Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 4
4
Accepted
The first secure school has not yet opened, more than six years after it was...
Recommendation
The first secure school has not yet opened, more than six years after it was recommended, and costs have spiralled. Originally HMPPS planned for the secure school to open by autumn 2020, but it now aims to open the first secure school at the former Medway STC site in November 2023. It has also added a further three months of contingency into the new timetable so now it may not open until February 2024. This is more than seven years after the Taylor Review was published. The delay is partly because the Ministry failed to recognise, at the start, the need to pass legislation to permit a secure school to be run by a charity. The Ministry originally estimated it would cost £4.9 million to refurbish and convert the former Medway STC site to a secure school, but having developed its understanding of the requirements, it now estimates that it will cost £40 million. This is the same as its initial capital cost estimate for building a brand new secure school. The Ministry accepts that its original estimate was significantly insufficient and accepts that it should have done more due diligence to understand the requirements for secure children’s home registration. Recommendation: The Ministry and HMPPS should provide assurance that they now have firm control over the remaining timetable and costs to delivering the first secure school. They should also provide an update to the Committee on progress against the timetable in six months’ time.
Government Response Summary
The government will provide an update on progress against the timetable for opening the first secure school in January 2023, noting that the full business case has been approved and governance structures are in place to keep the project on track.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. opening the first secure school. The full business case, which has received all necessary approvals, set out the revised funding profile (including risk contingency and optimism bias elements) and opening date range for the secure school. As with all major projects, the Ministry and HMPPS have in place formal governance structures to ensure the project remains on track to deliver within these parameters. Layers of assurance and guidance are also in place in relation to the operating model to ensure progress is maintained and is informed by best practice. The project reports to Oasis Restore Project Board, the YCS Transformation Board (chaired by the Senior Responsible Owner for the Project – the Executive Director of the YCS), and the Ministry’s Investment Committee (chaired by the Chief Operating Officer), with a focus on ensuring delivery within time and cost tolerances. The government commits to providing the Committee with an update on progress against the timetable in January 2023.