Prison
Cat D Young Offender Institution
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Standford Hill
IMB Annual Report 2024 · Published 29 August 2024
The IMB finds HMP/YOI Standford Hill to be a well-led and well-run prison, demonstrating high standards in rehabilitation, education, training, and resettlement work, with good healthcare provision and very low rates of violence and self-harm. However, the Board is deeply concerned by the deteriorating condition of some buildings, the unsatisfactory performance of the maintenance provider GFSL, and the impact of early release schemes on the prison's core rehabilitative function. Further concerns include the lack of essential security scanning equipment and inadequate telephony for family contact.
Positive Findings
HMP/YOI Standford Hill is a well-led and well-run prison, providing an excellent example of how a rehabilitative prison can be run. It offers high-standard education, training, and resettlement work, resulting in over 100 prisoners leaving for paid work daily and good reoffending rates (8.06% over 2 years, 10.65% over 3 years). Healthcare and education provisions are good, with significant improvements in mental health support through a new neurodiversity support manager. The prison reports very low levels of violence, no suicides, self-harm, or deaths in custody during the reporting period. Staff morale is good, and relationships with prisoners are respectful.
Key Concerns
Estate/Conditions
The Board is unhappy with the condition of some of the buildings on the estate. Some show signs of subsidence and the response to deal with this has been, in our opinion, lamentably slow.
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
The Board is unhappy with the provider of maintenance on site, Gov Facility Services Limited (GSFL).
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Fundamentally, our concern is that if the establishment becomes a holding prison for several prisoners prior to their release, this will diminish the effectiveness of the prison in its key objective of rehabilitation.
Safety
Repeated
The failure to install scanning equipment, as we have previously suggested, does not help with maintaining security within the prison, given the open nature of the site.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Telephony provision is poor and this is inconsistent with the need to enhance prisoners’ contact with their families, which is at the heart of what an open prison should do.
Healthcare
It is, therefore, disappointing that non-attendance at booked appointments continues to occur.
Resettlement/Release
Continuing focus needs to be put on prisoners finding their own work rather than relying on opportunities provided by the prison.
Estate/Conditions
We are unhappy with the equipment in the laundry and funding for replacements is essential. There is also a persistent leak in the laundry roof, which is a concern as there is electrical machinery underneath and the risk of people working in the laundry slipping on the wet floors in bad weather.
Equality/Diversity
The lack of Christian ministry is not acceptable, although we do accept that the prison has tried to find a suitable candidate.
Board Commentary
Staffing
The Governor has commendably focused on reducing staff sickness, leading to an improved average rate of 8.57 days, lower than the regional average of 9.96 days. Staff morale appears good, and they share a coherent vision for the prison. However, concerns exist regarding the skeleton staff operating during night shifts, raising questions about safe and efficient management in the event of a major incident. The Board also noted that staffing levels must be flexible to accommodate the increased workload due to early release schemes.
Healthcare
Healthcare provision is considered good, having significantly improved since Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust took over. Comprehensive health screenings occur for all new arrivals, supported by nurse-led clinics and various specialist services, including three GP sessions weekly with no significant waiting times. Mental health services have been enhanced by a full-time mental health nurse and a new neurodiversity support manager. Despite the good provision, a disappointing 25% of booked appointments, across GP, dental, nurse-led, and mental health services, were wasted due to non-attendance.
Regime & Daily Life
The regime is generally good, fostering positive relationships between staff and prisoners. While prisoners are not locked in their cells at night, access is restricted to their spurs after 8pm. The prison's open environment, with over 100 prisoners working outside daily, is largely appreciated, though some prisoners find adjusting to the open spaces challenging after long periods in closed conditions. The Board holds a high opinion of the regime, but notes that the influx of Temporary Presumptive Release Scheme (TPRS) prisoners can sometimes compromise the prison's strong rehabilitative culture.
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 laundry, clothing, ablutions | 0 | 1 | |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogue(s) | 0 | 3 | |
| Discipline, including adjudications, incentives schemes, sanctions | 0 | 4 | |
| Equality | 0 | 3 | |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 2 | 8 | |
| Food and kitchens | 1 | 5 | |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 7 | 4 | |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection restrictions | 0 | 2 | |
| Miscellaneous, including complaints system | 6 | 3 | |
| Property during transfer or in another establishment or location | 8 | 7 | |
| Property within this establishment | 0 | 1 | |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, library, regime, time out of cell | 3 | 5 | |
| Sentence management, including HDC (home detention curfew), ROTL (release on temporary licence), parole, release dates, re-categorisation | 2 | 8 | |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 1 | 4 | |
| Transfers | 1 | 0 |
Recommendations (9)
Ministry of Justice: 2
HMPPS: 4
Governor / Director: 3
6 repeated
Recommendation 1
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
While the Board understands the need for the early or additionally supervised release of prisoners, we are concerned that this can result in open prisons being under capacity and could diminish the rehabilitative role of the prison. The impact of this on the open estate needs to be considered.
Ministry of Justice
Regime
Recommendation 2
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The Board continues to be extremely dissatisfied with the performance of Government Facility Services Ltd (GFSL). When the service provider model is reviewed, it is essential that we do not see the same poor level of service under another name.
Ministry of Justice
Estate
Recommendation 3
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The performance of GFSL continues to be slow and unacceptable.
HMPPS
Estate
Recommendation 4
The unsafe buildings within the Standford Hill estate need to be made safe and additional facilities made available. We consider the response to this possible health and safety situation so far to have been unacceptable and, indeed, too slow.
HMPPS
Estate
Recommendation 5
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Scanning equipment needs to be installed to enhance the security of the site.
HMPPS
Safety
Recommendation 6
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Technological solutions to monitor prisoners when outside the prison should be investigated.
HMPPS
Safety
Recommendation 7
We are unhappy with the equipment in the laundry and funding for replacements is essential.
Governor / Director
Regime
Recommendation 8
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
As in previous years, we remain dissatisfied with the performance of GFSL.
Governor / Director
Estate
Recommendation 9
The condition of some of the buildings on site is not good and additional funding needs to be obtained to ensure this is addressed.
Governor / Director
Estate
Other IMB Reports for Standford Hill
HMIP Inspections
Recent inspections by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for this establishment.
8 Oct 2024
Unannounced
Safety: 4
Respect: 3
Activity: 4
Release: 4
PPO Fatal Incidents
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman fatal incident investigations for this establishment.