needs. Trainees take lessons from 9am to 12pm and again from 2pm to 4pm. As from 4pm, most are engaged in the Offender Behaviour Programme though some take an extra hour of lessons. Physical education takes place every day. Three sessions a day are reserved for talking about any personal issues trainees may have and forty five minutes is spent on group work and key skills.

Each class is composed of eight trainees and two or three staff members. Education is delivered either in the classrooms with trainees sitting at school desks, or in the arts and craft room, the music room, or the salon. Trainees using the salon can gain qualifications in beauty therapy up to NVQ level 2.

One trainee remarked that the “education is brilliant. The best bits are the learning bits.”

Another trainee stated that when she first arrived at the institution she had poor English language skills as it was not her first language. As a consequence of this, she had great difficulty in communicating with staff and other trainees, and this situation had caused her to be disruptive. She added that she had learnt to speak, read and write English whilst at the centre to a level where she felt confident with her English language skills and was now more able to relate and interact with those around her and cope with normal life upon her release. She was very pleased with the learning facilities at the centre.

Health

All trainees receive a mental health and substance misuse assessment shortly after arrival. There are three psychological workers who work closely with the trainees. Sessions are very open on both sides, and trainees are allowed to read their assessments and disclosures. The psychological workers work flexibly and will rearrange scheduled session if there is something else the trainees wish to discuss. Where possible, family members of the trainees are involved in the sessions. Staff found that some of the trainees had previously undiagnosed learning difficulties and mental health issues. Concern was expressed by the staff at the levels of incidents of self harm amongst the trainees.

Medication and diet are closely watched by the staff.

Welsh Language and Cultural Issues

There are five trainees who were residing in Wales prior to their detention at Rainsbrook, four of whom are Welsh. When asked, the Welsh trainees did not express any feelings of isolation, nor did they feel they were singled out because of their background. None of the trainees spoke Welsh, though one had recently expressed an interest in learning and had been provided with books and learning materials by staff. It was noted by staff that it can be easier to obtain translator facilities for languages other than Welsh as there were funding issues and a perceived lack of Welsh translators to work on a one to one basis with young offenders. The staff stated that they were looking at advertising for staff with more diverse skills, particularly language skills.

Behaviour Programme

All trainees are placed on an offender behaviour programme which offers a series of rewards and disincentives revolving around the enhancement or loss of privileges. Privileges include more social time, use of games stations and televisions, and being allowed to cook for themselves more often. For example, trainees are allowed to cook for themselves as a group once a month however we were informed during the visit that one of the units had recently lost this privilege due to poor behaviour. The two enhanced units contain more entertainment equipment and provide a more pleasant space, with more personal items being allowed in the rooms. These units are reserved for trainees who consistently demonstrate good behaviour over a period of several months.

The staff were pleased to note that the levels of physical restraint used on the trainees had dropped since they started keeping records in 2002. The restraint techniques had also been re-evaluated in order to decrease the risk of harm to the trainees.

Restorative Justice

The staff felt that restorative justice was key to the rehabilitation of the offenders however although restorative justice is used, this is mostly applied to internal matters between the trainees in the institution such as bullying or conflict resolution. Weekly meetings are also held to discuss these two issues and other related topics. It was noted that it is difficult to enact restorative justice between an offender and the victim of the crime due to the distance between the offender in the institution and the victim. The staff pointed out that where possible they organised family conferences and tried to directly involve the offenders’ families in the justice process.

Distance from Home

Whilst the Welsh trainees did not express a great deal of displeasure at being so far from home, they were quick to point out the advantages of being closer to home and agreed that they would prefer to be nearer to their homes. They noted that being closer to home would mean less travel when they were released, more frequent visits, and greater support from friends and relatives. One trainee described the distance issue as being “a shock”. Another trainee stated that he had previously been in Hillside and had tried to be relocated back there in order to be closer to home, but that he had been unable to do so as he had been told that if he wanted to be in Wales he would have to be placed in a prison. Staff explained that in some cases the young people were placed in institutions based on the availability of beds due to capacity issues within the sector.

