The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has today published an inspection report on Oberstown Children’s Detention Campus. 

HIQA is authorised by the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth under Section 185 of the Children Act 2001, as amended, to monitor Oberstown Children Detention Campus and provide advice to the Minister. HIQA inspects Oberstown Children Detention Campus to ensure that the wellbeing, welfare and safety of children is promoted and protected, and to measure its compliance with the rules within the Oberstown Children Detention Campus Rights Policy Framework (2020) and its compliance with Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children (2017).

An announced inspection was carried out in Oberstown Children Detention Campus across three days between 11 and 13 June 2024. The inspection focused on the rules relating to young people’s education and recreation, health, preparation for leaving care, safeguarding, restrictive practices, physical environment, authority to suspend rules and staffing and governance and management. Of the eight rules assessed, four were found to be compliant, two were substantially compliant and two were not compliant.

The inspection found that Oberstown provided a safe and secure environment for young people placed there. The young people were provided with educational, vocational and recreational programmes which were appropriate to their needs. There were many opportunities afforded to young people to complete courses and get qualifications during their time in detention and inspectors found improvements in planning with young people for their life after detention. Young people had access to excellent health, medical and therapeutic services on the campus. 

Oberstown is a well-managed service with clear lines of authority. There were clear systems and procedures in place to protect young people from harm and abuse. Arrangements for governance and management of child protection and welfare concerns, as well as the related oversight of practices, had improved in the nine months since the previous inspection. However, further improvements were needed. The procedures for reporting child protection concerns by mandated persons were not being implemented in line with requirements. In addition, not all relevant staff had received up-to-date training in Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children (2017), as required. The service struggled at times to provide sufficient numbers of staff to meet the needs of young people and to facilitate attendance at mandatory training.

This inspection also found some improvements to practices relating to the management of incidents of the use of single separation, however the need for significant improvements remained. Management oversight of restrictive practices did not ensure that their use was in line with the children’s rights policy framework at all times and records of incidents involving the use of restrictive practices required further improvement. The inspection found instances of the use single separation which were not proportionate or being used for the shortest time necessary. In addition, actions from the previous inspection relating to the development of procedures and guidance documents for the use of physical interventions had not been implemented within agreed timelines.  

Overall, the premises was found to adequately provide for a safe and secure environment which appropriately met the needs of the service. Some improvements were required to the oversight of the maintenance of the premises.