Report on HMP Edinburgh - Full Inspection, 9-18 September 2013

Prison - Full Inspection Report

Edinburgh

Executive Summary

Overall this is a satisfactory report on HMP Edinburgh, which highlights areas of good practice and identifies where there is potential and opportunity for improvement. The high prison numbers and the complexity of the population mix adds a particular challenge to the prison. The report contains 69 recommendations and identifies 18 areas of good practice. The Inspectorate will continue to monitor the progress the prison makes in implementing its action plan in response to the recommendations and looks forward to seeing the areas of good practice taken up throughout prisons in Scotland.

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Letter

Introduction and Background

Key Facts

HMCIPS' Overview

Part 1: Safety

Part 2: Decency, humanity and respect for legal rights

Part 3: Opportunities for self‑improvement and access to services and activities

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 HMP Edinburgh between 9-18 September 2013.

The report makes a number of recommendations. It also highlights areas of good

practice.

David Strang

HM Chief Inspector of Prisons for Scotland

December 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.hmips.gov.uk.

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:

1. Safety: security, good order, protection of prisoners from harm;

2. 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

3. 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 Prison (HMP) Edinburgh is situated in the Saughton area of the city on the west side of Edinburgh on the main A71.

Role

HMP Edinburgh is a large community-facing prison receiving prisoners predominantly from Courts in Edinburgh and the Lothian and Borders area. Adult male prisoners of all categories (Untried and Convicted) from these areas are held and as a result the establishment has close links with the Lothian and Borders Community Justice Authority. The prison also holds specific national populations including women offenders, adult males convicted of sexual offences and prisoners who require to be kept separate from others due to non-offence related issues.

Design Capacity/Population held at time of Inspection

The design capacity is 870. At the time of the inspection the prison held 907 prisoners of which 174 were untried, 404 were serving sentences of less than four years, 177 were serving between four and 10 years, 23 were serving 10 years and over and 90 were Life sentence prisoners. There were also 38 prisoners who were convicted, awaiting sentence and one prisoner who was awaiting deportation.

Brief History

The prison originated in the City of Edinburgh in 1591 first as the Canongate Tolbooth and then later, in 1808, as Calton Gaol. The land where the prison currently sits was purchased in 1913 and the prison opened in 1920. HMP Edinburgh, as it now stands, was rebuilt in stages and completed in 2009 following an extensive 10 year redevelopment programme.

Date of last inspection

January 2009

Accommodation

HMP Edinburgh has four Houseblocks; Ingliston, Hermiston, Glenesk and Ratho and a Separation and Reintegration Unit.

Healthcare Provider

NHS Lothian

Learning Provider

Fife College

HM Chief Inspector's Overview

Setting the Scene

HMP Edinburgh was last subject to a full inspection by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for Scotland in 2009. Since then there has been a considerable turnover of managers at all levels in the prison.

Overall Edinburgh is a well-run prison, however the potential to improve the outcomes for its prisoners should not be missed and much can be done to develop current levels of performance.

The running of a modern prison is a complex process, made more complex in the case of Edinburgh by the mix of different prisoner populations resident in the prison. A recent addition to this population has been the transfer of women prisoners from Cornton Vale to Ratho House in Edinburgh. This complexity presents several challenges for the prison, including the process of allocating different prisoner groups to accommodation and to activities. The daily route movement of prisoners is unduly lengthy, leading to restricted time spent on purposeful activity. Additionally, the planning for the Regional Unit for Women at HMP Edinburgh places an extra responsibility on the shoulders of the Governor in Charge.

Inspection of HMP Edinburgh

In general the quality of accommodation is good, all the Houseblocks having been built since 1998. The only exception to this quality is Glenesk House, which is in need of refurbishment. At the time of inspection Glenesk House contained 180 prisoners in a Houseblock whose design capacity is 125.

During the inspection, we found generally positive relationships between prison staff and prisoners, which is a key factor contributing to a successful prison. There are good links to the community through the Links Centre and an excellent Visitor Centre run by the Salvation Army. I was impressed with the quality of family visits and the efforts made to support and encourage family bonds to be built on and improved.

In providing healthcare for prisoners, NHS Lothian has developed and maintained good working relationships with HMP Edinburgh. The provision of general healthcare is good, but the provision of addictions and mental health specialist care is challenging. The Integrated Case Management processes are well developed, with some involvement of family members. There is scope for greater involvement of Personal Officers to support prisoners in their development and preparation for release.

This report identifies areas where there is potential for the prison to deliver better outcomes for prisoners. Whilst there is a commendably wide range of activities and learning opportunities for prisoners, there is considerable scope to improve the use of these. Overall there are insufficient places for purposeful activity and the spaces that are available are underused. The Learning Centre provides a good range of opportunities for prisoners, but these are not maximised. Greater access to the library should be available for all prisoners. The introduction of better scheduling, and a review of route movements and staff attendance patterns should improve this situation.

In comparison with other Scottish prisons, the levels of minor prisoner on prisoner assaults are high, and is an area of concern. Consistent application of the Anti-Bullying Strategy and the establishment of a Violence Reduction Group are recommended. Greater consistency in the implementation of the daily regimes of each Houseblock would remove a potential area of tension.

Summary

I am conscious that this is a time of change for the Scottish Prison Service, with the recent publication of its Organisational Review and new mission statement. This will place greater emphasis on supporting transformational change in the lives of those in prison. HMP Edinburgh is well placed to build on its strong foundations to deliver what is required of it.

David Strang

HM Chief Inspector of Prisons for Scotland

Part 1: Safety

Outcome 1

Appropriate steps are taken to ensure that individual prisoners are protected from harm by themselves and others.

Overview

Health screening on admission to HMP Edinburgh is good and takes account of each individuals' risks and vulnerabilities in relation to their physical and mental health and their addictions.

Systems are in place to identify prisoners who may be at risk of harm, however once gathered, steps should be taken to improve the way in which the risk-related information is shared with all relevant staff.

As HMP Edinburgh holds a complex and fluctuating mix of prisoner types, consistent management of the different groups is problematic with those prisoners identified as in need of protection not always able to access the most suitable accommodation on admission.

There are well-designed plans in place to tackle emergency situations. Some improvement is required to increase levels of staff competence necessary to execute these plans safely. Further work should be carried out to ensure that all prisoners know what action to take in the event of some emergency situations.

The management supervision of and staff response to prisoners during periods of lock-up observed throughout the inspection is appropriate; however this should be supported by improved evidential record keeping.

Recent remedial action taken in relation to the application of the SPS ACT 2 Care Strategy is evident. The 'Safer Cells' however require to be upgraded.

Prisoners report that they feel safe within HMP Edinburgh. Recorded prisoner on prisoner assaults however does not reflect this. Relationships between staff and prisoners are good and this view is echoed by both groups. Prisoners further report that they feel confident to discuss any fears they have with staff. The use of the SPS Anti-Bullying Strategy is increasing however its application is not consistent across the prison.

Standard 1

Prisoners are safe at all times; while being escorted to and from prison, in prison and while under escort in any location.

1.1 The Reception is a purpose built facility with adequate interview rooms and prisoner holding areas. It provides appropriate space for prisoners on admission to undertake a health screening which includes conducting a physical examination, eliciting a drug history and discussing drug and alcohol related behaviours. Where appropriate, drug screening also takes place. It is at this early stage that consideration is given to symptomatic intervention, drug and/or alcohol services referrals are made and an assessment of immediate and on-going risk is undertaken.

1.2 Any physical or behavioural cues indicative of alcohol and/or drug related behaviours observed by the Reception staff during the admission process are verbally communicated to assessing healthcare staff. Relevant information is documented on ViSION, the NHS electronic patients' record system. If no health record exists for the prisoner on admission, one is generated at this point.

1.3 Where appropriate, an Addictions Treatment Agreement is discussed with and signed by the prisoner and witnessed by a healthcare professional.

1.4 Clinical admission assessments are professionally conducted and empathetic in response to prisoners' individual health needs. This is positive.

1.5 All newly admitted prisoners are screened by a medically qualified healthcare professional; normally a Primary Care Nurse. Arrangements for medical reviews are in place and are appropriate. Prisoners are usually seen by a Doctor on the day following admission or, where this falls on a Sunday or a public holiday, as soon as possible thereafter and as a matter of priority. Healthcare markers, relating to a prisoner's specific mental or physical condition are noted at this point. Examination of a sample of prisoners' electronic records show that not all of these markers are transferred from their medical records on to the SPS electronic prisoner records system (PR2). This is a weakness.

1.6 All prisoners admitted to HMP Edinburgh are subject to a body search. Any visible injuries are noted and prisoners are asked if they wish to report any other injuries. All information relating to a prisoner's injuries is passed to the assessing healthcare professional. During the inspection, a prisoner with a facial injury was admitted to the prison and it is noted that the appropriate associated discussion and action took place.

1.7 As part of the Reception process, prisoners are also required to sit on a Body Orifice Security Scanner (BOSS) chair to check that they are not concealing any metal items about their person. For security and safety reasons, it is best practice for this process to be undertaken prior to the prisoner being interviewed, however in HMP Edinburgh it does not take place until after the prisoner has been interviewed by an Officer.

Recommendation 1: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that all prisoners sit on the Body Orifice Security Scanner (BOSS) chair and are body searched prior to being interviewed by staff.

1.8 The quality of searching observed on admission was of a good standard and carried out thoroughly and efficiently.

1.9 On admission, Reception staff ensure that the legislative paperwork which accompanies the prisoner is checked and validated. Information gleaned from the prisoner's index offence which might indicate that they are at risk of self-harm or harm from others, prompts further discussion with the prisoner. While Prisoner Escort Record (PER) forms are similarly checked, the form itself and the information contained therein relating to Risks and Special Conditions, are not always passed on to the Nurse or the Officer responsible for assessing the prisoner's vulnerability in relation to self-harm or suicide.

1.10 In one instance observed, the PER form noted the prisoner as suffering from anxiety and depression. Neither the form or this information was passed on, which meant the risks and conditions noted were not confirmed, validated or discussed with the prisoner. This is a significant weakness.

Recommendation 2: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that all information contained in a Prisoner Escort Record form is validated, discussed with the prisoner and is passed onto the relevant functions within the prison.

1.11 While none of the prisoner admissions observed were deemed to be at risk from self‑harm or suicide, staff spoken with were able to describe the action they would take in such circumstances. The information they provided was appropriate and in keeping with the SPS suicide prevention strategy, (ACT 2 Care).

1.12 A Cell Sharing Risk Assessment (CSRA) is carried out for every prisoner on admission. During the inspection, one CSRA identified a prisoner as being potentially at risk of harm from others and was, as a result, allocated to a single occupancy cell. This is an example of positive action being taken to ensure prisoners are safe while in prison.

1.13 There is signage within Reception to allow prisoners, whose first language is not English, to identify their own language. Staff in reception are aware of the interpretation service in place to assist prisoners in these circumstances and the First Line Manager (FLM) with responsibility for Reception described the process used to access the service.

1.14 Two male prisoners are employed in the Reception to meet with male prisoners on admission and provide them with basic prison regime related information. These prisoners, known as Peer Supporters, were observed in discussion with several newly admitted prisoners and were found to provide a positive addition to the Reception process. This is positive. Unfortunately, due to regime constraints, a Peer Supporter is not always available in Reception when new prisoners are being admitted. This is a weakness.

Recommendation 3: HMP Edinburgh should review how Peer Supporters' attendance in Reception can be maximised.

1.15 The standard SPS National Induction literature is available to newly admitted prisoners, in a variety of languages, within Reception. Peer Supporters also provide new prisoners with a 'First Night in Custody' booklet. While this contains useful information, it is only available in English. Furthermore, once issued, no confirmation is sought that the prisoner is able to read.

Recommendation 4: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that the 'First Night in Custody' booklet is made available in a number of languages.

Recommendation 5: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that information is given to prisoners in a format they can understand.

1.16 Prisoners arriving at HMP Edinburgh can be located in Ingliston, Hermiston, Glenesk or Ratho Houses, or the Separation and Reintegration Unit (SRU), depending on their gender, classification and cell availability. Information in relation to a prisoner's first night in custody should be provided by Officers on arrival at the residential area. Residential Officers spoken with in all areas stated they inform prisoners of basic information such as Fire Procedures, Cell Call Systems, etc, when allocating them a cell for the first time, however HMP Edinburgh do not record this. This results in an absence of evidence to support their action and does little to dispel the assertion made during prisoner focus groups that prisoners are not provided with any information when being allocated a cell.

1.17 Officers in Hermiston and Glenesk Houses confirmed they complete a 'Core Screen' document for all prisoners on the day of admission or, at the latest, the following day and explained the importance of this. However while the completion of this document is important and provides information on the prisoner as well as identifying support and potential referrals during their time in custody, it does not provide the most basic information a prisoner will require on admission to prison.

Recommendation 6: HMP Edinburgh should ensure staff provide prisoners with information pertinent to their first night in custody timeously and are able to evidence this.

1.18 On the morning after admission a Peer Supporter will offer to meet with the previous night's admissions and complete an 'Inductee Admission Checklist'. This includes information in relation to the general prison routine, Prison Rules, family contact and visit arrangements, Suicide Risk Management and Healthcare. While this is positive, the information in relation to Fire Procedures, Cell Call Systems and the Listeners Scheme which are extremely important for a prisoner's immediate care, should be discussed with the prisoner at the time of admission and not the next day. Additionally, while the use of a 'Peer Supporter' is positive, the delivery of many aspects of this information is best delivered by staff. This is a weakness.

1.19 A similar process is in place for women prisoners where a female Peer Supporter meets prisoners on arrival at Ratho House.

1.20 Every prisoner admitted to HMP Edinburgh has 30 pence credited to their telephone account allowing them the opportunity to make a telephone call on admission. Observation of and discussion with prisoners confirms that, on admission, they have adequate opportunity to access the telephone in Reception or in their Houseblock of allocation.

1.21 By checking warrants, Officers are able to highlight those prisoners who are in prison for the first time, on remand, have received a Long‑Term or Life sentence or are likely to need protection from other prisoners. Those identified as potentially requiring protection from others are then able to discuss the reasons in more detail during the ACT 2 Care interview carried out by an Officer.

1.22 There are a number of lockable rooms in Reception to hold prisoners both pre and post‑interview which provide staff with good levels of observation. However, at times, a number of these rooms are left unlocked meaning prisoners are free to move around the reception area. This hinders effective supervision and observation and increases risk.

Recommendation 7: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that holding rooms in Reception are locked when occupied by prisoners.

1.23 On admission, male prisoners who require protection from others due to their index offence or for any other reason will normally be located in Glenesk House and subsequently moved to Ingliston House Level 1 or 2 if they require protection due to their offence, or Level 3 if they require protection for any other reason. However, when space in Levels 1, 2 and 3 of Ingliston House is unavailable, a transfer to another establishment will be sought. Throughout the period of the inspection prisoners who required protection from others remained on Level 2 of Glenesk House due to the unavailability of suitable accommodation in Ingliston House.

Recommendation 8: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that prisoners requiring protection from others are moved to a suitable area as soon as is practicable.

1.24 Where a women offender is at risk of harm from others, she will remain in Ratho House but will be located on the lower level until the situation has been addressed. Both staff and prisoners spoken with in Ratho House felt these arrangements were acceptable and well managed.

1.25 Mainstream, Convicted male prisoners will be allocated accommodation in a First Night Centre (FNC) on Level 3 of Hermiston House. Mainstream, Untried male admissions are only held in a specific area on Level 2 of Glenesk House. As this area can only accommodate 20 prisoners, it is often full due to the high number of admissions and the fluctuating need for single cell occupancy. This is also the same area where Untried protection prisoners are located on admission. This results in mainstream Untried prisoners often being located in other areas of both Glenesk and Hermiston Houses.

1.26 This reactive approach to the allocation of prisoners on admission means there is little continuity in relation to their management within Hermiston and Glenesk Houses. Each area operates its FNC independently of the other, providing no continuity of approach or information-giving to newly admitted prisoners. This is a weakness.

1.27 Management of HMP Edinburgh have confirmed that there is a project underway to create a dedicated FNC for all male admissions. HMIPS welcome this and will monitor progress.

1.28 There are a number of different classifications of prisoners held within HMP Edinburgh. While male and female prisoners are always held in separate accommodation different groups of both genders are often found to be co-located including long and short‑term prisoners and Untried and Convicted prisoners.

1.29 The table below shows the prisoner classification in each Houseblock in HMP Edinburgh holding male prisoners at the time of the inspection.

Prisoner Classification	Ingliston Level 1 & 2 (Offence Protection)	Ingliston Level 3 (Non-Offence Protection)	Ingliston Level 4 Mainstream	Hermiston Levels 1, 2 & 3 Mainstream
Untried	12	11	0	7
STP	45	23	8	236
LTP	84	26	57	16
Life Sentence	9	20	18	3
Recall to Custody	0	1	4	1
Order of Life Long Restriction (OLR)	24	2	0	0

1.30 In addition to sharing a Houseblock, many of the prisoners from these different classifications may also be required to share cells. This is a significant weakness.

1.31 Healthcare staff and Officers in Reception are sympathetic to the vulnerabilities of prisoners who may be experiencing mental health difficulties on admission. Consideration is given to where these prisoners are held within Reception before and after interview and to any potential risks associated with coming into contact with other prisoners. However, on most occasions when the Officer is engaged in an ACT 2 Care interview, the door of the interview room is left open, meaning other prisoners can overhear confidential conversations. This is a weakness.

Recommendation 9: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that all interviews within Reception are undertaken in a confidential manner with the interview room door closed.

1.32 Mental health screening is conducted as part of the admission process. Relevant information is gathered from all available sources including medical records on transfer, ViSION, and the PER form.

1.33 Application of the ACT 2 Care strategy is delivered well by both operational and clinical staff in Reception.

1.34 HMP Edinburgh has comprehensive contingency plans in place. Hard copies are held in the Command Room, Electronic Control Room (ECR) and by the Head of Operations who is responsible for ensuring that they are kept up‑to‑date. There is also an electronic copy available on a restricted-access basis. When checked, these plans were found to be current, with the appropriate version control measures in place. This is positive.

1.35 Patrol and night-duty staff deployed within residential areas uplift a bag containing a set of 'Orders' prior to commencing duty. These Orders are comprehensive and detail the response to a number of operational, medical and fire emergencies. They are clear, easy to understand and are version controlled. This is positive. However, the bags, when not in use, are located in the Key Vend and can be accessed by any individual entering the area. The bags themselves are in a poor state of repair and require to be replaced.

Recommendation 10: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that access to the Patrol and Nightshift Orders is only available to designated staff and that the bags containing these Orders are fit for purpose.

1.36 There are comprehensive 'Desk Instructions' for routine and non-routine tasks held within the ECR. This is positive.

1.37 The Head of Operations holds a set of Multi-Agency Contingency Plans which require some minor amendments to bring them up‑to‑date. We note that arrangements are in place to make these changes at the next multi-agency meeting scheduled for December 2013.

1.38 Local Incident Management training took place in November 2012 with further training scheduled for November 2013. In addition, there is an ongoing programme of Incident Response Training in which a wide range of incident scenarios are practiced. This is positive.

1.39 Staff competency levels in Control & Restraint (C&R) Phase 1 are noted as 92 per cent. Records indicate that 100 per cent of those staff required to undertake Phase 2 and 3 are deemed competent.

1.40 Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs) for prisoners who require additional support or assistance in the event of an emergency are in place, available to staff at all times and are reviewed weekly by the Duty Manager. This is positive.

1.41 Seventy-five staff are trained in First Aid at Work with a further five instructors within the establishment. This ensures that a member of staff trained in first aid will be on duty while the prison is unlocked. There are notices throughout the establishment displaying the names of those staff who are trained in first aid and their locations. Unfortunately, the same level of cover cannot be guaranteed during patrol periods.

