7. Primary Services

Catering

7.1 Staffing in the kitchen comprised a Manager, two Supervisors and six Officers. With five members of staff working on each shift, there was a staffing presence from 0545 to 1900 hours.

7.2 Assistance was provided by a 24 strong prisoner party all of whom were interviewed prior to being offered a place; a waiting list also existed for future vacancies. Before starting work in the kitchen, prisoners on the waiting list were taken through an induction programme which included medical screening and hygiene training - a copy of the outline programme is contained at Annex 2. This induction process is an idea which we commend to other establishments to consider adopting if appropriate. Prisoners in the party worked a six-day week and were given time off for activities such as education or PE. A basic wage was paid but opportunities existed for extra money to be earned through overtime or by undertaking some additional duties; money was also deducted from prisoners who did not turn up for work.

7.3 The prison operated an advance menu system on a four-weekly cycle and offered three choices for lunch and dinner during midweek and two choices at weekends; each meal included a vegetarian choice. Special meals would be prepared on request to satisfy vegan, medical or religious diets and consideration was being given to the introduction of a healthy eating option. Remand prisoners who were due to spend a relatively lengthy period in the establishment were included in the advance menu system; other remands were provided with meals on a first-come-first-served basis. In addition to their main meals, prisoners were each provided with a packet of biscuits on a weekly basis plus a piece of fruit three times a week. They were also issued with a monthly supply of tea bags, coffee, sugar and powdered milk and remand prisoners were given a daily allocation.

7.4 Members of the Inspectorate sampled meals at different times and at different locations during the inspection and were impressed with the quality of what was on offer. We were pleased to note also that apart from some concerns about temperatures, food was not an issue among the prisoner population. We noted that a member of the Management team visited the kitchen every day and sampled a meal. There was also a rarely used food suggestions book and catering staff were happy to meet with prisoners to discuss any individual concerns on a one-to-one basis. At one time there had been a staff/prisoner Catering Committee but given that food was not really an issue, it was no longer in existence.

7.5 The main issue around the catering service was over the delivery and serving of the meals. A plated meal system was in operation and though it helped with portion control, the trays were beginning to show signs of wear and tear which was resulting in considerable heat loss. The layout of the establishment also meant that in many cases the trays had to be transported over relatively long distances - frequently in the open air - on trolleys which were old and badly in need of repair. The trays were also by and large all the same colour which led to confusion in the Halls as to which ones contained which meals with the result that lids were frequently being removed, again resulting in heat loss.

7.6 We were pleased, therefore, to learn that those problems had been recognised by the Catering Manager who had prepared a case for a completely new system of food delivery. Under those proposals, the meal portions would be put into tinfoil or similar containers and then into regeneration trolleys, which would maintain temperatures at a very high level for transporting to the various serving points. Prisoners would be supplied with their own plates and cutlery and sterilising sinks and cleaning agents would be provided in each Hall. As part of that project, consideration was also being given to a system whereby meals could be prepared up to three days in advance, chilled and then regenerated in the trolleys ready for eating. A costing exercise had indicated that introducing the new trolley system would be considerably less expensive than replacing the existing trays - which was now a necessity - and it is a proposal to which we give our full support.

7.7 In addition to the obvious advantages of being able to serve warmer and better presented meals, the new system would involve much less work for staff in the Halls - eg there would be no trays to collect for return to the kitchen. It would also mean that it would be possible to put back the timing of the evening meal to the recommended 1700 hours - at present it was being served around 1630 hours. Other meals were currently being served at acceptable times.

7.8 Meal temperatures were currently being taken in the kitchen with appropriate records being maintained. However, no temperatures were being taken at the point of service and we noted also that Catering staff were never present in the Halls. We understand that work is currently ongoing to produce a new SPS Food Safety Manual for all establishments and as part of the proposed new procedures, there will be a requirement for food temperatures to be taken at the point of delivery. Notwithstanding that requirement, we suggest that a member of the Catering staff should make regular visits to the Halls when meals are being served.

7.9 As regards the actual kitchen, about a year prior to our inspection a considerable amount of work had been carried out, including the installation of a new floor and the creation of a new food preparation area. Some items of equipment had now reached the end of their working life but staff were managing to cope and a bid had been submitted for the purchase of new items. A representative from the Local Environmental Health Office had recently visited the premises and had been happy with what he had seen. Similarly, the premises had been inspected by the SPS Catering Adviser and though satisfactory progress was being made with regard to the various recommendations, a number of minor repairs was still outstanding; we have written to the Governor urging that these be attended to as a matter of priority. Cleaning schedules were posted at all strategic points and it was clear that they were being adhered to.

