Problem school vows to clean up their act

Oct 13 2011 by Alistair Watson, West Lothian Courier

BOSSES at Moore House School have vowed to clean up their act after a care watchdog failed in their attempt to close the school down.

The privately run residential school in Bathgate cares for kids aged 11-16 with serious emotional and behavioural problems.

Councils from across Scotland can pay to send troublesome children to the school.

Earlier this month solicitors for the Care Inspectorate failed in a legal bid to suspend their registration after being alerted to a number of police investigations into a series of incidents at the school.

However, school bosses told the Courier they are turning things around and described the Care Inspectorate’s court action as a “kneejerk reaction.”

Depute chief executive officer for Moore House, Douglas Hardy, said this week: “We have experienced some difficulties and some issues over recent months.

“However, we have been restructuring and have some young people who are leaving at the end of the year.

“There have been some incidents on campus but from our perspective not anything that would have merited the action taken by the Care Inspectorate.

“We have been monitoring the situation and have been working in partnership with the police and the local authorities concerned.

“We are in regular contact with the police inspector in Bathgate who is aware of the difficulties but has told us he has no serious concerns about the school.

“We have been working very hard to stabilise the situation and we continue to have discussions with the Care Inspectorate to resolve any outstanding issues.

“We successfully defended the action that the Care Inspectorate sought to bring and the sheriff was not persuaded that unless the order was made there would be a serious risk to the life, health or well-being of persons.

“He was surprised that they had resorted to the ultimate sanction rather than other processes.

“We thought it was a disproportionate response.

“ Things have been unsettled at times but we have been working to resolve that.

“The level of risk was not such to justify cancelling our registration and the sheriff agreed with that.

“We have been taking quite significant action to return the school to a stable and safe environment.”

However a spokesman for the Care Inspectorate said the watchdog body still had concerns and would be taking further action to ensure improvements are made to the standards of care at the school.

He said: “Following a number of complaints and concerns about incidents involving young people at Moore House School, the Care Inspectorate lodged an application at Livingston Sheriff Court seeking the cancellation and interim suspension of the school’s registration.

“However, at a hearing on our application for interim suspension of registration, the sheriff was not satisfied that unless the order was made there would be a serious risk to the life, health or well-being of persons. Our application for interim suspension of the registration was therefore refused.

“The school continues to operate and provide care and education for children. The Care Inspectorate is working closely with Moore House School, West Lothian Council, Lothian and Borders Police and all other relevant bodies to ensure that children attending the school remain safe and protected.

“We have also recently completed regulatory activity at the service and will now be taking further action to ensure improvements are made to the standards of care that are provided to children at Moore House School.”

Although no youngsters from the county are housed at Moore House, West Lothian Council confirmed they had written to other local authorities whose children are at the school to inform them of the police probes.

A spokesman added: “Lothian and Borders Police recently informed us of several serious incidents that they have been called out to at Moore House School over a short period of time.

“Given the frequency and seriousness of the incidents the police and ourselves contacted the Care Regulator, SCSWIS, to alert them to the situation.

“West Lothian Council does not have any young people placed at Moore House School.

“However, due to the school being located in West Lothian, West Lothian Council has a duty of care for the young residents and our Chief Social Work Officer wrote to all councils that have young people placed at Moore House School to make them aware of the police reports and child protection concerns.”