Recommendation 11: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that a member of staff trained in first aid is on duty at all times.

1.42 There are comprehensive plans in place in the event of fire and evacuation. Staff spoken with are aware of the action to take in the event of a fire. However prisoners' understanding is variable.

1.43 Information given to prisoners regarding the action to take in the event of a fire is delivered by the Peer Supporter on the morning after admission, but as attendance is voluntary, there is no guarantee that all prisoners are aware of this vital information. This is a weakness. Similarly, prisoners who move from one area of the establishment to another are not informed of fire evacuation procedures on arrival at their new location.

Recommendation 12: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that staff inform all prisoners of the action to be taken in the event of a fire.

1.44 While the majority of cells throughout residential areas have a notice in place on the back of each cell door describing the actions to be taken in the event of an in-cell fire, a number within in Glenesk House do not.

Recommendation 13: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that the appropriate fire action notices are posted on all cell doors.

1.45 During the inspection there was a fire evacuation of the Hub. This was carried out in an efficient and professional manner. This is positive.

1.46 The phased development of HMP Edinburgh has produced different styles of residential accommodation. Similarly, the prisoner Cell Call Systems vary between Houseblocks, dependent on the technology adopted by SPS at the time of construction.

1.47 Staff response times to the activation of the cell call systems were observed in all residential areas during periods of unlock and generally found to be acceptable, with staff responding timeously. Prisoners who attended the focus groups confirmed this assertion, noting that staff response times to cell calls were, at times, extremely lengthy during patrol and night-duty periods. This opinion was more common among the prisoners from Glenesk and Ratho Houses, who cited examples of extremely long waiting times during these lock-up periods with some stating that they would opt to shout and kick their door if there was an urgent requirement for staff assistance. However, on one occasion during the inspection, whilst in Ingliston House, an emergency call button rang for 20 minutes before any staff response. Night-duty Officers spoken with stated that cell calls are answered timeously and that routine patrols of the area ensure a staff presence on all levels at regular intervals.

1.48 Unfortunately, HMP Edinburgh are unable to provide evidence detailing staff response times to cell calls during patrol and night-duty periods as records could not be retrospectively interrogated when requested. In Ingliston, Hermiston and Ratho Houses Cell Call Recording Systems exists but at the time of the inspection were either not in use or, in use, but staff were unable to operate them. This is a weakness. The computerised Cell Call System in Ratho House for example has not been in use since the Houseblock opened in 2008. There is no built-in capability to record activity in the Cell Call Systems in place in Glenesk House and the SRU.

Recommendation 14: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that, where fitted, recording equipment for the Cell Call System is in working order and routinely monitored.

1.49 In HMP Edinburgh, Night‑duty Officers record that they have visited areas of the prison by triggering an electronic 'pegging point'. Each 'visit' registers on a computer and a sample checked found them to have been undertaken as required. These electronic records can be accessed by the Operations FLM to ensure that appropriate levels of security checks are undertaken during the shift however this does not routinely happen.

Recommendation 15: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that records of night-duty patrols are routinely monitored by the appropriate Manager.

1.50 All cells doors in HMP Edinburgh have a fit for purpose observation panel that allows staff good levels of observation within cells.

1.51 A number of observation panels checked on all levels within Ingliston, Hermiston and Ratho Houses and the SRU, showed that only a very small number were obstructed. Officers in Ingliston and Hermiston Houses routinely remove any items blocking observation panels during cell security checks. Officers in Ratho House stated that on the few occasions observation panels are found to be blocked, prisoners unblock them when asked. In Glenesk House however almost half were found to be blocked. Staff stated they regularly remove any items blocking observation panels, although in many cases, such items appeared to have been there for a period of time.

Recommendation 16: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that cell door observation panels are not covered up.

1.52 Senior Managers are rostered to visit the establishment outwith normal working hours. These visits are scheduled to take place on a monthly basis and managers are required to submit a report to the Governor on completion of their visit.

1.53 Night‑duty staff spoken with stated that senior managers do routinely visit. While pro‑forma reports for the six months prior to the inspection substantiate this, the record of these visits noted in the occurrence book do not correspond; for example there is no visit recorded in July 2013.

Recommendation 17: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that Senior Managers' visits outwith normal working hours are recorded in the occurrence book.

1.54 Notices posted in the Visitor Centre and in the visitors entrance area provide details of those staff who can be contacted should visitors have concerns about the health, safety or wellbeing of their family or friend held in custody within HMP Edinburgh.

1.55 While there is limited family involvement in Case Conferences for those identified as being at risk, there are processes in place to facilitate it should prisoners express a wish that their family members take part. There is evidence that staff have appropriate telephone contact with prisoners' families or facilitate contact between the prisoner and their relatives as circumstances dictate. A good example of this occurred in Ratho House during the inspection when an upset, vulnerable prisoner was allowed to make a telephone call to a close relative from the manager's office in order to reduce the levels of stress experienced by the prisoner and allay some of the fears that may be experienced by her relative.

1.56 At the time of the inspection, all prisoners deemed to be at risk of suicide or self‑harm were managed under the ACT 2 Care Strategy.

1.57 There are five 'Safer Cells' in HMP Edinburgh for use by the male population, two in Ingliston House, two in Hermiston House and one in the SRU.

1.58 Like many 'Safer Cells' throughout the SPS estate, those in HMP Edinburgh are not fully anti-ligature compliant. Additionally, these cells are sparse and offer little by way of comfort or stimulation. SPS may wish to consider how best to provide a safe environment which, at the same time, aids recovery and progression.

Recommendation 18: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that the 'Safer Cells' are upgraded to full 'Anti-Ligature Cells'.

1.59 Two standard cells within Ratho House have been converted to provide accommodation for those female prisoners deemed to be at risk of self-harm. While both cells are of a Safer Cell design they are not of the standard required to house prisoners deemed to be high-risk. In these circumstances, local protocols ensure that prisoners are returned to HMP & YOI Cornton Vale. Both these cells are located on the lower level and are equipped with appropriate fittings including plinth, special mattress, blanket and pillow. A combined shower and toilet area is contained within the cells however the doors have been removed. A table and shelving of an appropriate material is fitted in each cell along with a wash hand basin. Electric Power in Cell (EPIC) is also fitted as standard. Ingliston, Hermiston and Ratho Houses all have a two-person cell known as a 'Buddy Cell' for those prisoners who are not managed under the ACT 2 Care process but who nevertheless may feel in need of some short‑term support during periods of lock up.

1.60 All prisoners managed under the ACT 2 Care Strategy are subject to regular Case Conferences where evidence of positive communication between operational and healthcare staff was observed. ACT 2 Care documentation reviewed showed no evidence of family involvement at these conferences.

1.61 A recent SPS Audit of the ACT 2 Care Strategy in HMP Edinburgh in July 2013 provided the prison with only Limited Assurance and made a number of recommendations in areas such as staff training, record keeping and regime provision for prisoners subject to ACT 2 Care. HMIPS support the recommendations made in this audit.

1.62 At the time of the inspection, two prisoner Listeners were in place for the male prisoner population and a similar number for women prisoners. While this may be sufficient provision for the latter group, it appears to be too few to deal with approximately 800 male prisoners.

Recommendation 19: HMP Edinburgh should recruit and train more male prisoner Listeners.

1.63 The prison operates an effective Multi‑disciplinary Mental Health Team (MDMHT). Prisoners subject to ACT 2 Care are referred to this group as appropriate. MDMHT meetings are well attended with representation from various functions in the establishment. This is an area of good practice.

1.64 There have been two episodes of contagious disease outbreaks over the past three years; Tuberculosis and Hepatitis B. The prison has no policy for the management of infection control and the spread of contagious diseases. This was previously highlighted in an audit completed by SPS Audit and Assurance Services in May 2013. While this audit provided Reasonable Assurance it did make recommendation that the prison establish a written policy in order to focus management attention on this matter and provide a framework against which the performance of individual areas could be assessed. HMIPS support the recommendations made in this audit.

1.65 At the time of the inspection two cells which had recently been used to hold a prisoner on a 'Dirty Protest' between 25 May and 26 August 2013, were out of use and marked as "biohazard". Although there had been numerous attempts to clean these cells there were still signs of body fluids and foreign matter on the walls, cell door and bed frame. The continued attempts at cleaning had also damaged the fabric of both cells. HMIPS have previously commented on the absence of an SPS policy and associated protocol for the management of prisoners on dirty protests. SPS have advised HMIPS that a policy for managing a prisoner on a dirty protest is being developed.

Recommendation 20: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that those cells occupied during a previous dirty protest are properly cleaned and made good.

Recommendation 21: The Scottish Prison Service should ensure that a national policy for the management of prisoners on dirty protests is designed and implemented across the estate.

1.66 Access to the National Harm Reduction Service is promoted and information is included in prisoner induction sessions. There is a lack of written harm reduction information provided to prisoners on arrival, however a verbal discussion takes place between the assessing nurse and the prisoner during the admission process.

1.67 Information on harm reduction is provided as part of formal clinical contact with Addictions nurses and Phoenix Futures. Ad hoc advice is also given on a regular basis.

1.68 Bloodborne Virus (BBV) clinics are run weekly and programmes of BBV-related immunisation are in place.

1.69 There are monitoring systems in place for in-possession medications. The lack of lockable cabinets in prisoners cells which is highlighted in paragraph 7.10 in this report increases risks in relation to the secure retention of personal medication.

Standard 2

Force is only used a last resort and then strictly according to the law and procedures.

2.1 Between 1 January and 31 August 2013 there were 169 recorded instances of the use of C&R techniques having been used in HMP Edinburgh. In only 140 cases was the associated paperwork retained in the central file held in the Intelligence Management Unit (IMU). Management at HMP Edinburgh could not account for the missing 29 C&R forms. This is a significant weakness.

2.2 Examination of the documentation available showed that staff considered different methods of control and restraint techniques before they were applied, for example, 'Plasticuffs' being used on a number of occasions. They also confirmed that prisoners were seen by a nurse after the removal had taken place. However, not all forms were fully completed which suggests that the information they contained have not been used to inform continual improvements. This is a weakness.

2.3 Information contained in the forms indicate that a prisoner was placed in a Body Belt and relocated in a Special Cell within the SRU on three occasions between January and March 2013. The appropriate level of authority for the application of the Body Belt and the prisoner's relocation to the Special Cell is noted in only one of these three occasions. In the remaining two instances the recorded authority is at FLM level. Scrutiny of the prisoner's electronic records also indicate that he was held in a Special Cell, on one occasion, for longer than the recognised time period. We note that this has been a matter of investigation by the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO).

2.4 HMP Edinburgh were unable to provide any additional, supporting documentation in relation to these three incidents. Subsequent contact with the four prisons that this individual prisoner has since been allocated to has also failed to produce any related paperwork. This is a significant weakness.

Recommendation 22: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that all relevant documentation relating to the management of prisoners under restraint is properly recorded and retained.

2.5 During the period of the inspection, one prisoner was subject to Special Security Measures. Examination of the associated paperwork was found to be in order.

2.6 Handcuffs are not used within HMP Edinburgh except when escorting a prisoner outside the establishment. A stock of hand-cuffs is retained in a locked cabinet in Reception and there are satisfactory processes in place for their issue and return.

2.7 There is no evidence of any complaints made by prisoners in relation to the use of illegitimate force.

2.8 HMP Edinburgh holds appropriate equipment to video record planned C&R removals, with cameras being retained in the SRU and the IMU. Records examined however, indicate that not all planned removals are video recorded or that the decisions not to video are noted in the documentation. Managers responsible for this process highlighted some technical issues with the cameras and report that these are being addressed.

Recommendation 23: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that where planned Control and Restraint removals are not video recorded the reasons for the decision are documented.

Standard 3

Prisoners are protected from violence and harm by other prisoners

3.1 At the time of the inspection, no Violence Reduction Strategy or Violence Reduction Group was in place in HMP Edinburgh. A review of all known acts of, or potential for, violence takes place at the monthly Tactical Tasking Co-ordination Group (TTCG). While violence is not the exclusive remit of this group, it does represent a standard part of the agenda at every meeting and it is noted that HMP Edinburgh have plans to establish a Violence Reduction Group.

3.2 Between April and July 2013, there were no serious prisoner‑on‑staff assaults, three minor prisoner‑on‑staff assaults, three serious prisoner‑on‑prisoner assaults and 62 minor prisoner‑on‑prisoner assaults.

3.3 The number of recorded assaults in HMP Edinburgh and comparable establishments is noted below:

April 2012-March 2013	Edinburgh	Barlinnie	Low Moss	Perth
Serious prisoner‑on‑staff assaults	0	1	0	0
Minor prisoner‑on‑staff assaults	22	12	10	15
Serious prisoner‑on‑prisoner assaults	6	8	15	5
Minor prisoner‑on‑prisoner assaults	187	120	140	115

3.4 HMIPS will continue to monitor the levels of violence in HMP Edinburgh and across the wider SPS.

Recommendation 24: HMP Edinburgh's Violence Reduction Group should analyse the number of assaults as part of its Violence Reduction Strategy.

3.5 HMP Edinburgh has robust systems and processes in place for managing the Regulation of Investigatory Powers (Scotland) Act 2000.

3.6 HMP Edinburgh benefits from sufficient, good quality Close Circuit Television (CCTV) coverage which is thoroughly monitored by staff.

3.7 Security arrangements at the point of entry to the prison are variable and do not fully comply with the SPS's own front‑of‑house security requirements. Persons entering the prison to visit prisoners through the main entrance were seen to be subject to physical security measures including a walk-through X‑ray portal and a hand held metal detector as well as rub-down searching by staff and contact with drug detection dogs. Staff and visitors accessing the prison through the opposite side of the main entrance however encounter less rigorous security measures; no portal is in place, no evidence of any hand-held metal detectors was in use during the inspection and the quality and frequency of searching by staff was much lower.

3.8 It is acknowledged that space at the front‑of‑house is limited and a business case to upgrade this facility is being processed, however it is essential that preventative action is taken immediately to combat the current level of risk experienced in this area of the prison.

Recommendation 25: HMP Edinburgh should review the security measures in place at the front‑of‑house.

3.9 There was evidence to suggest that areas of the prison operated below the agreed staffing complement during the period of the inspection. Most of these appeared to be as a result of unplanned, short-term absence.

3.10 HMP Edinburgh has an agreed Staff Shortage and Risk Assessment Protocol that comes into force for a number of staff shortage scenarios. This process utilises staff from specific areas within the prison to cover certain priority posts. For example, when any shortage occurs in Glenesk House, the protocol is invoked and staff are temporarily transferred in from other parts of the prison to fully complement the Houseblock. When this occurs, the regime in other parts of the prison may be restricted.

3.11 The protocol also allows for an additional Officer to be allocated to Level 2 of Glenesk House if prisoner numbers reach 182. This is due to Level 2 of Glenesk House receiving the majority of, if not all, Untried admissions to HMP Edinburgh, meaning this area can be extremely busy. Again, this temporary cover is provided by staff from another area, resulting in a potential restriction to the regime of the area where the member of staff is normally rostered.

3.12 Prisoners who attended focus groups report that they feel relatively safe in HMP Edinburgh. They also state that, in the main, relationships between staff and prisoners are positive and examples of these positive relationships were observed throughout the prison.

3.13 On admission, Officers attempt to create an environment where prisoners feel confident to express any fears they may have. During the initial interview in Reception, concerns in relation to the prisoner's safety are explored and are subsequently allocated to a residential location best suited to their individual safety needs.

3.14 Male prisoners already in HMP Edinburgh who feel they require protection from other prisoners are, in the first instance, encouraged to inform staff of their fears. If the issues cannot be resolved at this stage, the FLM ensures that the standard application for protection process is initiated. This process permits the prisoner to remain out of general association within his own cell for a period of three days to allow staff to investigate his concerns further. If the investigation confirms that he requires protection he will be moved to Level 1, 2 or 3 of Ingliston House or transferred to another establishment.

3.15 Prisoners in Ingliston, Hermiston and Glenesk Houses who attended focus groups were aware of the process for seeking protection from other prisoners and in the main stated they would approach staff in such cases.

3.16 If a women prisoner makes a request to be kept separate or protected from others, staff will investigate the circumstances and establish the facts. Where a need for separation is justified, the design and management of the Houseblock allows for them to be kept apart from those who pose the threat until such times as the issues are addressed. This may result in the perpetrator of such threats being managed under the SPS Anti-Bullying Strategy (ABS); disciplinary action taken against them or a transfer to another establishment being arranged.

3.17 Women prisoners who expressed an opinion stated that they would have no problem in approaching a member of staff within Ratho House if they were experiencing fear or being bullied by other prisoners. The level of positive interaction between staff and women prisoners observed throughout the inspection supported this view.

3.18 Within Ratho House it is suggested that the two major issues impacting on bullying behaviour are due to breakdown in prisoner relationships and attempted thefts of other prisoners' prescribed medication. Preventative measures are in place to counteract the latter and include ensuring that the dispensing of medication is conducted in privacy. A similar system for the distribution of prisoners' canteen is also in place. This is positive.

3.19 HMP Edinburgh uses the SPS ABS with the number of prisoners involved increasing threefold over the last year. A review of the paperwork however would suggest that the strategy is not delivered uniformly across all areas of the prison and no clear record of the underpinning decision-making process is retained.

Recommendation 26: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that the Scottish Prison Service Anti-Bullying Strategy is applied consistently throughout the Prison.

3.20 A sample of electronic records of CSRAs checked were found to be completed properly. Staff were fully aware of their responsibilities within the process. The Business Improvement Manager identifies any outstanding CSRA issues on a daily basis and contacts the relevant residential area for an immediate review. This is positive.

3.21 Food for vulnerable groups is prepared in the main kitchen under staff supervision and then transferred to a secure area prior to being loaded into the trollies. Catering Officers rotate the food trollies when they are being loaded up to ensure that prisoners are not aware which Houseblock Level they are destined for. This minimises the risk of food for vulnerable groups being tampered with. This is positive.

Standard 4

Security levels for individuals are no higher than is necessary to meet the risk presented by the prisoner.

4.1 The Prisoner Supervision System (PSS) was reviewed in Hermiston and Ingliston Houses. SPS guidance relating to the application of the system has recently been reissued to staff in HMP Edinburgh and the standard of completion is monitored by the FLM and the Duty Manager.

4.2 All PSS documentation examined had been completed by a Residential Officer, a FLM and signed off by a Unit Manager. In order to ensure reviews are carried out within specified time frames, all outstanding weekly reviews are highlighted by the Business Improvement Manager.

Standard 5

Procedures for deciding security levels are as transparent as is compatible with the sensitivities of the decision.

5.1 Those prisoners spoken with advised that appropriate reasoning is given for the level of supervision granted after their review. All documentation sampled showed that prisoners had signed to acknowledge that their PSS review had taken place and that they were informed of their current supervision status.

5.2 Whilst staff and managers report that they verbally inform prisoners of the actions they can take to reduce their current supervision level, no written record confirming this was evident on review of the PSS documentation. This is a weakness.

5.3 Prisoners Supervision Levels are always reviewed after incidents of violence in HMP Edinburgh. This is positive.

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 HMP Edinburgh. It did not examine other locations where prisoners are held out with HMP Edinburgh, 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 been carried out and have been published and are available on the HMIPS website at www.hmips.gov.uk.

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.

Overview

Prisoner accommodation in HMP Edinburgh is relatively new with the oldest Houseblock, Glenesk, having been opened in 1998. All the cells are of a modern design and generally provide appropriate space, ventilation, temperature and natural light. Glenesk House however is dated and would benefit from a degree of refurbishment to both cells and communal areas. A number of its cells have been fitted with bunk beds meaning that it is routinely overcrowded and those housing two prisoners are cramped and lack sufficient space for two people to live in comfortably. Throughout the rest of the prison, the accommodation and communal areas were generally found to be clean.