Causes of Offending

Most of the trainees were not able to explain clearly why they had come to commit offences, nor were they able to suggest how it could have been avoided. Peer pressure was offered as a main cause. Some stated that a poor home environment caused them to be disruptive. Some also said that the circle of friends they were with either had a bad influence on them or caused them to try to be more disruptive and antisocial than the others in the group in order to gain acceptance. Boredom at school was a primary cause for disruptiveness in school though the caveat that “everybody else was disruptive” was added. Most agreed that they would have preferred an alternative to school. Some of the trainees had turned to the use of drugs which they said also unduly influenced their behaviour and encouraged their offending, though some claimed that they began to use drugs because their friends used them and thereafter it became habitual. Most agreed that there was nobody in school or anywhere else to whom they felt they could turn for help, nor was it felt that there was any support available for the drugs users though it was stated that even if support had been on hand they would not have used it. All agreed that they were generally just “talked at” by teachers and others who had offered support, and that they felt nobody was willing to listen to them. They agreed that “that could have been done better”. One trainee stated that he did not believe that he needed help until the second time that he had been sentenced for offending. The staff agreed that support from the community in general, both before sentencing and after release was not as good as it could be, though they were quick to praise the social services available to the trainees on release.

The trainees stated that on release it would be difficult not to reoffend and that they needed to learn how to avoid doing so. They believed that it was not a question of having improved facilities available to them, but more a case of how they were treated on release that would help them not to reoffend. None of the trainees had any concrete plans after release. Some stated that they would not keep the same circle of friends, whilst others were nervous about being sent back to the same environment that caused them to fall into negative behaviours. It was noted by the Director that they had seen examples of trainees deliberately re-offending after release in order to be able to return to the institution. The staff said that they needed to be able to access information on three and five year reoffending rates as they do not have the necessary data to assess the success of their work and modify programmes accordingly. They mentioned that Ofsted was commissioning research on this. They expressed the view that it was not possible to break the cycle of reoffending for the hardest to reach young people without an intensive and structured residential model.

Annex 6

Note of Visit to HMYOI Stoke Heath

Date: Thursday 13 August 2009
Location: HMYOI Stoke Heath

In Attendance:

Assembly Members

Eleanor Burnham AM

Mark Isherwood AM

Committee Service

Annette Millett, Deputy Clerk

HMYOI Stoke Heath Staff

John Huntington, Governor

P J Butler, Deputy Governor

Jeff Lane

Neil Miles

Donna Insull

Mohammed Rahman

Neil Phillips

Bill Meah

Matt Kirkbright

Dave Vasilonka

Inquiry into Youth Justice: HMYOI Stoke Heath

Purpose of Visit

At the time of the visit Stoke Heath held 71 Welsh young offenders, 14 young people and 57 young adults. Five of the young adults spoke Welsh as their first language and they held no young people who spoke Welsh as their first language.

Children’s Rights

During the visit Members asked for examples of work that has been undertaken at YOI Stoke Heath to ensure it has a culture centred on the child and how this is reviewed and monitored.

Staff informed the Members that they review and monitor to ensure they have a child centred culture and that they are meeting the needs of the young people using a number of methods, including:

Youth Justice Board Monitor – a monthly visit to ensure that they are meeting the specifications and contractual obligations agreed by the YJB and Prison Service.
HMPS Women & Young People’s Group – a monthly visit looking at the same areas and advising them on best practice, progress and improvements.
HMIP Inspections – Approximately every two years (but frequency has recently increased for establishments holding young people) measuring them against the juvenile expectations and what they expect them to have in place for this specific age group.
Standards Audit – External Audit team who inspect compliance against Prison Service standards, including those specific to children approximately every two years.
Measuring The Quality of Prison Life Juvenile Survey – A survey carried out every two years examining young people’s views, treatment and experiences of life at Stoke Heath. (Independent survey carried out by psychologists and consists of discussion groups and questionnaires).

Staff were asked for their views about the commitment the Welsh Government has made to treating young people who offend as “children first, offenders second”. This raises issues around the appropriateness of Young Offender Institutions for young people – especially, those aged 15-18 years (eg YOIs are often seen to be “offender-focused”).

Members heard from various staff members that YOIs do focus on offence related work but that is not all they do. They often work with the most troubled, violent and difficult young people with success and work around other areas like:

Drug detoxification and rehabilitation.
Support with thinking, planning and lifestyle changes.
Assistance with benefit, accommodation and healthcare needs.
CAMHS mental health assessment and intervention.
Developing social skills in a supportive environment.
Improving exercise and diet.
Opportunities to access education, training and employment.
A predictable, focussed and productive routine, balanced against constructive use of leisure time.
Opportunities to attend team building and developmental courses in the community on release or on temporary licence eg Prince’s Trust.
Celebrating success – Events attended by young people to recognise and reward educational and behavioural attainments.
Rebuilding family relationships where they have broken down, through relate counselling services.

Giving appropriate responsibility – young people act as support to others through a buddy scheme.

Members wanted to find out in what ways does the regime and approach to managing young people aged 15-18 years old and those aged 18-21 differ at Stoke Heath.

