27th Feb 2016 08:17
LONDON (Alliance News) - Security services company G4S PLC late on Friday said it has started the process of selling its UK Children's Services business, part of which was recently subject to controversy over the alleged treatment of children held at one of the secure units it runs.
The FTSE 250-listed company said the sale comprises 13 children's homes and contracts to manage two Secure Training Centres in Medway in Kent and Oakhill in Buckinghamshire. The STCs house 12-to-17-year-olds who have been sentenced to or remanded in custody.
The unit also includes the Rainsbrook centre in Northamptonshire, but the contract for this is already being transferred over to MTC Novo, a probation services outsourcer.
The business delivered revenue of around GBP40.0 million in the year to the end of December 2015, G4S said. No financial details on the sale were provided.
G4S has faced significant controversy over the secure training centres included in the sale process, specifically around the emergence of footage weeks ago which showed staff using excessive force on children detained at the Medway centre. The footage was obtained as part of an undercover investigation by the BBC's Panorama.
The BBC investigation found staff mistreating and abusing inmates and boasting of using inappropriate techniques to restrain the children. Other allegations were also made, including claims staff attempted to hide these actions by ensuring they took place out of shot of CCTV cameras.
Since the footage surfaced, the director of the centre, Ralph Marchant, stepped down and five men were arrested by Kent Police on suspicion of child neglect. Five members of staff were sacked by G4S, with another three suspended.
The UK's Ministry of Justice has also launched an audit into restraint injury data at Medway, which has been provided to the Youth Justice Board by G4S.
By Sam Unsted; [email protected]; @SamUAtAlliance
Copyright 2016 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
Related Shares:
GFS.L