The Mount

Response
The majority of recruitment activity is managed locally, however Ministry of Justice Resourcing (MoJ) runs a central recruitment model for all prisons. The MoJ carefully monitors resourcing levels to ensure that HMPPS is able to manage current staffing levels and make accurate forecasts around future needs. A number of initiatives are in place to support recruitment for prisons which are hardest to recruit to. This includes Advance into Justice, a fast-track scheme to support armed forces staff and veterans to become prison officers. Additionally, The First Deployment National Start campaign offers an incentive package for hard to recruit to prisons. An ‘always on’ approach is in place for recruitment activity for HMP/YOI Norwich which is also receiving a tailored approach to recruitment advertising and promotion through a variety of channels. This includes local public relations support; radio; posters; information at petrol forecourts; internet job boards; and search engine advertisements. These measures are in place to raise awareness of HMPPS as an employer in the local community and highlight the breadth of roles available. A £3,000 market supplement is in place for sites where it is hard to recruit staff, and HMP/YOI Norwich benefitted from this in April this year which was applicable to all current and new Band 3 prison officers on ‘Fair and Sustainable employment terms’. A Retention Strategy and interactive toolkit was launched in November 2021, with a focus on collaborative working with Human Resources to engage and retain new and experienced operational and non-operational staff. A new exit interview process has been introduced to identify why operational and non-operational staff are leaving to allow targeted local interventions to be introduced to reduce staff turnover. HMPPS is currently working with a new initiative looking at retention involving a Psychologist from the MoJ to conduct a thorough analysis into barriers and what can be done to address them. The introduction of an apprenticeship for new recruits has given HMPPS confidence that retention will improve as this is a real qualification which staff are proud to obtain, providing additional status and dignity. HMP/YOI Norwich has also resourced two permanent Band 5 Hub Managers to improve Staff retention and Staff Wellbeing. The success of these roles will be reviewed in the autumn.

Response
The expansion of HMP/YOI Norwich is expected through refurbishment of the existing Elizabeth Fry wing, with an increase in the population up to 173 places, subject to approval of the planning application. The houseblock will include new sanitary facilities such as in-cell showers, staff welfare facilities, and a new accessible platform lift for improved access to the first-floor multi-faith centre. The kitchen provision is currently being reviewed to ensure there are enough facilities for the increase in prisoners and I can confirm HMPPS will provide additional capacity as required.

Response
A further planning application has been submitted to construct a new sports hall facility to allow further space for exercise, rehabilitation, recreation, and additional further education and intervention opportunities for prisoners. I can confirm the expansion programme will ensure there is sufficient capacity in education and intervention provision to accommodate the increase in the population. The level of restriction that regimes have experienced means that there is now a critical need to increase access to time unlocked and to afford access to purposeful activity that supports wellbeing, rehabilitation, and sentence progression. There is now weekly oversight of the level of purposeful activity being provided in each prison with a current positive upward trend showing increased employment and regime engagement. A dedicated Regime dashboard now provides this management information locally and centrally ensuring progress can be tracked and any concerns identified to drive supportive action through the management line or centrally where required. There has been considerable active engagement between Directors and the Future Regime Design (FRD) project to achieve the maximum quality from the quantity of regime that can be delivered in prisons, as they continue to work with the operational line to share good practice.

Response
Further to last years’ response, there was a pause in the development of the new Prisoners’ Property Policy Framework due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Following feedback from all stakeholders and further operational engagement, adjustments to the new Prisoners’ Property Policy Framework have been made where appropriate. The Framework is currently going through the necessary clearance processes and will be published as soon as those processes are concluded. The Framework aims to ensure that property is handled with efficiency, care and respect and that staff and prisoners are clear on the arrangements in place. It provides clear requirements and strengthens guidance on known problem areas. This includes providing stronger guidance to ensure volumetric control limits are respected, so that prisoners do not build up excessive amounts of property.

Response
The COVID pandemic has seen the biggest operational impact on prisons for a generation. The impact of the pandemic has left HMPPS with areas of backlog and a series of competing demands to address in restoring the service. HMPPS ceased the implementation of the National Framework policy on 9 May, and stood down Covid Gold command on 23 May. This moved decision making on regime delivery wholly to the Governor and local decision as opposed to centrally controlled regime stages. The level of restriction that regimes have experienced means that there is now a critical need to increase access to time unlocked and to afford access to purposeful activity that supports wellbeing, rehabilitation, and sentence progression. There is now weekly oversight of the level of purposeful activity being provided in each prison with a current positive upward trend showing increased employment and regime engagement. A dedicated Regime dashboard now provides this management information locally and centrally ensuring progress can be tracked and any concerns identified to drive supportive action through the management line or centrally where required. There has been considerable active engagement between Directors and the Future Regime Design (FRD) project to achieve the maximum quality from the quantity of regime that can be delivered in prisons, as they continue to work with the operational line to share good practice.