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9. SERVICES
Estates and Facilities
9.1 Glenochil is currently going through a major redevelopment and this has been well managed. Staff have balanced the constraints imposed by the building work with running a prison.
9.2 The local community has been kept informed of developments that are likely to cause concern. The estates team report that although the first Houseblock and the Segregation Unit have been open for some time, "snagging" work is still taking place. This brings with it operational impacts as these buildings are occupied.
9.3 Links have been maintained with local emergency services to ensure that if assistance is required during the building work, the disruption will not affect the response.
Health and Safety
9.4 The health and safety co-ordinator works in Glenochil three days per week, the other two days are spent in HMP and YOI Cornton Vale.
9.5 The number of accidents involving staff has reduced in the last year, with about half of these resulting from Control and Restraint training. Between 1 April and the end of September 2006 there had been one accident involving a prisoner.
9.6 The Health and Safety Committee is chaired by the Governor. The Committee works towards, and monitors, a Health and Safety Plan. There is also a Health and Safety inspection plan which covers all areas of the prison. However this plan is inconsistent and is not completed as robustly as it should be.
9.7 Risk assessments and safe systems of work are available, although the quality and content should be improved.
Human Resources and Staff Training
9.8 There was a shortfall of four staff, across various grades, at the time of inspection. Staff absence has dropped dramatically over the year.
9.9 The training manager has responsibility for a number of areas including Race Relations and SVQ's. Demand for training was increasing but current competency levels are satisfactory. The number of staff taking Act2Care refresher training should be increased.
9.10 The training function is well supported by management.
Catering
9.11 The SPS Prisoner Survey shows that to every question asked about food except one the Glenochil response is less satisfied than the national average. The only exception is the time at which meals are served (despite the fact that Glenochil does not meet SPS Operating Standards in this regard). The same survey shows an increase in dissatisfaction in 2006 from 2005. Prisoner groups and individual prisoners reflected the same feeling - as did several members of staff.
9.12 Both the Visiting Committee and the Governor identified food as a challenge facing the establishment. The Visiting Committee, and catering staff argued that the limitation of the budget is the key issue. In several Inspectorate reports questions have been raised about the budget for food. The central allocation has remained unchanged since 1996, set at £1.57 per person per day. It is now possible for individual establishments to increase that allocation, but the money for that increase has to be found from some other source within the prison. Evidence was provided by catering staff that the cost of potatoes (a large component of food cost) has doubled in the last six months.
9.13 Another problem regularly identified was the amount of time between the preparation of the food and the eating of it. It appears that the time which is spent by the food in heated trolleys is greatly increased because of the arrangements of the prison timetable and the location of the new hall. The meals eaten by inspectors were warm rather than hot, were of good portion size, and were not unpleasant. Inspectors always eat meals chosen at random, from the serving in a hall; and eat them in the company of prisoners.
9.14 Fruit and vegetables are provided: but the availability is far short of five pieces per day. It was regularly claimed by prisoners that the quality of fruit is not good: during the inspection it was adequate.
9.15 The time gap between the serving of meals in the evening and in the morning at weekends is very long and does not meet SPS Operating Standards.
9.16 In most areas of the prison prisoners take responsibility for their own cutlery and for washing it after use. There are potential hygiene issues with this arrangement.
9.17 All prisoners working in the kitchen have received appropriate training: but there is no provision for any qualification in catering for prisoners. Prisoners like working in the kitchen. It is clean and a recent kitchen hygiene inspection by Clackmannanshire Council referred to "the high standard of hygiene being maintained". The food is sampled in the kitchen and in a hall by a manager every day: this is an area of good practice.
Laundry
9.18 Prisoners in Harviestoun put their clothes to be laundered in one of three sealed bags. These are numbered and are for light clothing, dark clothing and prison issue. Items within the prison issue bag are folded before being returned. The two other bags remain sealed at all times. All bags have individual sealed numbers. Prisoners can launder their clothes as often as they wish. Bedding can be added to the prison issue bag and can also be laundered as frequently as required. Duvets are laundered and returned on the same day the prisoner submits them. The laundry service provided to these prisoners is good.
9.19 The laundry provides work for eight prisoners. No qualifications are currently available.
9.20 No laundry service is offered to 'D' Hall prisoners as they have washing and drying machines within the hall.
Canteen
9.21 All prisoners are offered canteen facilities once a week. Items are issued on a Friday morning and Sundry purchases are issued on a Tuesday afternoon. The choice within the canteen list is extensive and updated on a regular basis. Some input on the list was provided by prisoners, but not in any formal or structured way.
9.22 There is an extensive list of items available to prisoners through sundry purchases, including fruit and some medicines. Twelve different types of fruit and vegetables are available. These are issued on the day of arrival. This is an area of good practice.
9.23 The medicines have been approved by the Health Centre.
9.24 All purchases are issued by bag & tag procedures of their purchases. The canteen is an excellent facility.
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