Recommendations 16 items · 10 repeated
Recommendations were extracted from the report by AI, and responses and their status from the ministerial response by AI. Each recommendation shows whether its wording has been checked against the report.
Addressee: Ministry of Justice · Topic: Equality · Repeated from a previous year
Recommendation (the Board's words)
What further action is being taken to recognise the particular challenges facing foreign national prisoners (FNP) who comprise around half the prison population?
Response (as published)
National policies ensure FNPs’ needs are met, including free five-minute calls for prisoners without visits, flexible phone access for time zone differences, and essential information in multiple formats and languages during early days in custody. Two new FNP specialists were appointed. While this is positive the Board considers it is still inadequate.
Addressee: Ministry of Justice · Topic: Resettlement
Recommendation (the Board's words)
What action is being taken to accelerate the repatriation and extradition of FNPs, particularly those who have served their sentences or who have been found not guilty?
Addressee: Ministry of Justice · Topic: Other
Recommendation (the Board's words)
This reporting year has seen a number of innovative and successful new initiatives in HMP Wandsworth prison. What other initiatives have been successful in other prisons which could be introduced in HMP Wandsworth?
Addressee: Ministry of Justice · Topic: Mental Health
Recommendation (the Board's words)
A number of prisoners with severe mental health problems were released from the prison, in some cases against the specific recommendation of the prison governors. What can be done to ensure that courts are more aware of the potential consequences of such releases?
Addressee: HMPPS · Topic: Estate · Repeated from a previous year
Recommendation (the Board's words)
The Nightingale healthcare building finally came into service, four years later than its target date. It still lacks a dental facility as a result of poor design and contract management. The repairs on K Wing are already running months behind schedule – and presumably therefore over budget. Nor are we optimistic that the repairs to the Chapel will be delivered on time. What lessons have been learnt and have they been put into practice to avoid further failures?
Response (as published)
As of 20 October 2025, £37.6 million has been committed to improvement work. This investment will support a programme of window replacements, major fire safety improvements, shower expansion and refurbishments as well as developing projects to replace the chapel roof and rebuild the recycling centre. These are all areas in which the Board still has concerns.
Addressee: HMPPS · Topic: Safety · Repeated from a previous year
Recommendation (the Board's words)
The Board is concerned about the state of fire safety in the prison. There are two different fire protection systems in place. What urgent steps are being taken to remedy this potentially extremely dangerous situation?
Response (as published)
As of 20 October 2025, £37.6 million has been committed to improvement work. This investment will support a programme of window replacements, major fire safety improvements, shower expansion and refurbishments as well as developing projects to replace the chapel roof and rebuild the recycling centre. These are all areas in which the Board still has concerns.
Addressee: HMPPS · Topic: Regime · Repeated from a previous year
Recommendation (the Board's words)
What is being done to reduce the heavy load of bureaucracy and delay caused by centralised contracts, specifically involving kitchen machinery repairs and BT in cell telephone faults?
Response (as published)
While complex procurements remain reliant on internal processes, MoJ Commercial says it has introduced a streamlined governance framework to reduce delays. Many major contracts are due for review including those with BT and GFSL.
Addressee: HMPPS · Topic: Staffing · Repeated from a previous year
Recommendation (the Board's words)
Staffing levels and the calibre of newly-recruited staff in particular remain concerns for the Board. What more is HMPPS doing to ensure that suitable staff are being recruited?
Response (as published)
HMPPS operates a centralised recruitment model for prison officers to ensure consistent standards, meet high-volume demand. HMP Wandsworth has introduced “taster tours”. The Enable project, to build staff capability, is being piloted. While the pilot enhanced candidate understanding, it proved resource-intensive, delayed completion, and lacked robustness. It was concluded that the tested local models were unsustainable. The Board remains concerned about the staff recruitment process and HMP Wandsworth’s lack of autonomy.
Addressee: Governor / Director · Topic: Staffing · Repeated from a previous year
Recommendation (the Board's words)
The Board recognises the emphasis that the senior management team has placed on recruitment and dealing with unauthorised absences in the last year. However, far too often, staffing levels have been dangerously inadequate. Often these shortages are at predictable times – public holidays, school holidays, periods of extreme hot weather in the summer. What more can be done to anticipate, and therefore prevent, such shortages in future?
Response (as published)
The Governor chairs a People Support Meeting and a monthly workforce planning meeting. A business case is put to HMPPS to request additional staff. Staff profiles are being reviewed. Staff sickness rate is on target to reduce by 2 days per officer per year. On many days, regime had to be curtailed owing to staff shortages.
Addressee: Governor / Director · Topic: Other
Recommendation (the Board's words)
The Board has noted the introduction of a number of positive new initiatives in the course of the year such as the Sunflower Neurodiverse Unit and G wing run on Scandinavian principles. This has been a significant factor in starting to restore the previously very negative reputation of HMP Wandsworth. What further initiatives do you have in mind to help further restore the damaged reputation of the prison?
Addressee: Governor / Director · Topic: Staffing
Recommendation (the Board's words)
You have announced that you are leaving the position of governing governor at the end of 2026. A deputy governor is also due to be appointed early in the current reporting year. A number of members of the senior leadership team are on secondments which expire during the next year. Are plans in place to mitigate the impact of the high turnover of senior staff?
Addressee: Governor / Director · Topic: Regime
Recommendation (the Board's words)
Despite the many positive developments this year, Board members are still struck by the number of complaints from prisoners about basic regime, equipment, clothing and the state of their cells. What can be done about this?
Addressee: HMPPS · Topic: Other · Repeated from a previous year
Recommendation
What is being done to identify ways of making sure prisoners’ property is dealt with more efficiently and not delayed, mislaid or lost in transit?
Response (as published)
HMP Wandsworth says that it has implemented several measures to strengthen property management. Property remains an area of concern to the Board. In particular, we are not seeing any improvement in the handling of complaints concerning the transfer of property between prisons.
Addressee: HMPPS · Topic: Safety · Repeated from a previous year
Recommendation
How is the Prison Service addressing this major issue?
Response (as published)
While the increase in ACCT cases is concerning, it reflects improved awareness, early identification, and proactive intervention for individuals in distress. Efforts remain focused on strengthening early support and reducing repeat ACCT openings through enhanced multidisciplinary collaboration. The Board was encouraged that the number of ACCTs fell by 11% compared with the previous period.
Addressee: Governor / Director · Topic: Education · Repeated from a previous year
Recommendation
What is being done to improve this?
Response (as published)
Attendance at the library had suffered during the first half of our reporting year. However, in January the Governor introduced mandatory staffing for access to the library, which was positively received by the Librarian. By the year end, the prison had appointed an officer to have specific responsibility for ensuring that men were able to visit the library.
Addressee: Governor / Director · Topic: Resettlement · Repeated from a previous year
Recommendation
What new initiatives are planned to improve rehabilitation?
Response (as published)
A greater proportion of part-time activities is being introduced to enable a greater number of men to access some form of activity. The Employment Advisory Board is actively looking to increase the number of employers coming to the prison. The Independent Substance Free Living programme is being reintroduced. Wandsworth is part of an HMPPS pilot to work with men who are at particularly high risk on release. MOJ and the prison worked together during the reporting year to introduce a new workshop complex which would be scheduled to open in 2027. In an establishment where there is such a rapid turnover of men, it is difficult to provide rehabilitation services or prepare them for leaving prison.