Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how his Department monitors whether safeguarding concerns that have arisen at Oakhill Secure Training Centre have been referred appropriately to external statutory services.

Any concern that a child or young person at Oakhill Secure Training Centre is at risk of significant harm must be referred to the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) at Milton Keynes Council. Oversight of safeguarding arrangements in the Milton Keynes area is the responsibility of the Milton Keynes Local Safeguarding Children Board.

It is the responsibility of the provider to make referrals to the LADO. Youth Custody Service (YCS) staff based at Oakhill have access to all such referrals: if the provider fails to make a referral in a case where the YCS team feels this to be necessary, the team can make a direct referral to the LADO. The independent Barnardo’s advocacy service that operates at Oakhill is also able to do this.

YCS staff meet regularly with Safeguarding leads at Oakhill, and also with the Milton Keynes LADO, to review any referrals in relation to children or young people at the centre.