Staffing
The Minister should note that the IMB has been operating with just three active members against an establishment of 16; and that, with such low numbers, it is increasingly difficult to meaningfully carry out the statutory requirements.
Staffing
Repeated
The Board is disappointed that, despite repeated requests for change, the IMB recruitment process continues to be inadequate and inappropriate to support the timely recruitment of candidates with the necessary qualities and skills.
Overcrowding
Repeated
There continue to be too many prisoners forced to share cells, including those initially designed for single occupancy. ... the number of prisoners being forced to share a cell continues to increase.
Other
Repeated
The Board is disappointed that the estate-wide management of prisoner property on transfer continues to be extremely poor, and that staff are not adhering to the policy guidelines for transfer of legal papers.
Complaints/Property
The Board would like to know when IT systems that have been deployed in other prisons, to better manage internal complaints, are going to be deployed in HMP Littlehey.
Complaints/Property
Repeated
The Board notes the continued high level of internal complaints at HMP Littlehey... a significant number of complaints could be avoided by better communication between staff and prisoners
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
The continued inadequacy of the heating system on the Woodlands wings, which include the two wings for elderly prisoners.
Equality/Diversity
Repeated
The maintenance of wheelchairs continued to be an issue during this reporting year. The Board has highlighted this issue in numerous previous annual reports and progress in resolving the situation remains slow.
Healthcare
Repeated
The healthcare services lacked the resources to meet the needs of the population and that the governance and oversight of medicines’ management was weak. Indeed, the lack of 24-hour healthcare is often questioned by prisoners
Healthcare
Repeated
Physiotherapy services continued to operate at below optimal levels and the Board notes the upward trend in waiting times due to the reduction in physiotherapy clinics... Podiatry provision was reduced... and this has impacted waiting times
Healthcare
The Board is disappointed to see the continuing long waiting times for optician appointments.
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
The repair and replacement of gym equipment continues to be inadequate due to insufficient funding.
Estate/Conditions
the roof of the workshops’ building was leaking for the whole of the reporting period, without any clear plan to repair or replace it.
Education/Purposeful Activity
insufficient provision of English, maths and English for speakers of other languages to meet the need of the population.
Education/Purposeful Activity
the prison needed a reading strategy to support literacy, based on a meaningful assessment of need among the prison population.
Education/Purposeful Activity
the Lakeside library has sometimes been closed, due to inadequate staff resources.