A SECURE training centre severely criticised by an inquest jury last week has been given a satisfactory overall rating by an educational watchdog.

An Ofsted report, released days after the conclusion of an inquest into the death of 14-year-old Adam Rickwood, noted a marked decrease in the use of restraints at the Serco-run Hassockfield Secure Training Centre in Medomsley, near Consett, County Durham.

Adam became the youngest person to die in custody in modern times when he was found hanged in his cell hours after he had been restrained in August 2004.

A jury found the unlawful restraint of Adam had contributed to his decision to take his own life.

Since his death, Serco has, according to the report, made significant improvements to suicide and self-harm awareness training and has committed itself to preventing all the young people in its care from coming to any sort of harm.

The latest report is from an unannounced inspection in December.

The report states: “The atmosphere at the centre was calm and relaxed.

There are some good appropriate professional relationships between staff and young people and the challenging of inappropriate behaviour has increased.

“The number of restraints has fluctuated since the last inspection and only recently has there been a marked decrease. A small group of individual young people have accounted for the majority of the restraints each month.”