7.10 We noted with interest that a VT catering course to SCOTVEC standards for prisoners was shortly to be introduced. Staff had been trained as assessors under the auspices of a European Union scheme and the Catering Manager was hoping to extend his training to that of a verifier. It was hoped that the course would be up and running before the end of the financial year.

Comment

7.11 We were very impressed with the catering function and it was particularly pleasing to learn that by and large, prisoners were not voicing any major complaints. The main problem was over the delivery arrangements but plans were being prepared for a major overhaul of that system which should further improve what is already a very good service. Staff and prisoners working in the kitchen are to be congratulated on their efforts.

Social Work

7.12 The Social Work Unit was managed by a senior social worker who also had management responsibility for the social worker based at nearby HMP Friarton. The team also included four social workers and three administrative staff (one of whom was part-time, with one full-time post being a temporary contract). A student was also attached to the Unit on placement. At the time of the inspection, one further social work post and a part time clerical post were not being filled under an agreement with local management due to the expected drop in numbers following the closure of 'D' Hall.

7.13 Accommodation for the Unit was in portable buildings close to the Industrial complex and behind the residential Halls. The rooms appeared adequate though there had been problems with leaks in the roof which fortunately had now been repaired. There were plans to re-cover the roof and we suggest that this is a necessary undertaking to ensure that H & S requirements are met. Shortly before our inspection, an additional portable building had been provided which it was intended to use mainly for group work. However, it had not been fully provided with services and so was not in use.

7.14 The team had some stability to it, particularly through the senior social worker who had been in post for 12 years. The other team members had been in post for between three years and six months and the team was clear about the focus of its work and the consequences of operating in a secondary setting. However, the main unsettling factor was the future role of Social Work Units within the SPS, which was currently under review and was leading to uncertainty about the number and type of jobs that might be available.

7.15 The team provided cover to the prison by assigning one member to each Hall, except for ‘C’ Hall where two members each had specific areas of responsibility. New and ongoing cases were reviewed and allocated on a regular basis and the work of the Unit was focused on individual referrals, statutory requirements, National Standards and group work. The bulk of the work was carried out in the Halls where the standard of accommodation provided was variable in terms of both cleanliness and furnishings. We suggest that there should be a review of those accommodation arrangements; in our opinion it would take little effort to improve those facilities and it would serve to increase the value placed on the work of the social work team.

7.16 Relationships between the Unit and prison management were said to be good. The Annual Management Plan was reviewed on a bi-annual basis between the Governor and senior prison managers and Perth and Kinross Council Social Work Department. The senior social worker also met on a regular basis with his prison line manager. Some of the attendance at management meetings within the prison was no longer required but members of the social work team were involved in multi-disciplinary forums.

7.17 Some of the team were involved in the induction process in addition to which they offered an interview to all admissions, including remand prisoners. We were particularly pleased to learn of that involvement with remands, as it is a service which is not common practice within the SPS but is particularly worthwhile in relation to first offenders.

7.18 Referrals to the Unit were made through the request procedure. A referral form had been operating in ‘C’ Hall, which had proved more effective in obtaining a clearer indication of the nature of the request and the use of the form had recently been extended to other Halls. Under that arrangement, the social worker could arrange to see a prisoner in his Hall at an appropriate time.

7.19 The clarity of roles in relation to services provided by social workers and those provided by Residential Officers was neither clear nor consistent. For example, Residential Officers had not received any recent training in relation to welfare requests, with the result that delivery was patchy and based more on individual motivation rather than an overall policy. This had led to the social work team carrying out welfare tasks, with resultant confusion for prisoners over where to refer a request. We suggest, therefore, that priority be given to establishing a clear policy and standard across the Residential function on the welfare role of Residential Officers with appropriate training being made available to staff.

7.20 At the time of inspection, the Unit had not delivered group work programmes for about four months, the reason given being the lack of a suitable location to undertake the programmes since the closure of 'D' Hall. In our opinion, however, there appeared to be a number of potentially suitable locations throughout the establishments though as noted above, we were assured that the new mobile building would be used once the services had been installed. The range of programmes previously on offer was satisfactory - viz, Alcohol Education, Anger Management, Drug Awareness etc - and each one had been undertaken on a joint basis between social workers and prison Officers. The Social Work Unit was the driving force behind the delivery of programmes - with the exception of the cognitive skills programme - which meant that the training and release of prison staff to deliver programmes was basically dependant on the motivation and drive of individual Officers and the goodwill of their Supervisors. We suggest, however, that such a system is not the most effective method of providing programmes, hence our observations at paragraph 6.34.

