Source · IMB Annual Report
The Verne
Year: 2023
Published: 6 Feb 2024
Type: Prison · Cat C adult training
Population: 606
Recommendations: 3
Key concerns
Positive findings
HMP The Verne maintains a generally safe and respectful environment, successfully implementing a new self-harm monitoring system and demonstrating strong staff-prisoner relationships. The Board commends the high-quality physical healthcare provision, including excellent vaccination rates, and welcomes the establishment of a new 16-room social care unit aimed at addressing the long-standing concern for elderly and frail prisoners. However, significant challenges persist, particularly in resettlement provision, severe understaffing in the Offender Management Unit leading to backlogs, and long waiting times for mental health services and external healthcare appointments due to staff shortages.
Safety statistics
| Indicator | This year | Previous |
|---|---|---|
| Deaths in custody | 5 | — |
| Self-harm incidents | 58 | — |
| ACCT cases opened | 109 | 53 |
| Prisoner assaults | 16 | — |
| Assaults on staff | 6 | — |
| Use of force | 15 | 11 |
| Drug finds | 13 | — |
Positive findings
HMP The Verne maintains a generally safe environment with rare instances of violence and a prevailing ethos of mutual respect between staff and prisoners. The Board commends the high-quality physical healthcare provision, including exemplary vaccination uptakes and the successful establishment of a new 16-room social care unit, which is a significant improvement addressing a long-standing concern for frail and elderly prisoners. Staff-prisoner relationships, chaplaincy work, and the handling of complaints are also noted as positive aspects.
Key concerns
Healthcare
Repeated
The lack of 24-hour dedicated social care provision for frail, elderly prisoners who will need regular personal care.
Resettlement/Release
The inadequate and unfunded resettlement provision, which is increasingly critical given the high number of direct releases from this training prison.
Staffing
Significant understaffing in the Offender Management Unit (OMU), leading to substantial backlogs in OASys assessments and reviews, causing anxiety and potential sentence extensions for prisoners.
Healthcare
Frequent cancellation of external healthcare appointments (approximately one-third) due to insufficient prison staff for escorts, or lack of appropriate transport/trained staff.
Mental Health
Long waiting times for mental health services, with waiting lists of approximately 10 weeks for a psychologist and 15 weeks for a psychiatrist.
Healthcare
Repeated
The Board regrets that there is currently no plan to establish a ‘community hospital’ at The Verne, which has been discussed in earlier years and would reduce the need for external hospital visits and offer considerable savings in staff time.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Unsuccessful application for funding to run the Horizon programme, which means 128 prisoners were released without completing a required programme.
Recommendations
| # | Recommendation | Addressee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Board invites the Minister to ensure adequate funding for the resettlement role currently undertaken by HMP The Verne. | Ministry of Justice | |
| 2 | The Board urges HMPPS to recognise the efforts made by the senior management team to provide a resettlement service despite the absence of dedicated funding. | HMPPS | |
| 3 | The Board encourages the Governor to continue the search for further employment opportunities for Verne prisoners. | Governor / Director |
Applications to the IMB
| Category | Current | Previous |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation, including laundry, clothing, ablutions | 5 | 7 |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogues | 5 | 5 |
| Discipline, including adjudications, incentives scheme, sanctions | 9 | 3 |
| Equality | 4 | 2 |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 9 | 3 |
| Food and kitchens | 7 | 0 |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 12 | 7 |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection, restrictions | 3 | 9 |
| Miscellaneous | 17 | 8 |
| Property during transfer or in another facility | 7 | 8 |
| Property within the establishment | 7 | 3 |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, time out of cell | 14 | 3 |
| Sentence management, including HDC, ROTL, parole, release dates, re-categorisation | 10 | 5 |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 7 | 2 |
| Transfers | 5 | 2 |
Related inspections & investigations
8 Jul 2024
HMIP · Unannounced
Safety 4
· Respect 3
· Activity 2
· Release 2
Other reports for The Verne
Report details
- Establishment
- The Verne
- Type
- Prison · Cat C adult training
- Report year
- 2023
- Published
- 6 February 2024
- Responsible body
- HMP The Verne
- Recommendations
- 3
- MoJ rating (2024/25)
- 3 — Good
Population
| Population | 606 |
| Operational capacity | 608 |
| CNA (designed for) | 594 102% |
Service providers
Education and vocational training
Weston College
Healthcare
Practice Plus Group
Maintenance and project services
Gov Facilities Services Limited (GFSL)
Social care
Dorset Council
Visits organising body
Prison Advice and Care Trust (PACT)