Ms Eva Boyle:

We get a dataset in advance of our inspection in order that we have key information on which we have sought the figures. In respect of single separation, for example, we have the number of children who have experienced single separation and the number of incidents of single separation. When we are going in, we take a sample over a period of time so we may look at individual children and follow them for a number of days in terms of their experiences, whether they have been in single separation or otherwise and the reasons for it. We look at the application of the policy, the reason it has been there and how it is documented. We ascertain whether we can see that the staff have been making every effort to make sure that children are removed from single separation as quickly as possible, because it is very important to bear in mind that single separation is to be a response as a result of extreme risk. It should be an unusual intervention that is used by the staff team.