Prison
Cat YOI women's closed
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Foston Hall
IMB Annual Report 2022 · Published 23 March 2023
HMP/YOI Foston Hall faced significant challenges in the reporting year, primarily due to acute staff shortages which severely impacted the regime, leading to frequent curtailments and long periods of cell confinement. Key concerns included high levels of self-harm and violence, inadequate accommodation, and slow progress in healthcare provision and resettlement outcomes. Despite these difficulties, the Board commended staff dedication and noted some improvements, such as the opening of better quality accommodation and enhanced chaplaincy services.
Positive Findings
The Board noted significant improvements, including the opening of better quality B wing accommodation and closure of temporary G wing. Positive initiatives include enhanced chaplaincy services and a new resettlement worker, improved library and education courses, and better use of body worn cameras. The Board commended staff for their commitment during staffing pressures, especially officers, chaplaincy, CSU, kitchen, and healthcare teams.
Key Concerns
Mental Health
Repeated
Women with mental health issues and complex needs, including substance misuse, who would be better treated in the health rather than the criminal justice system continue to be sent to Foston Hall. There are delays in transferring prisoners to secure hospital.
Overcrowding
The Board remains concerned that the government plan for 500 new prison places for women contradicts the female offender strategy (June 2018), which sets out a vision that custody should be a last resort, reserved for the most serious offences.
Staffing
Repeated
A severe staff shortage, which continues to have a major impact on all aspects of the regime provided to prisoners at Foston Hall, and which is detrimental to their wellbeing and the fairness of their treatment.
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
The inadequate accommodation for the provision of healthcare and rehabilitative work, and the shortcomings of the residential accommodation in D wing and CSU, all of which limit the regime.
Segregation
The lack of satisfactory accommodation for prisoners who need to be isolated but whose behaviour does not warrant location in the CSU, for example prisoners needing to be segregated for their own protection, or transgender prisoners awaiting a decision on allocation; currently the CSU is the only option.
Safety
Repeated
The continued high level of self-harm.
Safety
Delays in investigating challenge, support and intervention plan (CSIP) referrals, and the high number resulting in no further action.
Mental Health
Repeated
Limited access to Listeners, resulting in a significant increase in phone calls to the Samaritans.
Safety
Repeated
The number of violent incidents, especially prisoner to prisoner.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Repeated
The high number of regime curtailments due to staffing issues.
Other
Repeated
Delays in prisoners accessing property.
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
The frequent and lengthy delays in repairing/replacing washing machines, which has an unacceptable impact on the laundry arrangements for prisoners. Several maintenance and repair tasks are taking far too long to resolve.
Equality/Diversity
Repeated
Lack of support for foreign national prisoners, and prisoners with protected characteristics.
Equality/Diversity
Repeated
Slow progress on equalities, hampered by lack of data analysis, preventing systematic monitoring of outcomes for prisoners with protected characteristics.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
The suspension of consistent and regular planned contacts by key workers, in line with offender management in custody requirements, thereby reducing rehabilitative and support work with prisoners.
Healthcare
The high number of missed primary care appointments.
Healthcare
The cancellation of hospital appointments due to lack of available escorts, and late arrival of escort vehicles and the wrong type of vehicle.
Healthcare
Repeated
The lack of available clinical staff at night-time on occasion.
Equality/Diversity
Carers for disabled prisoners who need help to prepare for bed are unable to enter the establishment after 7pm.
Education/Purposeful Activity
Education delivery being seriously impacted by operational staff shortages and regime restrictions.
Education/Purposeful Activity
The limited access to the library.
Education/Purposeful Activity
Lack of access for disabled prisoners to some education classes.
Resettlement/Release
Repeated
Poor employment and accommodation outcomes for prisoners on release.
Board Commentary
Staffing
Considerable staffing pressures have arisen from difficulties with officer retention, especially in early service, combined with vacancies. These pressures are severely compounded by unplanned hospital escorts and bed watches. At the end of November, there was a 20% shortfall in prison officers, with 23% having under two years' experience. The capacity for key worker sessions was also severely compromised due to these shortages, leading to their deprioritisation.
Healthcare
Healthcare providers have worked hard to recruit and retain staff, reducing reliance on agency workers. However, staffing pressures impacted service provision, occasionally leading to the absence of a qualified night nurse and cancellation of appointments. There are concerns about high numbers of missed prisoner appointments and the prison's capacity to escort prisoners to external hospital visits. The level of unmet mental health need upon arrival is stark, with transfers to secure hospitals often exceeding the 10-day target.
Regime & Daily Life
The reintroduction of a fuller regime was welcomed post-Covid, but acute staff shortages frequently imposed further restrictions, especially later in the year. This meant prisoners often had limited work, education, and exercise, leading to long periods locked in their cells, sometimes up to 23 hours a day. The Board considered these restrictions to be inhumane and a serious concern impacting prisoner welfare and fairness of treatment. The regime has not yet returned to normal.
