§ Jackie BallardTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the ratio of staff, excluding administrative staff, to trainees at(a) Medway, (b) Rainsbrook and (c) Hassockfield secure training centres; how many staff have (i) resigned and (ii) had their employment terminated at each facility since opening; and if he will make a statement on current staff shortages at each facility. [110456]
§ Mr. BoatengThe contracts for the three secure training centres each require the Contractor to maintain minimum staffing levels in relation to the availability of 40 trainee places, regardless of the number of trainees held in the centre. The staff (excluding administrative staff) to trainee ratio underpinning these minimum requirements is as follows:
810W
Secure Training Centre Daytime Evening Night Medway 26:40 17:40 9:40 Rainsbrook 26:40 17:40 9:40 Hassockbrook 37:40 17:40 9:40 All three contracts require that, notwithstanding the minimum staffing levels set out in the table, the Contractor will provide a sufficient number of staff with the appropriate skills, qualifications and/or experience at the secure training centre to meet its obligations under, and comply with the provisions of, the contract at any time irrespective of the number of staff required for it to do so. This means that the staff to trainee ratios regularly exceed the minimum contractual requirements. A snapshot of the staff to trainee ratios at each of the three centres, based on the main morning shift on Friday 11 February, is as follows:
- Medway: 48:32
- Rainsbrook: 46:40
- Hassockfield: 37:20.
Medway opened on 17 April 1998, Rainsbrook opened on 1 July 1999 and Hassockfield opened on 17 September 1999. Numbers of staff resignations and terminations for each establishment since opening are as follows:
Resignations Terminations Medway 61 3 Rainsbrook 33 5 Hassockfield 29 5 All three centres continue to maintain the contractual minimum staffing levels, with the exception that the full complement of Social Workers is not always being met at Medway and Rainsbrook. The Operating Contractors have provisional arrangements in place to cover these shortfalls and are continuing in their efforts to recruit additional Social Workers in the face of a shortage of Social Workers generally in these geographical areas.
§ Jackie BallardTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what formal(a) inspections and (b) audits have taken place in respect of (i) Medway, (ii) Rainsbrook and (iii) Hassockfield secure training centres since each facility opened; and what their findings were. [110457]
§ Mr. BoatengEach secure training centre is subject to inspection by the Social Services Inspectorate. Formal inspections have so far taken place only at Medway. The centres at Rainsbrook and Hassockfield have been open for seven and a half and five months respectively and full inspections are not scheduled to take place until later this year. Three formal inspections have been undertaken at Medway and I am arranging for copies of the two published reports to be sent to the hon. Member. The report on the latest inspection is not yet available.
No audits have taken place or are planned. Home Office Monitors are based at each site and they are responsible for seeing that the terms of the contracts are met on a day to day basis and also that the centres are complying with the Secure Training Centre Rules.