Section Four National Preventive Mechanism member profiles poor arrangements for self-medication and insufficient action taken to assess the risk of bullying and counteract it. In many of the secure establishments, Ofsted found that the use of physical restraint was decreasing as a result of good training for staff, the effective use of de-escalation techniques, and the robust review of individual incidents that required restraint. However, in some poorly performing establishments, the recording of physical restraint remained a common weakness. In relation to the education provided in secure training centres, Ofsted found improvements during its inspections. The achievements of young people were generally good and many gained useful qualifications in literacy and numeracy and their first experience of educational success. In a few establishments though, there were insufficient opportunities for young people to gain meaningful and substantial qualifications, even when their length of stay would allow them to do so. Instead they gained large numbers of certificates which were of little value. In addition, Ofsted published thematic reports on secure accommodation for children. One report described what life is like within a secure children’s home, based on the experiences of children themselves.36 Another evaluated the effectiveness of arrangements for education and training while children and young people are moving through the youth justice system or serving their sentence in the community.37 Ofsted also evaluated the provision of mental health services for children over the age of 16 in residential settings, including those in secure children’s homes.38 It found inconsistent mental health provision, noting poor arrangements for transfers from child to adult mental health services, a lack of services in rural areas, difficulties in sharing information and an unwillingness on the part of the young people to engage with specialist workers because of prejudices linked to mental health. In its evaluation report, Ofsted emphasised the importance of different agencies working together to improve and develop mental health services for young people, and clear local service level agreements for child and adolescent mental health services. Ofsted’s inspections of the education and training provision in the prison estate found that in comparison to the previous year, there were a higher number of prisons where the provision was judged to be inadequate. The most common finding was that there was simply too little activity to engage the number of prisoners held: there were too few education and work places and there were too many waiting lists for vocational training. While there were good examples of extensive vocational training and employability skills training, there was often a lack of good quality literacy and numeracy provision to support training. In the immigration detention estate, Ofsted found that the management and planning of education were often weak. Education was not promoted sufficiently and the take-up was low. The education offered was often too narrow. Looking forward As well as continuing its programme of regular inspections in places of detention, Ofsted plans to consult stakeholders in 2010–11 as part of a review of its methodology for inspecting all children’s homes, including secure homes. It will also publish a thematic report on admission, discharge and resettlement arrangements for children in secure accommodation. 36 Ofsted, Life in secure care (2009). 37 Ofsted, Transition through detention and custody (2010). 38 Ofsted, An evaluation of the provision of mental health services for looked after young people over the age of 16 accommodated in residential settings (2010). 41