Prison
Cat C
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Oakwood
IMB Annual Report 2022 · Published 2 August 2022
HMP Oakwood has faced challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, leading to a restricted regime, but the Board commends staff and management for their commitment and efforts in maintaining safety and humane treatment. Key concerns include persistent delays in transfers to mental health facilities and Category D prisons, a poorly regarded education service, and issues with prisoner property and the complaints system. The Board also highlights a significant decline in successful accommodation referrals for released prisoners.
Positive Findings
The IMB commends the Director, SMT, and all staff for their exemplary commitment and meticulous management of the Covid-19 pandemic, maintaining a generally safe environment and humane treatment for prisoners. Reception and induction processes are warm and effective. CSU staff are praised for their professional and supportive approach, and prisoner orderlies for their work. The prison is congratulated for its work on equalities and the chaplaincy team for their excellent support. Ash and Douglas house blocks are also commended for positive prisoner activities.
Key Concerns
Safety
following the retirement of the Coroner in the Staffordshire area, it has not been informed of impending inquests. This has had a direct impact on the ability of the Board to monitor any recommendations within the prison.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Repeated
the transfer of prisoners’ property across the prison estate still remains a concern. ... after three years this framework has not yet been published
Resettlement/Release
the change in arrangements for resettlement has created a service that is not of a good quality for prisoners in some areas, in particular the outsourcing of accommodation support. Housing referrals now go to the charity Nacro but there appear to be problems in obtaining accommodation... only achieving a 40-50% success rate in comparison to the 96% recorded by the CRC.
Resettlement/Release
delays in transferring prisoners to category D open accommodation. ... the waiting list for category D at the end of the reporting period was 84.
Mental Health
delays in transferring prisoners to mental health establishments where the prisoner is deemed to have a severe mental health need.
Education/Purposeful Activity
the education service from Novus is not viewed positively by prisoners and the small survey undertaken (see appendix A) demonstrates that communication and access to courses is not as it should be.
Food/Catering
prisoners in the servery not wearing the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and clothing.
Food/Catering
the quality, quantity and variety of the food provided and the ensuing waste that results, and that the food is not always tested for serving at the correct temperature. There is also the problem of the time it can take for equipment to be repaired.
Complaints/Property
suggest the introduction of a simplified guidance leaflet based on the HMPPS document for prisoners wishing to make a complaint. It would be helpful if this could include information on the request system that the prison currently uses, which is not always understood by prisoners transferring to Oakwood.
Complaints/Property
the letter sent to explain how a request will be dealt with is long and not always clear for prisoners who cannot read easily or whose first language is not English. These multi-functional response letters are not dated and do not have any reference numbers assigned for easy identification in the future.
Healthcare
the healthcare complaint boxes were not emptied on a regular basis and their location is not easily accessible to all prisoners at all times.
Equality/Diversity
requests that it is invited to the equality action group meetings
Equality/Diversity
Discrimination incident reporting form (DIRF) scrutiny meetings should take place with HMPs Brinsford and Featherstone, but these have not taken place during the reporting year due to Covid-19 restrictions. The Board understands that these meetings are yet to restart
Regime/Time Out of Cell
The independent adjudicator (IA) ceased sitting shortly after the start of the lockdown period and has yet to return to the prison; hearings were held remotely. ... It would be helpful if the Board could join some of the remote IA adjudications and an agreement and system of notification needs to be put in place.
Staffing
the number and experience of new staff on the house blocks. From observing some of the case notes of key worker sessions, the quality of the reporting varies.
Resettlement/Release
the offender management unit (OMU) looks and reviews its communication with prisoners, using all the systems available to help to manage the prisoners’ expectations.
Education/Purposeful Activity
reviews communication in relation to access to education and courses available. The Board also asks that consideration is given for prisoners who share a cell to be given access to a space to undertake coursework.
Staffing
staff recruited during the pandemic have never worked in a fully functioning prison before and, although trained in all aspects of care support and discipline, may not be confident enough to carry their role through.
Safety
prisoners arriving very late, meaning they have little time to settle before being taken to cells and locked down.
Safety
the body worn cameras (BWC) are still not consistently used by all staff.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
the levels of property that go missing following cell searches.
Other
The poster that highlights the chaplaincy team is out of date and could be misleading to prisoners asking for and expecting one person, only to find they no longer work at the prison. ... the team have stated that they feel poorly communicated with.
Education/Purposeful Activity
For those unable to read, help is given by a fellow prisoner as there is no specialist tutor. The Board would like to see more support given for those who are unable to read and write.
Board Commentary
Staffing
The Board expressed concern regarding the number and experience of new staff on house blocks, noting varied quality in key worker session reporting and recommending further training. The prison actively recruited 75 new staff through various initiatives. Key worker sessions continued for priority groups, showing a steady increase in participation since October 2021.
Healthcare
Healthcare provision by Practice Plus Group operated in an urgent mode due to the pandemic, offering essential services, virtual GP calls, and nurse triage, equivalent to community care. Concerns included unemptied complaint boxes, appointment difficulties, and delayed medical records. A new head of healthcare initiated regular meetings, and increased health-related complaints led to new information initiatives. Improvements are planned with a GP hub and discharge lounge, reduced dental wait times to 42 days, and specific funding for dental equipment and staff. Mental health caseloads are 569, with varied waiting times for appointments; however, transfers to external mental health facilities continue to be severely delayed, leading to prolonged stays in the CSU.
