Prison
Cat C adult training and resettlement prison for men
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Wealstun
IMB Annual Report 2021 · Published 14 October 2021
HMP Wealstun, a Category C training and resettlement prison, navigated the reporting year (June 2020-May 2021) under severe Covid-19 restrictions, leading to prisoners being locked up for up to 23 hours daily. The Board commended the prison for maintaining order and a settled environment, with significantly reduced violence and self-harm. Key concerns highlighted include the inadequacy of the daily food allowance, the need for improved body scanner processes and training, and ensuring the full reinstatement of key worker schemes and offending behaviour programmes post-pandemic.
Positive Findings
The Board commended HMP Wealstun for its handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, maintaining a settled environment despite extensive restrictions. The safer custody team was fully staffed and proactive, contributing to a significant reduction in self-harm, violence, and bullying due to reduced drug availability. Healthcare managed well, with successful phone consultations and the establishment achieving freedom from Hepatitis C. The kitchen team was praised for the variety and standard of food, and the IDEAL initiative showed strong leadership in promoting equality and diversity. Chaplaincy provided valuable support throughout lockdown.
Key Concerns
Food/Catering
To consider increasing the daily food allowance, as £2.02 is an extremely small amount to feed adult men and provide the nutrition they require (para 5.1.11 refers).
Resettlement/Release
To consider how to encourage employers to be more supportive towards employing ex-offenders, given the shortage of labour in certain sectors (para 7.5.4 refers).
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Repeated
Ensure that as prisons move out of lockdown a review is undertaken to identify any long-term effects on prisoners and plans are in place to address them (repeat area from 2019/2020 report).
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Ensure that prisons are provided with detailed guidance on managing the withdrawal of the mitigations that were put in place during the pandemic (for example, the £5 pin credit) as this withdrawal is likely to cause prisoners considerable upset.
Staffing
Repeated
Ensure that the requirements are clear for when prisons which undertook training as part of their participation in a pilot should undertake refresher training; if it is essential training for a pilot, why isn’t it refreshed (repeat area from 2019/2020 report) (para 4.5.4 refers)?
Safety
Ensure that there is a comprehensive review of the use of body scanners, including better training for officers and consistency across the estate, so that prisoners are not segregated when the only evidence is the scan image (which is subject to interpretation) (para 5.2.6 et seq.).
Education/Purposeful Activity
Ensure that the system used to record prisoners’ learning (CURIOUS) is updated so that information is available to inform decisions (para 7.1.4 refers).
Resettlement/Release
Repeated
Provide more category D open prison places, so that transfers are not delayed once a prisoner is recategorised (repeat area from 2019/2020 report) (para 7.3.1 refers).
Staffing
Repeated
Ensure that once approval is given to resume training, refresher training in use of PAVA and rigid-bar handcuffs is given priority (repeat area from 2019/202 report) (para 4.5.6 refers).
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Ensure that the planned change for all laundry to be done in the prison laundry is managed sensitively, as prisoners may have concerns about an increased risk of personal clothing damage or loss (para 5.1.6 refers).
Safety
Ensure that the secreted items policy is reviewed, including daily scans for segregated prisoners so that prisoners are not segregated where evidence is not clear/available or kept segregated any longer than necessary (para 5.2.7 refers).
Staffing
Repeated
Ensure that when lockdown restrictions are lifted, key workers are fully in place for all prisoners (repeat area from 2019/2020 report) (para 5.3.6 refers).
Complaints/Property
Ensure that the Board is notified consistently when a prisoner is placed in segregation (para 5.2.2 refers).
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Repeated
Ensure that funding is available to reinstate the Resolve offending behaviour programme, given the significant number of prisoners with a history of domestic violence (repeat area from 2019/2020 report) (para 7.3.5 refers).
Resettlement/Release
Repeated
Ensure that the monthly forum with the offender management unit (OMU) for IPP and life-sentenced prisoners is reinstated (repeat area from 2019/2020 report) (para 7.3.5 refers).
Board Commentary
Staffing
The safer custody team remained fully staffed, and 60 new staff were appointed during the year, supported by a mentor system. However, staffing shortages due to sickness and self-isolation, especially during Covid outbreaks, impacted the limited regime. Two to three staff resigned each month. Morale appeared steady despite challenges, with staff pulling together during outbreaks. Key worker interactions were limited for most prisoners, achieving only 75-80% of a reduced target of 250 hours per week.
Healthcare
Healthcare services were provided by Practice Plus Group, with sub-contracted mental health, dental, physiotherapy, podiatry, optical, x-ray, and GP services. Despite the pandemic, healthcare managed well, using a successful blend of face-to-face and phone consultations which will continue. The main impact was a significant backlog in dental services, although these are now resuming. Mental health issues did not increase, and four prisoners were referred/transferred for external mental health support. The prison successfully eradicated Hepatitis C.