Prisoners are provided with the option of one hour in the open air every day in fit for purpose exercise yards. With the exception of Glenesk House, the exercise yards are clean. There is an inconsistent approach within HMP Edinburgh to the issuing, drying and storage of clothing suitable for prisoners' use in inclement weather.

Prison-issue clothing is acceptable in most areas however the quality and quantity of clothing issued to prisoners in Glenesk House is inadequate. There are effective laundering arrangements in place.

In general, the bedding supplied by the prison is fit for purpose however the condition of the mattresses and duvets issued in some parts of the prison, particularly in Glenesk House, is poor. Similar to all other SPS establishments the standard of pillow issued is poor.

All cells have an integral toilet and wash hand basin and with the exception of the Separation and Reintegration Unit and 'Safer Cells' in Ingliston and Hermiston House the toilets are fully enclosed, ensuring privacy is assured even when sharing a cell. There are sufficient showers throughout the prison to ensure that prisoners can access a shower on a daily basis.

The Kitchen is clean and fit for purpose and provides food which is varied and religiously and culturally appropriate. Meals sampled during the period of the inspection were found to be suitable in terms of temperature and quantity. Fresh fruit and vegetables are available daily. Prisoners are not required to eat in their cells with communal tables and chairs available within residential areas. It is noted however that the cells within Glenesk House holding two prisoners do not have adequate worktop space for prisoners to sit and eat at. The practice of prisoners retaining their cutlery and washing it in the wash hand basins within their cells is unhygienic and should be addressed.

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.

Ingliston

7.1 Ingliston House was opened in 2005 and comprises four self-contained levels connected by a communal stairwell. The design capacity is 348, with 216 single cells and 66 double cells. It also provides two 'Safer Cells', two cells with disabled access and fittings and two Buddy Cells.

7.2 All cells have enough space to move around in and a table and chair commensurate to the number of prisoners it is designed to hold. The cell windows allow for adequate fresh air and natural light. The standard of cleanliness in cells is generally good with prisoners advising that they are given the opportunity by staff to clean their cells regularly.

Hermiston

7.3 Hermiston House was opened in 2003 and comprises four levels connected by a communal stairwell. Levels 1 and 2 are connected internally while Levels 3 and 4 are self‑contained. The design capacity is 282, with 164 single cells and 59 double cells. It also provides two 'Safer Cells', a cell with disabled access and fittings and a Buddy Cell.

7.4 All cells have enough room to move around in and a table and chair commensurate to the number of prisoners it is designed to hold. A small number of cells designed for single occupancy in Hermiston House are fitted with bunk beds, however during the inspection these cells were only occupied by one prisoner. Cells in Hermiston House are generally clean and the windows allow adequate natural light and fresh air into the cell.

Ingliston and Hermiston

7.5 Communal areas within Ingliston and Hermiston House are clean and throughout the inspection prisoners were actively engaged in maintaining this high standard of cleanliness. Cleaning schedules are in place throughout both Houseblocks.

7.6 The football pitches used for exercise in both Houseblocks are clean, however damage caused by prisoners stubbing cigarettes out on the surface is evident. This is a weakness.

Glenesk

7.7 Glenesk House is the oldest of the residential accommodation within HMP Edinburgh. Built in 1998, its 126 cells are designed for single occupancy. The Houseblock comprises three self-contained levels connected by a communal stairwell with 41 cells on Level 1 and 42 cells on Levels 2 and 3. It also provides a cell with disabled access and fittings. Despite a design capacity of 125, a number of cells on each level have been fitted with bunk beds meaning Glenesk House can effectively hold 192 prisoners. During the period of the inspection, prisoner numbers frequently exceeded 180 meaning that Glenesk House is routinely overcrowded.

7.8 Glenesk House is dated when compared to other accommodation in HMP Edinburgh and would benefit from a degree of refurbishment to both cells and communal areas.

7.9 Those cells which have not been altered for double occupancy provide prisoners with enough room to move around in, a chair and adequate worktop space. Those that house two prisoners are equipped with two chairs but are cramped and lack sufficient space for two people to live in comfortably.

Recommendation 27: HMP Edinburgh should ensure the population within Glenesk House does not exceed the design capacity of 125.

7.10 None of the cells in Glenesk House have a lockable storage facility, meaning prisoners have nowhere to store medication or other personal items. This issue is exacerbated by the fact there are high levels of cell sharing. This is a significant weakness. Management at HMP Edinburgh report that a business case has been submitted to SPS HQ for in-cell safes, however at the time of the inspection the outcome of the business case was not known. HMIPS will continue to monitor progress in relation this issue.

Recommendation 28: HMP Edinburgh should provide a lockable in-cell storage facility for each prisoner in Glenesk House.

7.11 There are designated areas on cell walls for prisoners to display photographs and other items and in the majority of cases this is adhered to.

7.12 While storage space within cells is limited, especially those cells holding two prisoners they do not appear as cluttered as those in other parts of the establishment or indeed other establishments. This may in part be due to Untried prisoners generally having fewer personal items with them than Convicted prisoners.

7.13 Cell windows can be opened and allow adequate air and natural light into the cell. Not all cell windows have curtains fitted. Many curtains are in a poor state of repair, making it difficult for prisoners to control the amount of natural light entering their cell.

Recommendation 29: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that all cells in Glenesk House have suitable window coverings.

7.14 Fit for purpose cleaning material is freely available on each level of Glenesk House and during the inspection prisoners were offered adequate opportunity to clean their cells. However, not all cells within Glenesk House are clean. This may be due to the high turnover in occupation and the limited time many prisoners spend there, resulting in a lack of ownership and a reluctance to take responsibility for the cleanliness of their accommodation.

7.15 The main concourses, serveries and ablutions within Glenesk House are clean, however the cleanliness of the main stairwell connecting the three levels of Glenesk House should be improved.

7.16 Of particular concern is the poor standard of cleanliness in the prisoner exercise yard and area leading to the football pitch. Throughout the inspection, both these areas were strewn with litter and there appeared to be little evidence of any regular cleaning.

Recommendation 30: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that areas external to Glenesk House are clean.

Ratho

7.17 Ratho House, the newest of the accommodation in HMP Edinburgh, was opened in 2008. It comprises three levels with an overall capacity of 114 prisoner spaces. Level 1 stands alone and can accommodate 19 prisoners in single occupancy cells and 14 in double occupancy cells. It also provides two 'Safer Cells', a cell with disabled access and fittings and a Buddy Cell. Levels 2 and 3 are of an open plan design and each level has seven double occupancy cells and 25 single occupancy cells.

7.18 Cleanliness levels throughout the Houseblock are high and the building is well maintained. Cells are bright, well lit and fitted with proper ventilation. Fixtures and fittings are appropriate and there is adequate space within each cell to store personal belongings and display photographs.

7.19 The fabric of the integral shower/toilet areas has deteriorated. In particular, we note that the paint on the walls and floors of many of these ablution areas has flaked off and the prison is now undertaking a painting programme to make good the damage. It is of concern that this is the second time such action has had to be taken since the opening of the hall in 2008. This is a weakness.

7.20 Storage space for janitorial supplies is limited however prisoners do have access to cleaning materials and there are opportunities for cell cleaning each morning. There are prisoner pass women employed to clean the communal areas. A small number of prisoners have been trained and are employed as painters to paint cells in Ratho House. This is positive. This contributes to the relatively pleasant environment within Ratho House.

7.21 The main corridor leading to the entrance of Ratho House and the adjacent exercise area are clean and free from litter. With the exception of the communal stairs linking Levels 1, 2 and 3, which, in comparison to the rest of the Houseblock, are slightly grubby, all other communal areas pertaining to Ratho House are well maintained and cleaned regularly. There are a number of rooms and activity areas attached to the Houseblock which, despite frequent use, are all clean and in decent condition. Each pantry/servery area is also kept clean and tidy. Prisoners are suitably trained and were observed using the appropriate cleaning materials and equipment. Staff supervision is sufficient to ensure compliance with the applicable infection control measures.

SRU

7.22 The SRU was opened in 1999 and is a single storey building with 14 cells each for single occupancy. It also provides a Special Cell and a Safer Cell. The SRU is generally in a decent state of repair and levels of cleanliness are high.

7.23 The SRU is of the standard SPS design and all cells have enough space to move around in and have a table and chair fixed to the floor. The windows in the SRU do not open however they allow enough air and natural light in to the cell.

7.24 There are two prisoners from outwith the SRU employed to clean communal areas and assist with domestic chores within the Unit. During the inspection these areas were found to be clean and well maintained.

7.25 As all water within the Prison is potable, drinking water is available at all times.

Standard 8

Prisoners are allowed into the open air for a least one hour every day.

8.1 All prisoners in HMP Edinburgh are given the opportunity to access one hour in the open air on a daily basis.

8.2 The table below shows when prisoners may access time in the open air:

Area	Monday - Friday	Saturday - Sunday
Ingliston House*	10:30 - 11:30 hrs (Levels 1 & 2) 12:30 - 13:30 hrs (Level 3 & 4)	10:45 - 11:45 hrs (Levels 1 & 2) 09:45 - 10:45 hrs (Level 3 & 4))
Hermiston House	12:30 - 13:30 hrs	10:15 - 11:15 hrs
Glenesk House **	09:00 - 10:00 hrs (Levels 1 & 3) 10:00 - 11:00 hrs (Level 2)	09:00 - 10:00 hrs (Levels 1 & 3) 10:00 - 11:00 hrs (Level 2)
Ratho House	12:30 - 13:30 hrs	10:30 - 11:30 hrs
SRU	Rotational basis	Rotational basis

*During the week, those prisoners located on Levels 1 and 2 of Ingliston House who are employed or who attend education are required to choose between attending those activities or accessing time in the fresh air.

**Those prisoners located on Level 2 of Glenesk House who require protection from others are offered exercise in the SRU; however staff report that very few of these prisoners take up this offer.

8.3 During summer months prisoners are frequently offered a further period of time in the open air in the early evenings. This is positive.

Ingliston and Hermiston

8.4 Access to time in the open air for prisoners from Ingliston and Hermiston Houses takes place on artificial-surfaced football pitches which are large enough to accommodate all prisoners from both areas.

Glenesk

8.5 The space used to access time in the open air for prisoners from Glenesk House is a hard surfaced area situated directly adjacent to the Houseblock, large enough for the group of prisoners who attend. During the inspection both exercise sessions were reasonably well attended.

8.6 Prisoners in Glenesk House can freely talk to and pass items between prisoners in the exercise yard and prisoners in their cells. On some occasions, staff were facilitating this practice and were seen to check the items before passing them from one prisoner to another. As this may not always be possible, such practices circumvent the searching procedures which take place.

Recommendation 31: HMP Edinburgh should take measures to end the practice of prisoners passing items between the exercise yard and cells within Glenesk House.

Ratho

8.7 The space provided for time in the open air in Ratho House is pleasant. It comprises a large rectangular area with a central grassed section, with four picnic tables, benched seating and several flower beds. The average number of prisoners choosing to access the exercise area is normally 50. This area is close to the perimeter fence however the activity is appropriately supervised.

SRU

8.8 The SRU has three small individual exercise yards which are fully enclosed on all sides to ensure separation from others. Although there is security mesh cover over each area, this does not restrict natural light and fresh air.

Ingliston

8.9 Prisoners in Ingliston House are provided with outdoor jackets for use in inclement weather. While these jackets are suitable for cold or windy conditions, the fabric renders them unsuitable for use in wet weather. During the inspection these jackets, when not in use, were found lying in the passageway leading to the exercise yard. There is no area in Ingliston House where outdoor jackets can be dried.

Hermiston

8.10 Hermiston House have purchased a stock of waterproof jackets which are issued to prisoners for use during time spent in the open air in inclement weather. These jackets are stored appropriately when not in use and if wet, drying facilities are available. This is positive.

Glenesk and the SRU

8.11 Prisoners in Glenesk House and the SRU are issued with the same type of jackets for use in inclement weather. These are similar to those issued in Ingliston House, meaning they are suitable for use in cold or windy but not wet conditions. There are no areas in Glenesk House or the SRU suitable for drying wet outdoor clothing.

Recommendation 32: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that suitable clothing is issued to prisoners in Ingliston House, Glenesk House and the Separation and Reintegration Unit for use in inclement weather and that proper drying facilities are provided.

Ratho

8.12 Showerproof jackets, suitable for use in inclement weather, are provided for women prisoners in Ratho House; however prisoners report that they are seldom used and staff confirm this position.

Standard 9

Personal clothing is in decent condition, washed frequently and fits.

9.1 The T-shirts and sweatshirts issued to prisoners in HMP Edinburgh are, in common with some other SPS establishments, of relatively poor quality. Frequent washing often results in shrinkage meaning the demand for bigger sizes outstrips supply. This is the main reason for many prisoners having to wear clothing which does not fit.

Ingliston and Hermiston

9.2 Prisoners in both Ingliston and Hermiston Houses are issued with prison clothing and can also wear items of their own clothing while in the Houseblocks. Each prisoner is issued with clothing on arrival to both Houseblocks and have regular access to laundry services. There is a range of sizes available and stores appear to be well managed in both Houseblocks.

Glenesk

9.3 Prisoners in Glenesk House are provided with one pair of jogging trousers, one T-shirt, one sweatshirt and may also wear items of their own clothing within the Houseblock. Much of the prison-issue clothing both in use and retained in the kit store is in a poor condition, stained, faded or out of shape. This is due mainly to three contributory factors: poor quality on purchase, frequent laundering due to high turnover of prisoners and lack of ownership as clothing is not issued on a personal basis. Access to laundry services is adequate.

Recommendation 33: HMP Edinburgh should consider issuing prisoners in Glenesk House with clothing on a personal basis.

9.4 Prisoners in Glenesk House are not routinely provided with underwear and instead can wear their own or have underwear sent in. Staff stated that if a prisoner requests underwear he will be provided with it. However during the inspection there was no stock of underwear in the laundry store within Glenesk House and limited stock held in the main laundry.

Recommendation 34: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that all prisoners in Glenesk House are issued with underwear as required.

9.5 All prisoners are issued with two towels except those in Glenesk House who are only issued with one towel. While dirty towels can be exchanged for clean towels every day from Monday to Friday, prisoners in Glenesk House have to use the same towel from Friday through to Monday when the laundry service recommences.

Recommendation 35: HMP Edinburgh should ensure prisoners in Glenesk House have access to sufficient clean towels at all times.

Ratho

9.6 Prisoners in Ratho House may retain and wear their own clothing including underwear, nightwear, slippers and training shoes. Prison clothing is also issued on admission to the Houseblock and usually consists of three pairs of jogging bottoms, three T-shirts, three sweatshirts and items of underwear as required. Staff report that stock levels are variable and as a result they are not always able to offer three sets of prison clothing straight away to new admissions. Limited storage space for prison stock within the Houseblock may also be a contributing factor.

9.7 Separate facilities and arrangements are in place for women prisoners from Ratho House to launder their underwear and nightwear. Such items of clothing are taken to the female laundry area within the Life Skills facility where women prisoners launder the items and return them to the hall for redistribution. This system works well with very few instances of lost, stolen or damaged property reported. All other items of clothing and bedding are laundered in the main prison laundry.

9.8 Prisoners in Ratho House seen wearing prison‑issue clothing generally appeared clean and smartly dressed.

SRU

9.9 Other than underwear, prisoners located in the SRU may only wear prison-issue clothing. Such clothing is in good condition with reasonable stock available within the Unit. Laundry services provided for SRU prisoners are good.

9.10 The prison has a fit for purpose main laundry that functions well and provides a good service. A scheduling system ensures that prisoners in all residential areas have the opportunity to launder both prison-issue and personal clothing on a regular basis. A robust system is in place within the laundry to ensure items are returned to the prisoner clean, dry and undamaged, with the Laundry Officer checking the bag and seal are intact before being washed and prior to being returned to the Houseblocks. At the time of the Inspection there had been only one compensation claim for damaged or missing property in the previous six month period. This claim was rejected due to the robust system in place as described above and the associated recording system operated by the laundry staff. This is positive.

9.11 Despite these good facilities and services, a number of prisoners throughout the prison reported that they would not send items of their own clothing to the main laundry. Instead, they prefer to purchase detergent from the prison canteen and wash these items in the sinks within their cells. However, it should be noted that there are no fit for purpose areas in any of the Houseblocks for drying clothing. This is a weakness.

Standard 10

Bedding is supplied and laundered at frequent intervals.

10.1 Bedding issued to prisoners in Ingliston, Hermiston and Ratho Houses and the SRU is in decent condition. Many prisoners, with the exception of those held in the SRU have opted to buy their own. The condition of almost half of the prison-issued bedding in Glenesk House is poor; either worn or with cigarette burns. Again, this may be due in part to the high turnover of prisoners and the fact bedding is not issued on a personal basis.

Recommendation 36: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that prisoners in Glenesk House are provided with decent-quality bedding.

10.2 There are suitable arrangements in place in each Houseblock to regularly launder prison issue and personal bedding in the main prison laundry.

10.3 All prisoners are issued with a duvet. Duvets in Ingliston, Hermiston and Ratho Houses and the SRU are in good condition with appropriate arrangements in place for frequent laundering. A number of duvets in Glenesk House however are in poor condition and while staff confirmed duvets can be laundered if required there was little evidence of this taking place during the inspection period.

Recommendation 37: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that prisoners in Glenesk House are provided with decent-quality clean duvets.

10.4 All prisoners are issued with a pillow. These pillows are the same as those issued in other SPS establishments and are procured through a contract which is due to be reviewed in April 2014. The standard of these pillows is very poor.

Recommendation 38: Scottish Prison Service should review the specification of their contract for the procurement of pillows for prisoners' use when it is renewed in April 2014.

10.5 Bedding for use in the 'Safer Cells' is clean and appropriate for use. Separate, appropriate laundering arrangements are in place for such items.

10.6 As part of the daily cell security checks, staff in Ingliston and Hermiston Houses assess the condition of mattresses which are replaced if found to be damaged or not fit for purpose. Mattresses inspected during the course of Inspection were found to be in a satisfactory condition.

10.7 There is a small stock of mattresses held in Glenesk House which staff stated they issue as required however a number of mattresses checked were found to be not fit-for-purpose and require to be replaced.

Recommendation 39: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that prisoners in Glenesk House are provided with decent-quality mattresses.

10.8 Many of the mattresses checked in Ratho House are in poor condition and in need of replacement however at the time of the inspection, local management recognised this and reported that new mattresses were on order. It was also suggested that the closure of HMP Peterhead and HMP Aberdeen will allow for their stock of mattresses to be transferred into HMP Edinburgh.

10.9 Mattresses in the SRU are in good condition.

Standard 11

Sanitary arrangements take account of health, hygiene and human dignity.

11.1 All cells in HMP Edinburgh have an integral toilet and wash hand basin and with the exception of the SRU and 'Safer Cells' in Ingliston and Hermiston Houses the toilets are fully enclosed, meaning privacy is assured even when sharing a cell.

11.2 Prisoners in Ingliston, Hermiston and Glenesk House and the SRU confirmed they can access a shower on a daily basis and prior to a visit.

11.3 All prisoners in Ratho House can access a shower prior to leaving the establishment for Court as they have integral showers within their cells. Most male prisoners required to attend Court are offered a shower prior to leaving the establishment, however prisoners who require to leave the establishment early in the morning before the main staff group come on duty are offered the opportunity to shower the previous evening.

11.4 The differing design of the Houseblocks provides a range of showering facilities in each of the residential areas.

Ingliston and Hermiston

11.5 In Ingliston and Hermiston Houses there are four prisoners' showers in each section on all levels. The showers are enclosed in individual cubicles with double doors to provide separate washing and drying areas and ensure privacy. Those inspected were found to be clean and in good repair.

