Examination of Witnesses (Questions 60-66)
MR DAVE
WOOD
16 SEPTEMBER 2009
Q60 Chairman: Thank you very much.
It goes without saying that you have tried very hard to find alternatives
for detention that will meet your objectives and also ensure that
the welfare of children is protected?
Mr Wood: Absolutely and the Scottish
pilot has been running since June. Again, it is somewhere I have
visited myself and it is working in partnership with other agencies
and the Scottish Government and Glasgow Council. We have put all
the lessons in from the pilot which did not succeed in Kent. We
are optimistic that there will be great improvements.
Q61 Chairman: The pilot is on-going
at the moment of course?
Mr Wood: It is on-going, yes.
Q62 Chairman: And costs what?
Mr Wood: That pilot in Scotland
is costing £125,000 a year.
Q63 Chairman: And how many families
has it helped so far?
Mr Wood: There have been 14 families
referred to it and three families are currently going through
the system. It can hold five at any one time, but hopefully that
will give us ways of removing families short of detention and,
if nothing else, will minimise the need for detention.
Q64 Chairman: Mr Prosser has suggested
maybe we should go and visit the pilot as well as Yarl's Wood,
or some will go to Yarl's Wood and some may go to visit the pilot.
Mr Wood: You would be really welcome.
It is an impressive pilot and you will see the energy and effort
that has gone into there to try to avoid detaining families.
Q65 Chairman: Indeed. Mr Wood, again
we are most grateful to you for coming off holiday to be with
us today. Mr Winnick has flagged up a number of points of information
that we would very much like. If it is possible to let us have
it in three weeks—and I know it is holiday season for some—we
would be most grateful. If you could get it to us before that
that would also be extreme helpful.
Mr Wood: We will provide it in
the timescale that you have indicated or reasons why we cannot
if there is a difficulty.
Q66 Chairman: And the next time you
have your board meeting do not forget the backlog.
Mr Wood: I will not.
Chairman: Thank you very much.
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