Executive Summary
There are 74 recommendations in this report which need attention. Overall,however, HMYOI Polmont has many advantages which will ensure that the
establishment will improve and go from strength to strength. Firstly, it is a relatively modern establishment; conditions for young offenders are sufficiently good and the lower population means that ‘overcrowding’ is not an issue. Secondly, by
transforming the management, oversight and culture of the establishment, the staff will be able to contribute in a much more positive and holistic way, not only inside the establishment but also with external partners, thus improving throughcare. With training and direction this can be achieved. Lastly, by using current good practice
from other prisons, the regime and the timetabling of activities could be radically improved and this could be done quickly. The sum of these improvements will ensure that HMYOI Polmont is central to the very best practices within the Reducing Reoffending Programme.
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Contents
Part 2: Decency, humanity and respect for legal rights
Patt 3: Opportunities for self-improvement and access to services and activities
COVERING LETTER
The Scottish Ministers
In accordance with my Terms of Reference as HM Chief Inspector of Prisons for Scotland, I present a report of the full inspection carried out at HM Young Offenders Institution Polmont between 22-30 October 2012.
The report makes a number of recommendations. It also highlights areas of good practice.
HUGH MONRO CBE
HM Chief Inspector of Prisons for Scotland
January 2013
INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
HM Chief Inspector of Prisons for Scotland (HMCIPS) assesses the quality of prisons in Scotland against a set of Standards. These Standards are set out in the document "Standards Used in the Inspection of Prisons in Scotland" which can be found at www.scotland.gov.uk/hmip.
The Standards reflect the independence of the inspection of prisons in Scotland and are designed to provide information to prisoners, prison staff and the wider community on the main areas that are examined during the course of an inspection.
The Standards provide assurance to Ministers and the public that inspections are conducted in line with a framework that is consistent and that assessments are made against appropriate criteria.
While the basis for these Standards is rooted in international human rights treaties and conventions and in prison rules, they are the Standards of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons for Scotland (HMIPS).
This report reflects the Standards and has three main sections:
- Safety: security, good order, protection of prisoners from harm;
- Decency, humanity and respect for legal rights: all aspects of the treatment of prisoners and the framework of rights within which imprisonment should operate; and
- Opportunities for self-improvement and access to services and activities: the activities provided by the prison, the ethos, measures taken to solve the problems that led the prisoner into crime, preparation for release and social reintegration.
HMIPS gathers together information to enable assessments to be arrived at. A number of different techniques are used to do this. These techniques include:
- obtaining information and documents from the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) and the prison being inspected;
- shadowing and observing Prison Service and other specialist staff as they perform their duties within the prison;
- interviewing prisoners and staff on a one-to-one basis;
- conducting focus groups with prisoners and staff;
- observing prison services as they are delivered;
- inspecting facilities;
- attending and observing relevant meetings; and
- reviewing policies, procedures and other documents including performance reports.
HMIPS is supported in our work by inspectors from Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) and Education Scotland.
The information that we gather enables us to obtain a full picture of the prison. This enables us to ensure that our assessments are fair, balanced and accurate.
This report outlines where Standards are being met and where they are not. It identifies where improvements are required. Where improvements are needed, the report makes appropriate recommendations. The report also highlights areas of the establishment which are to be commended and are listed as good practice.
KEY FACTS
Location
Her Majesty's Young Offenders Institution (HMYOI) Polmont lies three miles south east of Falkirk on the B805 road in Central Scotland.
Role
HMYOI Polmont is Scotland's national holding facility for those young adults between 16 and 21 years of age who are awaiting trial and convicted young offenders serving all sentence lengths up to and including Life. The average sentence length is between two-four years.
Design Capacity/Population held at time of Inspection
Significant, recent investment in HMYOI Polmont has resulted in a total redevelopment of the site. It is now the largest Young Offender Institution in Britain with a design capacity of 760 spaces. At the time of the inspection there was a total of 630 young offenders in HMYOI Polmont of which 163 were untried, 341 were short-term offenders, 121 long term offenders and five were serving life sentences.
Date of Last Full Inspection
May 2007
Brief History
HMYOI Polmont is built on the site of Blairlodge Academy. Originally built in 1843, this boarding school for boys flourished until the turn of the nineteenth century when it experienced financial difficulties and was eventually forced to close in 1908 after an outbreak of an infectious disease, possibly measles, and never reopened. The buildings however were subsequently purchased by the Prison Commissioners in 1911 and shortly afterwards opened as Scotland's first Borstal. Borstals finally became Young Offenders Institutions in the Criminal Justice Bill of 1980 and the establishment then became known as HMYOI Polmont.
Accommodation
There are three large accommodation units; Iona Hall, Monro Hall and Blair House. There is also a 14 cell segregation unit called Dunedin Hall. Iona Hall has the capacity to hold 261 young offenders in single and double cell accommodation. Iona's primary purpose is to contain long term young offenders, those on remand and all admissions over 18 prior to allocation. Monro Hall has the capacity to hold 362 young offenders of which approximately 50% are serving short sentences, 25% require protection status and 25% are either long term young offenders or those held in top-end conditions. Blair House holds all convicted and untried young offenders of all sentence lengths who are under 18 years of age.
Healthcare Provider
NHS Forth Valley
Learning Provider
Carnegie College
HM Chief Inspector's Overview
Setting the Scene
Since the last inspection of HMYOI Polmont in 2007, the establishment has been completely rebuilt with the redeveloped establishment being completed in 2010. HMYOI Polmont has therefore had two years to settle in to the new buildings prior to this HMIPS inspection. It has also coped with the significant challenges of the change of education provider, Carnegie College taking over from Motherwell College. Healthcare has also successfully transferred to the NHS.
After a period of relative senior managerial stability, however, HMYOI Polmont has had four Governors-in-Charge since 2010. This was compounded by the previous Governor being moved, rightly, to lead HMP&YOI Cornton Vale, but only some three weeks before the inspection took place and at a time when she had had only about a year to influence change and improvement at HMYOI Polmont. The 'new' Governor was therefore at a disadvantage during the inspection as she had had little to do with the preparation required for it. During the prison inspection, the Deputy Governor post was temporarily vacant. There had been a considerable rotation of operational First Line Managers (FLMs) the week prior to the inspection which caused a significant paucity of information for inspectors.
The sum of this instability was obvious during the inspection: senior managers, who themselves had been recently moved around, were struggling to find answers to inspectorial questions and there was little feel of 'ownership'; that staff wanted to show off 'their jail' and what it could do. Where there is criticism in this report, much of it relates to this spate of managerial moves. It is important that HMYOI Polmont now has a period of stability in order to assimilate the recommendations of this report and to instigate change.
Prior to the inspection I had taken particular interest in the way that young offenders are rehabilitated so that they have the very best opportunities to succeed on release. Blair House, the most modern residential hall at HMYOI Polmont, was specifically set up to take in young offenders aged 16 to 18 years. Partnership working, particularly with organisations such as Barnardo's, had been designed to assist with the effort to give this age group the very best chance to succeed on release. I was therefore keen to see how this concept was working in practice.
For young offenders, and especially those aged under 18, I perceive HMYOI Polmont as the last chance to re-shape young lives, the final opportunity to enter society in a positive way and move away from the risks of offending (and these risks are currently higher for male young offenders than for other groups)[1]. It is therefore important that the establishment as a whole, and Blair House in particular, provide this life-changing opportunity. Prior to the inspection, I briefed inspectors that I wanted to see evidence that this concept was in place. But prison cannot do this alone and the inspection was also focused on the Throughcare[2] links with outside agencies and partners. In order to achieve this the Inspectorate brought in additional subject matter experts to assist in the inspection.
Inspection of HMYOI Polmont
By and large HMYOI Polmont is functioning adequately. It has good relationships between staff and young offenders and this is important in an organisation where young people need positive role models. I was particularly pleased to meet staff in the Activities buildings who are dedicated to helping young offenders improve themselves. There are plenty of good examples of positive work going on to change the way young men behave and learn to make more positive choices. The Young Persons Casework Team is making good progress and is an example of how the Integrated Case Management (ICM) system can be made to work well. The chaplains are to be commended for their leadership and example. Some specific new and interesting work is going on and I particularly cite the 'Paws for Progress' initiative (where young offenders work with dogs from a dog charity) which is inspirational in its effect. The Radio Station, too, is an example of a positive programme which reaches young offenders throughout the establishment and also teaches those who participate how to communicate. I was also impressed by the enthusiasm shown by many of the education team.
Healthcare has transitioned well to the NHS and there is significant work still going on to improve on this good start within NHS Forth Valley. By and large healthcare is delivered well and this includes dental care. The mental health team, like others in healthcare, are proactive in dealing with issues.
It is clear that HMYOI Polmont has not reached its potential either as a Young Offenders Institution or as a major part of the Reducing Reoffending Programme Phase 2 (RRP2). Much of this may be due to the significant senior leadership and managerial changes of the past two years. It is interesting to note that since Blair House opened in early 2010 there have been no less than five unit managers there and there has been little, if any, continuity of leadership. This is very disappointing given the importance of that unit and the amount of resources provided, some from charitable trusts such as The Robertson Trust, and the partnership opportunities offered.
HMYOI Polmont is not a 'prison', it is a Young Offenders' Institution and it is my view that the staff need to take a different approach in order to put each and every youngster on the right road to recovery. However, I do not think that the staff see it in this way, indeed many see HMYOI Polmont as just another prison. Offender-on-offender violence is seen as a main reason for this attitude, yet with leadership and a major change in access to purposeful activity, levels of violence could be further reduced. I was heartened to see that the Violence Reduction Group has recently been re-established and this should provide an important lead in reducing violence within HMYOI Polmont. The first action is to get staff to think about HMYOI Polmont in a different way; there are 'children' in the establishment and it is my view that attitudes to young people need to change.
Nevertheless, I have been heartened that the situation is easily improved because the previous Governors had created the conditions in which change can now happen. The establishment has modern facilities and staff/young offender relationships are generally good; improved leadership at all levels could herald a positive change to the 'controlling culture' I have described. Indeed the previous Governor had begun a very necessary process of change, but due to her early move to Cornton Vale, she was neither able to see this through nor was she able to be present to demonstrate improvements to inspectors.
The establishment regime does not encourage young offenders to engage in the most positive ways. Whilst many young offenders do involve themselves in activities, too often inspectors found evidence of young offenders still in their beds even in the afternoon, having been up late the previous night watching television in their cells. HMYOI Polmont has no specific plan to encourage and motivate young offenders to get up in order to go to activities such as education or vocational training. The HMYOI Polmont regime appears to do little to encourage aspiration and it is suggested that the whole regime and the management of it needs to be reviewed. There are examples elsewhere within the SPS of how this could be achieved relatively quickly. Such a review should include how best to motivate and mentor young men and get far more young offenders to engage in the opportunities available, as well as look at a much more efficient and effective approach to 'timetabling'[3]. Busy young offenders during the day need a full night's sleep.
Related to this, access to purposeful activity at HMYOI Polmont is not as good as it could be. The establishment has excellent facilities and some high grade instructors and teachers, but they are not being fully utilised, both because there are insufficient instructors to cover for sickness, leave and staff training, but also because poor 'timetabling' does not ensure the maximum number of young offenders are in the right place at the right time. All of this needs dramatic improvement if HMYOI Polmont is to achieve what it should be: preparing young offenders for life within communities. Untried young offenders on remand are not well mentored or guided and staff need to re-learn how to motivate young men.
Blair House appears to have lost its way, probably because of the frequent changes of managers I mention above. During the inspection its main purpose appeared to be to keep young offenders from smoking. Equally, staff appeared to be unsure of the purpose of Plan B, the main partnership working programme.
In Blair House there was little evidence of Throughcare-working with partners either as under 18s entered HMYOI Polmont or indeed to ensure better opportunities for success on release. Improved partnership working is critical if RRP2 is to succeed[4]. There would be considerable merit in considering how to deliver young offenders in a better way back in to the community. It could be argued that every young person from Blair House should be individually mentored throughout the process of moving back in to the community.
Due to the policy of keeping under 18s separated from older young offenders, the purposeful activities for this age group occur mostly in Blair House, yet there are insufficient resources to allow this to happen to the standard that I expected. The consequence is that Blair House young offenders actually have worse access to purposeful activity than older young offenders; this is not what the Blair House regime was supposed to achieve.
