A secure children’s home rated “inadequate” by Ofsted a year ago because youngsters suffered “unlawful, painful” physical restraint and unjustified solitary confinement for up to three days has turned around its fortunes and is now classed as “good”. The government watchdog’s latest inspection of Vinney Green found South Gloucestershire Council, which runs the unit in Emersons Green, had made major improvements in the last 12 months.
Its report, published on May 31 following the three-day visit in April, said the home was now “lively but relaxed” and awarded a rating of “good” in every category assessed – overall, education and learning, health, how well children and young people are helped and protected, and the effectiveness of leaders and managers. It was a very different story in June 2022 when Ofsted demanded urgent action, criticised the local authority for “repeated failures” over several years and said the Youth Custody Service had stopped placing kids at the home amid “serious concerns about children’s care, safety and wellbeing”.
At the time, the council accepted there were “practices happening which shouldn't have been” and took immediate steps to address them. A full reinspection last August concluded that improvements were still needed, and a subsequent monitoring visit found youngsters felt “safe”.
Read more: Vinney Green secure unit uses 'unlawful, painful' physical restraint of youngsters, Ofsted finds
The latest report said: “Children develop positive relationships with staff and benefit from predictable structures and routines. An inclusive culture which promotes equality and diversity enables children to explore their developing sense of identity.
“Children appreciate the support they receive from staff and recognise that they have made good progress as a result of living in the home. Children’s views are valued. They are closely involved in developing their written care and support plans.
“As a result, the plans describe children’s choices about how to care for them and how to help them when they are struggling to manage their emotions.” It said youngsters influenced decisions about the day-to-day running of the home by having meetings to make choices about menus, activities and resources.
“Staff make good use of the facilities to ensure that children can participate in activities that support their individual talents and interests,” Ofsted said. “Children are also encouraged to join in group activities.
“This helps them to learn how to build relationships with each other and with staff which are based on trust and respect. The result is an atmosphere which is lively but relaxed.”
Inspectors said youngsters learned valuable life skills to prepare them for independent life and that taking part in work experience improved their self-esteem and confidence that they can achieve their career goals. The report said children’s moves when leaving the unit were “planned thoughtfully and well” and that outreach support was provided, including an offer of pastoral and spiritual support from an imam.
It said youngsters were encouraged to maintain regular contact with their families and that professionals from local authorities spoke highly of the home. “The social worker for one child said, ‘The staff have been amazing. They were excellent at applying a therapeutic approach to the child’s daily care. They had a great deal of knowledge about the complexities surrounding her needs and went above and beyond to help with the transition into the community’,” the report said.
It said: “Children know how to make a complaint if they are unhappy about any aspect of their care. They receive a written response from managers that includes information about how to escalate their concerns if they are unhappy with the outcome.
“However, records of complaints do not consistently capture whether children are satisfied with the actions which have been taken in response to the complaint.”
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