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[LONDON, 9 July 2008] - Children being held in secure units are still subjected to restraining techniques designed for adults, with no consistent system of recording the reasons for its use, according to the prisons inspector. The problem is highlighted in a joint review by eight government inspectorates looking into child protection services for the most vulnerable children in Britain. Anne Owers, the chief inspector of prisons, said: "There is no clear and consistent practice. Prisons are still relying on techniques for adults. There's no consistent method of recording these techniques for dealing with very challenging behaviour." Last year, an inquest into the death of 15-year-old Gareth Myatt in 2004, following restraint by staff at Rainsbrook secure training centre, led to a government review. But according to the report, recommendations made in 2005 have not been followed. The report, called Safeguarding Children, is produced every three years, and looks at how well national and local agencies are working together to protect children. It found that improvements in child protection are still not reaching some of the most vulnerable. One in 10 care homes fall below the standards required to keep children safe, the mental health needs of children in secure units are still not seen as a priority, and a lack of focused services for the children of asylum seekers are other problems highlighted by the report. Christine Gilbert, chief inspector for Ofsted, said some agencies, including NHS trusts and youth offending teams, are still not meeting statutory duties, and their lines of accountability and responsibility are still not clear - a criticism of the last report. "There's room for more improvement to give children the comprehensive intensive support they need to thrive. Doing some things well is not good enough," Gilbert said. [News source: The Guardian] Further information