Comment

7.21 The Social Work Unit appeared to be committed and well-focused in terms of their role and purpose within the establishment. It was clear that statutory work was a significant priority but adequate time was also being given to the routine interviewing of all admissions as well as the induction and group work.

7.22 The main concerns centred on the facilities which had been provided for the team within the Halls and the priority which had been given to their work; in addition, there was a blurring and lack of clarity with regard to welfare referrals and requests.

7.23 As a result of group work falling away following the closure of ‘D’ Hall, waiting lists now existed for prisoners who were willing to address problem areas. Priority should therefore be given to re-establishing these programmes, as soon as possible.

Chaplains

7.24 The Chaplaincy service was provided by four Church of Scotland (C of S) Chaplains who had been allocated a total of 36 hours, one Roman Catholic (RC) Priest who had 18 hours and an Episcopalian who had three hours. Until just before our inspection, the priest had been able to call on the assistance of a Sister but she was no longer available. However, a Deacon, who would provide support in the provision of various pastoral activities, had recently been appointed. The C of S Chaplains were assisted by a volunteer who helped out with discussion groups and various other activities.

7.25 There was an excellent Chaplaincy Centre within the establishment which comprised a well furnished Chapel and a large adjoining office/meeting room. There was also a booking system to enable the Centre to be used for other purposes. On Sundays there was a joint C of S/Episcopalian inter-denominational service, which included a eucharistic service once a month; average attendance at those Sunday services was around 20-25. Because of problems in identifying an RC Priest - the present incumbent was involved full-time with his own parish at weekends - Mass was on a Tuesday afternoon and we were told that RC prisoners found it difficult to accept such an arrangement; average attendance was less than 10.

7.26 In addition to those formal services, there was a Worship Group which met every Wednesday evening and a Friday evening discussion group. At one time any number of prisoners was allowed to attend those groups but as part of a general tightening up of security, they were now limited to 12 named prisoners with a staff member always in attendance. Although the Chaplains acknowledged the need for restricting numbers on security grounds, they felt that the new conditions had been imposed on them without any real consultation. They felt that some flexibility should be allowed into those arrangements and were hoping to discuss their concerns with the recently appointed Regimes/Services Manager whom they had not yet met formally. They confirmed that they had enjoyed a good working relationship with the previous Manager.

7.27 They also intended to raise their concerns about the facilities for one-to-one meetings with prisoners. At one time, they could be held in the Chaplaincy Centre but that had been stopped for security reasons, which meant that the meetings had to take place in the Halls - where very few prisoners had single cells - or in the worksheds, neither of which offered much privacy. Similarly, visiting Ministers were only able to meet prisoners in the Agents Visit area with a member of staff present. Again, whilst the security reasons were understood, the general view was that those restrictions were affecting the privacy of any such discussion.

7.28 The Chaplains worked well together as a team and they had formed a Church Council to act as a co-ordinating group for religious services. The Council was made up of Chaplains and prisoners and met on a monthly basis. An information leaflet had been prepared which gave details of the timings of the various services and information on how to make contact with any of the Chaplains. There was a daily rota for the Chaplains with the C of S and the Episcopalian members each having designated parts of the prison for which they had specific responsibility. A Chaplaincy newsletter had also been introduced though it was acknowledged that it was not being produced as frequently as had originally been intended.

Comment

7.29 The establishment was well served by a dedicated and close-knit Chaplaincy team who enjoyed excellent facilities. It was clear that they had some concerns about the effects of increased security measures but hopefully those issues might be resolved once a formal meeting structure had been established with the new Regimes/Services Manager.

7.30 Our main concern related to the fact that a weekend Mass was not available for RC prisoners. Whilst we understand that the RC Priest had his own parish commitments, we were unhappy that prisoners were not able to worship at traditional times. We discussed our concerns with the SPS's RC Chaplain who confirmed that difficulties in identifying a priest who had the time properly to undertake the job had been ongoing for some time. Nevertheless, we suggest that further efforts should be made to appoint an RC Chaplain who would be able to provide religious services at the traditional times.

7.31 Finally, we suggest that the work to install an alarm in the Chaplaincy Office - which had been started but apparently abandoned - should be completed; there was an alarm in the Chapel itself.

