Prison
Cat B/C local
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Thameside
IMB Annual Report 2023 · Published 22 November 2023
HMP Thameside, a local Category B/C prison, maintained a safe environment despite a high remand population and gang-related challenges, though prisoner-on-prisoner assaults increased. The transition to a new healthcare provider was problematic, negatively affecting prisoner access to care, and issues with property management and resettlement support persist. The Board also noted ongoing concerns regarding the effectiveness of the key worker scheme, in-cell computer systems, and delays in mental health transfers.
Positive Findings
The prison continues to be managed with greater effectiveness, purpose, and openness, and efforts are made to raise staff morale through initiatives like 'Stars of the Week'. The Board welcomes the focus on improving the cell bell system through regular monitoring and repairs. The Quality Assurance department processes complaints in a timely manner with improving response quality, and the Diversity and Equality team has significantly improved procedures for Discrimination Incident Reporting Forms. The Employment Hub's work is recognised, and the gym closure rate has decreased.
Key Concerns
Mental Health
Repeated
The transfer of mentally ill prisoners to a secure hospital setting continues to be a problem, with transfers exceeding the 28-day limit.
Resettlement/Release
Repeated
Prisoners are disadvantaged due to shortfalls in probation provision, especially in the London area.
Resettlement/Release
Repeated
There is a shortfall in adequate resettlement support and guidance, such as housing and employment for prisoners being released.
Complaints/Property
Repeated
The management and transfer of prison property is still a major problem, with the Prisoner Property Policy Framework having little impact due to lack of a digitalised process.
Education/Purposeful Activity
Repeated
The management of the education contract is concerning, as the education provider has severely underperformed and the 'wider review of education contracts' has failed to drive improvement.
Healthcare
Repeated
The management of the changeover of healthcare provider has been unacceptable and impacted negatively on prisoners’ ability to access adequate healthcare.
Other
Repeated
IMBs in contracted out prisons do not have access to the same resources as public sector colleagues, including full access to NOMIS, which is still not resolved.
Complaints/Property
Repeated
Ineffective processes/procedures for handling prisoner property within the prison lead to loss and high complaint levels.
Safety
Repeated
The cell bell system needs improvement in answering times, and strategies are needed to deter misuse.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Repeated
The key worker scheme needs improvement to ensure more effective and meaningful contact between prisoners and key workers.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Repeated
Continued deficiencies of on-wing CMS have a major impact on prisoners’ lives and access to services.
Equality/Diversity
A more focused analysis of data is needed to investigate possible discrimination of particular ethnic groups disproportionately represented in CSU, adjudications, use of force, and incentive scheme downgrading.
Other
IT accessibility for new IMB members is problematic, with the setup process taking too long.
Board Commentary
Staffing
HMP Thameside continues to experience staff shortages and high turnover, operating with low numbers and a high percentage of inexperienced officers despite continuous recruitment. While 224 new officers joined, less than half remain, with 189 staff leaving. By August 2023, the prison was fully staffed for the first time in seven years, though over half have less than two years' experience, which hinders constructive staff-prisoner relations and is exacerbated by cross-deployment and regime curtailments.
Healthcare
The standard of healthcare at HMP Thameside remains lower than in the community, with significant concerns highlighted during the reporting year due to a problematic changeover from Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust to Practice Plus Group. The transition was not smooth, affecting staffing levels and continuity of care. Recruitment of permanent staff has been slow, existing clinical staff are often late or absent, and administrative issues like appointments and complaints handling persist, mirroring concerns from previous years regarding medication and communication.
Regime & Daily Life
Despite returning to a less restrictive post-Covid regime, the hours prisoners spend unlocked are fewer than pre-pandemic. Access to the gym for full-time workers remains unresolved and unfair. Persistent deficiencies in the on-wing CMS systems and frequent breakdowns of wing kiosks severely impact prisoners' ability to access essential services like visits, healthcare, education, and canteen. Additionally, lifts in both houseblocks are frequently out of action, limiting access for prisoners with mobility issues.