Regime & Daily Life
The Covid-19 pandemic severely restricted the regime, with the majority of prisoners locked in their cells for up to 23 hours a day, allowed only 30 minutes for domestics and 30 minutes for exercise, dependent on staffing. A small number of essential workshops ran with reduced capacity. Despite a major Covid outbreak early in 2021 causing further disruptions, the prison kept things running, and some prisoners expressed a preference for the restricted regime, finding it safer. The gym was closed for a period but has since reopened.
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) | 41 | 38 | |
| Discipline/adjudication | 0 | 0 | |
| Finance | 4 | 3 | |
| Food & kitchen | 2 | 1 | |
| Healthcare | 18 | 9 | |
| Legal | 0 | 0 | |
| Other | 3 | 5 | |
| Pledge/complaints | 0 | 0 | |
| Property (general) | 16 | 13 | |
| Property (on transfer) | 8 | 13 | |
| Race relations | 0 | 0 | |
| Religion | 0 | 0 | |
| Segregation | 2 | 2 | — |
| Staff | 4 | 2 | |
| TOTAL | 101 | 92 | |
| Visits | 1 | 3 | |
| Work/pay/employment | 0 | 1 | |
| Workshops/education | 2 | 2 | — |
Recommendations (15)
Other: 2
HMPPS: 6
Governor / Director: 7
7 repeated
Recommendation 1
To consider increasing the daily food allowance, as £2.02 is an extremely small amount to feed adult men and provide the nutrition they require (para 5.1.11 refers).
Other
(other)
Food
Recommendation 2
To consider how to encourage employers to be more supportive towards employing ex-offenders, given the shortage of labour in certain sectors (para 7.5.4 refers).
Other
(other)
Resettlement
Recommendation 3
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Ensure that as prisons move out of lockdown a review is undertaken to identify any long-term effects on prisoners and plans are in place to address them (repeat area from 2019/2020 report).
HMPPS
Regime
Recommendation 4
Ensure that prisons are provided with detailed guidance on managing the withdrawal of the mitigations that were put in place during the pandemic (for example, the £5 pin credit) as this withdrawal is likely to cause prisoners considerable upset.
HMPPS
Regime
Recommendation 5
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Ensure that the requirements are clear for when prisons which undertook training as part of their participation in a pilot should undertake refresher training; if it is essential training for a pilot, why isn’t it refreshed (repeat area from 2019/2020 report) (para 4.5.4 refers)?
HMPPS
Staffing
Recommendation 6
Ensure that there is a comprehensive review of the use of body scanners, including better training for officers and consistency across the estate, so that prisoners are not segregated when the only evidence is the scan image (which is subject to interpretation) (para 5.2.6 et seq.).
HMPPS
Safety
Recommendation 7
Ensure that the system used to record prisoners’ learning (CURIOUS) is updated so that information is available to inform decisions (para 7.1.4 refers).
HMPPS
Education
Recommendation 8
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Provide more category D open prison places, so that transfers are not delayed once a prisoner is recategorised (repeat area from 2019/2020 report) (para 7.3.1 refers).
HMPPS
Resettlement
Recommendation 9
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Ensure that once approval is given to resume training, refresher training in use of PAVA and rigid-bar handcuffs is given priority (repeat area from 2019/202 report) (para 4.5.6 refers).
Governor / Director
Staffing
Recommendation 10
Ensure that the planned change for all laundry to be done in the prison laundry is managed sensitively, as prisoners may have concerns about an increased risk of personal clothing damage or loss (para 5.1.6 refers).
Governor / Director
Regime
Recommendation 11
Ensure that the secreted items policy is reviewed, including daily scans for segregated prisoners so that prisoners are not segregated where evidence is not clear/available or kept segregated any longer than necessary (para 5.2.7 refers).
Governor / Director
Safety
Recommendation 12
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Ensure that when lockdown restrictions are lifted, key workers are fully in place for all prisoners (repeat area from 2019/2020 report) (para 5.3.6 refers).
Governor / Director
Staffing
Recommendation 13
Ensure that the Board is notified consistently when a prisoner is placed in segregation (para 5.2.2 refers).
Governor / Director
Complaints
Recommendation 14
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Ensure that funding is available to reinstate the Resolve offending behaviour programme, given the significant number of prisoners with a history of domestic violence (repeat area from 2019/2020 report) (para 7.3.5 refers).
Governor / Director
Regime
Recommendation 15
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Ensure that the monthly forum with the offender management unit (OMU) for IPP and life-sentenced prisoners is reinstated (repeat area from 2019/2020 report) (para 7.3.5 refers).
Governor / Director
Resettlement
Other IMB Reports for Wealstun
PPO Fatal Incidents
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman fatal incident investigations for this establishment.