Glenesk

11.6 There are four shower cubicles in each residential section in Glenesk House. The position and design of these cubicles ensure privacy when prisoners are showering. Throughout the period of the inspection all shower areas were found to be clean.

Ratho

11.7 Ratho House has a shower located in a small enclosed section of each cell which is fitted with a door to provide privacy. Water flow is regulated through a water management system and prisoners reported that there is sufficient water available for showering and hair washing. The provision of these in-cell facilities in Ratho House is good and provides prisoners with the means to maintain high levels of personal hygiene. This is positive.

11.8 The only other cells in HMP Edinburgh with in-cell showers are the disabled cells in Hermiston, Ingliston and Glenesk House.

SRU

11.9 There is an adequate number of showers located in the SRU, all of which are clean and well maintained.

11.10 The gymnasium have a sufficient number of showers in order to provide prisoners with the opportunity to shower after attending Physical Training (PT).

Standard 12

Food is adequate for health, varied and religiously and culturally appropriate.

12.1 The Kitchen is modern and clean, with an appropriate cleaning regime in place. Clear hygiene and Health and Safety signage is displayed including Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) notices. Staff and prisoners are appropriately trained. A dedicated Training Manager is in place to train prisoners. The Kitchen work-party can take up to 25 prisoners; this is split between two separate parties - male protection and mainstream prisoners. No women prisoners work within the Kitchen. Training records inspected were in order, with prisoners undertaking a number of appropriate courses including the Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland (REHIS) elementary food hygiene certificate.

12.2 During the inspection, the dedicated Training Kitchen was not being used for training, but for the separate preparation of Muslim food. It is disappointing to note that the Training Kitchen is not being used as intended. The Catering Manager stated that plans are in the early stage of development to deliver Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs) Level 1 and 2 to prisoners within the main Kitchen, however these are at too early a stage to make any comment on in this report.

12.3 Food was seen to be prepared and stored in accordance with hygiene standards. Monthly hygiene audits of the Houseblock Serveries are undertaken which include checking that the prisoners working there have the appropriate qualifications.

12.4 Fruit and vegetables are available every day. The Catering Manager holds regular food focus groups with prisoners throughout the prison.

12.5 The various dietary requirements for religious and medical reasons are catered for. Proactive measures have been taken to ensure non English speaking Polish prisoners can understand what is on offer with the menu having been translated. This is an area of good practice.

12.6 During the inspection, the food sampled was found to be suitable in terms of temperature and quantity. HMP Edinburgh uses foil trays for portion control less regularly than other prisons and instead provide a number of dishes in large containers to serveries in Houseblocks where prisoners are then served individual portions. Food is loaded into heated trollies prior to transportation to the Houseblocks where it is then decanted into bain-maries. Previous HMCIPS reports have been critical of this process as food can become 'steamed' and the practice of placing cold food on the top of a heated trolley results in it becoming warm. The transportation of cold foods is of concern particularly where high risk food such as egg mayonnaise is transported in this way. HMP Edinburgh has overcome this by the simple measure of placing a tray on the rails above the body of the trolley thus reducing heat transfer.

12.7 Meal times during the week are appropriate with timings between the last meal and breakfast not excessive. However at weekends the time between the last meal at night and breakfast the next day is some 16 hours. This is compensated for by weekend 'lock-up' bags issued to prisoners containing a variety of snacks.

12.8 Prisoners have the choice to eat either at suitable communal tables and chairs within residential sections, or within their own cell. With the exception of those cells in Glenesk House that do not have adequate worktop space for two prisoners to sit and eat at, all other cells are suitable as there is an appropriate worktop area to sit at and the toilets within the cells are suitably screened.

12.9 Prisoners retain and wash their own cutlery, usually in the sink within their cell. This process is not hygienic, especially for those who share cells. There are suitable dishwashers within the Houseblocks, however prisoners spoken with stated they are not used to wash cutlery.

Recommendation 40: HMP Edinburgh should review the system for washing prisoners' cutlery.

Outcome 4

Prisoners are treated with respect by prison staff.

Overview

Throughout the period of the inspection, there was evidence of positive relationships between staff and prisoners across the prison. Good practice was observed in Ratho House where there were examples of staff dealing with sensitive information in a private and confidential manner. One particular section of the male prisoner population report less favourably in terms of staff/prisoner relationships however this is confined to a small number of prisoners and one particular staff group. The prison management should consider how this perception can be addressed.

Observation of case conferences demonstrated constructive interaction taking place between prisoners, members of staff and other interested partners across a range of management issues including instances of vulnerability, segregation and progression.

Searching of prisoners is carried out by staff of the same gender. Those searches observed were found to be carried out in a manner which respected the prisoner's dignity. Consistency in searching women prisoners in Reception however is not guaranteed.

Standard 13

Respect is the underlying basis of all interactions between staff and prisoners

13.1 During the inspection there was evidence of constructive relationships in place between staff and prisoners throughout the establishment with relaxed and positive interactions observed. Prisoners spoken with in each residential area confirmed that while they got on better with some staff than others, in the main relationships were positive. A high percentage of staff and prisoners in all areas of the establishment refer to each other by their first names and in some cases staff referred to prisoners by nicknames, however this was not done in a derogatory manner.

13.2 These positive relationships are clearly visible within Ratho House, where there is evidence of comprehensive communication between staff and prisoners. In some measure this appears to be due to Ratho House being relatively small in comparison to some other residential areas and the staffing group being generally constant, meaning staff and prisoners are familiar with and know each other well. Prisoners who attended a focus group in Ratho House confirmed that, in the main, relationships with staff are positive and while a small number of prisoners remarked on the poor attitude displayed by some staff, this was not supported by observation during the inspection. The level of formal complaints made by prisoners in Ratho House in general is low and no recent complaints specifically relating to staff are noted. Indeed, all of the prisoners who expressed an opinion state that they prefer to remain in Ratho House rather than return to HMP & YOI Cornton Vale.

13.3 Prisoners who attended a focus group in Glenesk House stated they felt relationships were mainly positive however could be better with some individual members of staff. This perception was not supported through observation which pointed towards a positive environment. While it is the case that staff and prisoners refer to each other by their first names less often than in other areas, this appears to be due to a number of the prisoners having only just been admitted to Glenesk House, and staff not yet familiar with the prisoners.

13.4 Relationships between staff and prisoners in the SRU are good. This was evidenced during a Rule 95 Case Conference. This is positive.

13.5 A number of prisoners from one particular section of the prison consistently reported unfavourably on the way in which they were spoken to and the style and tone of the interaction between themselves and the Physical Training Instructors (PTIs). The over-riding perception is that PTIs use derogatory language towards prisoners and prevent them from attending PT sessions as an alternative disciplinary measure by removing gymnasium passes. There was no evidence to support these claims noted during the period of the inspection, however the volume and consistency of the prisoners' remarks is such that, if this perception persists, local prison management may benefit from gauging and addressing the prisoners' views on this matter.

13.6 While prisoners in HMP Edinburgh are likely to know the names of the staff in the area where they live or work, unlike most other SPS establishments, many staff in HMP Edinburgh fail to wear their name badge.

13.7 During the inspection there were no instances of prisoners being given unwelcome news. Staff and managers within all residential areas however confirmed that in such instances, prisoners would be informed in a private and sensitive manner and that this would be conducted by the FLM.

13.8 There were positive examples of staff dealing with sensitive information in a private and confidential manner. In Ratho House staff and managers gave examples of occasions where telephone calls to prisoners' families were made to provide them with relevant, current information relating to the management or wellbeing of the individual prisoner.

13.9 Management within Ingliston and Hermiston Houses state that if a prisoner is to be transferred, then the prisoner is informed of the reasons for this in advance.

13.10 There are very few prisoners who are subject to transfer from Glenesk House to other establishments except for those who require protection from other prisoners and cannot be accommodated elsewhere in the prison. In such cases these prisoners would be informed by staff of any pending transfer.

13.11 Despite very few instances of women prisoners being transferred out of Ratho House to other establishments, there are systems in place to ensure they are informed of the reasons for the transfer and that their immediate family is also speedily informed where required.

13.12 A number of Case Conferences in the SRU were observed. In all cases potential transfers to other establishments were discussed with prisoners.

13.13 Prisoners given escorted leave for compassionate reasons are dealt with sensitively by staff and where possible are carried out by staff who know the prisoner. This is positive. Paperwork for a number of Exceptional Escorted Day's Absence (EEDA) was checked and in all cases the process was followed correctly.

Standard 14

Security measures such as searching are carried out with regard to the protection of human dignity.

14.1 Prisoners in HMP Edinburgh are only searched by staff of the same gender. A number of female staff are employed within Reception in order that women prisoners can be searched. In the event that no female staff are available, a female Officer will be brought in from another area to undertake the search. Ratho House has an appropriate staff gender balance in their complement to ensure that searching within the Houseblock is always carried out by female Officers.

14.2 However, on the occasions where a women prisoner is required to leave the prison to attend Court prior to the main staff group coming on duty, unless there are two female staff on night-duty, the prisoner will not be subject to a body search.

Recommendation 41: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that all women prisoners leaving the establishment for Court are body searched.

14.3 There are no such issues in relation to searching male prisoners prior to them leaving the establishment and all are subject to a body search.

14.4 A number of body searches were observed and were found to be conducted in a professional and efficient manner. During these searches the Officer gave clear and concise instructions to the prisoner and maintained positive communications throughout the process. The standard of rub-down searching observed was found to be appropriate.

14.5 Prisoners were present when their personal belongings were searched in Reception and in all cases observed, prisoners were present when their cells were searched.

Outcome 5

Good contact with family and friends is maintained

Overview

HMP Edinburgh provides all prisoners with very good opportunities to maintain or improve relationships with their families, their peers and their communities. Visits are well managed with prisoners' visitors commenting positively on the attitude of staff in both the Visitor Centre and the Visits area itself. The work of the four dedicated Family Contact Officers is appreciated by visitors and prisoners alike. Unfortunately, there is no family involvement within the induction process.

The limited space in the main entrance results in the foyer becoming overcrowded at times and puts considerable pressure on the staff at the front-of-house. However, the procedures in place for prisoners' visitors to check-in, deposit money, hand in items and undertake searching attempts to minimise queuing and prevent delays to the start of the visits proper.

The Visit Room is large and well decorated offering a play area for children and a refreshments service provided by the Friends of Edinburgh voluntary organisation.

The size of the Visit Room and the scheduling arrangements for visits allow different types of prisoners to take visits with their families and friends at the same time. This works well in HMP Edinburgh with visits taking place in a relaxed but safe environment.

There are sufficient telephones for use by prisoners, however the waiting times to access those in Glenesk House can be lengthy. Work should be undertaken to analyse telephone usage in this Houseblock to ensure prisoners have sufficient opportunity to make calls.

Prisoners do not experience difficulty with sending or receiving mail.

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 HMP Edinburgh does very well to provide prisoners with opportunities to maintain or improve relationships with their families, their peers and their communities. The complexity of the prisoner population held within the prison results in the need for a range of interventions and opportunities to be offered while at the same time ensuring there is equity of access.

15.2 For the women prisoners held in Ratho House, visits are scheduled every day from Monday to Saturday and family visits every alternate Sunday and routine visits every fourth Sunday.

15.3 HMP Edinburgh can accommodate up to 48 visits within the main Visit Room. Women prisoners account for approximately only 11 per cent of the prison's overall population. Visit uptake for women in HMP Edinburgh is relatively low. These three factors, when combined, result in a situation where provision outstrips demand.

15.4 The prison responds positively to this situation by allowing the women to book the unused visit spaces which means some women prisoners may well be in a position to have a visit every day. This is a good use of the visits resource but unfortunately is perceived negatively by some of their male peers who see this situation as unfair or inequitable.

15.5 There are four dedicated Family Contact Officers (FCO) employed in HMP Edinburgh and their contact details are well publicised in the Visitor Centre and throughout the prison. A FCO is usually available during visit sessions and can be contacted via a dedicated telephone line. Visitors and prisoners spoken with were positive in relation to FCOs and the service they provided. During the inspection FCOs were observed interacting and providing support to both prisoners and their visitors. This is positive.

15.6 No family involvement with the induction process was observed during
the inspection. This is a weakness and HMP Edinburgh should take steps to address this.

15.7 HMP Edinburgh is located within walking distance of a railway station, with regular services between Edinburgh and Glasgow and is on the main bus route in and out of Edinburgh city centre. Car parking facilities are sufficient for the number of visitors and local taxi numbers are available in the Visitor Centre.

15.8 Staff in the Visitor Centre, at the main prison vestibule and in the Visit Room itself are knowledgeable and able to provide visitors with information and advice relevant to all aspects of the visiting experience. Very good, up‑to‑date information pertaining to all aspects of visits to HMP Edinburgh is available in the Visitor Centre. This is positive.

15.9 The system in place for booking visits at HMP Edinburgh is straightforward and easy to understand and complete.

15.10 Sufficient visit sessions are provided to meet the demand through the implementation of creative scheduling. Additionally, there are a number of visit sessions where different types and classifications of prisoner groups enjoy visits at the same time in the same place. This includes the provision of visits for combined groups of long and short‑term mainstream prisoners, offence‑protection prisoners and non‑offence protection prisoners. To the credit of the staff who supervise and manage the visits and the prisoner groups themselves, there is no evidence to suggest that there are, proportionately, any higher levels of violent incidents or altercations than in an establishment providing visit sessions for single prisoner groups. However some mainstream prisoners who attended focus groups commented negatively in relation to taking visits, specifically with offence protection prisoners. Both offence and non‑offence protection prisoners who attended focus groups were negative about the arrangements.

15.11 Recent changes to the visit timetable were made in order to accommodate additional visits with a focus on children and young people. This enhanced provision has had no detrimental effect on a prisoner's overall ability to access the minimum visit entitlement. This is positive.

15.12 Generally, Untried visit sessions are of 30 minutes duration and Convicted for 45 minutes. Longer sessions are available on Sundays and extended or double visits are available on request, space permitting.

15.13 There is no recent evidence of visits being cancelled or curtailed for administrative or non‑emergency operational reasons.

15.14 Prisoners' visitors are required to report to the Visitor Centre 30 minutes prior to the commencement of their scheduled visit in order to undergo the check‑in procedures. From there, they make their way to the prison vestibule where they are searched prior to entering the Visit Room. These check‑in processes were observed throughout the inspection and found to operate smoothly despite the high volume of visitors, the need for them to report to two different locations pre‑entry and the limited waiting area at the front‑of‑house entrance.

15.15 Visitors spoken with who expressed an opinion understood the checking‑in process and had no complaints. Many were complimentary about the attitude of the staff in the Visitor Centre and the Visits areas. This is positive.

15.16 Basic visit entitlements are not related to assessments of prisoner behaviour. Changes to the criteria for inclusion in the children's visits sessions has ensured that the parent in custody is not prevented from taking part as a direct result of their behaviour or supervision level. It is noted however that notices with information to the contrary are on display in the Visitor Centre.

Recommendation 42: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that all information notices displayed relating to visits are accurate and up‑to‑date.

15.17 At the time of the inspection, only two per cent of the total prisoner population in HMP Edinburgh were subject to closed visits. The process in place is in line with the recognised guidance and there is evidence of regular reviews taking place within the stated timeframes.

15.18 The process, and supporting documentation relating to those visitors who are refused entry, is well managed. A sample of cases examined provided evidence which demonstrates the application of a considered and proportionate approach when taking the decision to ban a visitor or visitors from HMP Edinburgh.

15.19 The following table represents the prisoner population held in HMP Edinburgh at the time of the inspection broken down by home postcode and prison accommodation area. The figures indicate that approximately 40 per cent of the total prisoner population are being held in a prison out with their immediate home area. This situation is more extreme for the women prisoner group where 77 per cent are being held out with their immediate home area.

Postcode Area	Ingliston House Level 1 & 2	Ingliston House Level 3	Ingliston House Level 4	Hermiston House	Glenesk House	Ratho House	Total	% of Total Population
Edinburgh	74	36	57	170	119	29	485	55.0
Galashiels	5	4	4	26	7	3	49	5.6
Falkirk	10	2	3	3	1	3	22	2.5
Kirkcaldy	17	5	2	13	8	10	55	6.2
Perth	0	1	2	1	0	2	6	0.7
Dundee	8	4	0	5	1	24	42	4.8
Aberdeen	5	3	0	4	0	11	23	2.6
Inverness	7	0	1	2	1	6	17	1.9
Lanarkshire	4	4	2	6	4	1	21	2.4
Glasgow	11	10	4	10	3	2	40	4.5
Paisley	4	3	2	0	2	0	11	1.2
Kilmarnock	12	5	1	3	1	1	23	2.6
Dumfries	3	3	2	3	2	1	14	1.6
Kirkwall	2	0	0	0	0	0	2	0.2
Thurso	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0.1
English Postcode	4	2	2	8	4	4	24	2.7
No Fixed Abode	9	1	3	10	21	3	47	5.3

15.20 Untried and women prisoners held in HMP Edinburgh are seldom subject to transfer to other establishments and transfers for long‑term prisoners normally take place as part of an agreed management plan. It is therefore the short‑term Convicted prisoner population in HMP Edinburgh who are most likely to be subject to transfer to other establishments. Information provided by staff and conversations with prisoners confirmed that there is, in most cases, sufficient notice given of impending transfers and opportunities to contact family or friends to relay this information and allow for rescheduling of visiting arrangements.

Standard 16

Visitors are well treated

16.1 Visiting family or friends held in HMP Edinburgh is made as easy as possible. The procedure for booking in is simple and new visitors are guided by staff in the Visitor Centre and the prison. Visitors spoken with say that staff are polite and that they are treated well. Most of the visitors did not express any concerns about the required half hour lead‑in time, the process of booking in at the Visitor Centre before accessing the prison proper or the often cramped vestibule area where they are held prior to searching. The Visitor Centre, operated by the Salvation Army, is managed by a team of dedicated staff who offer services to visitors which range from basic shelter/waiting facilities to support, advice and sign‑posting. Information is available on how to credit prisoners' cash accounts, how to access the assisted visit scheme and how to access free legal advice as well as providing general health and wellbeing information. Staff from the Centre attend the children's visits and provide structured support for parent and child in line with Curriculum for Excellence principles. The Centre is open between 09:00 hrs and 21:00 hrs, Monday to Friday and 09:30 hrs until 16:30 hrs on Saturdays and 12:30 hrs until 16:30 hrs on Sundays. The Visitor Centre is an area of Good Practice.

16.2 There are a limited number of lockers available to visitors in the vestibule area, however almost all visitors opt to use the lockers in the Visitor Centre.

16.3 The waiting area in the Visitor Centre is comfortable, the toilet facilities clean and visitors can purchase snacks, drinks and meals. There are both external and internal play facilities for children to enjoy however the internal soft play area is seldom used and is being considered for redevelopment into additional office space. Families Outside rent space within the Visitor Centre. They employ two family support workers who offer information and support to visitors. During the inspection, they also facilitated an evening awareness event for teachers and other responsible adults involved in working with children of imprisoned parents. This is positive.

16.4 Within the prison clean, well‑appointed toilets and baby‑changing facilities are available for use by visitors.

Standard 17

Visits take place in the most relaxed environment compatible with security.

17.1 The Visit Room itself is spacious, and well decorated. Large windows along one side of the Visit Room provide natural daylight and look out over a well maintained garden area. There is sufficient seating for up to 48 prisoners to take visits in open conditions. Fourteen Agents' Visit Rooms are provided. Two of the original nine closed visit areas have been converted to provide space to accommodate Agents' visits for women prisoners. All visit areas have good CCTV coverage. All visitors access the visits via a walk‑through metal detector portal and are subject to a rub down search undertaken by an officer of the same gender. Drug detection dogs are in attendance in the visitor search area on a regular basis. A proportionate number of prisoners are searched at random on exiting the visits in addition to intelligence‑led searching as required.