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 transfers) | 45 | 38 | |
| Complaints about staff | 18 | 26 | |
| Drugs and alcohol | 5 | 6 | |
| Equality and diversity | 8 | 3 | |
| Finance | 7 | 13 | |
| Food | 11 | 14 | |
| Health (including mental health & dental) | 25 | 23 | |
| Other | 16 | 18 | |
| Property | 21 | 30 | |
| Respect and dignity | 16 | 15 | |
| Safety and self-harm | 17 | 20 | |
| Total | 206 | 220 | |
| Visits (including legal, family & official) | 8 | 7 | |
| Work, education and training | 9 | 7 |
Recommendations (23)
Other: 2
HMPPS: 3
Governor / Director: 18
13 repeated
Recommendation 1
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Women with mental health issues and complex needs, including substance misuse, who would be better treated in the health rather than the criminal justice system continue to be sent to Foston Hall. There are delays in transferring prisoners to secure hospital. Are there plans to address these concerns? (See paragraphs 6.3.3, 6.3.5)
Other
(minister)
Mental Health
Response
New fortnightly clinical case review meeting, target covering the Midlands region, to reduce transfer times, assessing all prisoners that have exceeded 28-day time frame. The transfer to hospital target timescale has been missed on 10 occasions out of 36 this year.
Recommendation 2
The Board remains concerned that the government plan for 500 new prison places for women contradicts the female offender strategy (June 2018), which sets out a vision that custody should be a last resort, reserved for the most serious offences.
Other
(minister)
Policy
Recommendation 3
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
A severe staff shortage, which continues to have a major impact on all aspects of the regime provided to prisoners at Foston Hall, and which is detrimental to their wellbeing and the fairness of their treatment? (A theme throughout this annual report, notably paragraph 6.5.2)
HMPPS
Staffing
Response
April 2022 regime expanded. Level transfer campaigns to fill vacancies. Prison officer entry-level training mentors appointed to help with retention, and standards coaching team offering staff support.
Recommendation 4
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The inadequate accommodation for the provision of healthcare and rehabilitative work, and the shortcomings of the residential accommodation in D wing and CSU, all of which limit the regime? (See paragraphs 5.1.1 and 6.1.6)
HMPPS
Estate
Response
Redecoration has improved the appearance of some cells. The limitations of the accommodation remain the same. A bid to replace the showers has been successful. A bid has been submitted for additional space for healthcare. Mental health accommodation has improved since the team moved back into their offices. But overall, there is insufficient space for the clinical work on a one-to-one or groupwork basis, and health promotion activities have been held back, partly due to lack of space. Renovation has been completed. New physical education (PE) slot on Mondays and plans to improve exercise yard. Education outreach provided to CSU prisoners. Despite improvements from refurbishment, the area is still cramped and a poor environment. A new build remains the longer-term solution.
Recommendation 5
The lack of satisfactory accommodation for prisoners who need to be isolated but whose behaviour does not warrant location in the CSU, for example prisoners needing to be segregated for their own protection, or transgender prisoners awaiting a decision on allocation; currently the CSU is the only option? (See paragraph 5.2.2)
HMPPS
Segregation
Recommendation 6
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The continued high level of self-harm (see paragraph 4.2.1)
Governor / Director
Safety
Response
Reduction in self-harm strategy published. Case coordinator support sessions. New CSIP improvement processes. Incentives policy reviewed. Weekly PE for assessment for care in custody teamwork (ACCT) prisoners. Focus on training staff to use body worn cameras. Self-harm levels remain high (the highest in the women’s estate). Use of force has seen a decrease, and some improvement in use of body worn cameras has been seen. Assaults on staff have come down during the period, but prisoner-on-prisoner assaults have gone up.
Recommendation 7
Delays in investigating challenge, support and intervention plan (CSIP) referrals, and the high number resulting in no further action (see paragraph 4.3.6)
Governor / Director
Safety
Recommendation 8
Repeated
Limited access to Listeners, resulting in a significant increase in phone calls to the Samaritans (see paragraph 4.2.4)
Governor / Director
Mental Health
Recommendation 9
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The number of violent incidents, especially prisoner to prisoner (see paragraph 4.3.3)
Governor / Director
Safety
Response
Reduction in self-harm strategy published. Case coordinator support sessions. New CSIP improvement processes. Incentives policy reviewed. Weekly PE for assessment for care in custody teamwork (ACCT) prisoners. Focus on training staff to use body worn cameras. Self-harm levels remain high (the highest in the women’s estate). Use of force has seen a decrease, and some improvement in use of body worn cameras has been seen. Assaults on staff have come down during the period, but prisoner-on-prisoner assaults have gone up.