Regime & Daily Life
The regime was heavily impacted by Covid-19 restrictions, leading to 23-hour lockdowns, reduced exercise, and limited in-cell activity, which caused significant difficulties for prisoners. While restrictions eased, gym and outside recreational facilities remained largely unavailable, with alternative equipment provided in house block yards. The Board noted that lunch was often served before noon, contrary to HMIP recommendations. Many prisoner-led initiative groups ceased operating during the pandemic, impacting prisoner support.
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) | 122 | 123 | |
| Discrimination/racism | 2 | 3 | |
| General care and wellbeing | 152 | 150 | |
| Healthcare | 205 | 141 | |
| Offender management (OASys, release plans) | 48 | 38 | |
| Other | 153 | 116 | |
| Property | 274 | 205 | |
| Release on temporary licence (ROTL) | 0 | 0 | |
| Rule 39 | 0 | 0 | |
| Staff conduct | 122 | 104 |
Recommendations (16)
Ministry of Justice: 2
HMPPS: 4
Governor / Director: 10
1 repeated
Recommendation 1
Can the Minister ask the Chief Coroner to issue guidance about the importance of notifying the IMB of inquests concerning prisoners (para 4.2) as referred to in the IMB reference book guidance in relation to deaths in custody?
Ministry of Justice
Safety
Recommendation 2
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The Board is concerned that after three years this framework has not yet been published (see section 5.8).
Ministry of Justice
Regime
Response
A letter was sent from the Minister dated 15 September 2021, which acknowledged the Board’s concern about the slow progress on publishing the new Prisoner Property Policy Framework. The Minister stated the framework was due to be published in early 2022.
Recommendation 3
The Board is concerned that the change in arrangements for resettlement has created a service that is not of a good quality for prisoners in some areas, in particular the outsourcing of accommodation support.
HMPPS
Resettlement
Recommendation 4
The Board is concerned about the delays in transferring prisoners to category D open accommodation.
HMPPS
Resettlement
Recommendation 5
The Board is concerned about the time it can take for transfers to mental health establishments where the prisoner is deemed to have a severe mental health need. Despite the constraints of the pandemic the Board considers it was problematical during the reporting period, which meant prisoners stayed in the care and separation unit (CSU) longer than was desirable.
HMPPS
Mental Health
Recommendation 6
The Board is concerned that the education service from Novus is not viewed positively by prisoners and the small survey undertaken (see appendix A) demonstrates that communication and access to courses is not as it should be.
HMPPS
Education
Recommendation 7
The Board continues to be concerned about prisoners in the servery not wearing the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and clothing. Notwithstanding that Aramark provided continuity of a balanced menu and two cooked meals a day, the Board is still concerned about the quality, quantity and variety of the food provided and the ensuing waste that results, and that the food is not always tested for serving at the correct temperature. There is also the problem of the time it can take for equipment to be repaired.
Governor / Director
Food
Recommendation 8
The Board would like to suggest the introduction of a simplified guidance leaflet based on the HMPPS document for prisoners wishing to make a complaint. It would be helpful if this could include information on the request system that the prison currently uses, which is not always understood by prisoners transferring to Oakwood. The Board feels that the prison needs to operate a system that is transparent to prisoners which, at the present time, we feel is not fully understood, particularly in relation to requests/concerns.
Governor / Director
Complaints
Recommendation 9
A further concern for the Board is the fact that the letter sent to explain how a request will be dealt with is long and not always clear for prisoners who cannot read easily or whose first language is not English. These multi-functional response letters are not dated and do not have any reference numbers assigned for easy identification in the future. The Board asks that this be reviewed (see para 5.7).
Governor / Director
Complaints
Recommendation 10
During the reporting year the Board has been concerned that the healthcare complaint boxes were not emptied on a regular basis and their location is not easily accessible to all prisoners at all times. The Board asks the Director to review this with the head of healthcare (see para 6.1).
Governor / Director
Healthcare
Recommendation 11
The Board requests that it is invited to the equality action group meetings (see para 5.4).
Governor / Director
Equality
Recommendation 12
Discrimination incident reporting form (DIRF) scrutiny meetings should take place with HMPs Brinsford and Featherstone, but these have not taken place during the reporting year due to Covid-19 restrictions. The Board understands that these meetings are yet to restart and the Board would suggest that arrangements are made for them to start as soon as possible in order to bring some external scrutiny to the process. The Board also requests that it is made aware of when the meetings take place in order that a member can attend and observe the process.
Governor / Director
Equality
Recommendation 13
The independent adjudicator (IA) ceased sitting shortly after the start of the lockdown period and has yet to return to the prison; hearings were held remotely. The Courts Service made a decision to continue to use remote systems, as it is more efficient and makes it easier for solicitors to join the meeting. It would be helpful if the Board could join some of the remote IA adjudications and an agreement and system of notification needs to be put in place.
Governor / Director
Complaints
Recommendation 14
The Board is concerned about the number and experience of new staff on the house blocks. From observing some of the case notes of key worker sessions, the quality of the reporting varies. The Board suggests that senior managers look at putting further training in place.
Governor / Director
Staffing
Recommendation 15
The Board asks that the offender management unit (OMU) looks and reviews its communication with prisoners, using all the systems available to help to manage the prisoners’ expectations.
Governor / Director
Resettlement
Recommendation 16
The Board asks that the Director reviews communication in relation to access to education and courses available. The Board also asks that consideration is given for prisoners who share a cell to be given access to a space to undertake coursework.
Governor / Director
Education
Other IMB Reports for Oakwood
HMIP Inspections
Recent inspections by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for this establishment.
9 Apr 2024
Unannounced
Safety: 4
Respect: 4
Activity: 4
Release: 3
PPO Fatal Incidents
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman fatal incident investigations for this establishment.