Vinney Green secure children’s home improving following safeguarding concerns, Ofsted finds

Improvements have been made at a young offenders’ institute near Bristol where staff were criticised by government inspectors for “unlawful painful” restraint of children. Bosses at Vinney Green secure unit in Emersons Green are addressing safeguarding concerns, creating a more positive culture and ensuring independent scrutiny of allegations of incidents, according to a recent report by Ofsted.

Inspectors carried out a monitoring visit in November after concluding the home still required improvements last July. Two years earlier, Ofsted gave the unit the lowest rating of inadequate after finding staff used “inappropriate” physical restraint that placed youngsters at risk of harm, unjustified solitary confinement for up to three days and left children “distressed” by confiscating items from bedrooms unfairly.

Its damning report at the time criticised leaders for “repeated failures” over several years and said there were “significant concerns about children’s care, safety and wellbeing”. It said five youngsters suffered pain out of 20 recorded incidents where staff used a technique called the “finger and thumb hold” between April 2021 and March 2022 and that physical restraint was also used “unlawfully” to get young inmates to comply with requests.

Last January the regulator said the situation had improved, with children praising staff and saying it was a “good place to live”. Its latest report praised staff for implementing an action plan to address the previous concerns, although it said this would take time to have a full impact.

South Gloucestershire Council, which runs the home, welcomed the latest findings. Ofsted’s report said: “The manager and leadership team have devised an action plan to address shortfalls that have been identified following safeguarding allegations and concerns.

“Some records of allegations lacked detail and actions were not clear. The improvements in this plan and overall safeguarding of the home requires time to become fully embedded.

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“The manager and leadership team have increased their monitoring and oversight since the previous inspection and have a plan to improve safeguarding practice including reviewing the culture in the home.” It said there was an additional focus on welfare concerns.

The report said: “These changes are in their infancy and need more time to embed and be impactful. A more positive safeguarding culture is starting to develop.”

It said there was now more transparency between managers and the local authority’s designated officer and that appropriate action had been taken over incidents. This ensures there is a timely independent scrutiny of allegations to support keeping children safe,” the report said.

The monitoring visit was to check whether adequate steps had been taken over the previous concerns, so did not include an updated rating as it was not a full inspection. A South Gloucestershire Council spokesperson said: “In their recent monitoring visit, Ofsted found that progress in all areas previously highlighted as requiring improvement was being made.

“This is thanks to the hard work of the staff and the commitment of the council to supporting them to support the children and young people in our care at Vinney Green – we are constantly striving to build on the good practice that is already delivered at Vinney Green. We were also particularly pleased to read in the report that the children said that they enjoy living in the home, feel safe and have no concerns about the care and support they receive from staff.”

The home accommodates up to 24 youngsters aged 10 to 18, with places commissioned by the Youth Custody Service which can also permit the council’s children’s services to spot purchase a vacant bed at the unit to place a child on welfare grounds under certain circumstances.