Prison
Cat Category B
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Forest Bank
IMB Annual Report 2022 · Published 30 March 2023
HMP Forest Bank transitioned to a reception and resettlement prison, facing challenges from Covid-19 impacts and staff shortages, though a comprehensive reform programme has since improved conditions. Violence and self-harm levels began to decrease, and purposeful activity, alongside time out of cell, increased significantly by the end of the reporting period. While healthcare provision maintained a good standard, mental health transfer waiting times remained a significant concern.
Positive Findings
The Board welcomes the swift intervention following an HMPPS improvement notice, including the appointment of a new director and an extensive refurbishment programme leading to significant improvements in living conditions and the prison regime. Levels of violence and self-harm have started to decrease in recent months. Healthcare provision has maintained a good standard with all internal services resumed, and there is a strong, dedicated substance misuse team. The enhanced activity of the security team has made the prison safer, and the staff-prisoner relationship remains positive overall. There have also been significant improvements in social visits and resettlement planning, with 96% of scheduled releases offered employment.
Key Concerns
Overcrowding
Ongoing pressure on HMP Forest Bank to make space for the large number of prisoners arriving from court each weekday so that prisoners do not need to be diverted to other prisons outside the area.
Mental Health
Repeated
The transfer of prisoners to hospital under the Mental Health Act does not occur within Department of Health guidance timescales, leading to detrimental impact on prisoners’ mental health.
Healthcare
Lack of adequate resourcing to provide for a staffed inpatient unit and further therapeutic services as part of the new healthcare contract.
Education/Purposeful Activity
The education curriculum is not aligned with prisoners’ needs and demographics, and there is a lack of breadth in course offerings.
Safety
Levels of violence, particularly in-cell violence, remain too high, and young adults (18-25) are disproportionately involved.
Estate/Conditions
Shower facilities are of a poor standard, with inadequate drainage and a lack of privacy for prisoners.
Staffing
The key worker scheme is struggling due to ongoing staff shortages, resulting in staff being unable to conduct quality, person-centred sessions and many prisoners not knowing their key worker.
Complaints/Property
Property issues continue to be a concern, with complaints about missing property, especially when prisoners are moved within the prison.
Board Commentary
Staffing
Almost a quarter of staff had been employed for a year or less, and staff absences continued for a considerable time. The key worker scheme is struggling due to ongoing staff shortages, making it difficult for staff to conduct quality, person-centred sessions. Many prisoners could not identify their key worker or recall their last session. Low staffing levels in the property department impacted efficiency, and inadequacy in healthcare staffing led to delays in prisoner access to facilities, though the Director agreed to prioritise healthcare staffing.
Healthcare
Prisoners' health and wellbeing needs are generally met, with a positive standard of healthcare provision and all internal services resumed. Prisoners can now use kiosks to make appointments. However, there are long waiting times for external NHS appointments and Mental Health Act transfers to hospital, which are deemed too long and detrimental. The inpatient unit remained poor, with a lack of clinical leadership, continuous nursing presence, and therapeutic activities, although time out of cell for patients has increased. Mental health services provide assessment and support for common and severe mental health needs, including case management for neurodiversity, and there is a strong substance misuse team.
Regime & Daily Life
At the start of the reporting period, Covid-19 restrictions led to prisoners being locked up for 23 hours a day with little purposeful activity. However, with the easing of restrictions, the prison has seen a significant improvement in living conditions and the regime, with prisoners spending an average of 6.5 hours out of cell by October 2022, up from one hour during Covid. There is a concerted focus on increasing purposeful activity, with an average of 15.85 hours per week by October 2022, aiming for 18 hours. The gym is fully operational, and a new fitness hub is opening. Four workshops are fully operational, and social visits have returned to pre-Covid levels.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation, including laundry, clothing, ablutions | 9 | 3 | |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogue(s) | 0 | 6 | |
| Discipline, including adjudications, incentives scheme, sanctions | 2 | 3 | |
| Equality | 5 | 1 | |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 7 | 0 | |
| Food and kitchens | 6 | 4 | |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 57 | 47 | |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection restrictions | 16 | 15 | |
| Miscellaneous, including complaints system | 67 | 29 | |
| Property during transfer or in another establishment or location | 7 | 9 | |
| Property within this establishment | 28 | 32 | |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, library, regime, time out of cell | 14 | 7 | |
| Sentence management, including HDC, release on temporary licence, parole, release dates, re-categorisation | 1 | 1 | — |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 19 | 36 | |
| Total number of applications | 238 | 197 | |
| Transfers | 0 | 4 |
Recommendations (4)
Ministry of Justice: 2
HMPPS: 1
Governor / Director: 1
1 repeated
Recommendation 1
What measures will you take to ease the ongoing pressure on HMP Forest Bank to make space for the large number of prisoners arriving from court each weekday so that prisoners do not need to be diverted to other prisons outside the area?
Ministry of Justice
Overcrowding
Recommendation 2
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
What measures will you take to ensure that the transfer of prisoners to hospital under the Mental Health Act occurs within the Department of Health guidance timescales?
Ministry of Justice
Mental Health
Response
The IMB notes that this recommendation was not accepted by HMP Forest Bank on the basis that although the prison supports the transfer of patients to hospital under the Mental Health Act in a timely manner, the lack of available beds falls outside of HMP Forest Bank’s control.
Recommendation 3
Can you provide reassurance that adequate resourcing will be made available to provide for a staffed inpatient unit and further therapeutic services as part of the contract bid made by Spectrum and their provision of regulated activities at HMP Forest Bank from April 2023?
HMPPS
Healthcare
Recommendation 4
With the appointment of a new head of education, skills and work, as of January 2023, can the Director give assurance that a curriculum more aligned with prisoners’ needs will be implemented?
Governor / Director
Education
Other IMB Reports for Forest Bank
HMIP Inspections
Recent inspections by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for this establishment.
9 Dec 2024
Unannounced
Safety: 2
Respect: 3
Activity: 2
Release: 3
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.