A SENIOR civil servant with responsibility for safeguarding children has resigned just days after a report heavily criticised standards at one of the Island’s key care facilities for young people.
Mark Owers made the decision to leave his post as director of safeguarding and care in children’s social care after the Greenfields secure children’s home was ordered to make ‘urgent improvements’ last week.
The ‘improvement notice’, which came after an unannounced inspection, was the second issued within four months by the Jersey Care Commission and identified seven regulation breaches, including in the areas of health and safety of residents, staffing levels, employee training and quality of leadership.
Shortcomings were also found in the condition of the building and its facilities, and in its ‘statement of purpose’, which formally outlines the ultimate goal of its operation.
Further inspections will be carried out in the coming weeks, with the commission due to publish an updated report of its findings before the end of the month.
In a statement signed off by the Children’s and Education Minister Scott Wickenden, the government confirmed that Mr Owers had ‘made the decision to leave his post’.
They declined to confirm whether the decision was directly related to the Greenfields report.
In a statement, Mr Owers said: ‘I have absolutely loved working for the service and I am proud of our many achievements together.
‘It has been a real honour leading such a dedicated and committed group that care so deeply for the Island’s most vulnerable children and young people.’
Greenfields is operated by the Children, Young People, Education and Skills Department and provides secure accommodation for up to four residents aged ten to 17 who may be on remand or the subject of secure-accommodation orders made by the Royal Court.
In an earlier report from January, the JCC said that assaults on staff and incidents of self-harm by residents at the Island’s secure unit for young people were not properly reported.
Incidents of self-harm by residents and assaults on staff were mentioned to the Care Commission’s regulation officer. However, the report says that they were not officially logged with the commission, in breach of regulatory requirements
Deputy Wickenden said that the government took the improvement notice issued to Greenfields ‘very seriously’.
‘We have responded to the eight areas of improvement identified in the first inspection notice [in November] and work is already under way to address the actions identified in this latest report.
‘We have been open and transparent about the challenges that the Government of Jersey must overcome to keep children and staff safe, and to ensure we meet the needs of the young people in secure care.
‘The safety of the young people in our care is paramount and we will ensure any repairs, highlighted in the report, are undertaken immediately.’
He added that the quality of services provided to young people in the home ‘must improve, and quickly’.
Deputy Wickenden said that his department was ‘working hard to address the staffing issues’ and a new permanent manager was in the process of being recruited.
‘A dedicated improvement team has been introduced. This includes a residential children’s home expert with experience of managing homes in England judged as outstanding, and a manager from the Jersey Prison Service,’ the minister added.
