Wandsworth

Response
I am pleased to advise that the Government is immediately addressing HMIP’s concerns by deploying extra specialist staff to help turn the prison around and redirecting £100 million from across the Prison Service that will be spent over five years to deliver urgent improvements. This includes cell windows being repaired, shower refurbishments, and investment in fire safety measures. Other measures to bolster prison security and safety at HMP Wandsworth include the deployment of specialist security and drug staff and introduction of new leadership; regular drug searches from specialist drug detection teams; advanced violence reduction training sessions for staff; and improved access to rehabilitative services such as education and employment workshops which I am personally passionate about and hopeful they will prove successful.

Response
The Board will be pleased to know that the Remand Project recommenced at the end of July and will continue until March 2025. As part of the Urgent Notification response, HM Prisons and Probation Service (HMPPS) will be investing approximately £180k to improve the offer of support for those on remand and better prepare for release by reintroducing a remand support lead, case worker, and administrator at the prison. Early signs indicate this is already having a positive impact with the life skills course having a 90% completion rate, and prisoners reporting that they had been helped with over 85% of queries raised. Other local initiatives to assist remand prisoners include a local tenancy sustainment service, and a new project focused on violence reduction which is being commissioned at HMP Pentonville and HMP Wandsworth in partnership with the London Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime.

Response
I am pleased to advise that the Government is immediately addressing HMIP’s concerns by deploying extra specialist staff to help turn the prison around and redirecting £100 million from across the Prison Service that will be spent over five years to deliver urgent improvements. This includes cell windows being repaired, shower refurbishments, and investment in fire safety measures. Regarding the provision of clothing and bedding, HMPPS is exploring a new inventory system that will facilitate better provision of supplies and kit for prisoners, starting with those new to custody and as part of the Early Days processes. Additionally, a small amount of funding has been secured to replenish current stock levels of prisoner clothing.

Response
The new healthcare building has been handed over to the establishment. The outstanding project work required to deliver the required IT infrastructure and connectivity for both healthcare and prison staff is in progress. In order to open the building for full operational delivery, a scoping exercise is required on the logistical considerations necessary to enable prisoners to access healthcare services from the new setting. There will be some disruption to the current delivery of health services whilst this work is being completed but limited to no more than two weeks. This temporary reduction in service will not impact on emergency care, new reception screenings, or mental health services, and will be fully communicated to prisoners. The Board will be aware some of the causes for the delays were due to fire door issues, outstanding completion of telecommunications systems and cabling, and problems with the air conditioning unit within the new pharmacy facilities.

Response
A centralised recruitment model ensures a consistent standard is applied in assessment, helping to combat unconscious bias, and reducing the opportunity for adverse impact. Centralised recruitment also supports the delivery of volume recruitment at pace and provides efficiencies due to the economies of scale achieved for large volumes of applicants. Although a centralised recruitment policy is in place, HMP Berwyn have been piloting a local delivery model of the recruitment process with the purpose of testing the hypothesis that increased engagement locally will deliver better results both in respect of the quality of candidates recruited and on retention. HMPPS and the Ministry of Justice will draw on lessons and strategies from the HMP Berwyn pilot to inform future strategies. Whilst HMPPS currently operates a centralised recruitment process, it is recognised there is value that prisons can contribute to the recruitment journey and prisons are encouraged to take an active role in engaging with applicants locally, especially regarding the early onboarding process of new staff so that they are prepared for the prison they are entering. HMP Wandsworth is currently reviewing its staff induction processes to ensure that all staff are provided the information and tools they need to improve their experience of taking up employment at HMP Wandsworth. The prison is also making considerable efforts to ensure staff are sufficiently trained so that they are more confident in their jobs. The Standards Coaching Team have been deployed to HMP Wandsworth and the Prison Group Director is revamping the role of the London New Colleague Mentors to provide regional, targeted support.

Response
The Governor has commissioned a review of all full-time activity spaces to introduce more part time opportunities. The prison will be converting some of their full-time industries spaces to part-time positions which will increase availability of spaces by approximately seventy. The prison has also received an increase in funding which supported the introduction of two new workshops that started in October 2024, creating twenty-four additional purposeful activity spaces in construction skills and barista engineering, both of which will lead to employment-based qualifications. New activity spaces will be added to the 2024 educational curriculum: 144 Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) and 312 Digital Skills per annum.

Response
HMP Wandsworth is currently reviewing its staff induction processes to ensure that all staff are provided the information and tools they need to improve their experience of taking up employment at HMP Wandsworth. The prison is also making considerable efforts to ensure staff are sufficiently trained so that they are more confident in their jobs. The Standards Coaching Team have been deployed to HMP Wandsworth and the Prison Group Director is revamping the role of the London New Colleague Mentors to provide regional, targeted support.

