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ENABLERS OF HEALTH, LIBRARY, EDUCATION AND JOBCENTRE PLUS SERVICES IN PRISONS
This instruction applies to / Reference
Prison Establishments
(including contracted prisons and Wales Cymru) / PSI 04/2012
Issue Date / Effective Date
Implementation Date / Expiry Date
24 February 2011 / 24 February 2012 / 23 February 2016
Issued on the authority of / NOMS Agency Board
For action by / Deputy Directors of Custody Governors
Directors of Private Sector Prisons
Offender Managers
Managers and staff involved in the delivery of non-NOMS funded services in prisons including Health, Library , Education and Jobcentre Plus services
For information / All prison staff, contracted staff and partner organisation staff working in the relevant functions
Contact / Offender Services, Co-commissioning Group
Tel: 0300 047 5194
Associated documents / Related Specification
Related Operating Model
Related Direct Service Costs and Assumptions
Related Cost Spreadsheet
NOMS directory of services specifications
PSI 43/2010: Staff Vetting
PSI 13/2011: Internal Prisoner Movement
PSI 67/2011: Searching the Person
PSI 06/2012: Prisoner Employment, Training & Skills
PSI 03/2012: Activity Allocation
Replaces the following documents which are hereby cancelled:- None
Audit/monitoring :
Governor’s / Director’s appointed representatives will ensure compliance in their establishments with the mandatory actions set out in this Prison Service Instruction and the mandatory outputs in the specification.
Delivery of each non-NOMS funded service will continue to be monitored in line with the Service Level Agreement (SLA), Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) or Partnership Agreement agreed between the provider and prison.

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CONTENTS

Paragraph / Title / Applies to
Glossary / All staff, including provider staff
1 / Executive Summary / All staff, including provider staff
Annex A / Operational Instructions
Part A / Service Delivery
Outputs 1-7 / All staff, including provider staff
Part B / Security / All staff, including provider staff
EIA / Equality Impact Assessment / All staff, including provider staff

Glossary

BIS / Department for Business Innovation and Skills
DoH / Department of Health
DWP / Department for Work and Pensions
IDTS / Integrated Drug Treatment Services
JCP / Jobcentre Plus
LSS / Local Security Strategy
MOU / Memorandum of Understanding
NOMS / National Offender Management Service
OLASS / Offender Learning and Skills Service
SFA / Skills Funding Agency
SLA / Service Level Agreement
WAG / Welsh Assembly Government

1. Executive summary

Background

1.1  This instruction enacts and supports the Enablers of Health, Library, Education and Jobcentre Plus Services in Prisons Specification. The Enablers specification supports delivery of over £1bn of non-NOMS funded services in prisons. This funding is provided by the Department of Health (DoH), Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS), Skills Funding Agency (SFA) and Department for Work & Pensions (DWP).

1.2  This specification only identifies the prison-funded services which are required to facilitate the delivery of the following non-NOMS funded services in prisons;

·  Health

·  Drug Interventions, including IDTS for prisons in England

·  Library

·  Offender Learning & Skills Services (OLASS) funded education provision

·  Careers Information and Advice Services (CIAS - will become National Careers Service from 2012)

·  Jobcentre Plus

Other services may be delivered in prisons, but are not covered by this specification as they will have some element of NOMS funding and will be covered by other specifications such as Rehabilitation Services etc,

1.3  For prisons in Wales, the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) funds heath outcomes for prisoners and NOMS funds drug interventions, however IDTS is not delivered.

Desired outcomes

1.4  This instruction aims to ensure that:

·  Providers of Health, Library, Education and Jobcentre Plus services are encouraged and supported to deliver their services in prisons and in doing so, maximise the benefits and outcomes for prisoners

·  Information is exchanged between prisons and providers

·  Prisoners have the opportunity to address their health, education, and work & benefit needs whilst in custody and prepare them for release

·  Prisoners are moved, searched and supervised in accordance with risk

·  Threats to security, order and control of the establishment are identified and managed

Application

1.5 This PSI sets out the mandatory operational requirements.

Mandatory Actions

1.6 There are a number of mandatory actions and these are shown in italics throughout this PSI.

Resource Impact

1.7 There are no new resource implications as regards this PSI. The costs were established as part of the Specification, Benchmarking and Costing process.

