Swinfen Hall

Will the Minister assure the Board that there will be an improvement in contract monitoring and adequate supervision of works carried out in the prison estate?

I acknowledge the Board’s concern about the wing refurbishment work not going to plan and how this has impacted on the operational capacity level. I am aware of the setbacks and complications (multiple pipe leaks and having to replace the main external water supply). Refurbishment of the showers had to be repeatedly revisited due to the resin wall coatings failing, this is still an ongoing issue which the contractor is currently trying to resolve. The Ministry of Justice Property Directorate will continue to monitor the programme of work and hold regular meetings with the contractor to resolve issues as quickly as possible.

Will the necessary funding be made available to the prison to facilitate these mitigations?

How is the effectiveness of the current contract being evaluated?

The Ministry of Justice Property Directorate will continue to monitor the programme of work and hold regular meetings with the contractor to resolve issues as quickly as possible.

What measures will be put in place to enable Swinfen Hall to continue to manage the increased number of prisoners arriving without a completed OASys assessment?

All prisoners transferring to another prison for any reason must first be assessed as clinically safe for transfer by a healthcare professional. The resourcing modelling for the Offender Management in Custody (OMiC) included initial OASys assessments and was based on the expected volumes of prisoners transferring from Reception prisons under the new offender flows. OMiC resources are currently being reviewed and HMPPS hopes to publish the outcome of the review at the end of this calendar year, with any changes implemented to take place from April 2022 (these dates however, maybe subject to changes). HMP/YOI Swinfen Hall is already financially resourced to complete these early assessments on prisoners transferred directly from reception prisons following their sentencing. It is recognised, however, that the number of unfilled Prison/Probation Offender Manager (POM) posts, combined with the existing backlog of OASys assessments has impacted on the completion of these assessments. Having successfully now recruited into these vacancies (apart from one 0.5 vacant to be filled), this will reduce the overall POM caseload, enabling the backlog to be tackled. The national OASys Taskforce Team is also providing support to HMP/YOI Swinfen Hall and the Governor is optimising staff overtime to clear the backlog. Furthermore, six additional OASys trained staff are sourced to help with this. POMs have an OASys completion rate target to reach, and performance is monitored.

How will staffing and services be bolstered to make up for the losses suffered by prisoners?

Staffing levels and capability will continue to be areas of focus for the Governor to ensure there is sufficient staff cover to manage the regime. HMP /YOI Swinfen Hall has employed a Prison Officer Entry Level Training (POELT) Mentor and an Apprenticeship Coach to support newly qualified officers, whilst new officers on the Unlocked Graduates scheme receive support from an Independent Mentor. HMP/YOI Swinfen Hall is a pilot for the confidence and competence (C & C) toolkit, which up-skills and develops Band 3 prison officers in the work-tasks expected from this grade, utilising targeted briefings and learning materials. An additional Band 5 Custodial Manager has been recruited to lead on building C&C in newly qualified officers. This role will support officers through dedicated time on coaching and supervision. To complement this post, there is a dedicated Band 3 POELT Mentor who provides peer-led support and guidance. New officers will continue to be supported through the POELT passport and bi-lateral reviews conducted by line managers. The Governor is recruiting experienced prison officers through a level transfer national campaign providing an additional layer of experienced staff and is undertaking a rotation exercise to spread the officer experience equally across the establishment. Staff training days will continue to be run to ensure established staff receive refresher training. Since 27 July 2021 HMP/YOI Swinfen Hall resumed face to face social visits (providing 54% of its pre-Covid capacity). Maximising the visiting sessions will be kept under review and the secure social video call service will continue to be provided until further notice (sixty sessions per week). The prison moved to Stage 2 of the National Framework for Prison Regimes and Services on 11 October 2021 and within five weeks successfully transferred to Stage 1, delivering a near normal regime through the relaxing of social distancing measures. A part time working model is being explored so that prisoners have equality of access to the off-wing regime alongside association times. Clinic utilisation since the start of Stage 2 delivery has increased and will continue to. As identified by the Board, the waiting time backlog for dental and secondary care hospital appointments remains a concern. NHS England and NHS Improvement is currently working with the healthcare provider(s) on restoration and recovery planning concerning management of the waiting list. The education provision has increased in line with the National Framework for Prison Regimes and Services. The increase is primarily due to being able to optimise the number of number of people in classrooms. The in-cell telephony project has been completed.

How will funding be made available to provide additional staffing and services to mitigate the deprivation suffered by prisoners during the pandemic?

How will the prison maintain the increased level of safety felt by vulnerable prisoners as the regime opens up?

HMPPS is continuing to regularly review restrictions in line with the latest public health advice to ensure its approach to protecting the safety of people in prison, staff, and visitors is proportionate. Staffing levels and capability will continue to be areas of focus for the Governor to ensure there is sufficient staff cover to manage the regime. HMP /YOI Swinfen Hall has employed a Prison Officer Entry Level Training (POELT) Mentor and an Apprenticeship Coach to support newly qualified officers, whilst new officers on the Unlocked Graduates scheme receive support from an Independent Mentor. HMP/YOI Swinfen Hall is a pilot for the confidence and competence (C & C) toolkit, which up-skills and develops Band 3 prison officers in the work-tasks expected from this grade, utilising targeted briefings and learning materials. An additional Band 5 Custodial Manager has been recruited to lead on building C&C in newly qualified officers. This role will support officers through dedicated time on coaching and supervision. To complement this post, there is a dedicated Band 3 POELT Mentor who provides peer-led support and guidance. New officers will continue to be supported through the POELT passport and bi-lateral reviews conducted by line managers. The Governor is recruiting experienced prison officers through a level transfer national campaign providing an additional layer of experienced staff and is undertaking a rotation exercise to spread the officer experience equally across the establishment. Staff training days will continue to be run to ensure established staff receive refresher training. Clinic utilisation since the start of Stage 2 delivery has increased and will continue to. As identified by the Board, the waiting time backlog for dental and secondary care hospital appointments remains a concern. NHS England and NHS Improvement is currently working with the healthcare provider(s) on restoration and recovery planning concerning management of the waiting list.