There is now an opportunity to redesign and fully resource the 'Blair House' concept with the temporary move of the under 18s to one of the main residential halls, during 2013, to facilitate female offenders decanted from HMP&YOI Cornton Vale. When the under 18s return to Blair House in late 2013, it is suggested that new ways of working are fully in place to transform the way in which under 18 young offenders are prepared for release. Throughcare for under 18s needs fundamental review. I was also disappointed by the small numbers of external work placements available to young offenders who have progressed sufficiently. Since the closure of the facility at Friarton, HMP Perth in 2010, the number of work placements has reduced significantly to only 11 during the inspection, of which only two were being actively taken up. This is a poor situation and needs to be reviewed.
Much of the situation at HMYOI Polmont is due to poor management structures and poor management supervision and this gives poor secondary assurance to the Governor. HMYOI Polmont has lots of 'systems' and 'processes' but there is little evidence of managers supervising these systems or evaluating them. Much of this is due to the poor training of managers within the SPS for a number of years and also of the supervision of managers by more senior ones. At HMYOI Polmont, there is, for example, confusion about levels of responsibility between Unit Managers and FLMs and there is little checking by the various levels of management of what is actually going on in the establishment. A fundamental review of management practices needs to be carried out.
I have a specific concern over the Incentives and Privileges Scheme which penalises family visits (see recommendation 41). I have no doubt that some system to encourage good behaviour is a good idea for young people, but it needs to be managed and supervised very carefully indeed.
Whilst visitors are treated with respect and the visit facilities are good, I was disappointed by the low level of family involvement in the ICM case conference process: only 22 out of 132 case conferences between April-September 2012. HMYOI Polmont is an establishment where there needs to be much greater family involvement with offenders and I urge this situation is reviewed. There are, for example, only two Family Contact Officers (FCOs), when such an establishment surely needs a particularly strong link with parents and others in families. There is a strong requirement for a Family Visitor Centre at HMYOI Polmont both to allow for proper support to families at this national establishment and also to involve families better in the ICM process.
Summary
There are 74 recommendations in this report which need attention. Overall, however, HMYOI Polmont has many advantages which will ensure that the establishment will improve and go from strength to strength. Firstly, it is a relatively modern establishment; conditions for young offenders are sufficiently good and the lower population means that 'overcrowding' is not an issue. Secondly, by transforming the management, oversight and culture of the establishment, the staff will be able to contribute in a much more positive and holistic way, not only inside the establishment but also with external partners, thus improving throughcare. With training and direction this can be achieved. Lastly, by using current good practice from other prisons, the regime and the timetabling of activities could be radically improved and this could be done quickly. The sum of these improvements will ensure that HMYOI Polmont is central to the very best practices within the Reducing Reoffending Programme.
PART 1: SAFETY
OUTCOME 1
Appropriate steps are taken to ensure that individual prisoners are protected from harm by themselves and others.
STANDARD 1
Prisoners are safe at all times; while being escorted to and from prison, in prison and while under escort in any location.
1.2 HMYOI Polmont ensures that newly arriving young offenders are assessed for any vulnerability that they may have, including alcohol or drug issues. Medical records and transfer information is used at point of assessment. If a need is identified regarding issues with drugs or alcohol misuse, appropriate services are put in place without undue delay.
1.3 All newly arriving young offenders are seen by a registered nurse. Medical assessments are carried out in private and confidentiality is respected. Electronic and paper-based medical records are set up.
1.4 Attendance in Reception by the healthcare staff is timely and the healthcare aspect of the admission process runs efficiently. This is positive.
1.5 Medical records transferred from other prisons and available electronically are not always up-to-date or complete. This is a weakness.
Recommendation 1: NHS Healthcare Providers should take action to ensure that electronic medical records sent between establishments are accurate, complete and up-to-date at point of transfer.
1.6 VISION, the National Health Service (NHS) computer system for medical records is slow to start up and access.
Recommendation 2: NHS Forth Valley should review the IT systems to ensure that medical records can be accessed quickly and without undue delay.
1.7 During the medical assessment, critical questioning and observation of the young offender is used to check for injuries. Operational staff are also vigilant when observing for indication of any injuries. Transfer documents are scrutinised and appropriate records maintained.
1.8 Information about each young offender including the charge, offence, sentence and any risk factors is available when young offenders arrive. All young offenders are assessed for the potential risk of self-harm using the ACT2Care assessment framework. Appropriate action, including regular observation or separation is taken as necessary. There is a good approach to ensuring that risk information is considered and acted upon to ensure that young offenders are safe.
1.9 HMYOI Polmont does not always ensure that discussions with young offenders regarding sensitive personal information relating to their healthcare needs or risk status following their admission to residential halls takes place in locations that ensures privacy. In one instance, during the inspection a confidential conversation took place at an officer's work station within earshot of others. This is a weakness.
Recommendation 3: HMYOI Polmont should ensure that all discussions about sensitive matters are conducted in private.
1.10 Basic information is displayed within Reception, in a number of languages. Interpreters can be provided for speakers of languages, other than English, when required.
1.11 Apart from those who may require protection from other young offenders or those under 18 years of age, all new admissions are held in the First Night Centre. Young offenders are provided with verbal and written information on what will happen to them and the routines of the prison. This includes how to access staff in an emergency, what to do in the event of a fire, how to make a telephone call, how to access medical staff and other basic requirements.
1.12 HMYOI Polmont seeks to take account of young offenders who have literacy issues, including those who have difficulty with reading. This is positive. However, while staff do ask young offenders if they are able to read, in cases where young offenders confirm that they can, staff do not check to ensure that this is indeed the case.
Recommendation 4: HMYOI Polmont should ensure that young offenders who are unable to read the written guidance material on the routines of the establishment are properly identified and provided with additional assistance as required.
1.13 The printed handout relating to the establishment's routines is only available in English. Those whose first language is not English and who do not read English will not be able to access this information.
Recommendation 5: HMYOI Polmont should provide written information on establishment routines in a range of languages.
1.14 On admission all young offenders are provided with the opportunity to use the telephone on arrival in the residential hall. Telephones in residential areas however do not always afford sufficient privacy. Where necessary, telephone credit is provided.
1.15 Appropriate measures are in place to ensure that the specific needs of young offenders who are in custody for the first time, on remand, those who have just been sentenced to a long term or to Life imprisonment and those likely to be in need of protection from other prisoners are taken account of and met.
1.16 Access to mental health nurses, psychiatrists and access to psychology services ensure that arrangements are in place to meet the needs of those with mental health issues. Referrals to mental health services are responded to quickly. This is good practice.
1.17 Young offenders who require detoxification or symptomatic relief are provided with this service quickly. All prisoners are screened and assessed for illicit substance/alcohol difficulties within 24 hours of admission. This is good practice.
1.18 Young offenders have timely access to addiction services.
1.19 HMYOI Polmont has comprehensive Emergency Contingency Plans in place for dealing with all foreseeable emergencies. These have recently been updated to include details of the new NHS Forth Valley Hospital in Larbert, but do not contain up-to-date reporting arrangements in line with the most recent SPS Governors and Managers Action Notice (26A/12).
1.20 HMYOI Polmont does not ensure that Night Duty Orders are up-to-date. They were last updated in 2009 and lack version control.
Recommendation 6: HMYOI Polmont should ensure that all contingency plans are up-to-date.
1.21 HMYOI Polmont uses a Night Duty Handover Diary to ensure that handovers are comprehensive. This is good practice.
1.22 A system is in operation whereby an Operational Manager produces a daily list of staff on duty that have been trained in Control and Restraint (C&R) techniques. This is passed to staff in the Electronic Control Room. However, this is a reactive process and does not guarantee that suitably trained staff are always available during patrol periods. This is a weakness.
Recommendation 7: HMYOI Polmont should take action to ensure that rosters always include sufficient numbers of staff competent in Control and Restraint techniques.
1.23 One hundred per cent of operational staff are required to be trained in C&R techniques (Level 1) in order to enable them to safely intervene should violence occur. At the time of the inspection only 80% had completed the required training.
1.24 HMYOI Polmont does not ensure that staff competency in First Aid is maintained and does not have a system in place to ensure that a member of staff trained in First Aid is always available.
Recommendation 8: HMYOI Polmont should ensure that staff competency in First Aid is maintained and that a member of staff trained in First-Aid is always available.
1.25 Forty-one members of staff had completed the required First Aid at Work training at the time of the inspection. In addition 92% of staff required to be trained in "Emergency Response" had completed the required training.
1.26 HMYOI Polmont has a comprehensive procedure in place for dealing with fire. Staff and young offenders are aware of this and of the action that they would take should a fire occur. Signage is appropriately displayed and evacuation areas identified.
1.27 Staff are provided with training in the procedures to be adopted in the event of a fire. Fire Awareness training is compulsory for all staff and should be completed annually. At the time of the inspection 80% of staff had received Fire Awareness training within the previous 12 months.
Recommendation 9: HMYOI Polmont should ensure that staff competency in Fire Awareness is maintained.
1.28 Each cell has a call point to communicate with staff on general matters whilst young offenders are locked in their cells and also a call point for use in the event of an emergency. All call points are regularly checked to ensure that they are in good working order. During the inspection, cell call buttons were answered quickly
1.29 Response times to emergency calls should be closely monitored, however the computerised Cell Call System in use in Iona Hall is broken. In addition, staff spoken to, do not know how to interrogate retrospectively the system to check response times.
Recommendation 10: HMYOI Polmont should ensure the computerised Cell Call System in Iona House is repaired and that all such systems are regularly checked.
1.30 This system is also used to monitor night duty patrolling in residential areas. There was no evidence of any checks in place to ensure compliance with this process. This is a weakness.
Recommendation 11: HMYOI Polmont should ensure that managers are trained and able to interrogate the Cell Call System.
1.31 Observation panels in cell doors are fit for purpose and are not covered up.
1.32 Staff advised that senior managers conduct occasional, unannounced visits during patrol periods to ensure that safety procedures are adequate. Despite a published rota being available, during the period May to November 2012, only two instances of night duty visits were recorded.
Recommendation 12: HMYOI Polmont should take action to ensure that regular, unannounced visits by senior managers take place and are properly recorded.
1.33 Arrangements are in place to enable families to raise their concerns about health issues or any vulnerability that their relative who is in custody may have. As well as informal routes and opportunities of communication such as requesting to speak to an officer, calling the healthcare centre, etc, there are opportunities for formal sessions for families to participate in including Integrated Case Management (ICM) and ACT2Care case conferences.
1.34 HMYOI Polmont has appropriate preventative and proactive policies, procedures and practices in place to prevent those at risk of self-harm. These include provisions under Act2Care and case conferences. A safe environment including anti-ligature cells can be provided to those who may be at risk of self-harm.
1.35 When risk issues are identified, case conferences are convened to ensure that appropriate facilities and services are put in place.
1.36 Basic mental health screening is carried out when young offenders first arrive and medical records are checked to ensure that those who may be at risk of self-harm are identified and appropriate assistance and services put in place.
1.37 HMYOI Polmont has appropriate policies and procedures in place to prevent the outbreak and spread of contagious diseases. The Healthcare Environment Inspectorate (HEI) conduct enhanced inspections.
1.38 Measures are in place to protect young offenders from harm from substance misuse. These include a screening and the assessment of risk on admission, the provision of advice and support and dedicated addiction services.
21.39 All arriving young offenders are screened for illicit substances within 24 hours of arrival. Support from addiction services, both NHS and Phoenix Futures is available for young offenders who need this. This is positive.
STANDARD 2
Force is only used as a last resort and then strictly according to law and procedures.
2.1 Handcuffs are securely stored within the Night Duty Managers office and within the Reception area. However, there is no inventory of handcuffs in use, nor is there a sign-out procedure for those handcuffs that are being used.
Recommendation 13: HMYOI Polmont should put a procedure in place for the issue and management of handcuffs.
2.2 Staff reported that C&R records and Prisoner Escort Forms are normally annotated when handcuffs are issued and also when they have been authorised for use. However, examination of these records did not provide sufficient evidence that this is carried out on every occasion. It is therefore unclear how often handcuffs are used.
2.3 Tri-fold cuffs are held in all residential areas and are only used when a C&R instructor or a member of staff competent in Phase 3 is available to supervise their use.
2.4 Staff and managers reported that special cells and mechanical restraints would only be used in special or exceptional circumstances and as a last resort. The silent cell is not currently in use and mechanical restraints have not been used in the last 12 months.
2.5 While equipment is available to video-record planned interventions or removals there are no arrangements, policies or procedures in place to manage or facilitate this. This is a weakness.
2.6 Where young offenders are subject to restraint, this is done in accordance with the appropriate policies and procedures. Forms are properly completed and appropriate authorisation obtained. Young offenders who are subject to restraint are seen by healthcare staff, with records being annotated to record this.
