HM Prison Probation Service
Central Government
Action Planned
HMPPS is implementing the 'Enable' program, a workforce transformation initiative with Foundation Training Reform to improve officer training and support, including dynamic risk assessment. HMP Leeds will implement High Reliability Checklist Briefings across all wings and introduce a new Supervising Officer (Wellbeing, Care and Coaching) role to provide enhanced support. (AI summary)
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Dear Ms McLoughlin,
Thank you for your Regulation 28 report of 9 September 2025 addressed to the Governor at HMP Leeds following the inquest into the death of Brian Burrows (also known as Brian Smith) at the prison on 15 May 2024. I am responding on behalf of His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) as the Director General of Operations.
I know that you will share a copy of this response with Mr Burrow’s family, and I would first like to express my condolences for their loss. Every death in custody is a tragedy and the safety of those in our care is my absolute priority.
You have raised concerns that prison officers lack adequate training to support decision- making when faced with competing priorities, and that briefings from senior staff on the wings at HMP Leeds do not offer sufficient guidance to help manage these tasks effectively.
I would like to assure you that HMPPS is committed to strengthening the support and training it provides to prison officers, recognising that these are essential to improving staff retention. At the heart of this commitment is the ‘Enable’ programme, which is a psychologically and operationally informed workforce transformation initiative. ‘Enable’ is designed to reshape how HMPPS trains, develops, leads and supports prison staff, with the ultimate goal of creating safer, more supportive working environments where staff feel valued and empowered.
A key part of this transformation is the Foundation Training Reform, a long-term review of the initial training offer for prison officers. The future model will focus on experiential learning delivered over a 12-month period, ensuring new officers are better supported from the outset of their careers. This extended and immersive approach is designed to build confidence, competence, and a stronger sense of belonging. It contains a focus on how staff would carry out a dynamic risk assessment in order to prioritise work.
The leadership team at HMP Leeds has engaged directly with the ‘Enable’ programme to strengthen their training locally and reinforce these principles. From October 2025, the prison will implement High Reliability Checklist Briefings across all wings. These structured, short meetings are designed to provide clear guidance on managing competing priorities, enhance confidence and capability in defensible decision-making and improve communication and
operational awareness in high-risk environments. This approach is informed by practices from other High Reliability organisations.
Senior managers also meet daily to assess the manageability of Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork (ACCT) caseloads and resource allocation, enabling deployment of additional staff where necessary. These processes have been embedded for over 12 months and support early intervention when ACCT volumes or observation levels are elevated.
Additionally, the prison will introduce a new Supervising Officer (Wellbeing, Care and Coaching) role to provide enhanced support and coaching for staff. Safety Floorwalkers will work closely with landing staff and managers to reinforce guidance and offer real-time support.
I hope the measures outlined above provide you with reassurance that learning has been taken from the circumstances of Mr Burrow’s death and that the matters of concern that you identified have been addressed.
Thank you for your Regulation 28 report of 9 September 2025 addressed to the Governor at HMP Leeds following the inquest into the death of Brian Burrows (also known as Brian Smith) at the prison on 15 May 2024. I am responding on behalf of His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) as the Director General of Operations.
I know that you will share a copy of this response with Mr Burrow’s family, and I would first like to express my condolences for their loss. Every death in custody is a tragedy and the safety of those in our care is my absolute priority.
You have raised concerns that prison officers lack adequate training to support decision- making when faced with competing priorities, and that briefings from senior staff on the wings at HMP Leeds do not offer sufficient guidance to help manage these tasks effectively.
I would like to assure you that HMPPS is committed to strengthening the support and training it provides to prison officers, recognising that these are essential to improving staff retention. At the heart of this commitment is the ‘Enable’ programme, which is a psychologically and operationally informed workforce transformation initiative. ‘Enable’ is designed to reshape how HMPPS trains, develops, leads and supports prison staff, with the ultimate goal of creating safer, more supportive working environments where staff feel valued and empowered.
A key part of this transformation is the Foundation Training Reform, a long-term review of the initial training offer for prison officers. The future model will focus on experiential learning delivered over a 12-month period, ensuring new officers are better supported from the outset of their careers. This extended and immersive approach is designed to build confidence, competence, and a stronger sense of belonging. It contains a focus on how staff would carry out a dynamic risk assessment in order to prioritise work.
The leadership team at HMP Leeds has engaged directly with the ‘Enable’ programme to strengthen their training locally and reinforce these principles. From October 2025, the prison will implement High Reliability Checklist Briefings across all wings. These structured, short meetings are designed to provide clear guidance on managing competing priorities, enhance confidence and capability in defensible decision-making and improve communication and
operational awareness in high-risk environments. This approach is informed by practices from other High Reliability organisations.
Senior managers also meet daily to assess the manageability of Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork (ACCT) caseloads and resource allocation, enabling deployment of additional staff where necessary. These processes have been embedded for over 12 months and support early intervention when ACCT volumes or observation levels are elevated.
Additionally, the prison will introduce a new Supervising Officer (Wellbeing, Care and Coaching) role to provide enhanced support and coaching for staff. Safety Floorwalkers will work closely with landing staff and managers to reinforce guidance and offer real-time support.
I hope the measures outlined above provide you with reassurance that learning has been taken from the circumstances of Mr Burrow’s death and that the matters of concern that you identified have been addressed.