They were informed that Stoke Heath operates a separate and distinct regime with a dedicated Young People’s Governor, other managers and staff have specific training around the needs of the age group and wear a “softer uniform”.

There is also:

A greater staff to young offender ratio.
All staff are trained in JASP1 & JASP 2 (nationally recognised training for staff working with this age group).
A greater focus on education, training and development.
A strong emphasis on child protection and safeguards procedures,
CAHMS in reach support.
Each young offender is allocated to an internal YOT worker who will liaise with the external YOT on their behalf.
Disciplinary measures are less harsh and are age appropriate.
There is a focus on rewarding the positive.

Time out and individual one to one work for those that struggle in a group setting.

Staff Training and Experience

Staff were asked what specific experience and training do prison officers working at Stoke Heath have to make them suitable for working with this age group.

During the day we were informed that Prison officers are drawn from all walks of life including a range of professions, age groups, backgrounds and experiences. All officers undergo an initial generic training programme to work as a prison officer that includes elements like: inter-personal skills, de-escalation of confrontation and incidents and role modelling. Officers who then go on to work with young people complete further training in JASP 1 & 2 which is specific training around child protection and understanding the thoughts, experiences and aspirations of the age group. These are pass or fail courses and would sift out someone unsuitable or without the skills to work with the age group.

Safeguarding children and young people

The question was asked about what ways are instances of bullying, intimidation and violence among young people addressed at Stoke Heath.

The answer we received was that Stoke Heath operates a zero tolerance approach to all forms of anti-social behaviour, including bullying, intimidation and violence and the establishment’s Safeguards Team support the wing staff that monitor, challenge and run programmes and interventions around tackling and changing such behaviour.

They hold regular reviews with young people who fall under these procedures and invite their parents into the establishment to contribute to the review where possible.

They offer support strategies around coping for victims of bullying or violence.

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faced in working with Welsh Youth Offending Teams (YOTs) and Local Authorities to safeguard and protect the welfare of young people in custody and in planning their release.

Speaking to various staff on the visit we were told that YOT teams across the country vary greatly some are good and others not so good. It very much depends on who is working in the teams. One main complaint which was repeated was that when the young people leave Stoke Heath they do not receive any feedback, resulting in staff having no way of assessing if the work they have completed with the young person has benefitted them or made a change to their behaviour. Without information being filtered back into the YOIs they have no idea if they are breaking the reoffending cycle or not.

Members asked what access to independent advocacy services are made available to Welsh young offenders whilst in custody and upon their release? Is this the same for all young people?

The response was that Barnardos operate an advocacy service at Stoke Heath. Their role and independence is explained to all young people as part of their induction process.

Advocates are available daily and in the evenings on a rota and they also offer support during adjudications.

They can be accessed by young people speaking to them in passing, by application and through a free telephone number which is advertised next to the telephone, this is open to all young people at Stoke Heath.

Arrangements on release would be through the YOT and what is available in the home community of the trainee.

Staff were asked what complaints procedures are in place at Stoke Heath and how child-friendly are they and how are the complaints investigated?

Staff informed Members that children at Stoke Heath have a number of avenues open to them if they wish to raise issues and concerns:

Formal request and complaint system – Issues are normally discussed and resolved at the lowest level usually by the personal officer. If not happy with this the young person can submit a written complaint form. Forms are available on all residential units in a discrete area and completed forms are placed in a locked box which is opened daily by the complaints clerk who is the only person with access to the keys. Complaints are allocated to the most appropriate person to investigate the issues raised and the young offender receives a reply within set timescales. Complaints marked confidential access go directly to the governor. This system is explained to all young people during their induction programme and notices on the wing are written in child friendly language to explain how the system works. The complaint boxes are situated in areas where young people can have private access to them without staff observation.

Advocates and IMB – Both groups will explore or raise issues on behalf of individuals.

Governors Application – Young people can make an application to speak to their residential Governor about any issues.

Racial Incident Reporting Form (other diversity issues are also dealt with using a Diversity Incident Reporting Form) – Confidential system to report incidents of a racial or diversity nature to the equality and diversity officer, who conducts an investigation, and will make recommendations to the Governor who Chairs the Equality & Diversity Action Team before a reply is given to the young person submitting the form. These procedures are also explained during Induction. Forms are available on the wing and are also placed in a discrete complaints box. All investigations are countersigned by the Governor and assured by an independent external person.

Young Offender Consultation Meetings – A monthly meeting where a representative from each residential unit attends and raises issues requests and/or complaints on behalf of the residents from each area

Members asked if there was any evidence that young people held at Stoke Heath might be intimidated or bullied by other prisoners because of their nationality?