2.7 HMYOI Polmont received one external complaint in relation to the use of force in the 12 months prior to the inspection. All records and the evidence trail are in order. All procedures have been adhered to and an external enquiry requested.
STANDARD 3
Prisoners are protected from violence and harm by other prisoners.
3.1 In the year leading up to the inspection, November 2011-October 2012, a total of 563 offender-on-offender minor assaults were recorded in HMYOI Polmont. This was a decrease of 103 on the previous 12 months. While this is positive, it is a significantly higher figure than those recorded in other SPS establishments.
3.2 HMYOI Polmont is at an early stage in developing a management plan for tackling inter-prisoner violence. While this is the case, it has recently put in place a number of mechanisms and initiatives to reduce violence.
3.3 Monthly Tactical Tasking meetings take place and a Violence Reduction Group has recently been re-established to develop and implement a strategy for reducing violence and reinvigorating the Restorative Justice Policy. A revised and renewed Anti-Violence Workbook, developed in conjunction with the Psychology Unit, is to be piloted in the coming months. While these initiatives are positive they would benefit from being further developed and their impact assessed.
3.4 HMYOI Polmont does not have a clear or transparent policy or approach in place for responding to allegations of bullying. Some staff, including FLMs, are unclear regarding the existence or content of such a policy.
3.5 Instances of bullying are dealt with either by relocating one party or another or through the occasional use of Rule 95. Allegations of bullying are responded to in an ad hoc manner. This is a weakness.
Recommendation 14: HMYOI Polmont should develop and put in place an appropriate policy and procedure for reducing and responding to bullying.
3.6 Searching of visitors and staff at the entrance to HMYOI Polmont does not meet National Guidelines. Shoe removal does not routinely take place when shoes trigger an alarm at the X-Ray portal. In addition, residential staff are permitted to take bags and holdalls into residential areas where their lockers are sited. Finally, non-prisoner visitors entering the vehicle lock are permitted access without photographic identification being processed.
Recommendation 15: HMYOI Polmont should take action to ensure that pedestrian and vehicle access complies with Scottish Prison Service National Standards.
3.7 HMYOI Polmont has a comprehensive and robust approach to area searching. Records are maintained by the Security Unit and a systematic, proactive approach is employed. This is good practice.
3.8 HMYOI Polmont is complemented by sufficient staff to ensure good order, to prevent fights and to protect weaker prisoners. However, despite regular management oversight of staff deployment during the inspection, several incidences of ineffective rostering were noted which led to posts being uncovered. This is a weakness.
3.9 Relationships between staff and young offenders are generally very positive. Young offenders contacting staff through the cell-to-desk intercom system are responded to quickly and appropriately.
3.10 A few young offenders feel that some individual officers are more helpful than others, but most are generally comfortable in approaching staff regarding any issue of concern. This is positive.
3.11 Cell Sharing Risk Assessments (CSRA) are carried out on all young offenders to determine if single cell or shared cell accommodation is most appropriate. HMYOI Polmont does not always ensure that these risk assessments are robust and that all relevant information is considered. Of the 12 cases examined during the inspection there were two instances where issues involving possible racism were not taken into consideration.
Recommendation 16: HMYOI Polmont should ensure that all relevant information is considered when completing Cell Sharing Risk Assessments.
3.12 HMYOI Polmont does not have an appropriate system in place to ensure that food for vulnerable groups cannot be tampered with. The food trolleys used to transport food to vulnerable young offenders are clearly marked, allowing young offenders in the kitchen to know that the food is going to vulnerable groups.
3.13 While a catering officer provides supervision, trolleys of food for vulnerable groups are loaded by young offenders who are not always visible to him, thus providing an opportunity for the food to be tampered with.
3.14 The trolleys should be locked immediately after they have been loaded up with food. However, this does not always take place. This provides a further opportunity for food to be tampered with. In addition, a number of items such as bread, fruit, etc, are placed in open boxes on top of the trolleys. This provides a final opportunity for food to be tampered with.
Recommendation 17: HMYOI Polmont should review and improve its approach to ensuring that food being provided to vulnerable groups cannot be tampered with.
STANDARD 4
Security levels for individuals are no higher than is necessary to meet the risk presented by the prisoner.
4.1 The application of the National Prisoner Supervision System (PSS) in HMYOI Polmont could be improved. In particular, timescales are not always met, information relating to drug misuse, mental health and other risk factors is not always considered and representation from young offenders is seldom taken into account during the review process. This means that decisions are based on limited information and may impact on the security level applied to a young offender. This is a weakness. Our inspection reflects the opinions in the last SPS Internal Review of the PSS conducted in November 2011.
STANDARD 5
Procedures for deciding security levels are as transparent as is compatible with the sensitivities of the decision.
5.1 Young offenders are normally provided with information on the decision that has been taken on their security level. However, some young offenders that were spoken to by inspectors advised that they had not been provided with this information and that they did not know their security level or when it would next be reviewed.
5.2 Information relating to sensitive intelligence is routinely redacted and not disclosed to the young offender.
5.3 HMYOI Polmont does not always ensure that young offenders understand how supervision levels are decided, what part they can play in the process or what they can do to contribute to changing the level of security applied to them.
Recommendation 18: HMYOI Polmont should ensure that the Prisoner Supervision System is aligned with Scottish Prison Service national policy, guidelines, timescales and good practice.
PART 2: DECENCY, HUMANITY AND RESPECT FOR LEGAL RIGHTS
OUTCOME 2
Prisoners are treated with respect for their dignity while being escorted to and from prison, in prison and while under escort in any location.
STANDARD 6
The standards that apply to the treatment of prisoners in prison extend to all other places where they are held.
6.1 This inspection examined HMYOI Polmont. It did not examine other locations where prisoners are held outwith HMYOI Polmont, for example, while under escort in transit vehicles on journeys to and from court or while detained in Courts or in Legalised Police Cells.
6.2 Separate inspections on these locations have recently been carried out and have been published and are available on the HMIPS website at www.scotland.gov.uk/hmip.
OUTCOME 3
Prisoners are held in conditions that provide the basic necessities of life and health, including adequate air, light, water, exercise in the fresh air, food, bedding and clothing.
STANDARD 7
The accommodation is clean and provides a reasonable amount of space for each prisoner, with space for personal belongings, ventilation, a reasonable temperature, natural light.
7.1 There are three main accommodation blocks in HMYOI Polmont: Monro Hall, Iona Hall and Blair House. Segregation is provided in a small unit called Dunedin Hall. All are relatively new buildings and as such the cellular accommodation is built to an appropriate standard in relation to space to move around in, natural light and ventilation.
7.2 Cells are well furnished with bed(s), open storage space, chair(s) and worktop area commensurate with the designated cell occupancy. At the time of the inspection, no cells designed for single occupancy were being used by two prisoners. However some of these designated single cells do have bunk beds fitted. Should such cells be occupied by two people, there would be insufficient space for both to sit and simultaneously use worktop space if, for example, they were dining in cell or writing a letter.
7.3 Furniture within all of the residential accommodation is in a reasonable condition.
7.4 When initially built, each cell had one or two lockable cupboards for the storage of personal belongings, however the keys were never issued and, over time, most of the cupboard doors have been removed. Effectively, there is no lockable in-cell storage in any of the accommodation areas.
Recommendation 19: HMYOI Polmont should provide young offenders with lockable storage for personal items.
7.5 Each cell has designated wall space on which the occupant(s) may display photographs and posters etc. In Iona Hall and Blair House, the young offenders tend to abide by this rule however this is not the case in Monro Hall where, in some cells, posters cover almost an entire wall space. Additionally, some of the posters on display are considered sexually explicit. This is a weakness.
7.6 The level of natural daylight in all cells is adequate to read by. Even where restrictors are fitted to windows, the design allows for sufficient air into the cell. In Monro Hall in particular, the outside of the lower flat windows are very dirty as a result of splashes from articles thrown out of the cell windows above.
Recommendation 20: HMYOI Polmont should ensure that cell windows are kept clean.
7.7 There is unrestricted access to drinking water; each cell has a sink with hot and cold running water. All water within the establishment is potable. Each young offender is issued with a plastic mug which he retains in his cell for this purpose.
7.8 Most cells are clean and tidy with some exceptionally so. Each cell is equipped with a hand brush and dustpan to allow the occupant(s) to sweep their floors. There is a cell cleaning rota in place which allows young offenders to clean their cell on a regular basis. Cleaning materials are kept within the halls and are fit for purpose.
7.9 Communal areas within all residential accommodation are cleaned regularly and are clear of debris with the exception of occasional piles of clothing near to the kit stores. Stairs and lifts are generally clean and clear.
7.10 The standard of cleanliness of communal areas however can only be described as fair and would be significantly improved if all prisoners employed as pass men were properly trained for the job and equipped with the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). A greater staff focus on the quality of work undertaken by pass men working in these areas would also improve the situation.
7.11 The cleanliness of the servery areas across the establishment varies considerably. On occasion, pass men tasked with serving meals did so after cleaning other parts of the hall, including stairs, showers and toilets, and without donning appropriate PPE or washing their hands. Improved supervision of pass men should be taking place.
Recommendation 21: HMYOI Polmont should ensure that young offenders are provided with the appropriate training, direction, supervision and Personal Protective Equipment to ensure that cleaning and food handling standards are met.
7.12 The standard of cleanliness in external areas directly outside the residential accommodation was mixed. Where window restrictors had been fitted, the area below was relatively free of debris. Where restrictors had not been fitted, areas directly outside were littered with rubbish thrown from the windows above.
Recommendation 22: HMYOI Polmont should ensure that external areas are free from debris.
STANDARD 8
Prisoners are allowed into the open air for at least one hour a day every day.
8.1 With the exception of Dunedin Hall, HMYOI Polmont does not provide young offenders with at least one hour in the open air each day. For the majority of young offenders in Monro and Iona Halls, time spent in the open air is limited to between 45 and 50 minutes. This is a weakness.
Recommendation 23: HMYOI Polmont should ensure that all young offenders are offered at least one hour in the open air each day.
8.2 Young offenders are not encouraged to spend time in the open air. They are required to request time in the open air when they are first wakened, either when they are given their breakfast in their cells or when they are collecting their breakfast from the hall servery. This is unduly restrictive.
Recommendation 24: HMYOI Polmont should review access arrangement for young offenders spending time in the open air.
8.3 Access to the open air in Monro and Iona Halls takes place at 07:00 hrs during the week and 09:00 hrs at the weekend. Blair House young offenders have access times of 07:15 hrs or 11:00 hrs during the week and 08:45 hrs or 09:45 hrs at the weekend, on a rotational basis, dependant on location within the Hall.
8.4 At the time of the inspection no prisoners from Iona Hall attended outdoor exercise during the week, with only nineteen attending at the weekend. This is indicative of the level of participation throughout the establishment. Very few young offenders access the open air on a daily basis. This is a significant weakness.
Recommendation 25: HMYOI Polmont should review the timing of access to the open air to ensure that young offenders are encouraged to participate.
8.5 HMYOI Polmont provides artificial football pitches for access to the open air. All facilities are clean, well maintained and fit for purpose. There is sufficient space for large numbers of young offenders, however, staff believe that this is an area where violence may occur if large numbers of young offenders are present. This may account for young offenders not being fully encouraged to take part in outside exercise.
8.6 There are waterproof jackets for young offenders to use in inclement weather in Dunedin Hall which are issued on demand. A limited number of similar style jackets are available in Blair House and Iona Hall. There are no facilities for storing or drying jackets after use. Monro Hall staff report that they had held a limited stock but they had gone missing.
Recommendation 26: HMYOI Polmont should take action to ensure that all halls have an adequate number of waterproof jackets and appropriate storage and drying facilities.
STANDARD 9
Personal clothing is in decent condition, washed frequently and fits.
9.1 Young offenders are allowed to wear their own underwear, socks and training shoes. Other items of personal clothing such as denims and tracksuits are also allowed. However, these are linked to the Incentives and Privileges Scheme and are therefore not available to everyone. Young offenders are also provided with prison-issued clothing. Prison-issued clothing is in good condition and is provided on a personal basis.
9.2 Laundry arrangements for personal and prison-issued clothing are very good and are well advertised and known by staff and young offenders. Young offenders can send a bag of clothes to be laundered once every two days. The laundry provides a good quality service. This is positive.
STANDARD 10
Bedding is supplied and laundered at frequent intervals.
10.1 On arrival at each residential hall young offenders are issued with a bedding pack consisting of a sheet, pillowslip and duvet cover. New packs are issued for any subsequent moves. The condition of the bedding supplied is of an acceptable standard.
