Source · IMB Annual Report
Stoke Heath
Year: 2022
Published: 8 Nov 2022
Type: Prison · Cat C, YOI
Population: 782
Recommendations: 6
Key concerns
Positive findings
HMP/YOI Stoke Heath maintained a safe and positive environment during the reporting year ending March 2022, despite ongoing Covid challenges. Key positives included improved in-cell telephony, good routine GP access, and declining use of force. However, significant concerns persist regarding the slow restoration of the key worker scheme, inadequate vocational training and resettlement support, and persistent delays in dental care and access to mental health beds.
Safety statistics
| Indicator | This year | Previous |
|---|---|---|
| Deaths in custody | 2 | — |
| Self-harm incidents | 181 | — |
| ACCT cases opened | 133 | — |
| Prisoner assaults | 48 | — |
| Assaults on staff | 8 | — |
| Use of force | 192 | — |
Positive findings
Stoke Heath maintained a safe, positive environment, fostering positive staff-prisoner relationships and helping prisoners feel safe. The introduction of in-cell telephony significantly improved the lived experience, while kitchen staff were commended for their accommodating approach and food quality. Self-harm incidents remained relatively low, and use of force declined year-on-year. Healthcare services showed excellent recovery and restoration with reduced GP waiting times and increased on-site diagnostics. The Board welcomed the return to classroom learning and the Governor's proactive engagement with employers for resettlement, alongside the successful Health and Wellbeing Champions (HAWCs) initiative.
Key concerns
Education/Purposeful Activity
Repeated
Funding for appropriate, high-quality, and employer-driven vocational activity, training, and qualifications remains inadequate, limiting rehabilitation and resettlement opportunities.
Education/Purposeful Activity
Repeated
Basic maths and English qualifications are not achieved earlier in prisoners’ sentences, limiting focus on vocational training at resettlement prisons.
Resettlement/Release
Repeated
Prisoners arrive at Stoke Heath without a completed offender assessment (OASys) which includes sentence plan objectives, hindering timely support for resettlement and reoffending risk reduction.
Staffing
Repeated
The full key worker scheme has not been restored to the necessary standard, resulting in insufficient contact and quality support for prisoners.
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
The ageing hot water and heating system is temperamental and its replacement has been delayed until spring 2023.
Healthcare
Unacceptable delays persist for prisoners needing dental treatment, with routine appointments averaging 36 days.
Mental Health
Access to regional in-patient mental health beds is exceptionally difficult due to insufficient spaces, compromising prisoners' mental and physical health.
Mental Health
The Trust providing secondary mental healthcare has been unable to replace the occupational therapist.
Staffing
Recruitment and retention of healthcare staff continue to be a challenge, mainly due to location and NHS pay constraints.
Resettlement/Release
A change of regional service providers (NACRO) has resulted in particularly poor resettlement outcomes, with a significant decrease in the percentage of prisoners securing accommodation on release (only 75% had accommodation, down from 95%).
Regime/Time Out of Cell
No specialised treatment or rehabilitation programme is available for prisoners serving imprisonment for public protection sentences and life sentences on their dedicated wing.
Resettlement/Release
Prisoners in the Clive unit experience a lack of contact with prison staff and access to support with resettlement, such as employment advisers or guidance on banking and future accommodation.
Safety
One life-changing assault on a prisoner occurred in early February.
Recommendations
| # | Recommendation | Addressee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Increase funding and prioritise appropriate, high-quality and employer-driven vocational activity, training and qualifications to help reduce reoffending. Repeated | Other | |
| 2 | Basic maths and English qualifications should be achieved earlier in prisoners’ sentences to allow more focus on vocational training and qualifications at resettlement prisons such as Stoke Heath. Repeated | HMPPS | |
| 3 | Prisoners coming to Stoke Heath should be accompanied by a completed offender assessment (OASys) which includes sentence plan objectives assessing the risk of harm, risk of reoffending and educational needs. Repeated | HMPPS | |
| 4 | The prison should continue to furnish prisoners with the skills that are currently in demand in the workplace. This should include working closer with industry to encourage training within the prison and meaningful employment upon release. Repeated | Governor / Director | |
| 5 | A full keyworker scheme should be restored to give the prisoners the best chance of success. Repeated | Governor / Director | |
| 6 | The prison should continue to prioritise the replacement of the heating and hot water system, to start in early 2023. Repeated | Governor / Director |
Applications to the IMB
| Category | Current | Previous |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation, including laundry, clothing, ablutions | 7 | 2 |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogue(s) | 2 | 0 |
| Discipline, including adjudications, incentives schemes, sanctions | 10 | 1 |
| Equality | 11 | 17 |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 20 | 23 |
| Food and kitchens | 5 | 4 |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 54 | 46 |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection restrictions | 7 | 10 |
| Miscellaneous, including complaints system | 33 | 33 |
| Property during transfer or in another establishment or location | 36 | 24 |
| Property within this establishment | 25 | 34 |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, library, regime, time out of cell | 11 | 2 |
| Sentence management, including HDC, release on temporary licence, parole, release dates, recategorisation | 57 | 46 |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 49 | 50 |
| Transfers | 31 | 20 |
Related inspections & investigations
9 Jan 2023
HMIP · Unannounced
Safety 4
· Respect 3
· Activity 1
· Release 2
Other reports for Stoke Heath
Report details
- Establishment
- Stoke Heath
- Type
- Prison · Cat C, YOI
- Report year
- 2022
- Published
- 8 November 2022
- Responsible body
- HMP Stoke Heath
- Recommendations
- 6
- MoJ rating (2024/25)
- 2 — Concern
Population
| Population | 782 |
| Operational capacity | 782 |
| CNA (designed for) | 662 118% |
Service providers
Community and Rehabilitation Company (CRC)
Wales Probation Services
Estates and facilities management
Amey
Learning and skills
Novus
Library services
Shropshire County Council
Mental healthcare
North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust(NSCHT)
Physical healthcare
Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust
Prison escort service
GEOAmey
Substance misuse and wellbeing
The Forward Trust
Support
Samaritans
Visitors’ centre, children and families’ work
Barnardo’s