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A charity that acts as a voice for children with experience of the care system is asking the Government for an urgent update on when the island will get an independent complaints body as concerns about Greenfields continue to escalate.
Last month, the secure home and remand facility - which accommodates some of the island's most vulnerable children - was slapped with its second improvement notice in just six months.
Jersey Cares said it was "saddened but not surprised" by the development.
Despite the Government having previously committed £7m to redeveloping the facility, and several reports suggesting the closure and replacement of Greenfields with more therapeutic care, the charity pointed out that "the Government has opted to retain Greenfields."
"Indeed, its use has increased significantly in the past 12 months" – a period, Jersey Cares said, which coincides with not enough homes being available for children in care, on the edge of care or leaving care.
"This is despite the Government's promises to provide safe, stable, loving homes to rebuild the trust and to treat children in their care as they would their own."
Pictured: The senior civil servant responsible for the care of vulnerable children, Mark Owers, stepped down in the wake of the critical Jersey Care Commission report, but said his departure was not linked to it, but instead because he wanted to set up his own children's charity.
Jersey Cares highlighted that the Jersey Care Commission's latest enforcement notice was part of a pattern of notices demonstrating "understaffed, undersupported children's homes where children often go missing".
"Staff may not know where they are or what has happened to them and return home interviews do not always take place," the charity said.
"It is hard to understand then the renewed confidence of this Government that Jersey's children are safe."
As well as being used as a facility for children accused or convicted of crimes, Greenfields has also been used as accommodation for children with serious mental health issues since the beginning of the pandemic.
This is our comment on the repeated issues with Greenfields. Something has to give now – if we don’t change anything, then nothing will change. These are children, at their most vulnerable time, in a closed setting. Jersey has too much history in this regard to risk repeating it. pic.twitter.com/dxQTlWCDvb
— Jersey Cares (@cares_jersey) April 20, 2022
They said the continued issues at Greenfields were despite the charity having previously raised concerns about the "lack of clarity" on the facility's exact purpose, as well as the use of prison doors for children's bedrooms.
They said the saga demonstrates why an independent complaints authority is so important.
"Our experience from providing advocacy to children in care, and adults with experience of care, is that the most significant barrier to children being cared for well is the lack of accountability when they are not. Processes, guidance, policies and the law are rendered almost meaningless if they are not known about and there are no, or limited consequences when they are not followed. This is our repeated experience."
The Government previously committed to introducing a public ombudsman, but said in 2020 that the idea had been pushed back to 2024.
However, after providing feedback, Jersey Cares said it was "heartened" to hear that the Government had changed its view and that there would be one in place by this year.
The Chief Minister previously told Scrutiny that the idea was a "priority" and that he wanted a proposition for the establishment of a public ombudsman to be brought to the States Assembly for a vote "before the elections" in June.
With less than three weeks to go before political activity must cease before the election, and the final States Assembly meeting taking place this Tuesday, Jersey Cares is asking for an urgent update.
One young person quoted by the charity said the delay in bringing forward proposals was "awful" and shows that it is "not wanting to listen to a complaint therefore not wanting to be held accountable."
Another said "delaying the establishment of an ombudsman speaks volumes."
Without an independent body to deal with complaints, the charity points out "we rely heavily on the Government holding itself to account."
"In doing so, we demonstrate we have failed to learn from the Independent Care Inquiry, and failed to care for children at a vulnerable time when they need us the most."
The Government has been approached for comment.
Express recently spoke to charity Brightly in depth about the difficulties facing care-experienced children and young people and the Government's lack of action...
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