Prison Fellowship

7.32 We met with the leader of the Prison Fellowship who was one of six volunteers who attended the prison regularly on a Monday evening. Meetings were invariably held in the Chaplaincy Centre, though some classrooms in 'E' Hall had also been used for that purpose.

7.33 The number of prisoners attending had been between 10 and 20 but as part of the tightening up of security referred to elsewhere in the report, numbers attending the group meetings had been restricted recently to a maximum of 12. Those now involved were mainly LTPs from either 'A' or 'E' Hall, though some from 'C' Hall were also represented; very few remands attended.

7.34 The Fellowship representative confirmed that a good relationship with staff of all grades was enjoyed and that contact with the Chaplains was being maintained.

Canteens

7.35 Canteen facilities were available to convicted prisoners for a number of hours on at least one day during the week, whilst remand prisoners had access on most afternoons except Friday and Sunday. The system appeared to be working satisfactorily and significantly, we did not receive many complaints from the prisoners about the range of stock on offer; the Visiting Committee (VC) was also complimentary about its operation - see paragraph 12.2.7. Three members of staff were directly involved in the supervision of the Hall canteens and where appropriate were assisted by a convicted prisoner in each area. The annual turnover of goods - mainly tobacco and phonecards - was said to be in excess of £150,000.

Comment

7.36 The only apparent major difficulty was that the staff involved in operating the system were located close to the STO's office, whereas stock was held some distance away in the main store.

Laundry

7.37 The laundry was managed by two members of staff, one of whom was acting Supervisor. Until recently, the laundry had also acted as a kit store but responsibility for the replacement of certain items had now been devolved to the Residential areas. Though the standards for the replacement of clean kit were being met in some areas, ‘C’ Hall was struggling to maintain standards - see paragraph 7.39.

7.38 A personal labelled kit was in operation for the longer term Halls and that system appeared to be working well; the prisoners liked the idea of having a personal kit and there was a positive financial benefit to the establishment in terms of a reduction in the number of kits which had to be replaced. Another good idea was the colour coding of all towels which had reduced the loss of such items. One Hall had been issued with net bags into which prisoners put their personal laundry, though only 40 bags had been issued against a population of 120 prisoners. This system should be expanded to include the rest of the prisoners.

7.39 As noted above, ‘C’ Hall was experiencing major difficulties with regard to kits and clearly there were some organisation and distribution problems which require to be addressed. We suggest, therefore, that there should be a complete review of the laundry distribution process, including the feasibility of having a member of staff in every area with specific responsibility for laundry issues.

7.40 One other area of concern was the condition of the washers and dryers in the laundry. Much of the equipment was regularly breaking down with the result that staff were frequently having problems in trying to maintain an acceptable level of output. This was placing immense pressure on the system and on staff who were already struggling to meet other commitments. We recommend therefore that SPS HQ should consider implementing improvements to the laundry as a matter of urgency.

7.41 The laundry’s acting Supervisor was hoping to introduce a service level agreement in the near future which should assist the organisation of the laundry system. He also hoped to be able to introduce a three kit system for prisoners which would not only ensure continuity but also would meet the terms of the SPS’s Operating Standards.

Estates

7.42 The Estates team comprised a Manager, two Supervisors (Clerks of Work), two Estates Officers and an Administrative Support Officer.

7.43 The in-house team had been successful in obtaining the maintenance contract, though the majority of the original team had either reverted to discipline duties or had left the SPS. The Contracts Manager was responsible for a team comprising two Supervisors, a Quantity Surveyor, administrative support and seventeen personnel covering all the appropriate trades. Accommodation and facilities for the team were spread across the establishment and were generally of a poor condition. In the report of our last formal inspection we had recommended that a purpose-built unit, including proper workshops and storage facilities, should be constructed. Whilst we are aware of the pressure on space and the financial constraints which the establishment is facing, we believe that it is important that the Contracts team should have appropriate accommodation and facilities. We therefore repeat our previous recommendation for the construction of a purpose-built unit with appropriate facilities.

7.44 The major capital project was the refurbishment of ‘D’ Hall which was on target for completion by September 1997. The Contracts team had also successfully completed minor works contracts, including the MDT facility. The Estates and Contracts Managers met on a weekly basis to discuss ongoing work, whilst a more formal meeting took place on a monthly basis. We were satisfied that minor works, WTIs and small repairs were up to date and were impressed by the computerised tracking system. However, because of overcrowding, some areas of the establishment were shabby and in need of decoration.