Contacts

For further information about this PSI please contact:

Offender Services, Co-commissioning Group

Tel: 0300 047 5194

(signed)

Ian Porée

Director of Commissioning & Commercial, NOMS

ANNEX A

1. OPERATIONAL INSTRUCTIONS

Text within the shaded boxes indicates requirements from the “Enablers of Health, Library, Education and Jobcentre Plus Services in Prisons” specification

Part A - Service Delivery

Output 1: Positive working relationships between prison staff and provider staff are promoted.

1.1 The nature of the relationship between prisons and providers can have a significant impact on the delivery of non-NOMS funded services in prisons. Whilst there is currently no method of measuring how effective this relationship is, where this works best is when prisons and providers have a mutual understanding of each others’ work and are able to quickly resolve disputes or problems which may affect delivery. It is vital, therefore, that there are effective mechanisms in place not only to facilitate this but to foster and develop this relationship. Each prison must nominate a local lead for each service who will have responsibility for liaising with providers and provider staff.

1.2 Prisons must agree and complete a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with each provider, that documents the local arrangements in place for each service, including dispute procedures.

Output 2: Information is exchanged between prison and provider staff and providers are supplied with relevant prisoner information / reports as agreed

2.1 Local Security teams will share information with provider staff on the possible threats to the prison and on prisoners who pose a threat to staff or others, where this is deemed necessary, proportionate and appropriate, so that provider staff can carry out their work safely and securely.

2.2 Similarly, provider staff will be provided with information on prisoners who are at risk of harm to themselves and will be made aware of the actions to take to report their concerns in respect of this.

2.3 Provider staff may be required to provide reports on prisoners for the purposes of sentence planning, adjudication hearings or any other purpose, as agreed in the MOU.

2.4 Where provider workers will be using information technology to deliver their services, they must be conversant with the requirements of PSO 9010 (IT Security) and with the restrictions that apply to prisoner access to IT(NSF, PSO 9010, PSO 1100).

2.5  When prisoners transfer to a different prison as part of sentence planning, information, the Memorandum of Understanding should set out the processes in place for each service to continue with the prisoners’ requirements.

Output 3: Prisoner contact time for service providers is maximised.

3.1 Whatever method is used to move prisoners to and from the service, all movements must be carried out in timely manner so that so that providers are able to make the best use of their resources and ensure that contact time for prisoners is maximised.

Prisoner Movement

Output 4: Where internal prisoner movement cannot be facilitated by Main Movement, prisoners move under risk assessed levels of authority and supervision.

4.1 The responsibility for risk assessing the levels of security and supervision required to carry out prisoner moves will rest with local Security teams, in line with the Security Management specification.

Output 5: Prisoner moves are authorised and conducted in a safe, secure and timely manner which ensures fair treatment for all.

5.1 Where local risk assessment identifies that movement to and from the service needs to be supervised, this movement will be conducted in line with the Internal Prisoner Movements specification.

5.2 The method of prisoner movement for each service must be communicated to the provider of that service.

Prisoner Searching

Output 6: Prisoner searching is conducted in accordance with the Local Searching Strategy.

6.1 The requirement to search prisoners before, at, or after the service will be risk assessed by local Security teams, in line with the Security Management specification and the level of search will be identified in the Local Searching Strategy.

6.2 Where a requirement to search is locally identified, such searching will be carried out by unified staff to the standard outlined in the Local Searching Strategy. Provider staff must not carry out prisoner searches.

Prisoner Supervision

Output 7: Prisoners are supervised under risk assessed levels in a safe, secure and decent manner.

7.1 The responsibility for risk assessing the levels of supervision required for each service will rest with local Security teams, in line with the Security Management specification.

7.2 Unified staff who provide a presence, or who supervise prisoners, at the service in support of the provider, will ensure that this is carried out in a safe, secure and decent manner and takes account of the requirements of providers, where appropriate and applicable.


Part B - Security

1.1 Provider staff must be vetted to the appropriate levels in line with PSI 43/2010: Staff Vetting.

1.2 Provider staff must receive security awareness training from local security teams, preferably before commencing their work in a prison.

