Young offenders return to secure school after door fiasco

England’s first secure school has reopened to young offenders after almost a year following a faulty doors fiasco that saw the children it houses “barge” their way through them and roam the facility.

Oasis Restore, in Kent, closed to resolve the issues after inspectors found youngsters could move “more freely” around the site, leaving others to fear for their safety.

But four weeks ago – 10 months after shutting – inspectors paved the way for it to reopen, as they declared the concerns had been addressed.

Oasis Charitable Trust founder Steve Chalke told Schools Week: “We are secure. We’ve got the doors and have been running for three or four weeks.

“It’s a fantastic relief. This is what children need – we need a therapeutic way forward in terms of youth justice because we know nothing else actually works.”

Concerns addressed

The worries centred on doors at the facility which it had discovered “can’t withstand somebody trying to barge their way through them”.

Ofsted said this meant youngsters to move “more freely” in some areas, leading some to create their own weapons “out of everyday items after the issue” because “they have not always felt safe recently”.

But inspectors decided the facility could reopen following visits in May and June, with the previously identified “safety and security concerns… addressed”.

Chalke estimated that over 100 doors have been replaced with ones that have been used in other facilities and “never been breached”.

An inspection report, published this week, noted leaders “have developed a suitable staged plan to initially accept a small number of children into the home’s care”, before gradually increasing it over the coming weeks.

Staff have also been “trained in a new model of physical intervention”. Feedback indicates “they feel confident to use these new de-escalation techniques and, when required, physical interventions safely”.

The report said staff believe the “introduction of project-based learning” will also improve lesson attendance.

Welcome issues

However, the report said managers have recognised children being admitted to the home cannot have access to other youngsters “until their risks and vulnerabilities have been understood”.

They have singled out a part of the site to use as a welcome area.

“However, there are currently some risks associated with the way children can access this area, and some parts of it are not suitable for children to use,” it added.

“There is a risk of a fall from height due to an exposed railing at the top of the stairs, one door in the area has not been upgraded and the toilet has not been adapted for use by children.”

Managers are aware the area cannot be used until Ofsted’s specialist architect “has agreed that the planned adaptations have been carried out and are suitable”.

Leaders have drawn up plans that allow “time for remedial works to be completed before the temporary admissions area is used”.

‘Revolution’

The government wants secure schools and similar smaller units to replace secure training centres and young offender institutions.

Secure schools were first recommended in the 2016 Taylor review of the youth justice system, which called for education to be central to the government’s response to help rehabilitate children in custody.

Oasis Restore, which is based at the former Medway Secure Training Centre, is the only one of its kind in the country.

The school hoping to empty prisons and cut reoffending

Despite this, the prototype scheme, once dubbed “a revolution in youth justice”, opened four years late and £35 million over budget.

Chalke added: “We’ve been prevented from doing our work for 12 months. We’re working with children often who’ve never been given the opportunities that they need.

“Restore is designed to look at the root causes of criminality and deal with that, rather than warehouse people who’ve committed until they’re released and go on to re-commit crime.”