Prison
Cat Women's local, YOI
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Bronzefield
IMB Annual Report 2024 · Published 29 November 2024
Bronzefield faced significant challenges in the reporting year, primarily due to severe staff shortages impacting all aspects of the regime, leading to prisoners being locked up for extended periods and missing activities. Healthcare delivery was suboptimal due to lack of staff and poor coordination, resulting in medication delays and cancelled appointments. The prison also grappled with a high incidence of self-harm and challenges in managing complex, mentally unwell prisoners, compounded by external bed shortages.
Positive Findings
The Board noted positive working relationships and commitment from staff, particularly in the SCU and inpatient mental health facility. Initiatives like the employment hub, a new bicycle repair training facility, and improved catering have benefited prisoners. The prison has also successfully embedded changes in the pregnancy pathway, and its perinatal and young adult mental health services are well-staffed and effective.
Key Concerns
Staffing
Staff shortages and increased population negatively impacted prison services, leading to curtailed regimes, missed purposeful activities, and issues with prisoner wellbeing.
Healthcare
Repeated
Problems in the delivery of healthcare services, mainly due to a lack of GPs and nurses, combined with ineffective coordination between contracted providers and the prison, causing delays in medication.
Safety
Repeated
Prisoners arriving in reception experienced delays in receiving medication, including methadone, and were often unable to make their first phone calls.
Safety
The incidence of self-harm remained high throughout the reporting year, with a significant proportion accounted for by a small number of prolific self-harmers.
Overcrowding
Single cells with bunk beds, known as ‘small doubles’, were used to accommodate two prisoners, leading to privacy, security, and wellbeing issues due to inadequate space and lack of individual lockers/curtains.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Repeated
The number of key worker sessions remains well below target due to low staffing levels, impacting prisoner support.
Complaints/Property
Repeated
No improvement in the lengthy delays dealing with prisoners’ complaints has been observed, leading to prisoner skepticism about the system's effectiveness.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
A new property policy was implemented in April 2024 which was viewed by both prisoners and the Board as unfair and unworkable, with staff applying it inconsistently.
Substance Misuse
Repeated
Poor integrated substance misuse services, encompassing both clinical and recovery aspects, have continued.
Resettlement/Release
Repeated
Concerns remain about the number of women released into temporary accommodation or without suitable accommodation, impacting resettlement.
Safety
Roll count was regularly late due to inaccuracies in counting, impacting security, appointments, and the overall regime.
Healthcare
Repeated
The lack of a physical GP presence in reception for most of the week results in sub-optimal care, especially for new arrivals with substance misuse issues.
Mental Health
Repeated
The number of women sent to Bronzefield under a ‘Place of Safety’ warrant has nearly doubled, placing considerable stress on mental health services.
Mental Health
Repeated
Shortage of beds in secure psychiatric hospitals and funding disputes continue to cause significant delays in transferring acutely mentally unwell prisoners.
Mental Health
Repeated
The Prison Service needs to provide support to manage complex prisoners, including prolific self-harmers and those acutely mentally unwell, who cannot be easily moved to secure psychiatric hospitals.
Education/Purposeful Activity
Prisoners are often transferred before completing vocational training due to pressure on the prison population.
Board Commentary
Staffing
Staff shortages significantly impacted prison services due to PCO deployment to escorts, high turnover of new recruits, and temporary deployments. This led to a curtailed regime, missed appointments, and cancelled key worker sessions, which are well below target. The high turnover of inexperienced staff exacerbates challenges in managing complex prisoners.
Healthcare
Healthcare services are hampered by staff shortages (GPs, nurses, substance misuse practitioners) and poor collaboration between providers. This results in sub-optimal care, especially in reception, with dangerous delays in medication and inefficient dispensing. The lack of a consistent GP presence, reliance on virtual consultations, and high numbers of mentally unwell prisoners awaiting transfer contribute to significant stress on services and frequent cancellation of vital appointments.
Regime & Daily Life
The regime is significantly curtailed by staff shortages, leading to prisoners being locked up for excessive periods, increased frustration, and missed purposeful activities. Late and inaccurate roll counts further disrupt the daily schedule and security. Limited staffing also impacts attendance at religious services and the provision of holiday activities, contributing to a sense of restricted daily life.
