Source · IMB Annual Report
Downview
Year: 2022
Published: 10 Oct 2022
Type: Prison · Cat Closed Female YOI
Population: 265
Recommendations: 9
Key concerns
Positive findings
HMP/YOI Downview experienced another year significantly impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, leading to a restricted regime and challenges across various departments. While the Board found the prison safe and prisoners treated fairly, it raised significant concerns regarding the management and provision of healthcare, staffing pressures, and the lack of digital access for education. These issues highlight the ongoing difficulties in maintaining optimal conditions and services for prisoners under pandemic and resource constraints.
Safety statistics
| Indicator | This year | Previous |
|---|---|---|
| Self-harm incidents | 752 | 369 |
| ACCT cases opened | 240 | 244 |
| Prisoner assaults | 14 | 21 |
| Assaults on staff | 32 | 11 |
Positive findings
The Board commended staff for their ongoing support and resilience in keeping prisoners and staff safe despite extraordinary circumstances. Downview was deemed a safe prison where prisoners were treated fairly and humanely, and proactively offered opportunities despite COVID-19 restrictions. The early days induction programme and key worker scheme (OMiC) were well received, and social care support was excellent. The chaplaincy team also provided consistent pastoral care and innovative services, with positive feedback from women.
Key concerns
Education/Purposeful Activity
The lack of IT infrastructure in prison education and barriers created to enabling prisoners to be job-ready.
Mental Health
Repeated
The lengthy segregation of prisoners with complex mental health needs and the population of individuals with prolific self-harming behaviour in a prison environment.
Resettlement/Release
An additional layer of reporting and accountability for the employment advisory board, with minimal impact on positive outcomes for prisoners.
Education/Purposeful Activity
Lack of actual progress to implement an effective digital strategy for education, to ensure that digital devices are available within prisons and to ensure safe and secure access to the internet in the women’s estate.
Healthcare
Lack of stability with the management of healthcare during the reporting year, which has undoubtedly impacted on provision.
Complaints/Property
Little confidence in how healthcare complaints and concerns are managed and logged.
Safety
The perceived lack of support for the Listeners scheme.
Recommendations
| # | Recommendation | Addressee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Given the significant challenges posed by the lack of IT infrastructure in prison education and barriers created to enabling prisoners to be job-ready, how can digital access be expedited? | Ministry of Justice | |
| 2 | We remain concerned about the lengthy segregation of prisoners with complex mental health needs and the population of individuals with prolific self-harming behaviour in a prison environment. Prison is no place for such women and, despite the best efforts of staff, it is obvious that often issues will worsen and behaviours will deteriorate. It is disappointing that the significant funding to be used for the prison expansion programme cannot be used to better effect for alternative ways to support such women. Repeated | Ministry of Justice | |
| 3 | We will watch with interest the development of the employment advisory board at the prison. We are concerned about an additional layer of reporting and accountability for the prison, with minimal impact on positive outcomes for prisoners. | HMPPS | |
| 4 | What actual progress has been made to implement an effective digital strategy for education, to ensure that digital devices are available within prisons and to ensure safe and secure access to the internet in the women’s estate? | HMPPS | |
| 5 | It has been regrettable that there has been such a lack of stability with the management of healthcare during the reporting year and this has undoubtedly impacted on provision. We are reassured to see a permanent healthcare head appointed shortly after the end of the reporting period, which hopefully will lead to a more concerted effort on behalf of the prison and CNWL to work together for healthcare delivery in the prison. | Governor / Director | |
| 6 | The Board has little confidence in how healthcare complaints and concerns are managed and logged and we hope to see a more efficient system being developed. | Governor / Director | |
| 7 | The Board welcomes the more effective management and delivery of the family engagement resource in the prison. It appears that the basics for family engagement are now more in place. However, compared to other prisons which are more proactive in this area, there is still much to do. We continue to look forward to seeing a significantly more family-centred approach and initiatives and effective delivery of the renegotiated contract by Pact. | Governor / Director | |
| 8 | The Board will look forward to the continued monitoring of the operation of the Weston College contract during the next reporting period as more face-to-face teaching takes place. | Governor / Director | |
| 9 | It is disappointing to hear of the perceived lack of support for the Listeners scheme, and we look forward to seeing this develop in the future. | Governor / Director |
Applications to the IMB
| Category | Current | Previous |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation (including transfers) | 8 | 3 |
| Activities and work | 1 | 1 |
| Discipline | 1 | 1 |
| Equality and diversity | 0 | 0 |
| Food | 2 | 0 |
| Healthcare (including medication and dental) | 30 | 42 |
| Legal | 1 | 3 |
| Other | 2 | 6 |
| Property (including lost property) | 9 | 1 |
| Respect | 2 | 0 |
| Staff | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 58 | 57 |
| Visits | 1 | 0 |
Related inspections & investigations
Other reports for Downview
Report details
- Establishment
- Downview
- Type
- Prison · Cat Closed Female YOI
- Report year
- 2022
- Published
- 10 October 2022
- Responsible body
- HMP Downview
- Recommendations
- 9
- MoJ rating (2024/25)
- 3 — Good
Population
| Population | 265 |
| Operational capacity | 356 |
Service providers
Education
Weston College
Family engagement
Prison Advice and Care Trust (Pact)
Healthcare
Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust (CNWL)
Listener scheme
Samaritans
Substance misuse
Forward Trust
Works and maintenance
Government Facility Services Limited