Response
I am pleased to advise that the Government is immediately addressing HMIP’s concerns by deploying extra specialist staff to help turn the prison around and redirecting £100 million from across the Prison Service that will be spent over five years to deliver urgent improvements. This includes cell windows being repaired, shower refurbishments, and investment in fire safety measures. Other measures to bolster prison security and safety at HMP Wandsworth include the deployment of specialist security and drug staff and introduction of new leadership; regular drug searches from specialist drug detection teams; advanced violence reduction training sessions for staff; and improved access to rehabilitative services such as education and employment workshops which I am personally passionate about and hopeful they will prove successful.

Response
Although the Commissioned Rehabilitative Service services were initially only available for sentenced people in prison, HMPPS is working on extending the contracts for accommodation to include the unconvicted and unsentenced. A strategic housing specialist supports remand prisoners with housing on release, where appropriate, and there is a service supporting remand prisoners with existing tenancies.

Response
We have already delivered c.5,500 of the planned 20,000 modern uncrowded places. The Ministry of Justice is striving to reduce the court backlog and has extended the use of the Nightingale courtrooms over the course of this financial year, to provide additional court capacity.

Response
The new healthcare building has been handed over to the establishment. The outstanding project work required to deliver the required IT infrastructure and connectivity for both healthcare and prison staff is in progress. In order to open the building for full operational delivery, a scoping exercise is required on the logistical considerations necessary to enable prisoners to access healthcare services from the new setting. There will be some disruption to the current delivery of health services whilst this work is being completed but limited to no more than two weeks. This temporary reduction in service will not impact on emergency care, new reception screenings, or mental health services, and will be fully communicated to prisoners. The Board will be aware some of the causes for the delays were due to fire door issues, outstanding completion of telecommunications systems and cabling, and problems with the air conditioning unit within the new pharmacy facilities.

Response
I am pleased to advise that the Government is immediately addressing HMIP’s concerns by deploying extra specialist staff to help turn the prison around and redirecting £100 million from across the Prison Service that will be spent over five years to deliver urgent improvements. This includes cell windows being repaired, shower refurbishments, and investment in fire safety measures.

Response
A centralised recruitment model ensures a consistent standard is applied in assessment, helping to combat unconscious bias, and reducing the opportunity for adverse impact. Centralised recruitment also supports the delivery of volume recruitment at pace and provides efficiencies due to the economies of scale achieved for large volumes of applicants. Although a centralised recruitment policy is in place, HMP Berwyn have been piloting a local delivery model of the recruitment process with the purpose of testing the hypothesis that increased engagement locally will deliver better results both in respect of the quality of candidates recruited and on retention. HMPPS and the Ministry of Justice will draw on lessons and strategies from the HMP Berwyn pilot to inform future strategies. Whilst HMPPS currently operates a centralised recruitment process, it is recognised there is value that prisons can contribute to the recruitment journey and prisons are encouraged to take an active role in engaging with applicants locally, especially regarding the early onboarding process of new staff so that they are prepared for the prison they are entering. HMP Wandsworth is currently reviewing its staff induction processes to ensure that all staff are provided the information and tools they need to improve their experience of taking up employment at HMP Wandsworth. The prison is also making considerable efforts to ensure staff are sufficiently trained so that they are more confident in their jobs. The Standards Coaching Team have been deployed to HMP Wandsworth and the Prison Group Director is revamping the role of the London New Colleague Mentors to provide regional, targeted support.

Response
The Board will be pleased to know that the Remand Project recommenced at the end of July and will continue until March 2025. As part of the Urgent Notification response, HM Prisons and Probation Service (HMPPS) will be investing approximately £180k to improve the offer of support for those on remand and better prepare for release by reintroducing a remand support lead, case worker, and administrator at the prison. Early signs indicate this is already having a positive impact with the life skills course having a 90% completion rate, and prisoners reporting that they had been helped with over 85% of queries raised. Other local initiatives to assist remand prisoners include a local tenancy sustainment service, and a new project focused on violence reduction which is being commissioned at HMP Pentonville and HMP Wandsworth in partnership with the London Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime.

Response
This is a reflection on understaffing and many young prisoners having gang issues. We will continue to make every effort to keep gang members separated.

Response
It takes this obligation seriously but the lack of staff available to escort prisoners to the library is a major constraint.

Response
Healthcare is working with prison staff to ensure that medication hatches on wings are kept open to ensure that medications are distributed.

Response
Yes, but other services may suffer as officers will be diverted to the healthcare centre.