17.2 The Friends of Edinburgh organisation provide a canteen which sells soft drinks and snacks which visitors can purchase for themselves and those they are visiting. There is a positive emphasis on family contact and child‑focussed visiting within HMP Edinburgh. A play area is located within the Visit Room which is well equipped and provides a range of toys and games, a television and age‑appropriate DVDs.

17.3 The prison operates a Children and Families Strategy Group. Their quarterly meetings are attended by members from the Operations, Residential and Offender Outcomes functions within the prison including Social Work and Chaplaincy as well as representatives from the Salvation Army (Visitor Centre), Families Outside and Circle.

17.4 Prisoners reported general contentment with the provision and quality of their visit experience. A few male prisoners commented on what they perceive as inequitable provision for the women in HMP Edinburgh, however this situation, as described at paragraph 15.4 is a result of low numbers and low take‑up for this category of prisoner. Prisoners taking visits may wear denims or trousers allowed in use in the Houseblock and a prison‑issue top which identifies their location from a choice of T‑shirt, polo‑shirt, or sweatshirt.

Standard 18

Telephone contact is made as easy as possible.

18.1 Ingliston and Hermiston Houses provide sufficient telephones for every prisoner to have daily access to. Telephone hoods are in place to prevent interference from background noise or being overheard by other prisoners. Prisoners advise that they are given regular access to the telephones by staff.

18.2 There are three telephones on each level of Glenesk House, two in one section and one in the other. As prisoners in Glenesk House can purchase phone credits twice per week, the telephones are extremely well used. Both staff and prisoners commented that it is not unusual for long waiting times to occur during recreation periods. This is especially apparent in the sections with only one telephone.

Recommendation 43: HMP Edinburgh should analyse the use of prisoner telephones within Glenesk House and consider if additional telephones are required.

18.3 As prisoner telephones in Glenesk House are located at the end of each section, a degree of background noise is evident when prisoners are on the telephone especially during periods when the main group of prisoners are taking recreation. However, prisoners spoken with did not comment negatively in relation to the background noise or other prisoners being able to overhear their conversations.

18.4 There are two telephones situated at either end of each of the three levels in Ratho House for use by prisoners. This resource is sufficient for the size and needs of the current population. Prisoners have sufficient access to these telephones and no complaints were made in relation to noise or access.

18.5 There are two prisoner telephones in the SRU which prisoners can access up until 17:00 hrs. However due to the supervision requirements for prisoners within the SRU, three Officers will be in close proximity to the prisoner when he is making a telephone call, meaning privacy will not always be guaranteed. This is a weakness.

18.6 Prisoners in all areas are clearly advised that their telephone calls are monitored through appropriate signage adjacent to all telephones.

Standard 19

Letter contact is made as easy as possible.

19.1 There is no limit on the number of letters prisoners can send or receive. A second class stamp is provided to prisoners each week at the expense of the prison and writing paper, envelopes and pens are also provided as required. Prisoners may purchase additional stamps and pens through the canteen facility.

19.2 Prisoners deposit outgoing mail at the staff desk and this is uplifted by a messenger every week day. Incoming mail is delivered to Houseblocks in the afternoon and issued to its recipient prior to the evening meal being served.

19.3 Prisoners in a Focus Group in Glenesk House stated that mail delivery can be problematic with mail often not being distributed until the evening. However during observation mail was routinely distributed to prisoners during the afternoon.

Outcome 6

Prisoners' entitlements are accorded them in all circumstances without facing difficulty.

Overview

There is a general awareness by staff with regard to exercising their duty of care to prisoners, with appropriate support offered to prisoners wishing to contact lawyers, the Visiting Committee, the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman and others. The system in place for handling legally privileged mail is in keeping with the recognised guidance.

Untried prisoners may access a confidential telephone line in Glenesk House to speak with their legal representatives in preparing their legal defence.

Inspection of the systems in place underpinning Orderly Room procedures and complaint handling demonstrated the application of the principles of natural justice however there is some room for improvement in the management of the Internal Complaints Procedure.

The treatment of and conditions for prisoners kept in segregation are appropriate and the related management systems in place are compliant with prison rules and guidance.

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 Staff spoken with during the inspection are aware of their duty of care towards prisoners. They are also able to support prisoners in contacting members of the Visiting Committee, Solicitors, the SPSO and other relevant statutory and voluntary bodies. SPSO contact details are clearly displayed within the Houseblocks.

20.2 Legally privileged mail is recorded and handled in accordance with current SPS guidance. It is noted that desk instructions accompanied the mail, thus ensuring that staff unfamiliar with the process could easily check how it should be handled. This is positive. An audit of the mail handling procedure undertaken in March 2013 by the SPS Audit and Assurance Services awarded the process Substantial Assurance.

20.3 A selection of foreign prisoners interviewed during the inspection report that they are aware of how to contact their respective consular officials if they require to do so. Residential staff interviewed are also aware of this process and how to support prisoners as appropriate.

20.4 In order to give pre‑trial prisoners assistance in preparing for their legal defence, those Solicitors who have registered with HMP Edinburgh can contact prisoners held within Glenesk House via a confidential telephone line. This is an area of good practice.

20.5 In HMP Edinburgh, Orderly Room adjudications for male prisoners mainly take place in the SRU or, in some cases, in Ingliston or Hermiston Houses. Orderly rooms for women prisoners take place in Ratho House.

20.6 A number of Orderly Room adjudications were observed during the inspection and in all cases the adjudicator followed the recognised process. The adjudicator confirmed the prisoner understood the charge they faced and asked if they wanted to call any witnesses or required any legal assistance.

20.7 During observation, where prisoners pled not guilty to the charge they faced, the adjudicator considered all available information before making any judgement. Those pleading guilty were afforded the opportunity to present information in mitigation.

20.8 In all instances, the adjudicator explained the punishment given and the reasons for it. Punishments issued were fair and balanced and in keeping with the principles of natural justice.

20.9 Those prisoners who were found guilty were informed of their right to appeal against the decision made and the punishment awarded and were advised how to do so. All of this information was recorded in the Orderly Room paperwork.

20.10 Records from historical Orderly Room adjudications checked were found to be completed properly.

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 and meet their obligations under it promptly.

21.1 Staff spoken with during the inspection are aware of their duty to observe the Human Rights of prisoners.

21.2 Information on and discussion around all forms of discrimination, including race, take place during the prisoner induction. It is noted that if a complaint of a racial nature is made, it is referred to the Equality and Diversity Manager within HMP Edinburgh who is responsible for investigating the matter.

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 Prisoners have a clear avenue of appeal against a response to a request or complaint through the Prisoner Complaints Procedure or, in the case of a medical complaint, to the NHS. If, after fully exploring these avenues, the prisoner has still not achieved a resolution to their complaint, they can raise the matter with the SPSO. Details of these processes are available in all Houseblocks and are fully explained in the First Night in Custody Booklet issued to prisoners on the day after admission.

22.2 A number of Case Conferences where complaints were elevated to the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) were observed during the inspection. The management of these Case Conferences was variable. This is a weakness.

22.3 There was no evidence of prisoners being victimised for having accessed their legal right to complain.

22.4 A selection of responses given to prisoners' requests and formal complaints via Prisoner Complaint Forms (PCF1 and PCF2) were examined and generally found to have been answered within the appropriate timeframe.

22.5 There is a collection of legal texts including the Prison Rules available to prisoners, held within the Library Office. It is noted that a hard copy of the European Prison Rules is not available, however could be accessed if required via the internet by staff.

22.6 All prisoners leaving HMP Edinburgh to attend Court change into their own clothing prior to leaving the establishment. During observation a small number of prisoners did not have appropriate clothing and in these cases they were provided with clothing from a small stock of communal items held by the prison. This is positive.

Standard 23

Segregation is used sparingly and in accordance with procedures.

23.1 During the inspection all prisoners held in the SRU were there as a result of being removed from association under Rule 95 of the Prisons and Young Offenders Institutions (Scotland) Rules 2011, or confined to cell as a punishment awarded at an Orderly Room adjudication.

23.2 The FLM and staff in the SRU were able to provide an overview of each prisoner in relation to why they were there and any plans for their future management. All prisoners in the SRU spoken with were also fully aware of the reason they were being held there.

23.3 There is a file for each prisoner which contains copies of the paperwork authorising them to be held in the SRU, which when checked, found that all paperwork was in place and up‑to‑date. However in some cases, additional narratives noting the prisoner's behaviour, interaction, engagement etc. while in the SRU lacked detail and were not regularly updated.

Recommendation 44: HMP Edinburgh should ensure narratives relating to prisoners held in the Separation and Reintegration Unit are comprehensive and completed on a regular basis.

23.4 Prisoners in the SRU who are held under Rule 95 conditions are subject to a monthly Case Conference. Such Case Conferences observed during the inspection were attended by relevant individuals and were undertaken in a professional manner. In all cases prisoners attended the Case Conference and were involved in the discussion in relation to their future management. The outcomes and management plans were discussed with the prisoner and recorded on PR2.

23.5 The regime for prisoners in the SRU is similar to that in place in other SRUs across the SPS estate. Prisoners are offered the opportunity to spend one hour in the open air, a shower and access to telephone each day. All prisoners have access to reading material and, for those who comply with the regime, an in-cell television. Through agreement at the Case Conference prisoners can access a small fitness room located within the Unit. Educational material for in-cell study may also be provided by the Learning Centre.

Prisoners in the SRU can take full advantage of their normal visit allocation.

23.6 Healthcare support is provided as per the normal prison regime. A Doctor attends the SRU and visits every prisoner on a weekly basis.

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.

Overview

Integrated Case Management (ICM) and the associated Personal Officer Scheme is in place in HMP Edinburgh. ICM case conferences are well attended by prisoners and their families however the level of Personal Officer attendance and the submission of their written reports should be increased.

There is a wide range of purposeful activities on offer in the prison however they are insufficient in number to satisfy the entire prisoner population, frequently under-subscribed and regularly closed to accommodate the staff attendance pattern.

Work activities and related training encourage prisoners to make a positive contribution and provide prisoners with transferable skills.

The Learning Centre provides a creative and engaging learning programme and supports the delivery of vocational training in the prison workshops. Figures examined show an increase in attendance at the Learning Centre over recent months however not all types of prisoners are regularly accessing this opportunity.

The Library is well used with approximately 250 books borrowed each week however it is a relatively small facility with limited resources. Access to the library is restricted for some prisoner groups and is frequently closed. Closer working relationships between the Library and the Learning Centre staff should be encouraged.

The gymnasium is popular and well-utilised with a suitable range of activities for the different prisoner populations. However, attendance is not equally distributed amongst the prison population and requires to be addressed.

Generic Programme Assessments are conducted and a range of interventions to respond to the identified needs are in place, however these interventions are not always sequentially programmed to best meet the needs of the prisoner.

Prisoners have regular access to evening activities.

Representatives from a range of religions attend the prison. There are regular opportunities for prisoners to practice their religion.

The canteen stocks a wide range of goods at reasonable prices to cater for all prisoners.

Standard 24

The regime of the prison encourages prisoners to make the most of their time there and to exercise responsibility.

24.1 Prisoner induction is carried out normally a week or so after admission and is undertaken in line with the SPS National Induction policy. Both Convicted and Untried prisoners are invited and should they attend receive a payment of £6.00. Peer Supporters are heavily involved in the delivery of the induction sessions. A Peer Supporter, located within the Hub, maintains a database of new admissions and delivers personal invitations to prisoners inviting them to attend the induction session.

24.2 During the inspection period, a number of women prisoners were transferred into HMP Edinburgh however no Induction sessions were facilitated. Management in Ratho House state that Induction sessions are routinely facilitated for women prisoners however during the inspection, staff shortages were cited as the reason for none having taken place. A member of the inspection team spoke with the Peer Supporter in Ratho House who confirmed she meets with prisoners when they arrive. No women prisoners are directly received from Court into Ratho House as all have transferred in from another prison. As such, they may already have undertaken all or some aspects of the SPS National Induction Programme, however they should be provided with a local induction in relation to HMP Edinburgh.

Recommendation 45: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that women prisoners are invited to attend Induction in Edinburgh Prison.

24.3 All prisoners subject to enhanced Integrated Case Management (ICM) are allocated a Personal Officer. Personal Officers are asked to attend ICM Case Conferences and submit reports detailing the prisoner's behaviour and history while in custody. Records indicate that between May and August 2013 only 14 per cent of Case Conferences were attended by a Personal Officer and 85 per cent were furnished with a Personal Officer report. There is recognition by the ICM team that both attendance and availability of Personal Officer reports are below expectations.

Recommendation 46: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that Personal Officers attend Integrated Case Management Case Conferences and submit reports as required.

24.4 Discussion with a number of Personal Officers underlines that there is an appreciation of the value and importance of how their role can support and encourage prisoners to implement Community Integration Plans (CIPs). This is particularly evident among those Personal Officers who have gained training and mentoring support from other staff who have knowledge and experience of the sentence planning process and the management of high risk cases. Generally, this support is provided by ICM case co-ordinators, FLMs and Psychologists who case manage those prisoners subject to an Order of Life Long Restriction (OLR). HMIPS were impressed by the availability of staff willing to provide assistance and support. This is positive.

24.5 Discussion with prisoners from Ingliston House Levels 1 to 3 indicates a positive regard for their Personal Officers. This is positive. However a more mixed response about the relationship with their Personal Officers was evident when speaking with prisoners on Level 4 of Ingliston House. Those prisoners in Ratho House who were allocated a Personal Officer spoke in positive terms of their ICM experience.

24.6 ICM co-ordinators have a good understanding of the ICM process and are committed to supporting the implementation of CIPs. The ICM process is supported by effectively communicated risk assessments, which are observed to be relevant and based on the use of an appropriate risk assessment tool. From May 2013 to August 2013, 81 per cent of the CIPs were communicated to the prisoners prior to the ICM Case Conference taking place. There is a recognition that this falls below expectation and there are procedures in place to feedback performance to FLM's.

Recommendation 47: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that all Community Integration Plans are disclosed to prisoners prior to their Integrated Case Management Case Conference taking place.

24.7 Formal prisoner consultation is via regular Prisoner Information Action Committee (PIAC) meetings. PIAC meetings cover a variety of topics such as general Houseblock regime issues, prisoner canteen purchases and food. Minutes are usually posted on prisoner notice boards within the Houseblocks although, when checked, none were evident in Glenesk House.

Standard 25

A full day's out of cell activities, such as work, education, leisure and culture pursuits, is available for seven days a week.

25.1 Time out of cell for prisoners in HMP Edinburgh is somewhat fragmented. This is due largely to the many regimes in place to accommodate the different types of prisoners held in the establishment. While it is positive that the prison attempts to deliver parity in regime delivery, this may lead to one group of prisoners being locked up in order to allow another group time out of cell.

25.2 While there is a good range of purposeful activities on offer including vocational training, a bicycle repair shop, wood crafts and life skills for example, many of the daily work and training activity areas are closed one week in every four to accommodate the Activities staffs' attendance pattern. The availability of Activities staff at their places of work is further restricted by their requirement to undertake duties in the Houseblocks in the morning and again at lunchtime; on these occasions to accommodate the residential staff shift pattern. Additionally, a number of protection prisoners have their work and training activity time curtailed even further, by in excess of an hour each day, as their access to time in the fresh air on weekdays takes place during the morning work period and is facilitated by the Activities staff.

25.3 This situation is compounded by an extended route movement four times per day with some routes taking as long as 35 minutes to complete. This again is due to the number of different prisoner groups moving separately to the same area at the same time. As staff training is scheduled every Friday afternoon, some work and training activity areas, the programmes suite and the Hub are all closed to accommodate this thus restricting prisoner activity even further.

Recommendation 48: HMP Edinburgh should review how prisoners access to activity can be maximised.

25.4 Even were the restrictive factors outlined above addressed, there are still insufficient activity places available for the size of the population in HMP Edinburgh with little opportunity to increase places as the space available is currently being used to its optimum capacity.

25.5 On one hand, access to PT activities fairs slightly better as a direct result of Physical Training Instructors (PTIs) escorting prisoners to and from the gymnasium out with the recognised prisoner route movement times. This means that during week days, time allocated to PT exceeds time available for work or training. Disappointingly, however, there is only one PTI on duty each evening and at weekends thereby limiting the number of prisoners who can take part in the PT activities on offer at these sessions.

25.6 Services such as laundry, catering, cleaning, gardening, waste management and hairdressing provide regular employment for a number of prisoners in HMP Edinburgh. While these jobs are classed as full-time, many of the prisoners employed there regularly leave their work party for part of the work period to attend PT or educational activities and their jobs are not always backfilled, resulting in already limited work parties running below capacity.

25.7 Sufficient pass men and women are employed to ensure that the communal areas of the prison are kept clean and tidy and, for the most part, this was the case throughout the period of the inspection.

25.8 A system of scheduling activities aimed at providing increased access to purposeful activity is planned for those prisoners held in Levels 1 and 2 of Ingliston House. Similarly, there are plans to provide Untried prisoners with opportunities to take part in voluntary, unpaid activities. Initially aimed at women Untried prisoners, if successful, the prison may consider affording male Untried prisoners a similar programme in the future. HMIPS support this attempt to pilot a timetabling arrangement and opportunities to provide an enhanced regime for Untried prisoners and look forward to seeing the results in due course.

Standard 26

The programme of work related training focuses on equipping prisoners for employment on release.

26.1 Prisoners are allocated to individual work parties after the Labour Allocation Board (LAB) has considered their preferences. Prisoners benefit from opportunities to assess their literacy and numeracy skills by completing an initial assessment during induction. However, this does not sufficiently capture the full range of additional needs that prisoners may have. This is particularly the case for those prisoners with dyslexia. This is a weakness.

Recommendation 49: Fife College should use additional methods and approaches to identify the full range of prisoners' learning needs.

26.2 HMP Edinburgh provides a very wide range of vocational experiences and housekeeping services. There are in total eight work parties and 17 training opportunities for prisoners to choose from. There are 459 activity spaces in total, with most being allocated to work party activity. However, currently there is an average of only 260 daily attendances for these activities. Significant numbers of prisoners do not turn up for their activities due to pre-arranged meetings or other activities and work party numbers are, on these occasions, low. Records identify that on average, prisoners receive 15 hours of purposeful activity each week against the SPS average of 22 hours per week. This is a weakness.

26.3 Large numbers of prisoners gain employability certificates in Manual Handling, British Institute of Cleaning Science (BICS), Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland (REHIS) and Construction Sector Certificate of Skills (CSCS) programmes. In addition, during vocational training sessions, the prison offers National Progression Awards (NPA) in bricklaying, monoblock paving and plumbing. City & Guilds vocational qualifications are delivered to prisoners undertaking painting and decorating, Portable Appliance Testing (PAT testing) and joinery programmes. At the time of the inspection prisoners had attained 555 vocational and employment-related qualifications since April 2013. This is positive.

26.4 Officer Instructors use their professional expertise well to make vocational workshops interesting and encourage prisoners to explore these subjects further. Most vocational workshops are purposeful and appropriately equipped for introductory-level learning activities. During vocational workshop activities, informal discussions between Officer Instructors and prisoners are the main mechanism for skills development and improvement. Good progress is being made in the recently introduced garden tool and bicycle recycling activities. These activities encourage prisoners to make positive contributions through repairing and refreshing donated damaged tools or unusable bicycles, making them saleable for local charities. The recently introduced PAT testing initiative is well regarded by external charitable partners and generates significant funds through the recycling and repair of domestic electrical appliances. To date, over £20,000 has been raised by national charities through these initiatives. This is an area of good practice.

Standard 27

A broad and relevant education programme is available.

27.1 Learning Centre staff work proactively in partnership with staff delivering vocational training to develop and deliver core skills activities which complement the skills learned in vocational workshops. This includes delivery of Health and Safety units which are contextualised to specific trades and potentially help prepare prisoners for employment upon liberation. This is positive.