10.2 Throughout the establishment, there is a robust and transparent system for changing bed linen once a week. It can be changed more frequently if this is required. Duvets are laundered on a quarterly basis.
10.3 Young offenders who have achieved enhanced status within the Incentive and Privileges Scheme are able to make a request to have a bedding set sent in for their own personal use.
10.4 Many of the mattresses are stained and torn. HMYOI Polmont does not have a system in place to monitor the condition of mattresses. Individual members of staff decide if, on request from a young offender, a new mattress is required.
Recommendation 27: HMYOI Polmont should put systems in place to inspect the condition of mattresses on a regular basis and provide replacements when required.
10.5 The pillows issued in HMYOI Polmont are very uncomfortable. It is not unusual for young offenders to attempt to secure a second duvet to fold up and use as a pillow.
Recommendation 28: HMYOI Polmont should provide better quality pillows.
STANDARD 11
Sanitary arrangements take account of health, hygiene and human dignity.
11.1 All cells in the three main residential accommodation areas have cubicled, integral lavatories and wash hand basins providing 24 hour access to toilet and hand washing facilities and therefore no requirement for night sanitation arrangements. Cells in the Dunedin Hall also have integral lavatories and hand washing facilities. These facilities afford adequate privacy.
11.2 Blair House has in-cell showers. Monro and Iona Halls have a sufficient number of single showers situated in each section. These are divided into a shower area and a changing area. A three-quarter length door on each of the cubicles provides an appropriate level of privacy. Dunedin Hall has two showers both of which provide privacy for the users. All showers afford sufficient privacy.
11.3 Access to showers in Blair House, Monro and Dunedin Halls is available on a daily basis. In Iona Hall, staff and young offenders confirmed that a shower is likely to be offered every second day.
Recommendation 29: HMYOI Polmont should ensure that all young offenders are able to shower on a daily basis.
11.4 There are a sufficient number of showers in the Gymnasium to allow young offenders attending Physical Education (PE) classes to shower. Ablution facilities in the Gymnasium are modern, clean and provide adequate privacy. Some young offenders located in Iona Hall report that one of the main reasons they attend PE classes is to access a shower.
11.5 Young offenders are able to shower prior to scheduled visits but not all young offenders have the opportunity to shower prior to attending court. Young offenders who are required to attend courts are not always offered a shower prior to the journey.
Recommendation 30: HMYOI Polmont should ensure that all young offenders should have the opportunity to shower as soon as is practicable before leaving the establishment to go to court.
STANDARD 12
Food is adequate for health, varied and religiously and culturally appropriate.
12.1 The kitchen is a modern facility which opened in October 2009. It is fit for purpose, with adequate storage, food preparation areas and changing facilities. There is also a training kitchen.
12.2 A thorough and appropriate cleaning schedule is in place across the catering area. The kitchens are clean and hygienic. All food preparation areas are fit for purpose. Appropriate cleaning materials are in place and used correctly.
12.3 Young offenders who are employed in the kitchen are appropriately trained in health and safety, in the use of specific equipment and for their roles within the kitchen. There are training records for every young offender working within the kitchen, detailing what training has been undertaken and what equipment they can use. While this is positive, some training records are not fully completed or signed.
Recommendation 31: HMYOI Polmont should ensure that training records are accurate, up-to-date and fully completed.
12.4 This was previously highlighted in the prisoner food service provision performance and assurance audit completed in December 2011.
12.5 Food storage is compliant with hygiene standards, both in terms of area and temperature. Separate climate controlled storage areas are in place for different types of food.
12.6 The arrangement for the transfer of food from the kitchen to the accommodation areas is satisfactory. The journey has little adverse effect in terms of the temperature of the food or its presentation.
12.7 During the inspection the food hoist used for delivering food trolleys from ground level to Iona Hall main entrance, broke down. Staff reported that this was a common occurrence. The agreed Safe System of Work (SSOW) to ensure safe delivery of food in these circumstances was not initiated. This resulted in young offenders having to manually transport hot food in an unacceptable and unsafe manner. This is a weakness and poses a significant risk.
Recommendation 32: HMYOI Polmont should ensure that the recognised contingency plan for transporting food to Iona Hall is adhered to when the food hoist is out of order.
12.8 Food is transported from the Catering Department to the halls in heated trolleys. At the point of service food is contained in heated cabinets and served at the correct temperature. Portions are adequate, but portion control would benefit from being improved.
12.9 HMYOI Polmont follows the recognised SPS meal ordering system, meaning young offenders pre-order the meal of their choice. Young offenders are not always provided with the meal of their choice or appropriate portion size at the point of service. The presentation of food is varied with some food being very poorly presented.
Recommendation 33: HMYOI Polmont should provide appropriate supervision of those working at the serveries to ensure that young offenders receive their meal of choice, that portion sizes are consistent and that food is appropriately presented.
12.10 There is very limited evidence to demonstrate that senior managers sample the food to ensure that it is of an appropriate standard and quality and that their comments are recorded and used to improve the quality of the food.
Recommendation 34: HMYOI Polmont should ensure that senior managers routinely taste the food at the point of service.
12.11 Fruit and vegetables are provided on a daily basis. While this is positive, many young offenders do not value these healthier food options. Substantial quantities of fruit and vegetables are left uneaten at the end of meals.
Recommendation 35: HMYOI Polmont should take action to promote the benefits of healthy eating and encourage young offenders to eat more fruit and vegetables.
12.12 Special dietary requirements in terms of religion and medical needs are fully catered for.
12.13 During the week, meals are served at normal times and the gap between meals is not excessive. However, the last meal on a Friday is served from approximately 16:45 hrs onwards and the first meal on the Saturday is not provided until approximately 10:30 hrs. This means that there is a gap between meals of approximately 17 hrs. This is excessive. A similar gap between meals occurs between the evening meal on Saturday and Sunday breakfast. A complementary "snack pack" comprising additional food items, including instant soup, crisps, biscuits, juice and tea bags is issued to each young offender. However, as this is not issued until Saturday evening it does not solve the problem of the long gap between the last meal on Friday and the first meal on Saturday.
Recommendation 36: HMYOI Polmont should take action to ensure that the additional food provided to cover the gap between meals on Friday and Saturday and Saturday and Sunday is issued on the appropriate days.
12.14 Most young offenders eat their meal in their cells. Meals may also be eaten communally at dining tables in the halls, on a rota basis. Toilets within the cells are enclosed, therefore meals are not eaten adjacent to unenclosed toilets.
12.15 HMYOI Polmont does not ensure that young offenders are provided with clean cutlery at every meal. Although dinner plates are washed communally in the dishwashers in the hall servery, each young offender retains his cutlery, bowl and mug in his cell which he then cleans in his, sometimes shared, wash hand basin. This procedure breaches infection control guidance. This poses a significant risk.
Recommendation 37: HMYOI Polmont should take action to ensure that mugs, bowls, and cutlery, are stored and cleaned in accordance with infection control standards.
OUTCOME 4
Prisoners are treated with respect by prison staff
STANDARD 13
Respect is the underlying basis of all interactions between staff and prisoners.
13.1 Staff address young offenders by their forename and sometimes by their surname or by using a nickname. Young offenders regard the use of nicknames as an indication of friendliness on behalf of staff. The use of nicknames is not regarded as derogatory or insulting. Staff do not use insulting nicknames, racial epithets or impersonal terms when addressing young offenders. Staff are clearly identified by their name badge.
13.2 Young offenders find staff approachable when clarity or assistance is sought. The relationship between young offenders and staff is positive in all areas across the establishment. Staff have a degree of informality in their approach. Young offenders spoken with advised that they appreciated this, particularly those aged between 16 and 18 years old.
13.3 The Prisoner Survey results for 2011 reports that a high percentage of prisoners within HMYOI Polmont get on very well or fairly well with officers. This is positive.
13.4 There are no current recorded complaints of staff behaving inappropriately towards young offenders. Most staff treat young offenders with respect.
13.5 When prisoners have to be given news that is sensitive or likely to be unwelcome it is done in privacy and with compassion. In addition, Chaplaincy staff provide good quality support and advice where the news might be unwelcome or distressing. While this is the case, some staff told us that they are uncomfortable in communicating sensitive or unwelcome news.
STANDARD 14
Security measures such as searching are carried out with regard to the protection of human dignity.
14.1 Young offenders are only given body searches by officers of the same gender. Searching is not done in a humiliating way. Most searches are carried out to the required standard of thoroughness. However, some, especially those undertaken by residential officers when young offenders leave a hall, are only cursory. While this is the case, rub down searches undertaken by operations officers at the same point or by regime officers when young offenders leave the activities buildings are more thorough.
Recommendation 38: HMYOI Polmont should take action to ensure that all searches are carried out to the required standard.
14.2 Strip searches are only conducted for legitimate reasons and are carried out in a professional manner. Young offenders are advised of the reasons for the strip search being carried out and informed how it is to be done. Young offenders are present when their cells or property are searched.
OUTCOME 5
Good contact with family and friends is maintained.
STANDARD 15
Family visits are given high priority in terms of frequency, length and quality and are not restricted as part of any disciplinary or control process.
15.1 Although HMYOI Polmont is complemented for three FCOs, at the time of the inspection, there were only two in post. Both FCOs are knowledgeable and enthusiastic. They promote the benefits of maintaining positive family contact. They are responsible for arranging family events for visitors' children at times such as Halloween and Christmas.
15.2 Young offenders' families can speak to either of these officers if they have concerns about a member of their family who is in custody. Their office is conveniently located adjacent to the visiting area and information on how to contact them is publicised in leaflets, posters and on the website of the prison. However, general awareness amongst visitors about FCOs and the services that they provide is low. This is a weakness.
15.3 HMYOI Polmont has in the past provided separate induction sessions for the families of young offenders. However, these no longer take place.
Recommendation 39: HMYOI Polmont should reintroduce family involvement in their induction process.
15.4 Visits to young offenders on remand are booked by visitors themselves. Visits to convicted young offenders are booked by young offenders. Each residential area is only allowed to book a limited number of visits at each session. As a result of this, young offenders are sometimes unable to book a visit even when spaces allocated to other halls were not fully utilised.
Recommendation 40: HMYOI Polmont should review the need for an artificial limit on the number of visits that are allowed to be booked by each residential area.
15.5 Midweek visits are for one hour while visits taken at the weekend last for only forty-five minutes. The number of visits available to each convicted young offender is determined by their status in relation to the Incentives and Privileges Scheme. Young offenders on Basic level are permitted two visits per month; those on Standard level, four per month and for Enhanced level, six per month. In effect, a young offender on Basic level whose visitors can only attend at weekends is unable to receive his minimum entitlement of not less than two hours in any period of twenty-eight consecutive days as described under the Prison Rules.
Recommendation 41: HMYOI Polmont should ensure that basic visit entitlements are not related to behaviour and/or the level attained in the Incentives and Privileges Scheme.
15.6 Young offenders who are untried or awaiting sentence are able to access visits seven days per week.
15.7 Visit sessions are never routinely cancelled for administrative or non-emergency operational reasons.
15.8 Visitors are required to check in to the main desk on arrival and go through 'front of house' security. Front gate staff are excellent in engaging with visitors and easing them through the entry process. Visitors are not hindered by long administrative delays. Visitors are content with how they are treated. This is positive.
15.9 The closed visits system operates efficiently and effectively. HMYOI Polmont only imposes closed visits when they are required and in accordance with policy and procedure. Records relating to the closed visit review procedures were comprehensive and in order. Closed visits are not imposed as a punishment.
15.10 If visitors are banned, HMYOI Polmont will send a letter to the visitor detailing the reasons for the ban, the duration and the process for appealing against the decision.
15.11 HMYOI Polmont is the national facility for young offenders and holds the majority of young offenders from across Scotland. Many are therefore not held near to their home area. Some families travel large distances to visit their relative who is in custody. This is addressed by allowing double visit sessions.
Recommendation 42: HMYOI Polmont should work with community partners and help to provide a Visitor Centre for visitors.
15.12 Rail and road networks however to and from the town of Polmont from within Central Scotland are good. There are sufficient, frequent public transport services in place in this area from the station to the establishment.
STANDARD 16
Visitors are well treated.
16.1 Visitors are treated with respect and courtesy and are politely received when arriving for a visit. They are dealt with quickly and efficiently.
16.2 The toilets in the visits waiting area are clean and properly equipped.
16.3 Visitors are subject to thorough rubdown searches. These are carried out by same gender staff. Staff take care to put visitors at their ease.
16.4 The entrance to the establishment and visits waiting area is modern and clean. Some of the many posters in the visits area are dated and would benefit from being replaced. The waiting area provides a telephone with direct access to a taxi service.
