HMYOI Wetherby and Keppel – lack of progress for children
Outcomes for children held in HMYOI Wetherby – the largest young offender institution (YOI) in the country – were found by inspectors to have declined in the provision of purposeful activity and resettlement. Although the number of children had been much reduced, the prison had lost ground, inspectors said, partly due to the pandemic.
The inspection, carried out by HM Inspectorate of Prisons in December 2021, also found that outcomes had deteriorated in all healthy prison tests in Wetherby’s Keppel unit, holding some of the most vulnerable children in the young people’s estate. Referring to the Keppel Unit, Charlie Taylor, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, said:
Inspectors saw a disappointing fall in standards. At the time of the inspection it felt more like another wing of the main prison rather than provision for a vulnerable group of children with a range of complex needs.
Children on the unit, which had high levels of self-harm, no longer benefited from a unique therapeutic environment. Mr Taylor said that the prison’s leadership needed to re-establish the unit’s aims and select and train suitable staff to recover its distinct purpose.
The inspection found that progress for children at Wetherby had been hindered by its unwieldy and constantly changing management team, but it had opened up the regime more quickly from COVID-19 restrictions than other sites. Despite this, children still spent too long in their cells and were unlocked for only six hours a day on weekdays and fewer than five at weekends.
The decline in outcomes in resettlement work reflected a team that “had become dysfunctional and disaffected”, Mr Taylor said. This needed to be addressed, alongside strengthening the public protection arrangements for children who posed high levels of risk to the public, such as telephone call monitoring and oversight of their risk management.
Safety in the prison was reasonably good. Levels of violence were lower than in similar establishments and only 3% of children in Wetherby said they felt unsafe, an “impressive reduction” from 27% at the last inspection. Mr Taylor commented:
The calmer atmosphere should provide the opportunity for children to spend more time out of their cells and be involved in a wider range of purposeful activity.
The Youth Custody Service had moved a small number of girls with complex needs to Wetherby at short notice after the closure of the Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre following concerns by inspectors. Despite the lack of time to prepare for their arrival, the establishment had provided good care for them on the Napier unit and they were engaged in education and other activities.
Although the institution had declined in some areas, Mr Taylor concluded that:
There is, however, the opportunity for this establishment to build on the many positives that we highlight in this report, particularly as the disruption from the pandemic begins to recede.
Notes to editors
- Read the HMYOI Wetherby and the Keppel unit report, published on 16 March 2022.
- HM Inspectorate of Prisons is an independent inspectorate, inspecting places of detention to report on conditions and treatment and promote positive outcomes for those detained and the public.
- Wetherby is the largest young offender institution in the country; it houses the Keppel unit, designated as a therapeutic provision. At the time of the inspection, it held 142 15–18-year-olds, including three girls.
- Inspectors identified four examples of notable positive practice during this inspection.
- The inspection took place on 6 and 13–17 December 2021.
- Please email media@hmiprisons.gov.uk if you would like more information.