27.2 Prior to April 2013, uptake and attendance on education programmes was low with approximately 18 per cent of the prisoner population regularly engaging in learning activities. Since April 2013 attendance rates have improved and currently 28 per cent of prisoners attend classes in the Learning Centre. The Learning Centre Manager aims to achieve 33 per cent prisoner participation rates over the next year.

27.3 In April 2013, a newly appointed Learning Centre Manager revised significantly the range and content of programmes. This has resulted in a previously narrow range of predominantly core skills classes being replaced by more creative and engaging learning programmes. This is positive.

27.4 Learning Centre rooms are bright, modern and reasonably well-equipped. They provide a positive and comfortable environment for learning and skill development. However, some of the rooms are small resulting in a maximum of eight prisoners attending music lessons and ten prisoners accessing art sessions. Programmes offered include: art, computing, small business start-up, music, foreign language, English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), communication and numeracy. Additional communication and IT programmes are delivered throughout the week to female prisoners in a separate classroom in Ratho House.

27.5 The increase in the range of prisoner groups currently accommodated by the prison presents challenges for Learning Centre staff to provide regular access to education. All individual prisoner groups, other than Untried, have timetabled daytime access to education provision. However, due to the need to accommodate each of these groups discretely within the Learning Centre, access by prisoner group is limited to one or two sessions per week. As a result, there are waiting lists for all education classes. This includes 109 applications from mainstream prisoners and 104 from women prisoners. Waiting lists for some classes are extensive, particularly - women (Art 32, Creative Writing 15) - men (Music 19, Business Start-Up 22, Health and Safety 20). Although, there are some spaces within individual classes, the Learning Centre is unable to fill these places with prisoners from other groups. This impedes the ability of the Learning Centre to meet recognised demand. Due to HMP Edinburgh's existing staffing arrangements the Learning Centre is currently operating below its maximum capacity. Two Prison Officers are in attendance at any one time allowing a maximum of 40 prisoners access to the provision. The Centre has capacity for 60-65 prisoners if a third Prison Officer is in attendance. This is a weakness.

Recommendation 50: HMP Edinburgh should review how prisoners access to learning activities can be maximised.

27.6 Within the Learning Centre, staff establish positive and productive relationships with prisoners. They promote education opportunities well to prisoners through a newsletter and noticeboards. Learning Centre staff encourage individuals to extend their interests and skills and progress further in their learning. However, the Learning Centre Manager has undertaken research within the Houseblocks which suggests that a number of staff do not promote engagement in learning activities sufficiently or effectively to prisoners. This includes conveying requests for places in educational classes quickly and encouraging and supporting prisoners to attend classes regularly. This assertion is supported by prisoners. This is a weakness.

27.7 Modern language programmes delivered through a blend of self-directed and tutorial support are enabling prisoners to gain language skills for life and work. However, prisoners undertaking ESOL programmes are only able to access classes once a week. The same restrictions apply to women prisoners attending basic literacy or information technology programmes delivered in Ratho House. These attendance patterns are too infrequent to enable them to progress well in their learning. This is a weakness.

27.8 There are good examples of new programmes combining development of core skills within a wider theme such as setting up a small business or planning a specific event. These activities help prisoners to develop knowledge and understanding and to gain new interests and skills. Money management skills enable prisoners to gain and apply numeracy skills to support independent living. A well-designed small business start-up programme which integrates core and enterprise skills to produce a real business plan and incorporates referrals to Business Gateway on liberation, is providing a popular, relevant and engaging learning experience for prisoners. This is positive.

27.9 A number of prisoners in the Learning Centre completed feedback forms identifying areas for improvement. Learning Centre staff have taken cognisance of these comments and implement actions where appropriate. This is positive.

27.10 The Learning Centre has not completed a self-evaluation report since 2009. As a result, staff have not collectively identified progress being made and drawn up targets for improvement. This is a weakness.

Recommendation 51: Fife College reinstate arrangements for self-evaluation and improvement and monitor progress against SMART targets.

27.11 Prisoners who attend education classes are not financially disadvantaged.

27.12 The Learning Centre provides a pleasant and comfortable environment for learning which encourages and promotes a wide range of cultural activities. The recently revised range of programmes offered through the Learning Centre is providing prisoners with good opportunities to engage in activities which encourage creativity and enable self-development. Women prisoners develop storytelling techniques through input from two staff members from the Edinburgh Storytelling Centre. An additional partnership project with Far Flung Dance: The Story of the Selkie provided an enriching and valuable learning experience for women prisoners which culminated in a well-received dance performance. Art and music programmes support prisoners to develop new interests and skills at a level and appropriate to individual needs and circumstances. This is positive.

27.13 Most education classes offer formal recognition of skills learned. However the prison does not provide educational programmes leading to a formal qualification for women prisoners.

27.14 Art classes are popular with prisoners. However, there are insufficient arrangements for prisoners undertaking these classes to gain accreditation. This results in missed opportunities for providing prisoners with appropriate opportunity, challenge and motivation to work towards a recognised qualification. This is a weakness.

27.15 There is only one peer tutor utilised currently. Plans are in place to increase the number of peer tutors but this has not yet been implemented. This is a weakness.

27.16 As prisoner transfer arrangements are out with the control of the Learning Centre, there is the possibility the prisoners engaged in learning in HMP Edinburgh may be considered for transfer to another establishment, or indeed prisoners engaged in learning in other establishments may transfer into HMP Edinburgh. Learning Centre staff in HMP Edinburgh make appropriate arrangements for prisoners who have been transferred from other prisons to continue with their learning. However, due to the different types of qualifications currently delivered in other prisons, prisoners are not always able to continue working towards the same qualification. For example, some prisons offer Intermediate qualifications others do not.

Recommendation 52: Scottish Prison Service should ensure educational programmes delivered across Scottish prisons enable continuity of the educational experiences of transferred prisoners.

27.17 Prior to April 2013, education classes were frequently cancelled. Since April 2013 there has been improvement. Classes are now rarely cancelled and when they are prisoners are given reasons for the cancellation. This is positive. However, a significant number of prisoners fail to attend scheduled education programmes and there has been insufficient investigation into causal factors behind this. This is a weakness.

Recommendation 53: HMP Edinburgh should take action to address the reasons for prisoners' non-attendance at classes.

27.18 The gymnasium is popular and well-utilised. It is open from 08:15 hrs until 20:10 hrs Monday to Friday and from 09:00 hrs until 16:05 hrs at weekends. The cardiovascular and weights room is well-equipped, spacious and air-conditioned. Gymnasium equipment is well-maintained. The gymnasium hall is large and spacious and contains several badminton Courts or can alternatively be used for football matches. There are approximately 800 prisoner attendances at the gymnasium each week. However, this attendance pattern is not distributed equally amongst the prison population. Some prisoners attend several times each week; others do not attend at all. A small number of prisoners are supported by prison staff to attain Sports Coaching Awards. Overlapping of activities, such as the morning PT session for prisoners in Glenesk House and their opportunity to access time in the fresh air, compound this position. This is a weakness.

Recommendation 54: HMP Edinburgh should review how prisoners access to physical training activities can be maximised.

Standard 28

A range of interventions is in place to encourage prisoners to address those behaviours which may contribute to their offending.

28.1 In the six months prior to the inspection, 138 Generic Programme Assessments (GPAs) had been conducted. The rate of assessments conducted is commendable and has resulted in negligible waiting times for assessments. This is positive. The Programme Case Management Board (PCMB) is appropriately attended with multidisciplinary attendance being further encouraged by the Programmes Unit.

28.2 Prisoners who have been identified as having multiple programme needs by the PCMB are not routinely advised of the most coherent sequence of programme interventions. This is in attempt to increase the likelihood of participants meeting all their programme requirements, as and when group spaces become available.

Recommendation 55: HMP Edinburgh should ensure the Programme Case Management Board sequence programme interventions after considering the individual needs of the prisoner, to enhance the potential rehabilitative effect of group work interventions.

28.3 The Programmes Unit deliver a range of both accredited (or those eligible for accreditation) and approved activities, with an ambitious delivery target of 120 completions. Programmes delivered include Constructs, Substance Related Offending Behaviour (SROBP), Good Lives (Male Sex Offender Treatment Programme), Alcohol Awareness and Drug Action for Change. The latter is only delivered to women prisoners in HMP Edinburgh.

28.4 At the time of the inspection there were 24 prisoners identified as requiring to complete Controlling Anger, Regulating Emotions (CARE), however HMP Edinburgh does not facilitate this programme. Likewise there were 44 prisoners identified as requiring to undertake Good Lives, however the annual target of completed programmes for the establishment in 2013-14 is only 24. In comparison, there was only one women prisoner identified as having to undertake Drug Action for Change, however the planned completions for 2013-14 is 24.

28.5 In addition, the range of substance misuse interventions provided by different service providers in HMP Edinburgh suggests some overlap in the treatment targets/goals. This is supported by observations made by programme delivery staff that they are "chasing the same prisoners" for programmes that address aspects of substance misuse.

28.6 An analysis of aggregated needs to inform revised delivery targets and rationalisation of the range of activities to address aspects of substance misuse may prevent treatment providers from over supplying interventions that address overlapping rehabilitative needs.

Recommendation 56: HMP Edinburgh should undertake an analysis of aggregated needs to inform revised delivery targets.

28.7 Risk assessment tools LSCMI and SA07 are routinely conducted by the Prison Based Social Worker (PBSW) and are well communicated to both those subject to them, and in case management processes. PBSW take advantage of support offered by external 'champion groups' which provide guidance on the application of the LSCMI risk tool to unusual or complex cases. The support provided to staff serves to make assessments more responsive to the risk characteristics of those who the tools are applied to. This is an area of good practice.

28.8 Six hundred and ninety-two drug tests were reported to have been conducted between January 2013 and the time of inspection; between two and five per cent of these are as a result of referrals from staff who suspect a prisoner to be under the influence of substances. The remainder have been conducted to inform prisoners' risk and needs.

28.9 Drug testing staff report that prisoners refuse drug tests because of a perception that the punishment under the Prison Rules disciplinary process for a refusal is less than that they would receive for a positive result.

Recommendation 57: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that further work is carried out to test the perception that punishment for refusing a drug test is more lenient than for a positive result.

Recommendation 58: HMP Edinburgh should ensure drug tests are undertaken on prisoners who are suspected of being under the influence of substances.

Standard 29

There is a programme of cultural and voluntary activities.

29.1 Prisoners in HMP Edinburgh have access to news media through radio and television provided via in-cell television sets which broadcast a number of television and radio channels. These televisions also have the facility to play music CD's and DVD's. Convicted prisoners are charged £1 per week for this facility, however it is provided free of charge to Untried prisoners. Prisoners can also purchase newspapers through the prison canteen.

29.2 During the inspection, staff in Glenesk House reported a shortage of television sets and were experiencing on-going difficulty in securing replacement televisions from the stores. The Procurement Manager confirmed the supplier had consistently failed to deliver, however a delivery of televisions was expected within the next week.

29.3 In 2011, a previously UK award-winning Library was replaced with a considerably smaller facility with reduced accommodation for books and prisoners' seating area. As a result, arrangements for prisoners to access Library services are significantly restricted. This is a weakness. Despite this, the Library is well used by a significant number of prisoners as approximately 250 books are borrowed each week.

29.4 The Library has a range of books and magazines for prisoners from other countries and cultural backgrounds and makes appropriate arrangements to provide books in other languages according to individual needs.

29.5 There is insufficient communication between the Library and the Learning Centre. Prisoners undertaking programmes in the Learning Centre have limited access to the Library and its services. There have been no joint planning meetings between the Librarian and Learning Centre staff to consider suitable, accessible book lists to support prisoners undertaking independent learning activities. As a result of these practices, prisoners do not have timely access to up-to-date Library resources and services. This is a weakness.

Recommendation 59: HMP Edinburgh should take action to ensure there iseffective communication and joint planning between the Library and Learning

Centre.

29.6 The Library is often closed to accommodate prison meetings and Officer or Librarian leave arrangements. This results in prisoners having no access to Library facilities for long periods. The Library is not open in the evenings or at weekends. This is a weakness.

Recommendation 60: HMP Edinburgh should improve prisoners' access to Library provision.

29.7 Women prisoners from Ratho House have access to the prison's central Library on Friday afternoons only. While the selection of books available caters predominately for the male majority, some female-focused reading material is available and books can be ordered through an arrangement with Edinburgh City Libraries. A smaller satellite Library is located on the top level of Ratho House offering a good selection of books and provides greater, more flexible access for the female population. Immediately prior to the inspection, Ratho House staff, using money from the Common Good Fund (CGF), purchased a number of books from local charity shops to augment the stock. This is positive.

29.8 The small Library located in Glenesk House has recently been closed and the room has been identified for another use. Prisoners held there do not have the opportunity to attend the main Library and subsequently have no access to Library provision. Those prisoners spoken with stated they would value access to Library provision.

Recommendation 61: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that prisoners in Glenesk House have access to Library provision.

29.9 There is no education provision or access to the Library in the evening or at weekends. This restricts opportunities for prisoners to partake in purposeful self-improvement activity. This is a weakness.

Recommendation 62: HMP Edinburgh should explore ways of engaging prisoners in learning opportunities out-with normal working hours.

29.10 Visit sessions are facilitated during weekday evening and weekend periods and prove popular with prisoners.

29.11 Prisoners have limited access to activities within the main gymnasium during weekday evenings after 18:00 hrs. and over the weekend when the gymnasium is opened from 09:00 hrs to 16:00 hrs. This is due to the attendance pattern of the PT staff. On the Friday evening and all day Saturday during the inspection the gymnasium was closed due to a staff shortage.

29.12 In the main, evening activities in HMP Edinburgh consist of traditional recreational pursuits such as pool, table tennis, card and board games, watching television, and, where available, access to small gymnasiums. In addition, some Houseblocks organise extra activities with quizzes and prize bingo in Ratho House being examples of popular activities. Disappointingly, prisoners, particularly in Ingliston House Levels 1, 2 and 3, report that the published regime timetable does not always reflect the actual times they are unlocked and able to access recreational activities or opportunities for cell cleaning. This is a weakness.

29.13 Socialising with other prisoners in communal areas or within cells is also popular, however this arrangement is not available to all prisoners. Only prisoners from Ingliston and Hermiston Houses and half of those held in Glenesk House are able to enjoy in-cell association. The remainder of the prisoners in Glenesk House and all of the prisoners in Ratho House have the choice to take part in communal recreational activities or remain locked in their cells.

29.14 During the inspection, attendance at evening and weekend recreation sessions was good with high numbers of prisoners attending and a relaxed atmosphere observed throughout the establishment.

29.15 Prisoners have the opportunity within HMP Edinburgh to undertake work that benefits the community which includes the Bike Shed workshop, the PAT testing workshop and a tool repair recycling initiative.

29.16 The Listener Group, made up of two male and two women prisoners, provides a service to their own gender that is valued by both the prisoners and the management within HMP Edinburgh. These prisoners carry out this role in their free time and for the benefit of other prisoners. Additionally, the Toe by Toe initiative operates in Edinburgh and is well established.

29.17 Two male and one female Peer Supporters provide a service within the prison which is of benefit to other prisoners particularly with newly admitted prisoners.

Standard 30

Opportunities to practise their religion are available to all prisoners

30.1 The Chaplaincy Team include representatives from the Church of Scotland, the Free Church of Scotland, the Roman Catholic Church and a representative of the Muslim faith. Chaplains work ecumenically and generally visit Houseblocks on a daily basis.

30.2 There is also a request book in each Houseblock in which prisoners can request to see a member of the Chaplaincy team.

30.3 Presbyterian services are held each Sunday at 09:00 hrs. for male prisoners and 09:45 hrs for women prisoners with average attendance figures of 25 and 10 respectively.

30.4 Roman Catholic services take place on Saturdays with an average prisoner attendance of 20 for male prisoner and 12 for women prisoners. Service times are the same as for Presbyterian services.

30.5 Friday prayers for male Muslim prisoners are held at 13:00 hrs with between 15 and 18 prisoners attending regularly. The Imam visits women prisoners within Ratho House as required.

30.6 Mainstream, offence and non-offence protection prisoners from both Convicted and Untried populations attend the same services and both operational staff and Chaplains report that there have been very few occasions when this has proved to be problematic. This is positive.

30.7 The main worship area, known as the St Columba's Chaplaincy Centre, is fit for purpose with the appropriate artefacts and religious texts available. The main texts are available in a variety of languages.

30.8 Plexi-glass painted windows which provide the illusion of stained glass, were provided by the local church in Wester Hailes. This underlines positive links with community faith groups and also serves to make the room more like a place of worship. This is positive.

30.9 Muslim prayers are held in a separate room which is appropriate and has prayer mats and suitable religious texts.

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 Convicted prisoners in HMP Edinburgh, as in all SPS establishments, have the opportunity to spend their wages and a set amount of their personal cash on items from the prisoner canteen once a week. Untried prisoners can spend their personal cash and, for those employed as passmen, their wages, twice per week.

31.2 The canteen stocks a wide range of groceries, confectionery, soft drinks, smoking products, toiletries and stationery. The range of goods available from the canteen and sundry items reflects the different cultures and genders held within HMP Edinburgh.

31.3 Cards are available at a cost of 61 pence each and cover a variety of occasions such as birthdays and religious and other events. A female work party within Ratho House make bespoke cards for sale to other prisoners within the prison at a cost of 75 pence each. This appears to be appreciated by those who have bought the goods.

31.4 The prices charged for items from the canteen are reasonable and comparable with other establishments. It was noted that there was a greater degree of variation with the items on the sundry list, in particular seasonal fresh fruit and vegetables.

31.5 Regular PIACs are held within the various Houseblocks to discuss canteen items with any resultant changes made to the items available communicated via the next canteen sheet.

31.6 Clear stock control measures are in place. An electronic point of sale (ePOS) system is used and the till receipt, together with the original order form, are attached to each transparent canteen "bag" which allows the prisoner to check the correct goods have been received before opening the bag. Any discrepancies can then be easily rectified and provides the prison and the prisoner with a failsafe system.

31.7 Women prisoners in HMP Edinburgh have the opportunity to purchase cosmetics and other toiletries from a selected range provided by a large retail outlet. This facility is valued by the women prisoners.

Outcome 8

Healthcare is provided to the same standards 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.

Overview

Prisoners have direct confidential access to qualified medical staff and can access a wide range of clinical assessments and interventions within the prison or, in the case of some specialist services, in the community. Working relationships between NHS Lothian and HMP Edinburgh are positive.

Low numbers of addictions and mental health staff have resulted in prisoners experiencing delays in accessing their specialist services. This is compounded by the requirement for this staff group to provide support to primary care services. Hermiston House Level 4 is designated as an Addictions Recovery Area but there was no evidence to support prisoners gaining from this facility.

There is good evidence of health promotion activity and preventative interventions within the prison.

Resources for prisoners with physical disabilities are insufficient to meet the demand experienced at the time of the inspection.

Standard 32

Health services of a high quality are available to all who need them.

32.1 Health services are accessed primarily through a self-referral process. Referral forms are located in all Houseblocks and are well sign-posted. Prisoners deposit completed forms in a specific referral box that only healthcare staff have access to, meaning confidentiality is maintained.

32.2 There is a pool of Doctors who provide Clinical input as follows:

Day	No. of Doctors	AM (activity)	PM (activity)
Monday	1	Admissions from previous day assessed followed by routine clinic	Dedicated female clinic
Tuesday	2		Routine clinics
Wednesday	2
Thursday	2
Friday	2		Routine and dedicated female clinics
Saturday	1	Admissions from previous day assessed - no clinic	No clinic
Sunday	0	No clinic	No clinic

32.3 Out of hours medical cover is provided from a dedicated Doctors rota operating from 17:30 hrs - 07:00 hrs. Clinical and operational staff report that, when required, the out of hours response from and attendance by Doctors is good. This is positive.