We were told that concerns had been raised earlier this year from young people stating that they were being bullied by other young people due to their nationality. The incidents were reported using the Racist Incident reporting system and they were addressed by the Equality and Diversity Officer.

Information provided by Stoke Heath showed that to date this year, over 85 Racist Incident reporting forms had been submitted and of these two related to the issue of Welsh nationality. Similar issues have been reported from young people stating they are from Birmingham and are being bullied by young people from Manchester and Liverpool. We were told that there is no evidence to suggest only Welsh young people are encountering these concerns and the same reporting, investigating, support and feedback is provided to everyone.

Distance from home

Members asked staff that based on their experience of working with young people who have family living close by, what might be the benefits of placing Welsh young people closer to their homes in Wales? Is there any evidence to suggest that young people from Wales would prefer to be held closer to their homes?

Due to the location in rural Shropshire very few young people have family who live close by. A large group of the Welsh young people are from Wrexham which is approx 30 miles away and one of the closest population areas, compared to all groups. Another large group come from North Wales (Rhyl / Colwyn Bay areas) which is approximately one hour’s journey by car and compares to young people whose families travel from Liverpool (which is one of the larger population groups).

We were told that the majority of Welsh young people are closer to their homes than their English counterparts as the young people population includes Manchester, Liverpool, Nottingham, Derbyshire and the Midlands and they have been known to accommodate young people from as far afield as London.

Young People from other establishments apply to transfer to Stoke Heath, because apart from Altcourse in Liverpool and Parc, they are one of the closest prisons to Wales.

They also have a number of staff who are Welsh and who live in Wales and travel into work.

Young people may feel more comfortable or settled in a prison where the majority of others are of the same group or nationality; however it was not felt that Welsh young people are disadvantaged by distance from home especially compared to other groups.

Staff were asked what arrangements were in place to help support Welsh families visiting young people held at YOI Stoke Heath and if Welsh young people see their families and friends less often than their English counterparts?

Members received the following information that families can access and apply to The Assisted Visits scheme if there are financial issues around visiting and they are in receipt of benefit they may be eligible for financial assistance towards the cost of visiting.

New Father Visit – In spite of the age group a number of young people are parents themselves and they are offered confidential more hands on visits in the chapel for lads who have recently become parents. This is usually coupled with a course that is run called “Being Dad” where quite often it is the first time the dad has met the new arrival.

Private visits and support can be arranged where there is a family crisis or bereavement issue.

Stoke Heath holds family days where lads can spend a longer period with their family and activities will be set up to enable them to play with and bond with brothers and sisters.

Families are invited to YOT meetings and the external YOT will usually bring them along, family input and support is a vital part of this process.

Families who travel from a long distance (say South or West Wales) would be able to request a longer visit to make the journey worthwhile.

It was not felt that Welsh young people see their families any less than other groups, although they have individuals who receive no visits where the family relationship has broken down.

“Welsh Issues” in Custody

Members wanted to know what Welsh language facilities are available at Stoke Heath? For example, do Welsh speaking young people have access to Welsh classes and Welsh literature? Are Welsh speakers able to speak Welsh to their families on the telephone or other Welsh speakers at YOI Stoke Heath?

We learnt that Welsh speaking young people have access to Welsh classes; these take place on a Monday afternoon for 18 – 21 year olds and on a Friday afternoon for 15 – 18 year olds. The classes are attended voluntarily, usually discussed with the Welsh curriculum co-ordinator upon induction. Any young person/adult with an address in Wales can put their name down for classes. The classes are taught by a Welsh speaker and lead to NOCN qualifications at Level One.

Members visited the library and were shown a number of newly updated Welsh resources in the library chosen by a group of Welsh young people in 2007 funded by the Welsh Government’s “Your Voice Your Choice” ESF project. The resources include a number of bi-lingual books and CD ROMs, Welsh language books – fact and fiction, a range of English language books about Wales and Welsh culture, Welsh dictionaries and ‘teach yourself Welsh’ books and CD ROMs.

Opportunities for young people to continue with their studies prior to being sentenced are also available within the education department.

Staff were asked that based on their experience of working with Welsh young people in custody, was there any evidence to suggest that young offenders from Wales might have different needs than their English counterparts? Are there any specific “Welsh issues” at Stoke Heath?

Other than the language issue, which has been covered by the above question, we were told that there was no evidence to suggest there are any further needs specific to Welsh young people/adults.

Education and training

Members asked if a challenging area for young people from Wales who are held in custody in England is that of access to the Welsh curriculum. Education and training courses at Stoke Heath are provided by The Manchester College. What action should the YJB and Welsh Government take to improve education provision for young offenders from Wales?