1.3 This Security Awareness training will ensure that provider staff are aware of their responsibilities in relation to maintaining the security of the prison, particularly the methods and routes through which to report potential breaches of security or threats to the good order and discipline of the prison and also make them aware of the potential for conditioning and the threats this can pose, both to themselves, their employer and the prison in general.

1.4 Where provider staff are authorised to draw keys, they will receive a key talk and must be trained in their use before first issue.

PSI 04/2012 UNCLASSIFIED ISSUE DATE 24/02/2012

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HR Policy – Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) - Enablers of Health, Library, Education and Jobcentre Plus Services in Prisons

STAGE ONE

The first stage of conducting an EIA is to screen the policy to determine its relevance to the various equalities issues. This will indicate whether or not a full impact assessment is required and which issues should be considered in it. The equalities issues that you should consider in completing this screening are:

n  Race

n  Gender

n  Gender identity

n  Disability

n  Religion or belief

n  Sexual orientation

n  Age (including younger and older offenders).

Aims

What are the aims of the policy?

To support and encourage the delivery of non NOMS services in prisons: those that are funded and / or provided by The Department of Health, The Department for Business Innovation and Skills, Skills Funding Agency, Department for Work and Pensions and their appointed providers. Such services include: Health, Drug Interventions (including IDTS), Library, the Offenders Learning and Skills Service (OLASS), Careers Information and Advice (CIAS) and Job Centre Plus.
Effects

What effects will the policy have on staff, offenders or other stakeholders?

The activities identified in the PSI will enable prison staff and partner organisations to develop effective working relationships, help to maximise outcomes for prisoners and support their rehabilitation and a reduction in re-offending.
Evidence

Is there any existing evidence of this policy area being relevant to any equalities issue?

Identify existing sources of information about the operation and outcomes of the policy, such as operational feedback (including local monitoring and impact assessments)/Inspectorate and other relevant reports/complaints and litigation/relevant research publications etc. Does any of this evidence point towards relevance to any of the equalities issues?

There is no direct evidence that there are current issues relating to this policy. Application of the policy requires rigorous management, monitoring and review at a local level to ensure that partner organisations are fully supported in their work and that prisoners with an identified need are able to access the required services.
Stakeholders and feedback

Describe the target group for the policy and list any other interested parties. What contact have you had with these groups?

All prisoners
Prison staff of all levels, uniformed and non-uniformed
Provider staff and cross government colleagues
Headquarters learning skills and employment teams
In developing this policy we have consulted with the following and taken into account their feedback:
Deputy Directors of Custody
Contracted Out Estate
Governors and Heads of Learning and Skills
SBC Team
Head of Security Systems and Information Management NOMS
Department for Work and Pensions
Department for Business Innovation and Skills
Skills Funding Agency
Department of Health
Library Service Providers, Association of Professional Librarians, Chartered Institute of Library and Information Service Providers in Prisons (CILIP)
NOMS Cymru (out for review)
Trade Unions

Do you have any feedback from stakeholders, particularly from groups representative of the various issues, that this policy is relevant to them?

Feedback from identified stakeholders has been used to inform the drafting of this policy.
Impact

Could the policy have a differential impact on staff, prisoners, visitors or other stakeholders on the basis of any of the equalities issues?

This policy is to ensure that all prisoners have equal access to services funded and provided by organisations other than NOMS.
Application of PSI 32/2011 Ensuring Equality at prison level will support the implementation of this policy.
Local discretion

Does the policy allow local discretion in the way in which it is implemented? If so, what safeguards are there to prevent inconsistent outcomes and/or differential treatment of different groups of people?

The policy allows for local discretion regarding risk assessment, security, performance monitoring and management and resource allocation. Application of PSI 32/2011 Ensuring Equality at prison level will support the implementation of this policy.
Summary of relevance to equalities issues
Strand / Yes/No / Rationale /
Race / No
Gender (including gender identity) / No
Disability / No
Religion or belief / No
Sexual orientation / No
Age (younger offenders) / No
Age (older offenders) / No

If you have answered ‘Yes’ to any of the equalities issues, a full impact assessment must be completed. Please proceed to STAGE 2 of the document.