32.4 There is a Clinical Lead identified for the Doctors who attend HMP Edinburgh. This is an area of good practice.

32.5 Nursing, Allied Health Professional (AHP) provision and support services are provided as per the following complement:

Position	Whole Time Equivalent (WTE)
Health Centre Manager	1
Clinical Nurse Manager	1
Primary Care Nurses	15.09
Mental Health Nurse (band 7)	0.5
Mental Health Nurse (band 6)	3.92
Addictions Nurse (band 7)	0.5
Addictions Nurse (band 6)	2.5
Health Care Assistants	5.24
Pharmacy Technicians	2
Office Services	1.48
Physiotherapist	0.5
Psychiatrist	0.4

32.6 There are concerns regarding the high levels of staff turnover especially among the mental health and addictions nurses. NHS Lothian recognise these issues and are attempting to improve matters. HMIPS encourage NHS Lothian to address this as a matter of urgency.

32.7 If a prisoner requires assessment or intervention that is not available within the establishment, arrangements are made to facilitate this in an external hospital.

32.8 NHS Lothian carried out a nursing review in August 2012 to ensure the capacity and skills mix of health professionals meet the need of the prisoner population.

32.9 There is a supportive and positive attitude from senior healthcare managers in NHS Lothian. This includes a willingness to review services on an on-going basis. This is an area of good practice.

32.10 Medical referrals are collected each weekday morning. There is no collection of referrals at the weekend, however if a medical concern is raised, the on call Doctor is contacted.

32.11 In addition to the self-referral process, prison staff may raise concerns about a prisoner's wellbeing with healthcare staff as a matter of urgency. More urgent scenarios are responded to by accessing emergency services when required.

32.12 All referrals are triaged on the morning they are collected and are prioritised accordingly by clinical need. Prisoners are seen on the same day if deemed necessary. There is no significant delay in accessing primary care services.

32.13 However, it is concerning that Doctors' clinics are cancelled with growing regularity and reported to be as a result of high levels of sick absence among the pool of Doctors. Cancellation of clinics has a detrimental effect on the efficiency of health centre activity and can contribute to delays to medical assessments and treatment. These concerns have been discussed by Healthcare and local prison management. It is noted that this issue is to be raised at the 'Prison Clinical Meeting' and subsequently referred to the Executive Team within NHS Lothian.

32.14 It is noted that the Health Care Manager has instructed clinical staff to record cancellation of clinics via the Datix system (NHS incident and adverse event reporting system) for the purpose of audit and risk assessment. This is an area of good practice.

32.15 Waiting times can be between three and six weeks for an appointment with a Doctor. Waiting times are influenced by variable factors but three key issues are identified as having a negative impact:

The complex regime and different prisoner classifications can delay the flow of prisoners being escorted to and from the health centre. This results in non‑productive time from a Doctor's perspective.
Clinics cancelled due to Doctors' absence result in cancellations and rescheduling of appointments.
Women prisoners have specific clinical times on Mondays and Fridays, however in the event of a Public Holiday, their clinics do not take place as no Doctor's service is provided on these days.

32.16 There are delays in accessing mental health and addictions services. This is due to the very limited number of mental health and addictions staff and the fact that their specialist services are not ring-fenced. Healthcare staff note that mental health and addictions staff are often required to support primary care colleagues when staff shortages occur. Whilst positive inter‑disciplinary working and a supportive team culture are to be encouraged, this should not be at the expense of those with mental health and addictions issues.

32.17 Meeting the healthcare needs of HMP Edinburgh's population is challenging and efforts are being made to recruit new staff as well as build a reliable and consistent body of staff through an established nursing bank. Given the requirements for bank staff to have completed mandatory training such as Personal Protection Training and the time frame for this to take place, it is a welcomed approach to have bank staff trained and accessible at short notice. This is positive.

Recommendation 63: NHS Lothian should conduct a further review of health care provision taking specific cognisance of mental health and addictions requirements as a matter of urgency.

32.18 With the support of NHS Lothian, the Healthcare Manager has reviewed referral pathways which have improved the process. These have been mapped and improvement methodology is being applied to improve the efficiency of referral management and support needs analysis. Additional mapping has been conducted regarding reception, the admission process and condition‑specific pathways. This is an area of good practice.

32.19 NHS Lothian have introduced a prison nursing course to support the development of nurses, specifically focusing on enhanced assessment skills of minor injuries and illness. This is an area of good practice.

32.20 In most cases when a prisoner is transferred into HMP Edinburgh from another establishment paper‑based health records arrive with them in an approved sealed bag. However, healthcare records do not always arrive with the prisoner or may be incomplete. This issue is not unique to HMP Edinburgh and is mirrored in other SPS establishments and in the wider NHS community. This is a weakness.

32.21 For prisoners being transferred in from other establishments, an Electronic Patient Record (EPR) is already established on the ViSION system. This facilitates access to limited health-related information. For those who are admitted for the first time to prison, an EPR on ViSION is established at the point of assessment in Reception.

32.22 For those received direct from Court, there is limited information available to the assessing healthcare staff at the point of admission. There is no access to the Emergency Care Summary (ECS), a primary care portal for information sharing, which would support decision making and provide information on current and known medical considerations. This is a weakness.

32.23 When a prisoner is admitted from Court a record of his care is started in Reception during the healthcare assessment. If he is sentenced to a period in excess of six months, he will be registered to the prison's medical provider. The establishment will then take possession of the individual's primary care records and retain them until the point of transfer to another prison or liberation, when the records are returned to the registering Doctor's practice.

32.24 In order to ensure these newly admitted prisoners have legitimate access to medications they are currently prescribed, a facsimile prescription providing information given by the prisoner, medications brought into the establishment by the prisoner and any other available health-related documentation, is sent to the prisoner's registered Doctor in the community. The community Doctor then verifies the accuracy of the proposed prescription, signs it and returns it to prison healthcare staff. This is then passed to the Prison Doctor which informs the decision to prescribe locally. A Kardex is then generated and medications are administered accordingly. Although this is a lengthy process, in the absence of access to real time health records, this is an area of good practice.

32.25 Healthcare information is available for those who are transferred to or from another establishment via ViSION.

32.26 On liberation, the registered Doctor in the community is contacted by letter and where applicable, primary care medical records are sent to the receiving practice. Where appropriate, community-based prescribers and Pharmacy services are contacted by telephone and followed up with written communication. If no Doctor is identified on release, information is provided to the prisoner on how to register with a Doctor in their local NHS Board area. In the absence of an identified Doctor, health records are sent to Practitioner Services for holding prior to the released prisoner registering at a new Doctor's practice.

32.27 It was observed during the reception process that PER forms were not made available to the nurse completing the healthcare assessment on admission. The PER form may highlight concerns regarding the prisoner's health, identified during transfer and transportation. This omission may contribute to unnecessary risk.

32.28 Medical records are held within the Health Centre. There is a suitable secure unit for safe and confidential storage of records situated within the clinical office, however this is not large enough to store the volume of records held in HMP Edinburgh. As a result, a great number of health records are being stored on the floors and on desks within secured offices in the wider health centre. These records are not "live" and require to be archived in an appropriate, secure storage facility as a matter of urgency.

Recommendation 64: NHS Lothian should ensure that all health records are stored in accordance with national and local policy guidelines.

32.29 Appropriate health related information is communicated to non-clinical staff via PR2 under the 'medical markers' section. The use of medical markers is not applied in a consistent manner and appears to be clinician-specific.

32.30 We are advised that no statistical record of numbers of prisoners transferred to more appropriate settings for the purpose of mental health needs is kept by health care staff detailing time scales; referral from assessment to transfer, length of stay and total numbers of transfers. It would also be useful to use this approach to identify trends of both efficient practice and causes of delay in order to inform on-going improvements.

Recommendation 65: NHS Lothian should ensure that a record of transfers to more appropriate settings is maintained.

32.31 Healthcare staff spoken with reported there are often delays in transferring such prisoners, noting that the timescales vary between NHS Boards and delays usually occur where the receiving NHS Board does not attend the prison promptly to undertake an assessment of the prisoner.

32.32 There is a wide provision of healthcare services available to prisoners in HMP Edinburgh.

32.33 Dental care is provided by NHS Lothian. At the time of the inspection there is one Dentist supported by a Dental Nurse providing two sessions per week. There is no Dental Hygienist available. There is a waiting time of approximately 10 weeks for routine appointments. An additional Dentist is currently undertaking an induction and which will increase the provision of dental sessions. There are plans to employ a Dental Hygienist to provide health promotion and preventative interventions.

32.34 Although complaints regarding dental services are minimal, the Healthcare Manager has engaged with the Dental Director in NHS Lothian to ensure the efficient handling of complaints and to pursue continuous improvements. This is an area of good practice.

32.35 Healthcare staff report that Dental Services are, on occasions, impeded by the slow movement of prisoners and complex regime route movement.

32.36 Optician Services are provided one day in every two weeks.

32.37 There is no Chiropody Service at present, however while demand for this service has been assessed as low, a commitment has been made by NHS Lothian to initiate a service, with the frequency to be determined.

32.38 Physiotherapy is currently available one day per week with plans to increase it to 2.5 days per week in order to reduce the number of prisoners having to access this treatment out with the prison.

32.39 There is no Occupational Therapist service in place.

32.40 There is evidence of health promotion activity and preventative interventions such as general health screening. There is a concerted effort in providing female specific health support such as well woman activities and cancer screening activity. This is an area of good practice.

32.41 There is a weekly BBV clinic delivered by a BBV Nurse Specialist and supported by a BBV Consultant. Improvement to this service during the previous year has resulted in waiting times being halved. BBV testing now takes place within four weeks from referral and a vaccination programme is in place. Responsibility for the maintenance of vaccinations is now the responsibility of Houseblock nurses. This is an area of good practice.

32.42 There are arrangements to support the management of some chronic diseases such as Asthma and Diabetes however there is concern that the scope of chronic disease management is limited. Arrangements for those with varying stages of Dementia for example, are not in place. This issue is compounded by an acknowledgement that many of the prison population are living longer and general long-term conditions associated with elderly frailty and a higher prevalence of co-morbidity are evident.

32.43 It is acknowledged that the Prison Healthcare Team have conducted a Long‑Term Conditions (LTC) Management Pathway Event in February 2013. The purpose was to scope needs, conduct a service gap analysis and inform progression planning. This is an area of good practice.

32.44 There are five cells in HMP Edinburgh designed for wheelchair access and suitable for those with physical disabilities, however at the time of the inspection, there were nine prisoners who required the use of a wheelchair.

Recommendation 66: HMP Edinburgh should review the provision of cells designed for wheelchair access and suitable for those with physical disabilities.

32.45 The disabled cell in Glenesk House is very basic and the standard of cleanliness is poor.

Recommendation 67: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that disabled cells are clean and properly maintained.

32.46 The remaining disabled cells are of a much better design and the levels of cleanliness higher.

32.47 The shower areas within the designated disabled cells are water-damaged and in need of repair.

32.48 In Ingliston and Hermiston Houses, access to showers for disabled prisoners not located in a disabled cell is poor with a large step leading into the shower area and with only one hand rail on the wall.

Recommendation 68: HMP Edinburgh should review the provision of showers suitable for disabled prisoners.

32.49 Mental health services are provided by nursing staff and a Consultant Psychiatrist over two half day sessions per week. Waiting times of one week are common for assessment but this can increase to three weeks on occasions. This is mainly due to the current lack of resource and compounded by the growing number of referrals; 541 between June and September 2013. This must be addressed as a matter of urgency.

32.50 There is no clinical Psychology available as a regular service. This is an area of poor practice.

32.51 The Health Centre is modern and well equipped. Healthcare staff report that the facility is underutilised and could be better accessed by prisoners. Medical interventions are also conducted within clinical areas in the Houseblocks. These rooms are, in general, clean and fit for purpose.

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 Addictions services are delivered by three WTE Addictions Nurses. A Doctor with specialist addictions knowledge also provides support half a day per week. Services are led by an Addictions Consultant Psychiatrist who is the Addictions Clinical Lead for NHS Lothian. There is good support reported from Pharmacy.

33.2 Enhanced Addictions Caseworker Services are provided by Phoenix Futures, currently contracted to April 2014. Working closely with the NHS addictions staff, Phoenix Futures offer assessment, harm reduction sessions, recovery planning and pre-release work. They are also involved in establishing and providing through care for prisoners on liberation. Their services are available between Monday and Friday from 09:00 hrs until 16:00 hrs.

33.3 Waiting time for assessment is approximately between one and two weeks from the point of referral. Self-referral is the most common route of engagement but referrals are also received from healthcare staff predominantly as a result of the Reception healthcare screen on admission.

33.4 A Naloxone 'Take Home' training programme was introduced last year and there are currently eight prisoners awaiting training. Seventy-four prisoners have been trained since October 2012. This has been a success, as have new arrangements for overcoming testing difficulties, re-instating the addiction clinic, promoting attendance at conversation cafes and information days provided for families and prisoners. This is an area of good practice.

33.5 All drug tests for male prisoners take place in the Health Centre. This can prove problematic due to the requirement to maintain separation between prisoner groups. Ratho House has a drug-testing facility within the Houseblock where all drug tests for women prisoners are conducted.

33.6 Hermiston House Level 4 is designated as an Addictions Recovery Area, however there is no evidence to support prisoners receive any therapeutic gain or productive outcome from this facility.

33.7 Prisoners who engage with addiction services are encouraged to attend a Harm Reduction Group prior to release to support sustained recovery on liberation. Community-based services are also invited into the prison before the prisoners' liberation dates in order to improve engagement with community support systems. This is an area of good practice.

33.8 Due to the low number of addictions staff, there is limited capacity to deliver a wide range of interventions to prisoners addressing their addictions issues. Poor capacity has led to delays in delivering interventions. For example, a women prisoner had not been assessed by an addictions nurse at the time of the inspection despite being referred in June 2013.

33.9 Women prisoners who are required to attend a Northern Court may be temporarily transferred from HMP Edinburgh to HMP & YOI Cornton Vale on the day prior to their Court appearance. For those prisoners who are prescribed Methadone, this process can prove problematic due to the differing dispensing regimes in place in each prison. In essence, the prisoner going to Court from HMP & YOI Cornton Vale will not be given her Methadone in the morning before leaving the prison but will have to wait until she returns before it is dispensed to her. However, should she be returned from Court direct to HMP Edinburgh, she cannot be issued with her Methadone as her prescription and medical notes will still be held in HMP & YOI Cornton Vale. When this situation occurs, Healthcare staff in HMP Edinburgh are required to waste valuable time pursuing prescription details from equally busy healthcare staff in HMP & YOI Cornton Vale causing further delay to dispensing of the prisoner's prescribed Methadone. This is an area of poor practice.

Recommendation 69: NHS Lothian, NHS Forth Valley and SPS should review the process for dispensing Methadone to prisoners temporarily transferring between HMP Edinburgh and HMP & YOI Cornton Vale.

33.10 A further prescribing-related issue concerning the drug Subutex was noted during the inspection. Where prisoners are admitted to HMP Edinburgh and already prescribed Subutex, then the medication remains available to them. If they are not prescribed Subutex when admitted but, following appropriate assessments are to be given substitute prescribing, this is not permitted. This may be challenged by prisoners on the basis of equitable choice of interventions and a person-centred approach to prescribing. This issue is not unique to HMP Edinburgh and requires debate at senior NHS and SPS levels.

33.11 There are approximately 390 prisoners in HMP Edinburgh currently prescribed Methadone. Dispensing Methadone has a major impact on the regime, taking approximately two to three hours per day. Methadone is dispensed mainly in the Houseblocks, and despite the volume of prisoners involved, the processes observed were in line with best practice. Clinicians acted professionally and exhibited good engagement with prisoners. This is positive.

33.12 Interventions available in HMP Edinburgh for dealing with addictions are focussed primarily on assessment, crisis management and medication management. These interventions are predominately reactive in nature and do not replicate the full range available in the community. This is largely due to the capacity of the addictions team although it is recognised that their efforts, knowledge, skill base, commitment and work ethic are positive.

33.13 Throughcare arrangements at the point of liberation are made prior to release date where these are known. These include the positive practice of liaising with Doctors, community-based addictions services and specialist support services. Efforts are made to bring community-based support workers from Phoenix Futures into the prison prior to release to promote good engagement.

33.14 Where a prisoner is released at short notice (for example via parole hearing), information is relayed to community prescribers and dispensing agents by facsimile and telephone and is followed up with appropriate documentation.

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.

Overview

Resources are allocated to encourage family contact and involvement.

The prison has formed positive links with a high number of local community organisations involved in delivering support and advice to prisoners and their families at HMP Edinburgh.

A range of work is undertaken by prisoners which benefits the wider community. Appropriate positive links with risk management agencies and forums in the community are in place.

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 Prisoners are encouraged to involve their families in their sentence management and appropriate facilities and arrangements are in place in HMP Edinburgh to allow prisoners' families to attend and take part in their ICM Case Conferences. Almost 20 per cent of the prison's ICM Case Conferences are attended by families; this is in excess of the SPS corporate target of 15 per cent. This is positive.

34.2 While opportunities for prisoners' families to attend ACT 2 Care Case Conferences exist, the short-notice nature of these events has contributed to very limited uptake.

34.3 There is evidence of a strong family focus in the prisoner visit arrangements with family-involved activities taking place such as the Conversation Café; an event where prisoners and their families work with addictions agencies who provide information and support and raise awareness about drug and alcohol issues. Resources have also been allocated to the provision of one-off activities for prisoners and families to engage in, including a recent pirate-themed event in the Visit Room aimed at encouraging better family bonding.

34.4 There is good evidence of community organisations working in partnership in and with the prison. Approximately 40 community agencies and groups are involved at any given time and engage with a high throughput of prisoners. Staff report that the down-side to this positive involvement with the community were the limited space for such engagement to take place, particularly in Ratho House and the Links Centre, along with the time taken to vet and give appropriate training to individual partners prior to allowing them access to the prison.

34.5 HOPE Edinburgh, a voluntary organisation, provides a service to prisoners in HMP Edinburgh through their joint work with the Chaplaincy team, their attendance at religious services within the prison and in their role as prison visitors. There are very positive links between the prison and the Salvation Army who are responsible for the management and service delivery of the Visitor Centre. Full time, salaried Salvation Army employees work closely with the prison, in particular, with the FCOs. This is an example of good joint working relationships delivering a service beneficial to the prison, the prisoners and their families. This is positive.

34.6 There are three areas within HMP Edinburgh where the work undertaken delivers considerable benefit to the community; the Bike Shed workshop, the PAT testing workshop and the Wood shed. (See paragraph 29.15)

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 During the inspection there was consistent evidence of inter-agency working, as shown by the wide scope of attendance at case management forums such as the MDMHT meetings, joint interventions conducted by Psychology and Prison Based Social Work (PBSW) and consultation provided by Psychology to other areas of the prison. This is positive.

35.2 The ICM team have placed great effort into encouraging the families of prisoners to attend ICM Case Conferences. This includes providing information via the information telephone line (operated by Families Outside) and information sheets in the Visitor Centre. The ICM team gather post-ICM attendance information from family members using feedback sheets. Themes emerging from these sheets suggest that visitors found ICM staff supportive and helpful.

35.3 The Risk Management Team (RMT) is represented by a range of departments and is well chaired, allowing the processing of relevant information. Background information populated on some progression documentation is lengthy and generally descriptive. To enhance clarity, background information populated on progression documentation presented to the RMT would benefit from summarising and analysis. Risk assessments are conducted by PBSW on all cases being considered by the RMT for progression to conditions of lower security.

35.4 There are good links to risk management agencies and forums in the community, such as the Offender Management Unit (OMU) and Risk Management Case Conferences (RMCC) which feed into the Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA). The ICM and PBSW team are committed to sharing appropriate risk information which is facilitated by well understood policies and procedures.

