25th March 2011
The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) carried out detailed inspections of each of the children detention schools in 2010. Below is a brief summary of the findings in relation to each facility.
Oberstown Girls School
Oberstown Girls School accepts girls aged between 10 and 18 years, for both remand and on conviction. The stated capacity of the school is 8 girls. The inspection by HIQA took place in June 2010.
The findings of the inspection indicate that good standards are maintained in relation to contact with families; the provision of healthcare; the quality and choice of food; education; and religion. The young women interviewed in the inspection also reported that the staff were friendly and easy to talk to, and that they felt well looked after.
The use of single separation was highlighted as a concern in the inspection report, with the inspectors noting a marked increase in this practice on the previous year. The provision of aftercare was also found to be below standard. The young women also reported having limited knowledge regarding their rights and making external complaints.
Oberstown Boys School
Oberstown Boys School accommodates male young offenders aged between 10 and 16 years. It has 20 places; 12 for committal and 8 for remand. The inspection by HIQA took place in May 2010.
The inspection praised the good relationship and interaction between the young men and staff. Effective planning was also observed, and the parents and family of the young men were regularly consulted in this respect. The young men maintained regular contact with their families. Engagement with education and offending behaviour programmes was noted to be high.
The inspection raised concerns, however, regarding the quality of the accommodation provided for the young men, particularly highlighting the deterioration of some of the buildings and poor ventilation in some bedrooms. The issue of single separation was also raised, but a reduction in this practice was evident.
Trinity House School
Trinity House School accommodates male young offenders aged between 10 and 16 years. At the time of the inspection it had 17 places; 14 for committal and 3 for remand. There is provision for an additional 3 spaces in a step-down facility, but at the time of the inspection residential care in this facility was not available. The inspection took place in April/May 2010.
The young men in the facility maintained good contact with their families, with staff facilitating visits from family members. High standards regarding education and religion were observed, and the quality of food was noted to be good.
While the children had access to good information regarding complaints mechanisms and contacting the Ombudsman for Children, many were unsure of their rights and had little confidence in the complaints system. Single separation was highlighted, with the poor decor and lack of natural light in the room used for single separation being noted as a concern. There was no system in place for notifying parents, social workers and solicitors when single separation was used.
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Respect for rights in the penal system with prison as a last resort.