STANDARD 17
Visits take place in the most relaxed environment compatible with security.
17.1 There are sufficient visit spaces for the number of visitors. The visit tables are quite close together and a little cramped. This has an impact on the degree of privacy afforded. Private conversations can sometimes be overheard by those sitting at adjacent tables.
17.2 HMYOI Polmont provides good quality visiting facilities to assist young offenders in maintaining or improving their relationship with their families. Visiting facilities are relatively new, in good condition and well decorated. The visit room has plenty of natural light and is airy.
17.3 FCOs arrange family bonding sessions prior to the commencement of the main visit sessions. The frequency and availability of these sessions is good. This is good practice.
17.4 The visiting room includes a small area for children to play. A 'tuck shop' is provided most afternoons. Vending machines are also provided.
17.5 Young offenders are required to wear prison issued tops to the visits area.
STANDARD 18
Telephone contact is made as easy as possible.
18.1 There are sufficient working telephones in each of the residential areas for the number of young offenders. However, at the time of the inspection, staff reported that in one hall, a telephone had been out of order for several weeks.
18.2 There are notices displayed explaining the cost of calls and there is a recorded message played prior to calls being made advising the caller that their telephone calls are monitored.
18.3 Telephones are located in areas that are noisy during recreation periods. This is the time when telephones are most frequently used. This can result in young offenders experiencing significant difficulty in hearing the telephone properly when making calls and being overheard by those around them.
Recommendation 43: HMYOI Polmont should take action to ensure that young offenders are able to hear the telephone and not be overheard by others when making a call.
STANDARD 19
Letter contact is made as easy as possible.
19.1 Young offenders can send as many letters as they can afford and there is no restriction on the number of letters that can be received. Stamps can be purchased through the prison shop and writing paper and envelopes are readily available. Arrangements are in place to ensure that all young offenders can send one letter per week at the establishment's expense. Outgoing mail is posted quickly. When incoming mail is opened by staff, this is done in the presence of the young offender.
OUTCOME 6
Prisoners' entitlements are accorded them in all circumstances without facing difficulty.
STANDARD 20
Staff are aware of their duty of care to give prisoners their legal rights. They know what these rights are. They accept the legitimacy and meet their obligations under it promptly.
20.1 During induction, young offenders are provided with information on how to make a complaint or a request and are advised about the rules and regulations that they must follow during their sentence. However, printed information is only available in English and is not available in other languages.
Recommendation 44: HMYOI Polmont should provide written information regarding their legal rights in a range of languages.
20.2 Young offenders can make confidential complaints. These should be placed in an envelope to ensure confidentiality. HMYOI Polmont does not ensure that all residential areas have sufficient stocks of envelopes to ensure that this takes place.
Recommendation 45: HMYOI Polmont should take action to ensure young offenders who wish to submit a confidential complaint are provided with an envelope for their complaint.
20.3 HMYOI Polmont ensures that young offenders are able to access the Visiting Committee, lawyers and external statutory bodies. Staff provide young offenders with appropriate assistance.
20.4 Legally privileged mail is not opened unless there are reasonable security grounds for doing so. Young offenders are provided with confidential access to lawyers and the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO).
20.5 Non-UK nationals are not told of their rights to access consular officials.
Recommendation 46: HMYOI Polmont should ensure that young offenders who are foreign nationals are provided with assistance to access consular officials.
20.6 HMYOI Polmont does not fully take into account the information needs of non-English speakers. As a result of this, young offenders who do not speak English are required to rely on other non-English speakers for information about the prison and their rights and responsibilities. While translation services are available, accessing these is not mainstreamed. Staff are not always aware of how many non-English speaking prisoners they have in their hall or what additional communication resources are required to facilitate the exchange of information. Non-English speakers are therefore at a significant disadvantage.
Recommendation 47: HMYOI Polmont should take action to assess and meet the communication needs of non-English speaking young offenders, as a matter of priority.
20.7 In disciplinary proceedings HMYOI Polmont ensures that young offenders understand the charges against them. They are given enough time to prepare their case and provided with access to legal advice should they request it.
20.8 HMYOI Polmont ensures that disciplinary proceedings are conducted in accordance with the adjudication policy and procedure. Young offenders are given the opportunity to state their case and provided with a full explanation of the process at every stage. Officers' oral evidence is pertinent and well delivered and written evidence is of a good standard. In most instances there is at least one member of staff present to provide the adjudicator with additional information or support the young offender as required. Where punishments are awarded, these are fair and proportionate.
20.9 Adjudicators ensure that young offenders understand the outcome of the adjudication and the decision that has been reached. However, young offenders who are found guilty and punished are not always advised of their right to appeal or the procedure for doing so.
Recommendation 48: HMYOI Polmont should take action to ensure that young offenders are informed of their right to appeal disciplinary decisions, of the procedure for doing so and of the assistance available to them in making an appeal.
STANDARD 21
Staff are aware of their duty to observe the Human Rights of prisoners. They know what these rights are. They accept the legitimacy of that duty and meet their obligations under it promptly.
21.1 HMYOI Polmont will provide assistance with contacting the European Court of Human Rights should this be requested by a young offender.
21.2 The Prisoner Survey reports that young offenders are subject to name calling, incidents of a racial nature, and religious insults during their time in the establishment. HMYOI Polmont has in place an Equality and Diversity committee which seeks to prevent and tackle unacceptable behaviour and broader equalities issues.
21.3 HMYOI Polmont seeks to investigate all instances of racial discrimination and unacceptable behaviour. However, paper records of complaints received, investigations carried out and action taken are not sufficiently robust.
Recommendation 49: HMYOI Polmont should put in place a robust system for recording, investigating and monitoring complaints about racial discrimination.
21.4 There are 32 Equality and Diversity officers in HMYOI Polmont but this list is not displayed in the establishment. Some information on equalities is provided through the in-house radio station. In addition, a range of equality and diversity-focused programmes are delivered by the Youth Work Team. External organisations provide relevant equalities workshops to young offenders. These workshops identified hardened and deep-rooted racist views and negative attitudes amongst young offenders against Muslims, immigration and racial equality. This is a cause for concern.
STANDARD 22
Staff are aware of their duty to treat prisoners in accordance with fairness and natural justice. They know what this involves. They accept the legitimacy of that duty and meet their obligations under it promptly.
22.1 The recognised SPS complaints procedure is in use in HMYOI Polmont. This system, together with informal dialogue with staff, ensures that young offenders are not discouraged or victimised for having accessed their legal right to complain. However, administrative systems for recording complaints and responses to complaints is not robust. Timescales are not always met. Mediation, as a means of conflict resolution, is not widely used.
Recommendation 50: HMYOI Polmont should review their systems for recording and responding to complaints.
22.2 The Library has a collection of legal texts, the Prison Rules and the European Prison Rules. These can be easily accessed.
22.3 From 1 August 2012 until the time of the inspection, around 680 Orderly Room adjudications had taken place, averaging approximately 227 per month. Given the impulsive behaviour of many of the young men held in HMYOI Polmont, this may not seem excessive, however when compared with other establishments, it is evident that the number of disciplinary reports is significantly higher in HMYOI Polmont than in most other establishments in Scotland with a national monthly average of 110. Staff and prisoners alluded that the Incentives and Privileges Scheme is also used in addition to the disciplinary report process at a lower level.
22.4 Managers for all four residential accommodation blocks in HMYOI Polmont conduct orderly rooms for those prisoners they are responsible for in their own areas. Each location is appropriately furnished although in some instances the space is often used for another purpose, such as office accommodation and, as a result, feels cramped.
22.5 Disciplinary reports are dealt with according to natural justice. This is positive.
22.6 Young offenders are able to attend Court clean and properly attired. However, on one occasion during the inspection a young offender attended an identification parade while wearing prison clothing with the name of the establishment clearly visible. This is poor practice.
Recommendation 51: HMYOI Polmont should ensure that young offenders are not permitted to attend legal proceedings or other important meetings out with the establishment while wearing prison-issue clothing.
22.7 Another young offender attended Court wearing only shorts and a tee-shirt despite the inclement weather at the time of the inspection. HMYOI Polmont has a sizeable collection of clothing of various sizes and type, which is offered to those young offenders who do not have appropriate personal clothing of their own. This is good practice.
STANDARD 23
Segregation is used sparingly and in accordance with procedures.
23.1 The use of segregation in HMYOI Polmont is governed by a clear set of rules and procedures.
23.2 Segregation is used sparingly and normally only for short periods of time. Only a small number of young offenders are segregated for longer periods. Young offenders held in segregation at the time of the inspection confirmed that they fully understood the reasons why they were there, that they received this information in written format and that they understood the plans in place to return them to mainstream conditions. HMYOI Polmont ensures that the records pertaining to their segregation status are fully compliant with the Prison Rules and related guidance.
23.3 Case conference records for young offenders held in segregation demonstrate that management plans are individualised and consider the risks and circumstances of each young offender. Subsequently, regime plans for their time spent in segregation are tailored to their needs and responses. Core membership of the case conferences is appropriate however, where required, other professionals may be invited depending on the circumstances of each individual case. There is evidence of good, regular involvement from the Mental Health Team in case conferences.
23.4 The normal routine within Dunedin Hall is positive with occupants accessing time in the open air, showers, telephones and library books and newspapers every day. Those young offenders held under Rule conditions also have daily access to a fitness room located within the Unit, providing basic equipment such as a running machine.
PART 3. OPPORTUNITIES FOR SELF-IMPROVEMENT AND ACCESS TO SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES
OUTCOME 7
Prisoners take part in activities that educate, develop skills and personal qualities and prepare them for life outside prison.
STANDARD 24
The regime of the prison encourages prisoners to make the most of their time there and to exercise responsibility.
24.1 Convicted prisoners are provided with a half-day induction as soon as practicable after admission. At the time of the inspection, prisoners admitted on remand were not provided with an induction session. This is a weakness.
Recommendation 52: HMYOI Polmont should ensure that all young offenders are provided with an induction.
24.2 Induction sessions do not provide adequate information on the opportunities available in HMYOI Polmont or how young offenders can influence what happens to them while in custody. Many service providers do not attend induction sessions. This means that young offenders may not be fully aware of the educational, training or other opportunities available to them. This is a weakness.
Recommendation 53: HMYOI Polmont should ensure that service providers attend and participate in induction sessions.
24.3 There is a functioning Personal Officer scheme in place. Young offenders are allocated a Personal Officer soon after admission. Young offenders know who their Personal Officers are and most young offenders meet with them on a monthly basis. Personal Officers focus on behaviour, engagement with work and the results from drug testing. Personal Officers do not work sufficiently with young offenders to support them in achieving the outcomes identified in their Community Integration Plans (CIP). This is a weakness.
24.4 All convicted young offenders have a community integration plan in place. These are developed and monitored effectively by enhanced ICM staff and the Young Persons Casework Team. They manage the CIPs for young offenders serving between 18 months and four years. This approach is well received. Young offenders that were spoken with are very pleased with how their plans are developed, managed and monitored. This is positive.
24.5 The Young Persons Casework team does not work with the young offenders located in Blair House.
Recommendation 54: HMYOI Polmont should expand the remit of the Young Persons Casework Team to include young offenders in Blair House.
24.6 HMYOI Polmont does not have appropriate systems in place to consult or involve young offenders in relevant affairs of the establishment. While limited consultation takes place about canteen and food issues, these are not well developed. Young offenders are not involved or consulted about other matters.
Recommendation 55: HMYOI Polmont should take action to further develop its approach to involving and consulting young offenders.
STANDARD 25
A full day's out of cell activities, such as work, education, leisure and cultural pursuits, is available for seven days of the week.
25.1 Young offenders are locked in their cells for long periods during the day, evenings and at weekends. Access to purposeful activity for young offenders resident in Blair House is particularly poor. This is a weakness.
Recommendation 56: HMYOI Polmont should take action to increase the volume of purposeful activity available to young offenders.
25.2 HMYOI Polmont provides a range of purposeful activity for young offenders, including work, vocational training, education and PE, as well as creative, cultural and leisure activities. However, the volume of activity is insufficient to meet the demands of the population. The number of vocational training places in construction is constrained by the small scale of the workshop facilities. In other instances, where workshop facilities are available an insufficient number of young offenders are allocated spaces. Workshops are often closed and not used. In addition, the Activity Booking service does not accommodate ad hoc workshop closures which results in under-attendance at those activities which are available.
Recommendation 57: HMYOI Polmont should ensure that the Activity Booking service is able to accommodate the ad hoc closure of facilities.