35.5 Applications for the Home Detention Curfew (HDC) scheme are processed by administrators and counter signed by a Unit Manager. The process is run by competent and efficient staff.

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: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that all prisoners sit on the Body Orifice Security Scanner (BOSS) chair and are body searched prior to being interviewed by staff. (Paragraph 1.7)

Recommendation 2: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that all information contained in a Prisoner Escort Record form is validated, discussed with the prisoner and is passed onto the relevant functions within the prison. (Paragraph 1.10)

Recommendation 3: HMP Edinburgh should review how Peer Supporters' attendance in Reception can be maximised. (Paragraph 1.14)

Recommendation 4: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that the 'First Night in Custody' booklet is made available in a number of languages. (Paragraph 1.15)

Recommendation 5: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that information is given to prisoners in a format they can understand. (Paragraph 1.15)

Recommendation 6: HMP Edinburgh should ensure staff provide prisoners with information pertinent to their first night in custody timeously and are able to evidence this. (Paragraph 1.17)

Recommendation 7: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that holding rooms in Reception are locked when occupied by prisoners. (Paragraph 1.22)

Recommendation 8: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that prisoners requiring protection from others are moved to a suitable area as soon as is practicable. (Paragraph 1.23)

Recommendation 9: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that all interviews within Reception are undertaken in a confidential manner with the interview room door closed. (Paragraph 1.31)

Recommendation 10: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that access to the Patrol and Nightshift Orders is only available to designated staff and that the bags containing these Orders are fit for purpose. (Paragraph 1.35)

Recommendation 11: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that a member of staff trained in first aid is on duty at all times. (Paragraph 1.41)

Recommendation 12: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that staff inform all prisoners of the action to be taken in the event of a fire. (Paragraph 1.43)

Recommendation 13: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that the appropriate fire action notices are posted on all cell doors. (Paragraph 1.44)

Recommendation 14: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that, where fitted, recording equipment for the Cell Call System is in working order and routinely monitored. (Paragraph 1.48)

Recommendation 15: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that records of night-duty patrols are routinely monitored by the appropriate Manager. (Paragraph 1.49)

Recommendation 16: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that cell door observation panels are not covered up. (Paragraph 1.51)

Recommendation 17: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that Senior Managers' visits outwith normal working hours are recorded in the occurrence book. (Paragraph 1.53)

Recommendation 18: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that the 'Safer Cells' are upgraded to full 'Anti-Ligature Cells'. (Paragraph 1.58)

Recommendation 19: HMP Edinburgh should recruit and train more male prisoner Listeners. (Paragraph 1.62)

Recommendation 20: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that those cells occupied during a previous dirty protest are properly cleaned and made good. (Paragraph 1.65)

Recommendation 21: The Scottish Prison Service should ensure that a national policy for the management of prisoners on dirty protests is designed and implemented across the estate. (Paragraph 1.65)

Standard 2

Force is only used a last resort and then strictly according to the law and procedures.

Recommendation 22: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that all relevant documentation relating to the management of prisoners under restraint is properly recorded and retained. (Paragraph 2.4)

Recommendation 23: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that where planned Control and Restraint removals are not video recorded the reasons for the decision are documented. (Paragraph 2.8)

Standard 3

Prisoners are protected from violence and harm by other prisoners

Recommendation 24: HMP Edinburgh's Violence Reduction Group should analyse the number of assaults as part of its Violence Reduction Strategy. (Paragraph 3.4)

Recommendation 25: HMP Edinburgh should review the security measures in place at the front‑of‑house. (Paragraph 3.8)

Recommendation 26: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that the Scottish Prison Service Anti-Bullying Strategy is applied consistently throughout the Prison. (Paragraph 3.19)

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.

No recommendations.

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 27: HMP Edinburgh should ensure the population within Glenesk House does not exceed the design capacity of 125. (Paragraph 7.9)

Recommendation 28: HMP Edinburgh should provide a lockable in-cell storage facility for each prisoner in Glenesk House. (Paragraph 7.10)

Recommendation 29: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that all cells in Glenesk House have suitable window coverings. (Paragraph 7.13)

Recommendation 30: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that areas external to Glenesk House are clean. (Paragraph 7.16)

Standard 8

Prisoners are allowed into the open air for a least one hour every day.

Recommendation 31: HMP Edinburgh should take measures to end the practice of prisoners passing items between the exercise yard and cells within Glenesk House. (Paragraph 8.6)

Recommendation 32: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that suitable clothing is issued to prisoners in Ingliston House, Glenesk House and the Separation and Reintegration Unit for use in inclement weather and that proper drying facilities are provided. (Paragraph 8.11)

Standard 9

Personal clothing is in decent condition, washed frequently and fits.

Recommendation 33: HMP Edinburgh should consider issuing prisoners in Glenesk House with clothing on a personal basis. (Paragraph 9.3)

Recommendation 34: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that all prisoners in Glenesk House are issued with underwear as required. (Paragraph 9.4)

Recommendation 35: HMP Edinburgh should ensure prisoners in Glenesk House have access to sufficient clean towels at all times. (Paragraph 9.5)

Standard 10

Bedding is supplied and laundered at frequent intervals.

Recommendation 36: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that prisoners in Glenesk House are provided with decent-quality bedding. (Paragraph 10.1)

Recommendation 37: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that prisoners in Glenesk House are provided with decent-quality clean duvets. (Paragraph 10.3)

Recommendation 38: Scottish Prison Service should review the specification of their contract for the procurement of pillows for prisoners' use when it is renewed in April 2014. (Paragraph 10.4)

Recommendation 39: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that prisoners in Glenesk House are provided with decent-quality mattresses. (Paragraph 10.7)

Standard 11

Sanitary arrangements take account of health, hygiene and human dignity.

No recommendations.

Standard 12

Food is adequate for health, varied and religiously and culturally appropriate.

Recommendation 40: HMP Edinburgh should review the system for washing prisoners' cutlery. (Paragraph 12.9)

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 41: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that all women prisoners leaving the establishment for Court are body searched. (Paragraph 14.2)

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 42: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that all information notices displayed relating to visits are accurate and up‑to‑date. (Paragraph 15.16)

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: HMP Edinburgh should analyse the use of prisoner telephones within Glenesk House and consider if additional telephones are required. (Paragraph 18.2)

Standard 19

Letter contact is made as easy as possible.

No recommendations.

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.

No recommendations.

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 and meet their obligations under it promptly.

No recommendations.

Standard 22

No recommendations.

Standard 23

Segregation is used sparingly and in accordance with procedures.

Recommendation 44: HMP Edinburgh should ensure narratives relating to prisoners held in the Separation and Reintegration Unit are comprehensive and completed on a regular basis. (Paragraph 23.3)

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 45: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that women prisoners are invited to attend Induction in Edinburgh Prison. (Paragraph 24.2)

Recommendation 46: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that Personal Officers attend Integrated Case Management Case Conferences and submit reports as required. (Paragraph 24.3)

Recommendation 47: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that all Community Integration Plans are disclosed to prisoners prior to their Integrated Case Management Case Conference taking place. (Paragraph 24.6)

Standard 25

A full day's out of cell activities, such as work, education, leisure and culture pursuits, is available for seven days a week.

Recommendation 48: HMP Edinburgh should review how prisoners access to activity can be maximised. (Paragraph 25.3)

Standard 26

The programme of work related training focuses on equipping prisoners for employment on release.

Recommendation 49: Fife College should use additional methods and approaches to identify the full range of prisoners' learning needs. (Paragraph 26.1)

Standard 27

A broad and relevant education programme is available.

Recommendation 50: HMP Edinburgh should review how prisoners access to learning activities can be maximised. (Paragraph 27.5)

Recommendation 51: Fife College reinstate arrangements for self-evaluation and improvement and monitor progress against SMART targets. (Paragraph 27.10)

Recommendation 52: Scottish Prison Service should ensure educational programmes delivered across Scottish prisons enable continuity of the educational experiences of transferred prisoners. (Paragraph 27.16)

Recommendation 53: HMP Edinburgh should take action to address the reasons for prisoners' non-attendance at classes. (Paragraph 27.17)

Recommendation 54: HMP Edinburgh should review how prisoners access to physical training activities can be maximised. (Paragraph 27.18)

Standard 28

A range of interventions is in place to encourage prisoners to address those behaviours which may contribute to their offending.

Recommendation 55: HMP Edinburgh should ensure the Programme Case Management Board sequence programme interventions after considering the individual needs of the prisoner, to enhance the potential rehabilitative effect of group work interventions. (Paragraph 28.2)

Recommendation 56: HMP Edinburgh should undertake an analysis of aggregated needs to inform revised delivery targets. (Paragraph 28.6)

Recommendation 57: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that further work is carried out to test the perception that punishment for refusing a drug test is more lenient than for a positive result. (Paragraph 28.9)

Recommendation 58: HMP Edinburgh should ensure drug tests are undertaken on prisoners who are suspected of being under the influence of substances. (Paragraph 28.9)

Standard 29

There is a programme of cultural and voluntary activities.

Recommendation 59: HMP Edinburgh should take action to ensure there is effective communication and joint planning between the Library and Learning Centre. (Paragraph 29.5)

Recommendation 60: HMP Edinburgh should improve prisoners' access to Library provision. (Paragraph 29.6)

Recommendation 61: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that prisoners in Glenesk House have access to Library provision. (Paragraph 29.8)

Recommendation 62: HMP Edinburgh should explore ways of engaging prisoners in learning opportunities out-with normal working hours. (Paragraph 29.9)

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 as necessary.

No recommendations

Standard 32

Health services of a high quality are available to all who need them.

Recommendation 63: NHS Lothian should conduct a further review of health care provision taking specific cognisance of mental health and addictions requirements as a matter of urgency. (Paragraph 32.17)

Recommendation 64: NHS Lothian should ensure that all health records are stored in accordance with national and local policy guidelines. (Paragraph 32.28)

Recommendation 65: NHS Lothian should ensure that a record of transfers to more appropriate settings is maintained. (Paragraph 32.30)

Recommendation 66: HMP Edinburgh should review the provision of cells designed for wheelchair access and suitable for those with physical disabilities. (Paragraph 32.44)

Recommendation 67: HMP Edinburgh should ensure that disabled cells are clean and properly maintained. (Paragraph 32.45)

Recommendation 68: HMP Edinburgh should review the provision of showers suitable for disabled prisoners. (Paragraph 32.48)

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 69: NHS Lothian, NHS Forth Valley and SPS should review the process for dispensing Methadone to prisoners temporarily transferring between HMP Edinburgh and HMP & YOI Cornton Vale. (Paragraph 33.9)

Standard 34

The prison has a policy on links with families and with the local community and allocates staff time to implement it.

No recommendations.

Good Practice

Part 1 - Safety

Good Practice 1: The prison operates an effective Multi‑disciplinary Mental Health Team (MDMHT). Prisoners subject to ACT 2 Care are referred to this group as appropriate. MDMHT meetings are well attended with representation from various functions in the establishment. (Paragraph 1.63)

Part 2 - Decency, Humanity and Respect for Legal Rights

Good Practice 2: The various dietary requirements for religious and medical reasons are catered for. Proactive measures have been taken to ensure non English speaking Polish prisoners can understand what is on offer with the menu having been translated. (Paragraph 12.5)

Good Practice 3: Visiting family or friends held in HMP Edinburgh is made as easy as possible. The procedure for booking in is simple and new visitors are guided by staff in the Visitor Centre and the prison. Visitors spoken with say that staff are polite and that they are treated well. Most of the visitors did not express any concerns about the required half hour lead‑in time, the process of booking in at the Visitor Centre before accessing the prison proper or the often cramped vestibule area where they are held prior to searching. The Visitor Centre, operated by the Salvation Army, is managed by a team of dedicated staff who offer services to visitors which range from basic shelter/waiting facilities to support, advice and sign‑posting. Information is available on how to credit prisoners' cash accounts, how to access the assisted visit scheme and how to access free legal advice as well as providing general health and wellbeing information. Staff from the Centre attend the children's visits and provide structured support for parent and child in line with Curriculum for Excellence principles. The Centre is open between 09:00 hrs and 21:00 hrs, Monday to Friday and 09:30 hrs until 16:30 hrs on Saturdays and 12:30 hrs until 16:30 hrs on Sundays. (Paragraph 16.1)

Good Practice 4: In order to give pre‑trial prisoners assistance in preparing for their legal defence, those Solicitors who have registered with HMP Edinburgh can contact prisoners held within Glenesk House via a confidential telephone line. (Paragraph 20.4)

Part 3 - Opportunities for Self-Improvement and Access to Services and Activities

Good Practice 5: Officer Instructors use their professional expertise well to make vocational workshops interesting and encourage prisoners to explore these subjects further. Most vocational workshops are purposeful and appropriately equipped for introductory-level learning activities. During vocational workshop activities, informal discussions between Officer Instructors and prisoners are the main mechanism for skills development and improvement. Good progress is being made in the recently introduced garden tool and bicycle recycling activities. These activities encourage prisoners to make positive contributions through repairing and refreshing donated damaged tools or unusable bicycles, making them saleable for local charities. The recently introduced PAT testing initiative is well regarded by external charitable partners and generates significant funds through the recycling and repair of domestic electrical appliances. To date, over £20,000 has been raised by national charities through these initiatives. (Paragraph 26.4)

Good Practice 6 Risk assessment tools LSCMI and SA07 are routinely conducted by the Prison Based Social Worker (PBSW) and are well communicated to both those subject to them, and in case management processes. PBSW take advantage of support offered by external 'champion groups' which provide guidance on the application of the LSCMI risk tool to unusual or complex cases. The support provided to staff serves to make assessments more responsive to the risk characteristics of those who the tools are applied to. (Paragraph 28.7)

Good Practice 7: There is a Clinical Lead identified for the Doctors who attend HMP Edinburgh. (Paragraph 32.4)

Good Practice 8: There is a supportive and positive attitude from senior healthcare managers in NHS Lothian. This includes a willingness to review services on an on-going basis. (Paragraph 32.9)

Good Practice 9: It is noted that the Health Care Manager has instructed clinical staff to record cancellation of clinics via the Datix system (NHS incident and adverse event reporting system) for the purpose of audit and risk assessment. (Paragraph 32.14)

Good Practice 10: With the support of NHS Lothian, the Healthcare Manager has reviewed referral pathways which have improved the process. These have been mapped and improvement methodology is being applied to improve the efficiency of referral management and support needs analysis. Additional mapping has been conducted regarding reception, the admission process and condition‑specific pathways. (Paragraph 32.18)

Good Practice 11: NHS Lothian have introduced a prison nursing course to support the development of nurses, specifically focusing on enhanced assessment skills of minor injuries and illness. (Paragraph 32.19)

Good Practice 12: In order to ensure these newly admitted prisoners have legitimate access to medications they are currently prescribed, a facsimile prescription providing information given by the prisoner, medications brought into the establishment by the prisoner and any other available health-related documentation, is sent to the prisoner's registered Doctor in the community. The community Doctor then verifies the accuracy of the proposed prescription, signs it and returns it to prison healthcare staff. This is then passed to the Prison Doctor which informs the decision to prescribe locally. A Kardex is then generated and medications are administered accordingly. Although this is a lengthy process, in the absence of access to real time health records, this is an area of good practice. (Paragraph 32.24)

Good Practice 13: Although complaints regarding dental services are minimal, the Healthcare Manager has engaged with the Dental Director in NHS Lothian to ensure the efficient handling of complaints and to pursue continuous improvements. (Paragraph 32.34)

Good Practice 14: There is evidence of health promotion activity and preventative interventions such as general health screening. There is a concerted effort in providing female specific health support such as well woman activities and cancer screening activity. (Paragraph 32.40)

Good Practice 15: There is a weekly Bloodborne Virus (BBV) clinic delivered by a BBV Nurse Specialist and supported by a BBV Consultant. Improvement to this service during the previous year has resulted in waiting times being halved. BBV testing now takes place within four weeks from referral and a vaccination programme is in place. Responsibility for the maintenance of vaccinations is now the responsibility of Houseblock nurses. (Paragraph 32.41)

Good Practice 16: It is acknowledged that the Prison Healthcare Team have conducted a Long‑Term Conditions (LTC) Management Pathway Event in March 2013. The purpose was to scope needs, conduct a service gap analysis and inform progression planning. (Paragraph 32.43)

Good Practice 17: A Naloxone 'Take Home' training programme was introduced last year and there are currently eight prisoners awaiting training. Seventy-four prisoners have been trained since October 2012. This has been a success, as have new arrangements for overcoming testing difficulties, re-instating the addiction clinic, promoting attendance at conversation cafes and information days provided for families and prisoners. (Paragraph 33.4)

Good Practice 18: Prisoners who engage with addiction services are encouraged to attend a Harm Reduction Group prior to release to support sustained recovery on liberation. Community-based services are also invited into the prison before the prisoners' liberation dates in order to improve engagement with community support systems. (Paragraph 33.7)

Acronyms

ABS Anti-Bullying Strategy

ACT 2 Care Scottish Prison Service suicide prevention strategy

AHP Allied Health Professional

BBV Bloodborne Virus

BICS British Institute of Cleaning Science

CARE Completing Anger, Regulating Emotions

CCTV Close Circuit Television

CGF Common Good Fund

CIP Community Integration Plan

C&R Control and Restraint

COSHH Control of Substances Hazardous to Health

CSCS Construction Sector Certificate of Skills

CSRA Cell Sharing Risk Assessment

ECR Electronic Control Room

ECS Emergency Core Summary

EEDA Exceptional Escorted Day's Absence

EPIC Electric Power in Cell

ePOS electronic Point of Sale

EPR Electronic Patient Record

ESOL English for Speakers of Other Languages

FCO Family Contact Officer

FLM First Line Manager

FNC First Night in Custody

GPA Generic Programme Assessment

HMP Her Majesty's Prison

ICC Internal Complaints Committee

IMU Intelligence Management Unit

LAB Labour Allocation Board

LSCMI & SA07 risk assessment tools

MAPPA Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements

MDMHT Multi-Disciplinary Mental Health Team

NPA National Progression Awards

OLR Order of Lifelong Restriction

OMU Offender Management Unit

PAT Portable Appliance Testing

PBSW Prison Based Social Worker

PCF Prisoner Complaint Form

PCMB Programme Case Management Board

PEEP Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan

PIAC Prisoner Information Action Committee

PSS Prisoner Supervision System

PT Physical Training

PTI Physical Training Instructor

REHIS Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland

RMCC Risk Management Case Conference

RMT Risk Management Team

SMART Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timebound

SPSO Scottish Public Services Ombudsman

SROBP Substance Related Offending Behaviour Programme

SRU Separation and Reintegration Unit

SVQ Scottish Vocational Qualification

TTCG Tactical Tasking Co-ordination Group

WTE Whole Time Equivalent

YOI Young Offenders Institution

Inspection Team

David Strang, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons

Margaret Brown, Deputy Chief Inspector of Prisons

Tony Martin, Inspector of Prisons

Alan Forman, Business Manager

David Thomson, Healthcare Inspector, Healthcare Improvement Scotland

Andrew Brawley, Education Inspector, Education Scotland

Karen Corbett, Education Inspector, Education Scotland

Juliet McAlpine, Education Inspector, Education Scotland

Gillian Walker, Guest Inspector

Naveel Saleemi, Guest Inspector

00440710.pdf

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Report on HMP Edinburgh - Full Inspection, 9-18 September 2013

Executive Summary

Contents

Letter

Introduction and Background

Key Facts

HM Chief Inspector's Overview

Part 1: Safety

Part 2: Decency, Humanity and Respect for Legal Rights

Part 3. Opportunities for Self-Improvement and Access to Services and Activities

Recommendations

Good Practice

Acronyms

Inspection Team