Applications to the IMB
Prisoners can apply to their IMB about any aspect of their treatment. This table shows application counts by category.
| Category | Current | Previous | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property during transfer | 22 | 35 | |
| Property within the establishment | 46 | 35 |
Recommendations (14)
Other: 3
HMPPS: 5
Governor / Director: 6
12 repeated
Recommendation 1
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
We urge the Minister to look at the problem of transferring mentally ill prisoners to a secure hospital setting again, as the establishment of the Transfer Time Limit Working Group (TTLWG) has not improved the situation for mentally ill prisoners at HMP Thameside.
Other
(minister)
Mental Health Transfers
Response
The establishment of the Transfer Time Limit Working Group (TTLWG) will ensure that transfers take place safely within 28 days
Recommendation 2
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
We ask the Minister to address the shortfalls in probation provision, despite the promised increase in probation staffing, especially in the London area.
Other
(minister)
Probation Provision
Response
More staff recruited, especially in London. Procedures in place to improve recruitment and retention of staff
Recommendation 3
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
We ask the Minister to ensure there is adequate resettlement support and guidance, such as housing and employment, for prisoners being released, as such support is known to reduce recidivism.
Other
(minister)
Resettlement Support
Response
Award contracts to providers of accommodation for sentenced prisoners. Have embedded probation provision in all resettlement prisons to provide services for both sentenced and remand prisoners, and include screening for resettlement needs.
Recommendation 4
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
We urge HMPPS to review the Prisoner Property Policy Framework of September 2022, as the management and transfer of prison property is still a major problem and the framework has had little or no impact due to the lack of a digitalised process.
HMPPS
Prisoner Property
Response
A new Prisoners’ Property Policy Framework published in September 2022 will ensure greater direction and standardisation on a national basis.
Recommendation 5
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The Board remains concerned regarding the management of the education contract and that the ‘wider review of education contracts’ in private prisons has failed to drive the improvement promised, despite the education provider having severely underperformed.
HMPPS
Education
Response
Wider review of education contracts in privately managed prisons
Recommendation 6
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The Board has been concerned regarding the management of the changeover of healthcare provider; while recognising some disruption was inevitable, the level of disruption has been greater than expected and unacceptable, impacting negatively on prisoners’ ability to access adequate healthcare.
HMPPS
Healthcare
Response
No response regarding the healthcare contract
Recommendation 7
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The Board has yet to see improvements resulting from the restructuring of resources and the introduction of the Community Rehabilitation Service aimed at improving resettlement services for prisoners, both remand and sentenced.
HMPPS
Resettlement Services
Recommendation 8
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Please can those in HMPPS with responsibility for contracted out prisons ensure that all IMBs in those prisons have access to the same resources as our colleagues in the public sector, as there is much discrepancy and full access to NOMIS has been an issue for a number of years and is still not fully resolved.
HMPPS
IMB Resources/Access
Recommendation 9
Repeated
Develop effective processes/procedures to ensure that prisoner property within the prison is handled effectively and efficiently to minimise loss (see 5.7 and 5.8).
Governor / Director
Prisoner Property
Recommendation 10
Repeated
Continue to scrutinise cell bell data to improve answering times. Consider strategies to deter prisoners who repeatedly mis-use the cell bell system.
Governor / Director
Safety/Cell Bells
Recommendation 11
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Improve the key worker scheme to ensure that the contact between prisoners and key workers is more effective and meaningful (see 5.3.4).
Governor / Director
Regime/Staff-Prisoner Relations
Recommendation 12
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Address the continued deficiencies of on wing CMS which have a major impact on prisoners’ lives.
Governor / Director
Regime/Accommodation
Recommendation 13
Conduct more focused analysis of data collected across all departments to investigate the possible discrimination of particular ethnic groups who may be disproportionally represented in the CSU, adjudications, use of force (UoF) and incentive scheme downgrading (see 5.4).
Governor / Director
Equality
Recommendation 14
The Board continues to have issues with IT accessibility for new members. The process for setting up new members with IT access is not transparent, involves a number of stages and invariably takes far too long – four to six weeks for some of our recent members.
Governor / Director
IMB Operations
Other IMB Reports for Thameside
PPO Fatal Incidents
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman fatal incident investigations for this establishment.
Prevention of Future Deaths Reports
Coroner PFD reports issued to this establishment.