Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 21
21
Accepted
The secure school will be registered as an SCH, although, designed with 49 places, it...
Recommendation
The secure school will be registered as an SCH, although, designed with 49 places, it will be significantly bigger than a SCH.71 One consequence of its registration as a SCH is that the manager could refuse to accept a particular child. We asked the Ministry and HMPPS how they are managing the risk of children being refused a place. HMPPS told us that it is working in partnership with Oasis to agree the criteria on use of places. It expects the secure school to take a broad range of children (boys and girls), but it also described how placement decisions will be made in line with the existing statutory obligation to do 62 Q46 63 Q44–Q45, Q49 64 Q26; C&AG’s Report, para 3.10 65 Q29–Q30 66 Q26 67 Q25; C&AG’s Report, para 3.12, 3.15 68 Q32–Q33; C&AG’s Report Figure 13, para 3.11 69 Q32 70 Q33 71 Q49 Secure training centres and secure schools 15 what is in the best interests of the child.72 HMPPS told that if placing a child in the new Medway secure school is not in the child’s best interest, they would expect to look for an alternative, whether that is a SCH, STC or YOI.73 The Ministry and HMPPS told us that they expect the Funding Agreement to facilitate this partnership approach to placing children although HMPPS has not yet set out how it intends to do so.74 Evaluation
Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the recommendation and plans to supplement the Funding Agreement with handbooks, adapt the ‘ladders of intervention’ approach, and ensure the secure school is committed to providing a 49-bed service suitable for the full range of the custody cohort.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
5.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: December 2022 5.2 The Funding Agreement (the legal contracting vehicle between the Ministry and secure school providers) will be supplemented by handbooks on finance, governance and assurance (setting out requirements and expectations on the secure school provider, including performance). The Funding Agreement package is being completed and will detail performance reporting and issue management. It will adapt the ‘ladders of intervention’ approach from the Department for Education to drive improvements, escalating through formal directions and termination where required. 5.3 In addition to these arrangements, the secure school will be accountable to its governing trust. There will be independent monitoring of the quality of care in place per Regulation 44 of the Children’s Home Regulations 2015 and Ofsted will have comprehensive regulatory powers under the Care Standards Act 2000 when the secure school opens. 5.4 As a registered children’s home, the secure school will have a statutory right to refuse a placement if it believes the child cannot be safely or properly accommodated or, when accommodating, it would have a detrimental impact on other children at the school. Clauses within the Funding Agreement will ensure the school is committed to providing a 49-bed service suitable for the full range of the custody cohort, and that the statutory right to refuse is exercised appropriately. 5.5 The secure school provider has a legal obligation (per Section 10 of the Academies Act 2010) to consult the local community on whether it should enter into the Funding Agreement. This consultation must be concluded, and the findings considered prior to the Funding Agreement being signed.