Recommendation 1
Is it safe to keep together a third of the establishment’s population who are over 18 years old with two-thirds who are under 18?
Source · IMB Annual Report
Werrington
AI-generated report summary HMYOI Werrington's report ending August 2023 highlights mixed progress. While self-harm and prisoner-on-prisoner assaults decreased, overall violence remained unstable, and serious incidents at height were a significant concern. The Board praised healthcare and resettlement efforts, but educational provision continued to be inadequate, exacerbated by a long-closed library and limited curriculum for higher qualifications. Inadequate time out of room, particularly at weekends, and staffing shortages in social care were also key issues, alongside concerns about the safe co-location of young adults and under-18s.
Year: 2023
Published: 28 Feb 2024
Type: Prison · Cat YOI
Population: 72
Recommendations: 11
Key concerns
Positive findings
Safety statistics
| Indicator | This year | Previous |
|---|---|---|
| Self-harm incidents | 36 | — |
| ACCT cases opened | 58 | 66 |
| Prisoner assaults | 121 | 158 |
| Assaults on staff | 113 | 134 |
Positive findings
AI-generated summaryThe Board noted improvements in Conflict Resolution and Reducing Reoffending, and management demonstrated care for young people's wellbeing. Physical and mental health needs were met, and the resettlement process was impressive, with practitioners actively working towards positive discharges. There was a welcome reduction in self-harm incidents (to 36) and ACCT plans (to 58), alongside a significant drop in young person-on-young person assaults (to 121 from 158). The provision of in-room showers, telephones, furniture, and laptops enhanced humane treatment, and the chaplaincy department provided excellent pastoral care. The complaints process was well-utilised, indicating young people's confidence, and property distribution improved. Education saw a return to full-time provision, with 247 qualifications achieved, including a 92% pass rate in Functional English. The Board commended the prison's emphasis on maintaining family contact and the effective family-engagement manager.
Key concerns
Due to the number of serious incidents at height (IAH), which include young people on the netting, climbing over bars or on the roof, concerns were escalated to the Youth Custody Service (YCS) Executive Director in June 2023.
There was a slight reduction in the total number of violent incidents, but it remains unstable.
Time out of room has improved slightly but is still inadequate, especially at the weekends.
Confidential conversations are often impossible because young people cannot be unlocked and cannot be accommodated in a separate room where they can talk freely.
Educational provision is still inadequate due to curriculum and facilities’ limitations, restricted regime, violence and “keep aparts” (boys who are not allowed to mix in case they fight).
The main library was closed for more than the reporting year, with a very limited service provided on the wings.
Is it safe to keep together a third of the establishment’s population who are over 18 years old with two-thirds who are under 18?
Why was there no adequate social work cover for the maternity leave of a social worker and the sick leave of the senior social worker?
What more can be done to enhance safety to ensure the reduction of young people making protective weapons?
How can young people develop more positive relationships with the staff they see most of?
Recommendations
Recommendation 2
Why was there no adequate social work cover for the maternity leave of a social worker and the sick leave of the senior social worker?
Recommendation 3
With the increase in the cost of living, why hasn’t the “Looked After Children” (a young person who was in the care of their local authority before custody) allowance been increased?
Recommendation 4
Why has it taken so long to find a librarian to manage the long-closed library?
Recommendation 5
Why is there no nationally agreed, simple, annual data set available to assist in monitoring educational provision?
Recommendation 6
Why is there such limited provision for supporting young people working towards GCSEs and other, higher qualifications within the education contract?
Recommendation 7
Is there confidence that People Plus can meet the learning and curriculum needs of young people, including those who are above 18 years old?
Recommendation 8
How can young people’s hours out of room be returned to the previous healthy pre-pandemic levels so there is an increase in purposeful activity?
Government response
It would improve.
Recommendation 9
What more can be done to enhance safety to ensure the reduction of young people making protective weapons?
Recommendation 10
How can young people develop more positive relationships with the staff they see most of?
Government response
It would improve.
Recommendation 11
How can the progress of a placement on the WADE unit of a young person who is not on Rule 49 be evaluated when no data can be found?
Applications to the IMB
| Category | Current | Previous |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation, including laundry, clothing, ablutions | 9 | 0 |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogues | 1 | 0 |
| Discipline, including adjudications, incentives schemes, sanctions | 7 | 3 |
| Equality | 0 | 5 |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 1 | 0 |
| Food and kitchens | 0 | 0 |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 1 | 0 |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection restrictions | 2 | 2 |
| Miscellaneous | 15 | 3 |
| Property during transfer or in another facility | 0 | 1 |
| Property within this establishment | 2 | 3 |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, library, regime, time out of cell | 8 | 4 |
| Sentence management, including HDC, ROTL, parole, release dates, re-categorisation | 0 | 0 |
| Staff-prisoner concerns, including bullying | 12 | 9 |
| Total number of applications | 58 | 30 |
| Transfers | 0 | 0 |
Other reports for Werrington
Population 84
· Self-harm 56
· Concerns
Population 83
· Self-harm 136
· Concerns
Population 59
· Self-harm 37
· Concerns
· Self-harm 37
· Concerns
· Self-harm 95
· Concerns