A while back I entered in to a conversation on Twitter about Ofsted inspections. I merely commented that in Secure Children’s Homes regardless of grading we are inspected twice a year (I should point out that I have been a teacher and SENCO in a Secure Children’s Home for five years). This led to some probing and very valid questions from many different people but one person in particular showed a lot of interest, @cherrylkd . A successful and experienced teacher, however she was honest enough to admit that she knew nothing about Secure Children’s Homes, to which my response was that many people know nothing of them.
After many discussions via email and Twitter I did a short q&a with Cherryl and she posted the outcomes on her own fantastic blog; http://www.cherrylkd.wordpress.com/2015/01/07/secure-childrens-homes-a-guest-interview-with-richardalbery84
Over the festive period I was badgered by several people, Cherryl included to write my own blog. The world of Secure Units is an unknown and due to their scarce nature few people have encountered them or have even heard of them let alone met and worked with people who work or teach in them.
So I gave in to peer pressure and created this blog, the first entry of which is titled ‘Over the fence’.
They’re big, they’re green, you can’t see over the top and you can’t see over them but it is there. A small, odd-shaped building, similar to a school. Although how many schools have 25 CCTV cameras outside and a play ground that can’t be seen by anyone from outside? Behind or over the fence lies a Secure Children’s Home. It is what it is, a children’s home that is secure. It is not a prison, nor is it a Young Offenders Institution although it does house young offenders.
These young offenders are, however, a unique group. Officially defined as the most vulnerable or challenging. I would be lying if I said they weren’t but one thing they are is exciting. Exciting to teach, not because they are criminals or it is an edge of your seat education but because they are all really cool kids. Yes they have done wrong but being sent to the unit is the punishment, having their freedom taken away is the consequence. From the minute they walk through the door the idea of ‘punishing’ stops and the process of rehabilitation begins.We aren’t there to judge, we’re there to understand, to support and to rehabilitate (hopefully).
Many of the young people have had chaotic lives, a sketchy school history and a long list of fixed term and permanent exclusions. Our role is to change their attitudes to learning, equip them with skills for life and hopefully have them leave us in a much more positive frame of mind regarding learning and a willingness to succeed and make a positive contribution.
People don’t know what we do, they have often never heard of Secure Children’s Homes and sadly some don’t want to know. I’ve heard the unit called a ‘Library’, a ‘Special school’ and even a small hospital. I have been told by people who work within education and those that don’t that we only deal with local youngsters. That young people who commit serious crimes don’t come to ‘places like that’ and that all we do is hold the young people and just let them out when their sentences finish.
All of the above are of course false statements. Some people don’t want to know. People don’t want to think that children break the law, break in to houses, commit street robbery, set fires and even kill people but in truth some do. The question I often ask is ‘what went wrong?’ May be if this question was asked more often instead of people hiding from the truth less young people would find themselves in custody.
One thing that is worth knowing about being ‘over the fence’ is that every single teacher and care officer wants to be working with these young people. Working there to try to make a difference, to work alongside the young people. Not to punish them or judge them but help them.
I have created this blog to break down the misunderstandings around Secure Children’s Homes and to let the world know what great work we do. What great work the kids do and the progress that is made. I will bring stories of success, stories of difficulties faced and hopefully make people aware of the policies, procedures and working practices of staff in a Secure Children’s Home.
One final note, I hope to show people what a Secure Children’s Home is. They aren’t what the media claim they are, they aren’t holiday camps. They are full of ups and downs and as I sit here typing this first blog entry covered in orange paint I ask the question, how many holiday camps do you know that you go home from covered in paint?
Would I change my job? Certainly not…
richardalbery84sebd 