Children's home rated just "satisfactory" (From Hampshire Chronicle)

Children's home rated just "satisfactory"

8:20am Sunday 21st February 2010 in

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HAMPSHIRE'S only secure children's home has been given just a "satisfactory" overall rating by inspectors.

Sixteen boys and girls, aged between 10 to 17 are locked up at Swanwick Lodge in Swanwick, near Fareham.

Of these 13 are young offenders sent by the courts because they are classed as vulnerable and three local authority welfare placements.

The county council-run home - the only secure children's unit in the south-east - was previously judged "good."

The Ofsted and social care inspectors, who scrutinised care, security and education at the home, made 12 recommendations for improvement.

They included filling teacher vacancies and a head of education post.

Councillor David Kirk, who is responsible for children's services, said: "My interpretation of "satisfactory" is that it is only adequate. I would want that to be improved. We clearly need to get a head of education in there to lift those standards."

The Ofsted and secure social care inspectors found the home was "clean, bright and well maintained and offers young people a safe, secure and pleasant environment to live in."

They said no youngsters had escaped from the secure perimeter and visits were managed to protect them from "contraband."

Facilities include a games room, gym and therapy rooms for visiting professionals including psychiatrists, midwives, drug and alcohol misuse workers.

The report said the home, which has CCTV in all the public areas, was committed to reducing the use of physical restraint.

Bullying was quickly tackled if it was seen or reported and there were procedures in place to prevent suicide and self-harm.

It said staff related well to the young people and relationships are "generally highly positive and professional."

But care staff needed to be more involved in the classroom and individual behaviour management strategies, such as exclusion from class, approved by managers.

At present the Youth Justice Board sponsors 13 places at Swanwick Lodge.

County bosses plan to earn extra income by placing fewer Hampshire children in care there to make space for placements from other local authorities and possibly extend the unit.

The county council runs 11 children's homes. The only other home to get a satisfactory rating is six-bed Crossways in Basingstoke. The other nine were all judged "good."