Wetherby Young Offender Institution

A report by the Chief Inspector of Prisons has found that Wetherby Young Offender Institution is failing in its duty to protect and rehabilitate the children in its care, with violence, self-harm and the use of force all rising significantly since the last inspection.

The report, based on an unannounced inspection conducted earlier this year, describes an institution in which staff shortages have created a cycle of lockdowns, reduced access to education and rehabilitation programmes, and increased tension between young people and the staff who are supposed to support them. The use of force against children has more than doubled since the last inspection, and incidents of self-harm have reached record levels.

Wetherby, which holds boys aged 15 to 18, is one of five young offender institutions in England and Wales. It has a capacity of 336 and was holding 298 children at the time of the inspection. The report notes that the population has become more challenging in recent years, with a higher proportion of children convicted of serious violent offences and a higher incidence of gang affiliations that create tensions within the institution.

The Youth Custody Service, which is responsible for Wetherby, has accepted the report's findings and has committed to an improvement plan that includes increased staffing, improved training and a review of the use of force. But the challenges facing the youth secure estate are systemic rather than institutional, and the report acknowledges that many of the problems it identifies at Wetherby are present across the entire system.

The Chief Inspector's report is the latest in a series of critical inspections of the youth secure estate, which has been described by the Children's Commissioner as "a system in crisis" that is failing the vulnerable children it is supposed to protect. The government has committed to reform, but the gap between aspiration and reality remains wide.