We were told that learners from Wales are able to access the Welsh curriculum through the implementation of the Cwricwlwm Cymreig throughout the schemes of work delivered by a variety of courses within the education department, as suggested by the ‘Extending Entitlement’ document.

Learners are also able to continue with work previously undertaken, should that work be forwarded on by parents, YOTs or their previous schools and colleges. The education department offers the opportunity for learners to sit exams if they have been registered with an exam board prior to being sentenced and will liaise with schools and colleges in order for this to occur.

OCR Adult Literacy and Numeracy exams are also available for learners to take in Welsh language should they be requested, as are exams in Food & Hygiene and Health & Safety.

Healthcare

It was asked what are the issues for Welsh young people with mental health needs in terms of access to the treatment and support services they need whilst in custody and in planning their release? What improvements in mental health provision are needed?

We were told that primary and secondary mental health services are provided equally for all young people within the establishment, regardless of home area. The services were set up, to encompass systems that would work across all areas including Wales. This is because the catchment area for young people is wide, and all services have to be provided with this in mind.

The only issue that may arise is that continuity plans for release may not be done on a face to face basis for professionals due to travel issues.

The medical staff were asked in what ways does the need to work with different agencies in Wales mean that Welsh young people are treated differently to their English counterparts in terms of healthcare provision? For example, what implications do the different commissioning arrangements in Wales have in terms of access to hospital treatment for Welsh young people?

We were told that whilst there are different commissioning arrangements for hospital care, this has not caused any concern for mental health transfers that they have had.

Resettlement and Aftercare

Members want to know what are the key resettlement issues for Welsh young offenders held at Stoke Heath and in what ways are these being addressed?

Accommodation. NACRO worker in situ, and Offender Supervisors in the event of the young offender coming under the Offender Management model. Regular visits are made to Stoke Heath by staff from Shelter and Prison Link Wales to assist in obtaining accommodation and providing support upon release.
Training / education. They identify young people who have an interest in pursuing training upon release; they liaise with local colleges and training providers to obtain prospectuses / application forms, complete and arrange interviews. This is done by the education and resettlement staff.
Employment. Job Centre Plus employee works at Stoke Heath four days a week. Arranges ‘fresh start’ appointments as soon as possible following release, and conducts job searches so that young people are aware of job availability in the areas of work in which they are interested. Also chases up any benefits that may be owed to young people from prior to custody, and arranges for these funds to be credited.
Debt. Liaison with creditors to negotiate debt freeze, possible reduction and repayment programme, if appropriate. Done by Stoke Heath resettlement staff.
Family. Any issues regarding difficult family relationships can be addressed by referring to Relate, subject obviously to young offender request

Members wanted to know if there were any particular challenges in working with different agencies in Wales to resettle young people than when compared to their English counterparts – for example, the Connexions Service and Careers Wales?

Members were made aware in the education department that they were experiencing difficulties with seeing representatives from Careers Wales and Connexions Service in England.

Staff were asked to what extent are local authorities and local partnerships in Wales meeting their duties and responsibilities around resettlement and how might this be improved?

Staff advised that the 28 day duty to accommodate law that applies in Wales means finding accommodation is significantly easier for Welsh than English young people.

NACRO advise that local authorities in Wales are far less likely to attempt to absolve their duty to accommodate young people on the grounds that the individual made himself intentionally homeless by offending, than their English counterparts.

Speaking to young people during the visit Members were made aware of problems with bail hostels – there are few specifically for young people. Members spoke with one young person who broke his terms of probation in order to return to Stoke Heath where he felt safer.

In what ways might the appointment of a dedicated ‘Welsh’ social worker post at Stoke Heath help to improve resettlement and aftercare provision access for Welsh children?

We were informed that they already had a full time senior social worker; however a “Welsh” social worker post would clearly bring an extra dimension in understanding the specific issues and needs facing that group.

The suitability of YOIs for young people

Members asked the question regarding the evidence heard from The Howard League for Penal Reform who said that all young people under 18 years of age should be removed from YOIs and what might be the benefits of increased secure children’s home and YOI provision for this age group?

The response received was that the young people that are sent to YOIs are often the most difficult to manage from the age group and in cases where they may struggle to cope in custody they can and have referred successfully for a placement in a secure children’s home. The last young person they did this for was allocated back to YOI conditions after a short period as the secure children’s home could not cope with him.

They consider that prison is usually a last resort for this age group and a range of options will have been considered before this stage is reached including intermediate sanctions and secure children’s homes. It should be noted that some of the most violent children and young people YOIs manage can pose a significant risk to other children.

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