25.3 At the time of the inspection, of the 200 activity spaces available, only 84 were filled. Additionally, only 29 young offenders attended the Learning Centre when 80 spaces were in fact available on that day. The evening and weekend provision of PE is poor as it does not maximise the time available. Only one instructor is rostered at evenings and at the weekend.
Recommendation 58 : HMYOI Polmont should ensure that all activity spaces in the workshops are utilised.
STANDARD 26
The programme of work and related training focuses on equipping prisoners for employment on release.
26.1 HMYOI Polmont has a limited range of work and training opportunities which seek to develop the existing skills of young offenders and to enable them to acquire and develop new ones. There are only ten vocational training opportunities for those in Blair House per day.
26.2 Young offenders do have some opportunities to undertake vocational training in areas such as painting and decorating, joinery, plumbing and bricklaying and to acquire a National Progression Awards at Scottish Credit Qualification Framework (SCQF) Level 4. This is positive and enables young offenders to attain skills and qualifications. However, once these awards have been attained, young offenders are not able to undertake advanced level vocational training programmes to further improve their future employment prospects. This is a weakness.
26.3 Young offenders can undertake a Scottish Vocational Qualification (SVQ) Level 1 qualification in catering in a training kitchen. While this is positive, the number of young offenders taking up this opportunity is very low. Only three young offenders have gained this qualification in 2012 and only two were enrolled on the course at the time of the inspection. This is poor.
26.4 The establishment arranges work placements for young offenders who are able to access the community. However, during the inspection, while 11 work placements had been arranged, only two were being accessed.
Recommendation 59: HMYOI Polmont should review opportunities for work placements with a view to increasing numbers accessing them.
26.5 HMYOI Polmont does not assess the labour market to ensure that training opportunities are always relevant to current market conditions and opportunities.
26.6 HMYOI Polmont has a fair approach to delivering work and vocational training. However, while opportunities are available, access and participation is not fully maximised.
Recommendation 60: HMYOI Polmont should undertake a review to ensure optimum participation in work and vocational training.
STANDARD 27
A broad and relevant education programme is available.
27.1 Young offenders have access to an appropriate range of well-organised education programmes which lead to formally recognised qualifications. These programmes are focused mainly on the development of essential skills including literacy, numeracy and maths, information and communication technology and creative arts.
27.2 Most education programmes are offered from Access 3 (SCQF level 3) to Higher (SCQF level 6) which enables young offenders to enter classes at a level appropriate to their skills and previous experience of learning.
27.3 A Learning Assistant promotes education programmes across the prison and provides learners with support. This is good practice.
27.4 Most young offenders who undertake education programmes make good progress in their learning and many gain qualifications as a result of their participation. This is positive.
27.5 Around 45% of young offenders access education programmes. Educational opportunities are good during weekdays. However, too many young offenders from Blair House do not participate sufficiently in education because they remain in their cells for long periods during the day. This is a weakness.
Recommendation 61: HMYOI Polmont should take action to ensure that more young offenders, especially in Blair House, engage in education.
27.6 Many hard to reach young offenders require individualised and small group support in order to assist them in re-engaging with learning and wider activities. However, study group sizes are mostly large. The needs of some young offenders are overlooked and unmet. This is a weakness.
Recommendation 62: HMYOI Polmont should ensure that arrangements for the delivery of activities take appropriate account of young offenders who require individualised and small group support to re-engage in learning and wider activities.
27.7 There is no access to education in the evenings and at weekends.
27.8 Young offenders attending education are not disadvantaged financially as there is no differential between the pay for work and that for education. This is positive.
27.9 Work delivered through the Learning Centre, youth work and other types of activities such as "Paws for Progress" and the "Bike Shed" provide good opportunities for prisoners to develop wider skills and creativity.
27.10 A range of classes encourage and assist young offenders to develop skills in creative writing and visual communication. The types of activities incorporated within programmes such as Young Enterprise, the Independent Living Unit, The Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme and involvement with the radio station enable participants to gain confidence and skills in working with others and in taking responsibility for their own learning and personal development. This is positive.
27.11 A wide range of volunteering and charity fund-raising activities are effective in engaging young offenders in working collaboratively and creatively with their peers for the benefit of others.
27.12 An anti-sectarian programme has recently commenced to challenge attitudes and behaviours. Although at an early stage, the programme is well-subscribed and has a waiting list of participants. Young offenders gain useful skills through participating in these programmes and activities.
27.13 Internal partnership working between education, youth work and the activities function is not sufficiently formal or systematic to support effective planning of provision and activities across the establishment. Awareness of Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) and the entitlements for all young people in Scotland is not sufficiently taken account of. As a result, insufficient notice of the need to develop skills for learning, life and work is taken when planning activities or recording progress. This is particularly important in Blair House where offenders are under 18 years of age. Learning Centre staff monitor and produce useful reports on participation and achievement rates of offenders. However, these reports are not used across the establishment to monitor and analyse attendance and success rates of young offenders. This results in missed opportunities for collaborative working between staff throughout HMYOI Polmont to achieve positive outcomes and to inform joint actions for improvement.
Recommendation 63: HMYOI Polmont should ensure that all relevant staff take account of Curriculum for Excellence principles and the entitlements for all young people in Scotland, such as 16+ Learning Choices, when planning activities.
27.14 Young offenders are not transferred to other prisons in the middle of education or vocational programmes. Young offenders entering HMYOI Polmont from school are enabled to continue their learning and sit external examinations.
27.15 During the inspection too many classes and activities were cancelled at short notice. Learning centre staff do not always receive explanations on non-attendance from young offenders or staff and do not take sufficient action to analyse non-attendance patterns by location or reason. This is a significant weakness.
27.16 PE appropriate to age and ability is regularly available to all young offenders. These opportunities are popular.
27.17 Twenty young offenders have gained the Level 1 Gym Instructor Award. Young offenders can achieve vocational qualifications in sports coaching and sport and leisure leadership. This is positive.
27.18 Young offenders can compete in Badminton, Tennis and Football. A weights room is also available.
27.19 Opportunities include access to sport clubs and competitions. Young offenders participate in sporting events and activities which promote health and wellbeing. Healthy lifestyles are promoted within the gym.
27.20 Working relationships between Physical Education Instructors (PEI) and young offenders are good.
27.21 The PE Department and Carnegie College work together on projects to enhance activity and participation. While this is positive, there is insufficient access to PE in the evenings and at weekends.
Recommendation 64: HMYOI Polmont should take action to provide enhanced access to Physical Education in the evenings and at weekends.
27.22 Young offenders value the PE activities that are available and most participate actively and enthusiastically. This is positive.
STANDARD 28
A range of interventions is in place to encourage prisoners to address those behaviours which may contribute to their offending.
28.1 HMYOI Polmont seeks to assist young offenders in addressing those risks and behaviours which may contribute to them reoffending.
28.2 HMYOI Polmont has systems in place to identify the risks associated with each young offender and their associated needs.
28.3 Two Risk Management Teams are in place; one which considers progression cases (PRMT) and one which assesses the risks of young offenders within the establishment itself (RMT).
28.4 PRMT meetings are held infrequently. The PRMT observed at the time of the inspection was the first that had been held in the establishment since June 2012.
Recommendation 65: HMYOI Polmont should ensure that Progression Risk Management Team meetings are convened regularly.
28.5 Administrative arrangements for RMT meetings require to be significantly improved. While minutes for the PRMT meetings were available at the time of the inspection those for the RMT meetings were not. HMYOI Polmont does not ensure that young offenders - whose cases are discussed at RMT or PRMT meetings - are provided with the minutes of the meetings.
28.6 Young offenders - whose cases are discussed - are not always provided with information on the matters discussed or decisions reached at RMT and PRMT meetings. Young offenders that were spoken with expressed a great deal of frustration at this approach.
Recommendation 66: HMYOI Polmont should ensure that young offenders, whose cases are discussed at Risk Management Team and Progression Risk Management Team meetings, are provided with information on the decision taken on their case and with a copy of the associated minutes.
28.7 While information on PRMT meetings is added to PR2, information on recent RMT meetings had not been added at the time of the inspection.
Recommendation 67: HMYOI Polmont should ensure that information following Risk Management Team meetings is added to PR2 in accordance with Risk Management Team guidelines.
28.8 RMT decisions are not linked to ICM plans. This is a weakness.
28.9 PRMT has a good approach to assessing risk. PRMT meetings consider up-to-date and relevant information when assessing risk and the needs of young offenders. Decisions on progression are evidence-based and robust. This is positive.
28.10 Young offenders serving a sentence of over 12 months are subject to a Generic Programme Assessment (GPA). At the time of the inspection, of the 147 GPA assessments required to be carried out, 143 had been completed. This is positive.
28.11 GPAs are discussed at the Programme Case Management Board (PCMB). Members of staff in attendance have a good knowledge and understanding of the young offenders under consideration. Proper consideration is given to interventions, the current level of risk and the timescales for meeting the needs of each young offender. This is positive. However, in one instance, a young offender from Blair House commenced an intervention prior to the consideration of the PCMB.
28.12 HMYOI Polmont encourages young offenders to address their behaviours which may lead to them reoffending following their release. Eight programmes are currently provided to assist them with this. These are Care, Constructs, Substance Related Offending Behaviour Programme, STOP, Youth Justice, Violence Prevention Programme, Alcohol Awareness and First Steps.
28.13 The ICM Team and the Young Persons' Casework Team both provide young offenders with support and encourage them to address their risk factors. Young offenders that we spoke to highly praised the approach used by the Young Persons' Casework Team.
28.14 Young offenders are involved in decisions about how their own risk factors and needs are identified through ICM. This is facilitated by the Enhanced ICM Team and the Young Persons Casework Team. Where it is in place, it has a positive effect on those young adults involved in the process. This is good practice.
28.15 The level of family involvement in ICM conferences is low. Of 132 case conferences conducted between April 2012 and September 2012 families were in attendance in only 22 instances.
Recommendation 68: HMYOI Polmont should carry out a review as to why so few families are involved in Integrated Case Management case conferences and then take action to encourage more families to attend.
STANDARD 29
There is a programme of cultural and voluntary activities.
29.1 HMYOI Polmont provides very limited access to current newspapers and magazines, with only two tabloid newspapers and two up-to-date magazines being available in the library. Access to print media is very poor.
29.2 Prisoners can request to have newspapers or magazines delivered at their own expense.
29.3 Access to radio and television is good. All prisoners have an in cell television, which also provides national radio coverage. In addition, HMYOI Polmont has its own radio station, Inside Radio, which young offenders can tune into on their in-cell televisions.
29.4 Young offenders have access to a library - which has recently opened after being closed for over a year. Arrangements are in place with Falkirk Community Trust Service to provide books on request. The library stocks books in a number of languages. It is open during the day, but closed in the evenings and at weekends.
Young offenders in Blair House have their own stock of books.
29.5 Young offenders have very limited access to evening or weekend activities. Although evening and weekend participation in PE is available, the spaces available for this is insufficient. Young offenders are locked in their cells for long periods in the evening and at weekends. This is a significant weakness.
29.6 There is a wide range of voluntary opportunities. These include; peer tutoring, charity events, mentoring and the Duke of Edinburgh and Young Enterprise Schemes. Twelve trained Peer Tutors deliver programmes on knife crime and alternatives to violence and have reached over 100 young offenders to date. Ten Peer Tutors provide 1:1 literacy support with 25 young offenders being accommodated to date. Cultural events are also held.
STANDARD 30
Opportunities to practise their religion are available to all prisoners.
30.1 Young offenders are able to practice their religion. The chaplaincy team includes representatives from the Church of Scotland, the Roman Catholic Church and a representative of the Muslim faith.
30.2 Representatives of other religions and faiths can be provided as required. Visiting representatives are provided with facilities and opportunities to provide appropriate chaplaincy services.
30.3 A Multi-Faith facility is provided. The accommodation is of adequate proportions but would benefit from decoration and improved furnishings, more in keeping with its use. A painting programme is planned. Sufficient, suitable religious books and artefacts are in place and appropriate storage is provided.
30.4 A busy schedule of religious services and activities take place. However, these are limited to weekdays. No activities take place in the Multi-faith Centre at the weekends or in the evenings.
30.5 Religious services for young offenders under the age of 18 are provided, every Saturday, in Blair House. Mass is held in the evenings within all accommodation blocks on a rolling basis.
30.6 A member of the Chaplaincy Team contributes to the induction process for young offenders, focusing in particular on those who have newly been sentenced.
