Education limited within secure care

Work between youth offending teams, schools and colleges is limited, according to a study by Ofsted.

The report evaluated the effectiveness of the arrangements for discharging young people and resettling them into the community after living in care.

Over four hundred people, including one hundred and seventy five young people contributed to the survey.

Managers, specialist staff, young people and their families were surveyed during visits to 16 children’s homes between July 2009 and January 2010.

Participants were asked how they thought secure establishments addressed the individual needs and rights of young people in relation to training and vocational education.

They were also asked to evaluate how care homes take education, employment and training opportunities are taken into account.

The report, Admission and Discharge from Secure Accommodation, has called for guaranteed education or training placements to be arranged when young people move out of secure settings.

Children are placed into a secure setting for one of two reasons: for welfare reasons (if their behaviour is placing themselves or others at significant risk) or sometimes to serve part of a custodial sentence.

Between 2003 and 2007, over 70 per cent of 10-17 year-olds released from secure accommodation went on to commit further offences.

While this behaviour is likely to be caused by a number of factors it’s clear that the services currently available – including education and training are not preventing re-offending.

The correlation between education, offending and re-offending has been well documented. A previous survey suggested that young people are committing twice as many crimes as those in mainstream education.

However, in many of the secure establishments surveyed, the work done to prepare young for a successful transition into education, training and employment was well managed.

The report stated: “A worker from a youth offending team said that discharge planning at the centre with which he was working was excellent.

“As well as receiving a ‘brilliant’ education, young people could be confident that their health needs were taken carefully into account and that they received emotional support in abundance.

“The centre also helped them to make a successful transition into further education and training. One young person that the worker was responsible for had a college placement arranged by the centre and she was supported to integrate into her new placement.”

Although the survey suggested that work between youth offending teams and educational authorities is “limited”, work done to prepare young people for their transition has been well received by many youths.

One youth surveyed said: “When you were on ‘graduate level’ on the rewards scheme, staff expect a lot of you. They respect you and it’s nice to know this.”

Mark Astley