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 | |
| Allegation of bullying/harassment | 19 | 15 | |
| Communication | 14 | 13 | |
| Finance/wages | 14 | 10 | |
| Food | 12 | 16 | |
| General complaint | 13 | 15 | |
| Healthcare | 27 | 29 | |
| Incentives and earned privileges (IEP) | 18 | 14 | |
| Legal | 16 | 12 | |
| Other | 10 | 12 | |
| Property | 32 | 26 | |
| Segregation | 15 | 9 | |
| Staff conduct | 15 | 16 | |
| Total | 270 | 255 | |
| Visits | 12 | 12 | — |
| Work, education, vocational training (WEVT) | 16 | 18 |
Recommendations (17)
Ministry of Justice: 4
HMPPS: 3
Governor / Director: 6
NHS / Healthcare Provider: 3
Other: 1
11 repeated
Recommendation 1
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The number of women sent to Bronzefield under a ‘Place of Safety’ warrant has nearly doubled this year. What are the Minister’s plans to address this issue? (6.3)
Ministry of Justice
Mental Health
Recommendation 2
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
How does the Minister plan to improve the support of prisoners released from court or at short notice, who are discharged without suitable accommodation? (7.5)
Ministry of Justice
Resettlement
Recommendation 3
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
How does the Minister plan to improve the integration of the healthcare services (under NHS England commissioning) within Bronzefield? (6.1)
Ministry of Justice
Healthcare
Recommendation 4
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
How does the Minister plan to improve ‘through the gate services’ to ensure that discharged prisoners are properly supported in the community? (7.5)
Ministry of Justice
Resettlement
Recommendation 5
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The Board remains concerned about the number of prisoners coming into the prison, having been identified as acutely mentally unwell (including some prolific self-harmers), either requiring section under the Mental Health Act or admission to a secure hospital. How does the Prison Service plan to provide support to manage these prisoners, who cannot be easily moved to secure psychiatric hospitals due to a shortage of beds? (6.3)
HMPPS
Mental Health
Recommendation 6
Will the Prison Service help the prison deal with complex and challenging prisoners, either by providing additional support or facilitating the managed distribution of complex prisoners within the wider women’s estate?
HMPPS
Safety
Recommendation 7
Due to the pressure on the prison population, prisoners are often transferred before they have completed their vocational training. How does the Prison Service plan to prevent this happening in future? (7)
HMPPS
Education
Recommendation 8
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The number of complaints not answered within the timelines contained in the Prisoner Complaints Policy Framework continues to be of concern to the Board and has resulted in prisoners losing confidence in the system. What will the prison do to address this issue? (5.7)
Governor / Director
Complaints
Recommendation 9
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
What plans does the prison have to prioritise prisoner/key worker meetings for those prisoners who have been identified as most likely to benefit from them? (5.3)
Governor / Director
Regime
Recommendation 10
Roll count has frequently been late, which has had a negative impact on the regime and security. How will the prison ensure that roll count returns to being accurate and timely? (4.6)
Governor / Director
Safety
Recommendation 11
A number of concerns have been raised about the early days in custody process. How does the prison plan to address these issues? (4.1)
Governor / Director
Safety
Recommendation 12
How will the prison improve the property process? (5.8)
Governor / Director
Regime
Recommendation 13
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
What plans does the prison have to work more effectively with CNWL and Forward Trust to improve the timely dispensation of medication? (6.1)
Governor / Director
Healthcare
Recommendation 14
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
How does NHS England plan to improve the integration of the healthcare services in Bronzefield? (6.1)
NHS / Healthcare Provider
Healthcare
Recommendation 15
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
How does NHS England plan to address the shortage of GPs, nurses, and substance misuse practitioners in Bronzefield? (6.1, 6.5)
NHS / Healthcare Provider
Healthcare
Recommendation 16
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
NHS England specifies the provision of face-to-face GP services, seven days a week. However, to date, this has not been achieved. How and when does NHS England intend to remedy this lack of provision? (6.1)
NHS / Healthcare Provider
Healthcare
Recommendation 17
What plans does Sodexo have to address the significant impact of staff shortages on the provision of services in the prison? (3.1, 5.3)
Other
(other)
Staffing
Other IMB Reports for Bronzefield
PPO Fatal Incidents
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman fatal incident investigations for this establishment.