30.7 Worshiping facilities in the accommodation blocks are adequate.
30.8 Around ten per cent of young offenders in HMYOI Polmont attend some form of worship each week. This is above the average attendance for this age group in the community and the Chaplaincy team should be commended for their efforts in encouraging the young offenders to participate in such purposeful activity.
STANDARD 31
Suitable arrangements to enable prisoners to buy a range of personal and other items that meet prisoners' needs are in place and available as necessary.
31.1 HMYOI Polmont has an efficient canteen system where young offenders can purchase a range of items for personal use. The canteen is well stocked with common items that young offenders need on a regular basis, such as soft drinks, foodstuff, confectionary, toiletries and tobacco. For those young offenders whose Incentives and Privileges status allows, a selection of microwaveable products is also available. A policy of no glass containers or tinned items is in place. This is positive.
31.2 The canteen has reasonably priced cards which enable young offenders to celebrate family occasions and events, such as birthdays. Stamps, pens and telephone credit can also be purchased through this system. A scheme called GIFT CO provides young offenders with the opportunity to purchase small gifts for family members. Overall, the range of goods available for purchase is adequate.
31.3 A supplementary system provides for sundry items, or items which are rarely requested and therefore not generally held in stock. In HMYOI Polmont, this normally covers items such as specialist toiletries, batteries and razors. Additionally, young offenders may save and spend up to £100 twice per year on more expensive purchases such as electrical goods and clothing. The purchase of canteen goods is available weekly to convicted young offenders and twice-weekly to those on remand. £5, £10 or £20 of convicted young offenders private cash, dependant on their status in the Incentives and Privileges Scheme, may be spent in addition to any wages earned.
31.4 A recent review of canteen product prices demonstrated that prices in HMYOI Polmont were comparable to other prison establishments throughout Scotland. The prices are not higher than in an economy shop in the local community.
31.5 Young offenders meet with canteen and hall staff on a quarterly basis to discuss the service provided by the canteen. This provides them with a regular opportunity to put forward suggestions for new items which they and their peers would like to buy via the canteen.
OUTCOME 8
Healthcare is provided to the same standard as in the community outside prison, available in response to need, with a full range of preventative services, promoting continuity with health services outside prison.
STANDARD 32
Health services of a high quality are available to all who need them.
32.1 Young offenders have good access to qualified medical personnel and can access healthcare quickly and easily.
32.2 Operational staff do not ensure that the patient confidentiality is always maintained.
Recommendation 69: HMYOI Polmont should ensure that patient confidentially is maintained.
32.3 A well established referral process for healthcare is in place. Young offenders can access healthcare quickly, normally within 48 hours. This is good practice.
32.4 Dental services can normally be provided within three weeks, in keeping with community based services. Some young offenders wait longer as a result of administrative delays. Dental services are provided to a good standard.
32.5 Access to medical records for young offenders who have been sent directly from court should be improved. Accessing medical records from the community is time consuming and can result in delays in young offenders receiving medical treatment. This is a risk.
Recommendation 70: NHS Forth Valley should take steps towards ensuring access to community based health records is available on a 24 hour basis.
32.6 Medical records are treated as confidential and stored appropriately. It is reported that some medical records, when being transferred between establishments to are collected by contract courier. These medical records, although in a sealed bag, are then left at the prison gate for collection. This situation provides a potential information breach. This is a risk.
32.7 Where a young offender's mental health needs cannot be met within the establishment, arrangements are in place to transfer the individual to an appropriate alternative care environment. There are insufficient secure care facilities appropriate for younger people in Scotland. This is especially the case for those aged under 18 years of age. Between March 2010 and November 2012, 15 young offenders were appropriately transferred to an alternative care environment.
32.8 There is a good range of medical and health expertise available from the health centre-based services, which includes medical staff, a primary care team, a mental health team, addiction services and learning disability expertise. Phoenix Futures provide addiction services and specialist services including speech therapy, Psychology and Dentistry are available. A voluntary counselling service is also available. Healthcare provision which is not available internally can be accessed from NHS Forth Valley community-based services. Additionally, there is a good supportive relationship between HMYOI Polmont healthcare services and NHS Forth Valley health promotion department.
STANDARD 33
Addictions are dealt with the way most likely to be effective and when they conflict, treatment takes priority over security measures as far as possible.
33.1 HMYOI Polmont provides young offenders who have drug misuse issues with appropriate services, including a well established NHS-based addictions service and additional treatment provided by Phoenix Futures. Both services are well publicised and easily accessed. Treatment is provided quickly and effectively. This is positive.
33.2 Interventions and support provided to young offenders are aligned to those available in the community. At the time of the inspection, assessment tools were being reviewed, with the intention of adopting those used by NHS Forth Valley in order to further align services closer to those in community. This is positive.
33.3 There are good links to NHS community-based addiction services and mental health teams. Young offenders are referred to the Throughcare Addiction Service (TAS) by Phoenix Futures, offering ongoing support with addictions as well as housing, finance, family issues, work, etc.
33.4 Medication Reconciliation information is available on VISION which provides access to the most recent information on the prescribing regime and pharmaceutical history of young offenders.
33.5 As a national facility, HMYOI Polmont can faces challenges in putting in place suitable throughcare arrangements with appropriate services when young offenders are released. Comprehensive referral arrangements with NHS Boards and local services across Scotland are not fully in place.
Recommendation 71: NHS Forth Valley should take action to ensure appropriate referral arrangements for Throughcare are in place.
OUTCOME 9
Appropriate steps are taken to ensure that prisoners are integrated safely into the community and where possible into a situation less likely to lead to further crime.
STANDARD 34
The prison has a policy on links with families and with the local community and allocates staff time to implement it.
34.1 HMYOI Polmont does not ensure that adequate resources are provided to build links with the families of young offenders. HMYOI Polmont only has two FCOs in post, when it should have three. This has an impact on the programmes in place which extend family contact and involvement. For example, Family Induction/Awareness sessions have not taken place for over a year. This is a weakness.
34.2 Limited partnership working takes place in the Links Centre. Young offenders preparing for release are not always able to access appropriate housing services. The only housing provider to attend the establishment on a regular basis is Four Square who deliver one half-day session per week. This level of service is insufficient to meet demand, despite the best efforts of the volunteer worker.
Recommendation 72: HMYOI Polmont should seek to improve outcomes delivered through the LINKS Centre.
34.3 Where referrals have been made, staff reported that external agencies fail to respond.
34.4 The Core Screen review is undertaken four weeks prior to release but HMYOI Polmont makes few referrals to external agencies.
34.5 HMYOI Polmont works in partnership with the Glasgow-based Passport Project. The Project provides assistance to young offenders for a period of six months following their release back into the community. While this is positive, the service is only available to young offenders who return to the Glasgow area.
34.6 Young offenders, under the supervision of the PEIs, engage with local community organisations in providing disabled children with sporting activities. This is positive.
STANDARD 35
Arrangements are made for prisoners to leave with somewhere appropriate to live, healthcare, continuity assured, a chance to find work and build social links.
35.1 ICM and Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements work well. Appropriate risk assessments are carried out prior to young offenders being released. Parole procedures, although low in number, are well organised and robust. The Prison Based Social Work team (PBSW) includes a range of experienced staff. Co-operation and joint working between internal and external agencies is good.
35.2 At the time of inspection, only 19 young offenders were subject to Home Detention Curfew (HDC). This is well below the national average. At the time of the Inspection the percentage of eligible young offenders released on HDC was only 7.1%. This is significantly less than the national figure of 16.2%. The figure for HMYOI Polmont is the second lowest amongst prisons in Scotland. This is a weakness.
35.3 Where young offenders have been refused HDC HMYOI Polmont does not ensure that review dates are in place.
Recommendation 73: HMYOI Polmont should take action to ensure that review dates are provided to young offenders who have been refused Home Detention Curfew.
35.4 HMYOI Polmont has limited links with a small number of external agencies, including Jobcentre Plus, SACRO, Social Work, Passport to Glasgow (Access to Industry) and Action for Children (Moving on Renfrewshire). It does not have a strategic approach for working with external agencies or for ensuring that young offenders are provided with appropriate services in the period leading up to and following release. Throughcare is provided in an ad hoc manner.
Recommendation 74: HMYOI Polmont should take action to develop a strategic approach to working with external agencies.
RECOMMENDATIONS
PART 1 - SAFETY
STANDARD 1
Prisoners are safe at all times; while being escorted to and from prison, in prison and while under escort in any location.
Recommendation 1: NHS Healthcare Providers should take action to ensure that electronic medical records sent between establishments are accurate, complete and up-to-date at point of transfer. (Paragraph 1.5)
Recommendation 2: NHS Forth Valley should review the IT systems to ensure that medical records can be accessed quickly and without undue delay. (Paragraph 1.6)
Recommendation 3: HMYOI Polmont should ensure that all discussions about sensitive matters are conducted in private. (Paragraph 1.9)
Recommendation 4: HMYOI Polmont should ensure that young offenders who are unable to read the written guidance material on the routines of the establishment are properly identified and provided with additional assistance as required. (Paragraph 1.12)
Recommendation 5: HMYOI Polmont should provide written information on establishment routines in a range of languages. (Paragraph 1.13)
Recommendation 6: HMYOI Polmont should ensure that all contingency plans are up-to-date. (Paragraph 1.19 and 1.20)
Recommendation 7: HMYOI Polmont should take action to ensure that rosters always include sufficient numbers of staff competent in Control and Restraint techniques. (Paragraph 1.22)
Recommendation 8: HMYOI Polmont should ensure that staff competency in First-Aid is maintained and that a member of staff trained in First-Aid is always available. (Paragraph 1.24)
Recommendation 9: HMYOI Polmont should ensure that staff competency in fire awareness is maintained. (Paragraph 1.27)
Recommendation 10: HMYOI Polmont should ensure the computerised Cell Call System in Iona House is repaired and that all such systems are regularly checked. (Paragraph 1.29)
Recommendation 11: HMYOI Polmont should ensure that managers are trained and able to interrogate the Cell Call System. (Paragraph 1.30)
Recommendation 12: HMYOI Polmont should take action to ensure that regular, unannounced visits by senior managers take place and are properly recorded. (Paragraph 1.32)
STANDARD 2
Force is only used as a last resort and then strictly according to law and procedures.
Recommendation 13: HMYOI Polmont should put a procedure in place for the issue and management of handcuffs. (Paragraph 2.1)
STANDARD 3
Prisoners are protected from violence and harm by other prisoners.
Recommendation 14: HMYOI Polmont should develop and put in place an appropriate policy and procedure for reducing and responding to bullying. (Paragraph 3.4 and 3.5)
Recommendation 15: HMYOI Polmont should take action to ensure that pedestrian and vehicle access complies with Scottish Prison Service National Standards. (Paragraph 3.6)
Recommendation 16: HMYOI Polmont should ensure that all relevant information is considered when completing Cell Sharing Risk Assessments. (Paragraph 3.11)
Recommendation 17: HMYOI Polmont should review and improve its approach to ensuring that food being provided to vulnerable groups cannot be tampered with. (Paragraph 3.12, 3.13 and 3.14)
STANDARD 4
Security Levels for individuals are no higher than is necessary to meet the risk presented by the prisoner
No recommendations.
STANDARD 5
Procedures for deciding security levels are as transparent as is compatible with the sensitivities of the decision.
Recommendation 18: HMYOI Polmont should ensure that the Prisoner Supervision System is aligned with Scottish Prison Service national policy, guidelines, timescales and good practice. (Paragraph 5.1, 5.2 and 5.3)
PART 2 - DECENCY, HUMANITY AND RESPECT FOR LEGAL RIGHTS
STANDARD 6
The standards that apply to the treatment of prisoners in prison extend to all other places where they are held.
No recommendations.
STANDARD 7
The accommodation is clean and provides a reasonable amount of space for each prisoner, with space for personal belongings, ventilation, a reasonable temperature, natural light.
Recommendation 19: HMYOI Polmont should provide young offenders with lockable storage for personal items. (Paragraph 7.4)
Recommendation 20: HMYOI Polmont should ensure that cell windows are kept clean. (Paragraph 7.6)
Recommendation 21: HMYOI Polmont should ensure that young offenders are provided with the appropriate training, direction, supervision and Personal Protective Equipment to ensure that cleaning and food handling standards are met. (Paragraph 7.10 and 7.11)
Recommendation 22: HMYOI Polmont should ensure that external areas are free from debris. (Paragraph 7.12)
STANDARD 8
Prisoners are allowed into the open air for at least one hour a day every day.
