Prison
Cat C
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Channings Wood
IMB Annual Report 2022 · Published 23 January 2023
HMP Channings Wood reported a largely settled year (Sept 2021-Aug 2022) despite a gradual return to a near-normal regime after Covid-19 restrictions. While self-harm incidents reduced by 17% and total assaults remained similar to the previous year, the use of force increased by 27%. Key concerns highlighted include the persistent challenges in mental healthcare, specifically accessing specialist placements, the ongoing issue of lost prisoner property during transfers, and the ineffectiveness of the key worker scheme in supporting sentence progression. The Board commended efforts in E&D, chaplaincy, and health and wellbeing initiatives while noting that many cells and showers need refurbishment.
Positive Findings
The Board notes HMP Channings Wood remained largely settled, attributing this to strong leadership, staff commitment, and prisoner tolerance. Overall, the prison provides a largely safe environment, with proportionate use of force. Healthcare delivery maintained a reasonable standard despite staff changes, with mental health referral processes working well and commendable initiatives like THREADS and Outside the Box. Equality and diversity provision has become more embedded and chaplaincy support remains strong. Resettlement arrangements are good, with positive developments like new employment hubs and family contact. The Board also commended the well-organised induction programme for new arrivals and improved processes for healthcare complaints.
Key Concerns
Mental Health
Repeated
The persistent difficulty in providing adequate care for prisoners with complex mental health needs, especially those requiring placements in specialist secure accommodation.
Resettlement/Release
Repeated
The ongoing failure of the Prison Service to ensure reliable delivery of prisoners’ property, particularly during transfers, causing significant frustration.
Staffing
The key worker system is insufficient and ineffective, failing to support sentence progression and with low prisoner awareness/engagement.
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
Many cells and showers require refurbishment, and residential services overall remain variable in quality.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Repeated
Prisoners arriving late on a Friday report a significantly poorer induction experience.
Safety
HMIP's finding that self-harm incidents at Channings Wood are above the average for comparator prisons, despite a reduction in total incidents this year.
Complaints/Property
The Board is concerned that information regarding men who are self-isolating is not always made available to members on their visits.
Mental Health
Waiting times to access mental health group work often extend to several months.
Resettlement/Release
The time taken for prisoners who are recategorised as category D to be transferred, due to the acute lack of capacity in other establishments.
Board Commentary
Staffing
Staffing levels across the prison, particularly in healthcare and education, faced challenges due to high turnover, sickness, and recruitment difficulties, leading to reliance on agency staff and additional hours for existing staff. The Board noted that operational staff shortages often hindered prisoners' attendance at education and work. A significant concern is the key worker scheme, which, despite having allocated workers for over 90% of prisoners, falls short in delivery; a qualitative survey found 60% of prisoners were unaware of or had not met their key worker, and sessions are at only 5.46% of target.
Healthcare
Healthcare services, provided by Practice Plus Group, generally maintained a reasonable standard despite staff turnover and Covid-19 challenges. However, access to routine GP appointments could involve waiting times of up to 14 days, though urgent cases were prioritised. Dental waiting lists fluctuated but were currently around 10 weeks, with emergency care accessible. Mental health services faced challenging demand, with waiting times for group work extending to several months, and a persistent difficulty in securing transfers for acutely unwell prisoners to specialist secure units, often leading to them being held in segregation.
Regime & Daily Life
The reporting period was characterized by a stop/start transition from the Exceptional Delivery Model, with a "near-normal" regime achieved by late July. Time out of cell and purposeful activity were significantly reduced during Covid-19 restrictions, though the senior management aimed to maximize these. Mealtimes returned to evening service but are often early. As restrictions eased, the gym and sports hall timetable was revised to reward engagement in purposeful activity, offering enhanced prisoners more sessions than those in work or education, and significantly more than non-working prisoners.
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 | |
| Adjudications | 18 | 13 | |
| Family contact/visits | 14 | 11 | |
| Health (physical and mental) | 39 | 28 | |
| Offending behaviour programmes | 4 | 3 | |
| Other | 5 | 6 | |
| Property | 48 | 33 | |
| Segregation | 11 | 9 | |
| Staff/prisoner relationships | 34 | 27 | |
| Total | 227 | 175 | |
| Work/education/purposeful activity | 9 | 7 |
Recommendations (6)
Ministry of Justice: 2
HMPPS: 2
Governor / Director: 2
4 repeated
Recommendation 1
With the increasing levels of concern expressed over the provision of mental health services, what will the Minister do to help the Prison Service deal with the growing number of prisoners with complex mental health conditions, especially those requiring placements in specialist secure accommodation?
Ministry of Justice
Mental Health
Recommendation 2
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Prisoners arriving late on a Friday report a significantly poorer induction experience than those arriving during the core working week. What will the Prison Service do to minimise the number of routine planned transfers taking place on a Friday?
HMPPS
Regime
Recommendation 3
Given current resource levels, what plans does the Governor have to implement an effective key worker system over the coming 12 months?
Governor / Director
Staffing
Recommendation 4
Repeated
Prev. addressed
What measures are planned to address the backlog in the provision of offending behaviour programmes? What is being done in order to minimise the detrimental effect on men awaiting courses prior to parole board hearings while at the same time ensuring that public safety requirements are met?
Ministry of Justice
Education
Response
It is acknowledged the delivery of Offending Behaviour Programmes (OBPs) suffered during the reporting period and this was primarily due to a focus on delivering Exceptional Delivery Models (EDMs) during the pandemic in accordance with national guidance. The staffing situation at the prison has significantly improved, however, it is important to note that this did not impact on the delivery of programmes as the prison’s OBPs team has always been fully resourced.
Recommendation 5
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Why are the Prison Service and its contractors unable to manage the efficient and secure movement and storage of prisoners’ property, particularly during transfers? The loss of personal items causes a great deal of frustration and unhappiness for the individuals concerned that often detracts from their ability to settle. The costs to the Prison Service in replacing lost items must be significant.
HMPPS
Resettlement
Response
Further to last years’ response, there was a pause in the development of the new Prisoners’ Property Policy Framework due to Covid-19. Following further extensive consultation and feedback, adjustments to the new Prisoners’ Property Policy Framework have been made. The Framework is currently going through the necessary clearance processes and will be published as soon as those processes are concluded and is expected by the Summer. Note: Issued 01 August 2022.
Recommendation 6
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
What can be done to ensure that men arriving at Channings Wood late on a Friday receive the same level of support during the reception process as those arriving during the working week?
Governor / Director
Regime
Response
The Governor has stated that he has no control over the late arrival of new receptions, as this is run by a contracted service provider. However, under a reprofiling exercise the establishment have extended the opening times of reception to ensure sufficient staff are available. In addition peer mentors are provided and additional staff have been identified for the induction units. There is no prospect of admin staff working longer on a Friday though.
Other IMB Reports for Channings Wood
PPO Fatal Incidents
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman fatal incident investigations for this establishment.