6.5.1 Special care units and children detention centres

6.5.1 Special care units and children detention centres

Evaluations were carried out on the range of specialised provision in place for children and young people in detention and care

Currently, there are six schools and one special class attached to a mainstream school that cater for children in detention and care in the State. The schools that are attached to Special Care Units (SCUs) cater mostly for children who are the subject of special care orders granted by the courts. The school attached to the Children Detention Centre (CDC) caters for children who have been convicted or placed on remand by the courts.

These schools have low pupil-teacher ratios and, typically, the students have access to a range of therapeutic supports as required. As placements in SCUs and the CDC are time-limited, students in the schools attached to them are enrolled for various time periods and, for example, some may not attend for a full school year. This arrangement presents unique challenges in terms of continuity of learning for students in these settings.

The Inspectorate conducts annual inspections in schools attached to SCUs and the CDC. Fourteen inspections of schools attached to the CDC and SCUs have been carried out since 2017, and the reports arising from these evaluations have been published and are available on the Department’s website. Four follow-through inspections have also been completed. These inspections are largely conducted by primary and post-primary inspectors with experience and expertise in special education.

Links between schools attached to Special Care Units/the Children Detention Centre and outside agencies are generally good. There is scope to improve the implementation of actions in student support plans

Evaluation reports since 2017 indicate that links between schools attached to Special Care Units (SCUs)/ Children Detention Centre (CDC) and outside agencies, including previous educational settings, tend to be good. However, a need to ensure that the information gathered informed provision for students was noted in some reports. Some evaluation reports of inspections conducted in 2019/2020 describe good practice in relation to the accurate identification of student individual needs and the development of student support plans. Issues related to the implementation of actions in student support plans and ensuring that the plans fully inform teaching and learning were also noted.

More specific and targeted teaching of literacy and numeracy skills is required in schools attached to Special Care Units and the Children Detention Centre

In general, inspectors found that literacy and numeracy were taught in an integrated manner across the various subjects in schools attached to SCUs and the CDC. While such integrated teaching was generally appropriate, the majority of inspection reports recommended more comprehensive and specific teaching of literacy and numeracy to target and address students’ identified needs. Additionally, inspectors found that more comprehensive monitoring and recording of achievement in literacy and numeracy were required.

The curriculum is varied, but aspects of the relationships and sexuality education programme were not provided in a significant minority of schools attached to Special Care Units

The curriculum offered in schools attached to Special Care Units (SCUs) and the Children Detention Centre (CDC) is varied, and includes Junior and Leaving Certificate programmes, Leaving Certificate Applied, Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) programmes, and the primary curriculum. Not all of these programmes are offered in all settings. Some reports identified a need to broaden the curriculum to ensure that it was meeting students’ needs. Additionally, some reports recommended greater levels of challenge in the curricular programmes provided to ensure that students had every opportunity to reach their potential.

Over half of the schools attached to SCUs and the CDC were reported to be compliant with the Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools 2017. The remaining settings did not meet the requirements due to their failure to provide aspects of the Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) programme; it was recommended in these cases that this be addressed as a matter of urgency.

In most, though not all of the evaluation reports, leadership and management and engagement with School Self-Evaluation (SSE) were reported to be good or very good. In two settings, inspectors consistently recommended the need for improvement in aspects of leadership and management over a number of reports. Every report noted the very high quality of support for students, and the caring relationships between staff and students.