Recommendation 10
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The high number of regime curtailments due to staffing issues (see paragraph 6.5.2)
Governor / Director
Regime
Response
April 2022 regime expanded. Level transfer campaigns to fill vacancies. Prison officer entry-level training mentors appointed to help with retention, and standards coaching team offering staff support. Despite considerable efforts to improve the staffing situation, it has deteriorated during the year, with increasing number of regime restrictions.
Recommendation 11
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Delays in prisoners accessing property (see paragraph 5.8.1)
Governor / Director
Other
Response
Process is being reviewed. Access to stored property is completed on a Saturday, and parcels completed daily. New national property framework, and new women’s facility list. Prisoners continue to report problems in relation to property. In a recent survey conducted by IMB, 62% of prisoners who responded said they had problems accessing their property.
Recommendation 12
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The frequent and lengthy delays in repairing/replacing washing machines, which has an unacceptable impact on the laundry arrangements for prisoners. Several maintenance and repair tasks are taking far too long to resolve (see paragraphs 5.1.3, 5.1.4)
Governor / Director
Estate
Response
Ministry of Justice estates team in regular contact with contractors to identify delays and how they can be resolved. Locally, issues are escalated to regional estates manager, and performance improvement process is available. Improvement in tackling backlog of repairs by on-site team (504 jobs reduced to 168). However, Amey team in the establishment has less than 50% staffing, and many repairs outstanding. Unacceptable delays in repairs involving Amey based outside the establishment.
Recommendation 13
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Lack of support for foreign national prisoners, and prisoners with protected characteristics (see paragraph 5.4.2, 5.4.3)
Governor / Director
Equality
Response
Work underway on equalities strategy. Programme of forums is established. Views of Black, Asian or minority ethnic prisoners expressed in two support groups remain critical. Support groups for prisoners suspended for some months and lack of follow-through on issues raised.
Recommendation 14
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Slow progress on equalities, hampered by lack of data analysis, preventing systematic monitoring of outcomes for prisoners with protected characteristics (see paragraphs 4.3.5, 5.4.1, 6.1.9, 7.1.4)
Governor / Director
Equality
Response
Work underway on equalities strategy. Programme of forums is established. Views of Black, Asian or minority ethnic prisoners expressed in two support groups remain critical. Support groups for prisoners suspended for some months and lack of follow-through on issues raised.
Recommendation 15
The suspension of consistent and regular planned contacts by key workers, in line with offender management in custody requirements, thereby reducing rehabilitative and support work with prisoners (see paragraph 5.3.4)
Governor / Director
Regime
Recommendation 16
The high number of missed primary care appointments (see paragraphs 6.1.2, 6.2.5)
Governor / Director
Healthcare
Recommendation 17
The cancellation of hospital appointments due to lack of available escorts, and late arrival of escort vehicles and the wrong type of vehicle (see paragraph 6.2.4)
Governor / Director
Healthcare
Recommendation 18
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The lack of available clinical staff at night-time on occasion (see paragraph 6.2.3)
Governor / Director
Healthcare
Response
Healthcare team has worked persistently to fill vacant posts. Difficulties in recruiting agency staff have been recently resolved. Cover for nights by a trained nurse has been a concern, and a pharmacy technician was trained in life support to cover night duty. Over the year to date, 11 nights have been covered by a healthcare assistant, and, of these, six occurred due to last-minute cancellations by agency staff.
Recommendation 19
Carers for disabled prisoners who need help to prepare for bed are unable to enter the establishment after 7pm (see paragraph 6.4.3)
Governor / Director
Equality
Recommendation 20
Education delivery being seriously impacted by operational staff shortages and regime restrictions (see paragraph 7.1.1)
Governor / Director
Education
Recommendation 21
The limited access to the library (see paragraph 7.1.10)
Governor / Director
Education
Recommendation 22
Lack of access for disabled prisoners to some education classes (see paragraph 7.1.5)
Governor / Director
Education
Recommendation 23
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Poor employment and accommodation outcomes for prisoners on release (see paragraphs 7.2.2, 7.5.2)
Governor / Director
Resettlement
Response
There is a shortage of bail accommodation support scheme (BASS) housing for women in Derby and women not wanting to be released elsewhere away from families and significant others. In September 2022, two new BASS premises opened in Derby. The latest data shows approximately one fifth of prisoners are released without a settled address, although the lack of reliable data from probation areas means it has proved difficult to establish the extent. Data cleansing in partnership with probation has led to more reliable data from August onwards.
Other IMB Reports for Foston Hall
HMIP Inspections
Recent inspections by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for this establishment.
13 Jan 2025
Unannounced
PPO Fatal Incidents
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman fatal incident investigations for this establishment.