Recommendation 23: HMYOI Polmont should ensure that all young offenders are offered at least one hour in the open air each day. (Paragraph 8.1)
Recommendation 24: HMYOI Polmont should review access arrangements for young offenders spending time in the open air. (Paragraph 8.2)
Recommendation 25: HMYOI Polmont should review the timing of access to the open air to ensure that young offenders are encouraged to participate. (Paragraph 8.3 and 8.4)
Recommendation 26: HMYOI Polmont should take action to ensure that all halls have an adequate number of waterproof jackets and appropriate storage and drying facilities. (Paragraph 8.6)
STANDARD 9
Personal clothing is in decent condition, washed frequently and fits.
No recommendations.
STANDARD 10
Bedding is supplied and laundered at frequent intervals.
Recommendation 27: HMYOI Polmont should put systems in place to inspect the condition of mattresses on a regular basis and provide replacements when required. (Paragraph 10.4)
Recommendation 28: HMYOI Polmont should provide better quality pillows. (Paragraph 10.5)
STANDARD 11
Sanitary arrangements take account of health, hygiene and human dignity.
Recommendation 29: HMYOI Polmont should ensure that all young offenders are able to shower on a daily basis. (Paragraph 11.3)
Recommendation 30: HMYOI Polmont should ensure that all young offenders should have the opportunity to shower before leaving the establishment to go to court. (Paragraph 11.5)
STANDARD 12
Food is adequate for health, varied and religiously and culturally appropriate.
Recommendation 31: HMYOI Polmont should ensure that training records are accurate, up-to-date and fully completed. (Paragraph 12.3)
Recommendation 32: HMYOI Polmont should ensure that the recognised contingency plan for transporting food to Iona Hall is adhered to when the food hoist is out of order. (Paragraph 12.7)
Recommendation 33: HMYOI Polmont should provide appropriate supervision of those working at the serveries to ensure that young offenders receive their meal of choice, that portion sizes are consistent and that food is appropriately presented. (Paragraph 12.9)
Recommendation 34: HMYOI Polmont should ensure that senior managers routinely taste the food at the point of service. (Paragraph 12.10)
Recommendation 35: HMYOI Polmont should take action to promote the benefits of healthy eating and encourage young offenders to eat more fruit and vegetables. (Paragraph 12.11)
Recommendation 36: HMYOI Polmont should take action to ensure that the additional food provided to cover the gap between meals on Friday and Saturday and Saturday and Sunday is issued on the appropriate days. (Paragraph 12.13)
Recommendation 37: HMYOI Polmont should take action to ensure that mugs, bowls, and cutlery, are stored and cleaned in accordance with infection control standards. (Paragraph 12.15)
STANDARD 13
Respect is the underlying basis of all interactions between staff and prisoners.
No recommendations.
STANDARD 14
Security measures such as searching are carried out with regard to the protection of human dignity.
Recommendation 38: HMYOI Polmont should take action to ensure that all searches are carried out to the required standard. (Paragraph 14.1)
STANDARD 15
Family visits are given high priority in terms of frequency, length and quality and are not restricted as part of any disciplinary or control process.
Recommendation 39: HMYOI Polmont should reintroduce family involvement in their induction process. (Paragraph 15.3)
Recommendation 40: HMYOI Polmont should review the need for an artificial limit on the number of visits that are allowed to be booked by each residential area. (Paragraph 15.4)
Recommendation 41: HMYOI Polmont should ensure that basic visit entitlements are not related to behaviour and/or the level attained in the Incentives and Privileges Scheme. (Paragraph 15.5)
Recommendation 42: HMYOI Polmont should work with community partners and help to provide a Visitor Centre for visitors. (Paragraph 15.11)
STANDARD 16
Visitors are well treated.
No recommendations.
STANDARD 17
Visits take place in the most relaxed environment compatible with security.
No recommendations.
STANDARD 18
Telephone contact is made as easy as possible.
Recommendation 43: HMYOI Polmont should take action to ensure that young offenders are able to hear the telephone and not be overheard by others when making a call. (Paragraph 18.3)
STANDARD 19
Letter contact is made as easy as possible.
No recommendations.
STANDARD 20
Staff are aware of their duty to give prisoners their legal rights. They know what these rights are. They accept the legitimacy and meet their obligations under it promptly.
Recommendation 44: HMYOI Polmont should provide written information regarding their legal rights in a range of languages. (Paragraph 20.1)
Recommendation 45: HMYOI Polmont should take action to ensure young offenders who wish to submit a confidential complaint are provided with an envelope for their complaint. (Paragraph 20.2)
Recommendation 46: HMYOI Polmont should ensure that young offenders who are foreign nationals are provided with assistance to access consular officials. (Paragraph 20.5)
Recommendation 47: HMYOI Polmont should take action to assess and meet the communication needs of non-English speaking young offenders, as a matter of priority. (Paragraph 20.6)
Recommendation 48: HMYOI Polmont should take action to ensure that young offenders are informed of their right to appeal disciplinary decisions, of the procedure for doing so, and of what assistance is available to them in making an appeal. (Paragraph 20.9)
STANDARD 21
Staff are aware of their duty to observe the human rights of prisoners. They know what these rights are. They accept the legitimacy of that duty and meet their obligations under it promptly.
Recommendation 49: HMYOI Polmont should put in place a robust system for recording, investigating and monitoring complaints about racial discrimination. (Paragraph 21.3)
STANDARD 22
Staff are aware of their duty to treat prisoners in accordance with fairness and natural justice. They know what this involves. They accept the legitimacy of that duty and meet their obligations under it promptly.
Recommendation 50: HMYOI Polmont should review their systems for recording and responding to complaints. (Paragraph 22.1)
Recommendation 51: HMYOI Polmont should ensure that young offenders are not permitted to attend legal proceedings or other important meetings out with the establishment while wearing prison-issue clothing. (Paragraph 22.6)
STANDARD 23
Segregation is used sparingly and in accordance with procedures.
No recommendations.
PART 3 - OPPORTUNITY FOR SELF-IMPROVEMENT AND ACCESS TO SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES
STANDARD 24
The regime of the prison encourages prisoners to make the most of their time there and to exercise responsibility.
Recommendation 52: HMYOI Polmont should ensure that all young offenders are provided with an induction. (Paragraph 24.1)
Recommendation 53: HMYOI Polmont should ensure that service providers attend and participate in induction sessions. (Paragraph 24.2)
Recommendation 54: HMYOI Polmont should expand the remit of the Young Persons Casework Team to include young offenders in Blair House. (Paragraph 24.5)
Recommendation 55: HMYOI Polmont should take action to further develop its approach to involving and consulting young offenders. (Paragraph 24.6)
STANDARD 25
A full day's out of cell activities such as work, education, leisure and cultural pursuits, is available for seven days of the week.
Recommendation 56: HMYOI Polmont should take action to increase the volume of purposeful activity available to young offenders. (Paragraph 25.1)
Recommendation 57: HMYOI Polmont should ensure that the Activity Booking service is able to accommodate the ad hoc closure of facilities. (Paragraph 25.2)
Recommendation 58: HMYOI Polmont should ensure that all activity spaces in the workshops are utilised. (Paragraph 25.3)
STANDARD 26
The programme of work and related training focuses on equipping prisoners for employment on release.
Recommendation 59: HMYOI Polmont should review opportunities for work placements with a view to increasing numbers accessing them. (Paragraph 26.4)
Recommendation 60: HMYOI Polmont should undertake a review to ensure optimum participation in work and vocational training. (Paragraph 26.6)
STANDARD 27
A broad and relevant education programme is available.
Recommendation 61: HMYOI Polmont should take action to ensure that more young offenders, especially in Blair House, engage in education. (Paragraph 27.5)
Recommendation 62: HMYOI Polmont should ensure that arrangements for the delivery of activities take appropriate account of young offenders who require individualised and small group support to re-engage in learning and wider activities. (Paragraph 27.6)
Recommendation 63: HMYOI Polmont should ensure that all relevant staff take account of Curriculum for Excellence principles and the entitlements for all young people in Scotland, such as 16+ Learning Choices, when planning activities. (Paragraph 27.13)
Recommendation 64: HMYOI Polmont should take action to provide enhanced access to Physical Education in the evenings and at weekends. (Paragraph 27.21)
STANDARD 28
A range of interventions is in place to encourage prisoners to address those behaviours which may contribute to their offending.
Recommendation 65: HMYOI Polmont should ensure that Progression Risk Management Team meetings are convened regularly. (Paragraph 28.4)
Recommendation 66: HMYOI Polmont should ensure that young offenders, whose cases are discussed at Risk Management Team and Progression Risk Management Team meetings, are provided with information on the decision taken on their case and with a copy of the associated minutes. (Paragraph 28.5 and 28.6)
Recommendation 67: HMYOI Polmont should ensure that information following Risk Management Team meetings is added to PR2 in accordance with Risk Management Team guidelines. (Paragraph 28.7)
Recommendation 68: HMYOI Polmont should carry out a review as to why so few families are involved in Integrated Case Management case conferences and then take action to encourage more families to attend. (Paragraph 28.15)
STANDARD 29
There is a programme of cultural and voluntary activities.
No recommendations.
STANDARD 30
Opportunities to practise their religion are available to all prisoners.
No recommendations.
STANDARD 31
Suitable arrangements to enable prisoners to buy a range of personal and other items that meet prisoners' needs are in place and available and accessible as necessary.
No recommendations.
STANDARD 32
Health services of a high quality are available to all who need them.
Recommendation 69: HMYOI Polmont should ensure that patient confidentially is maintained. (Paragraph 32.2)
Recommendation 70: NHS Forth Valley should take steps towards ensuring access to community based health records is available on a 24 hour basis. (Paragraph 32.5)
STANDARD 33
Addictions are dealt with the way most likely to be effective and when they conflict, treatment takes priority over security measures as far as possible.
Recommendation 71: NHS Forth Valley should take action to ensure appropriate referral arrangements for Throughcare are in place. (Paragraph 33.5)
STANDARD 34
The prison has a policy on links with families and with the local community and allocates staff time to implement it.
Recommendation 72: HMYOI Polmont should seek to improve outcomes delivered through the LINKS Centre. (Paragraph 34.2)
STANDARD 35
Arrangements are made for prisoners to leave with somewhere appropriate to live, healthcare, continuity assured, a chance to find work and build social links.
Recommendation 73: HMYOI Polmont should take action to ensure that review dates are provided to young offenders who have been refused Home Detention Curfew. (Paragraph 35.3)
Recommendation 74: HMYOI Polmont should take action to develop a strategic approach to working with external agencies. (Paragraph 35.4)
GOOD PRACTICE
PART 1 - SAFETY
STANDARD 1
Prisoners are safe at all times; while being escorted to and from prison, in prison and while under escort in any location.
Good Practice 1: Referrals to mental health services are responded to quickly. (Paragraph 1.16)
Good Practice 2: All prisoners are screened and assessed for illicit substance/alcohol difficulties within 24 hours of admission. (Paragraph 1.17)
Good Practice 3: HMYOI Polmont uses a Night Duty Handover Diary to ensure that handovers are comprehensive. (Paragraph 1.21)
STANDARD 3
Good Practice 4: HMYOI Polmont has a comprehensive and robust approach to area searching. Records are maintained by the Security Unit and a systematic, proactive approach is employed. (Paragraph 3.7)
PART 2: DECENCY, HUMANITY AND RESPECT FOR LEGAL RIGHTS
Good Practice 5: Family Contact Officers arrange family bonding sessions prior to the commencement of the main visit sessions. The frequency and availability of these sessions is good. (Paragraph 17.3)
Good Practice 6: HMYOI Polmont has a sizeable collection of clothing of various sizes and type, which is offered to those young offenders who do not have appropriate personal clothing of their own. (Paragraph 22.7)
PART 3. OPPORTUNITIES FOR SELF-IMPROVEMENT AND ACCESS TO SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES
Good Practice 7: A Learning Assistant promotes education programmes across the prison and provides learners with support. (Paragraph 27.3)
Good Practice 8: The Integrated Case Management Team and the Young Persons Casework Team both provide Young Offenders with support and encourage them to address their risk factors. (Paragraph 28.14)
Good Practice 9: A well established referral process for healthcare is in place. (Paragraph 32.3)
Inspection Team
Hugh Monro, Chief Inspector
Margaret Brown, Deputy Chief Inspector
Tony Martin, Inspector
David Thomson, Healthcare Inspector, Healthcare Improvement Scotland
Peter Connelly, Education Inspector, Education Scotland
Karen Corbett, Education Inspector, Education Scotland
Dawn Ashworth, Associate Inspector
Peter Rawlinson, Associate Inspector
Phil Kennedy, Guest Inspector
George Peden, Guest Inspector
Paula Arnold, Guest Inspector