Fire

7.45 The Fire Precautions Officer (FPO) was an Estates Supervisor and the Deputy was an Estates Officer. Both had held those posts for about two months and both had attended the appropriate training course at the Scottish Fire Services School.

7.46 There was a separate Fire Committee which was a sub-group of the local H & S Committee and in addition to representatives from various functions within the establishment, membership extended to representatives of the local fire brigade. Prior to our inspection, the Committee had last met in July 1996 though the new FPO was intending to introduce a quarterly (or as required) meeting schedule. Either the FPO or the Deputy represented the group at H & S Committee meetings.

7.47 Good relationships had been established with the local fire brigade whose members made regular familiarisation visits to the establishment; a copy of the hydrant plan for the establishment was located at the Gate. The brigade had produced a special training note for their staff and in addition to some general information about items such as the role of the Fire Service at prison incidents and the safety of fire-fighters, that document also contained details of the procedure to be adopted for incidents specifically at HMP Perth. The brigade was called out for every fire incident with the call out time being about four minutes. There had been 22 such incidents in 1996, of which 19 had been the result of deliberate fire raising; in the first month of 1997 there had been seven incidents, of which five had been deliberate.

7.48 Because of the number of prisoners in the establishment, there had been no recent fire evacuation drills. However, copies of the local fire instructions, with details of evacuation points, were on display throughout the establishment and fire exits were clearly signposted. 'C' Hall was the only part of the establishment with a smoke detection system but a fire alarm system, which was maintained under a contract with a private Company, covered the entire establishment.

7.49 At the time of our inspection, 177 staff had been trained in the use of the new short duration breathing apparatus and the equipment had been installed at appropriate locations throughout the establishment. Efforts to train staff were concentrating on those in the Residential function; Operations staff were being trained at the SPS College, Polmont as part of their national induction programme. The main problems associated with that training programme were identified as finding the right location in which to provide it and getting staff released from other duties to attend. Records of the training given to all staff on fire safety topics were being maintained in manual form though proposals were in hand for them to be computerised. Very comprehensive local guidelines and operational instructions for the use of the breathing apparatus had been produced.

7.50 Inundation bungs had been fitted to the cell doors in 'C' and 'E' Halls and would be part of the new 'D' Hall. Bungs were available for 'A' Hall doors but a decision on fitting them had been postponed pending a final decision on the timing of the refurbishment of that Hall.

7.51 In September 1995, a full inspection of the establishment had been undertaken by HM Inspectorate of Fire Services. A list of action points from that report had been prepared and we noted that a significant number of the recommendations had already been attended to. A timetable for dealing with the outstanding points had been prepared - some of the items had been included in the maintenance programme, others would be attended to as part of the refurbishment programme for the accommodation areas.

7.52 The local Fire Committee also undertook their own internal surveys, with each part of the establishment being visited at least once a year. Check lists had been prepared to enable those surveys to be carried out uniformly throughout the prison and reports of the outcomes together with any recommendations for action were sent to the relevant Manager.

7.53 Maintenance of all local fire appliances was carried out on a regular basis with proper records being maintained.

Comment

7.54 It was very evident that the whole issue of fire precautions was being taken very seriously and we were pleased to learn of the good relationships which had been established with the local Fire Brigade. This was of particular importance given the number of fire incidents within the establishment each year. The new FPO was aware of the value of such a relationship which he was keen to maintain and we trust that he will be given sufficient time properly to undertake those duties.

7.55 There were, however, two issues which gave us some cause for concern. Firstly although Residential staff on the Hall galleries had keys for the fire house reel boxes, we found instances where the boxes could not be opened and it was not clear whether there was a fault with some keys or whether someone had tampered with the locks. We also learned that it was not uncommon for Operations staff to be on the galleries but without having keys to those boxes. We suggest, therefore, that there should be a complete review of the key arrangements to ensure that all fire house reel boxes can be opened and that all staff working on the galleries have a key with them.

7.56 The second issue related to the number of non fire-retardant mattresses and pillows which were in use in the accommodation areas and we suggest that there should be a comprehensive audit of all cells and appropriate action taken.

Health and Safety

7.57 The H & S Committee included membership from a wide range of functional areas throughout the establishment and held quarterly meetings, with minutes being available for inspection in a variety of areas.

7.58 The communications of H & S issues involved the publication of a local bulletin, team briefs and Hall noticeboards. One interesting initiative which we noted was that all H & S material was colour coded which made it instantly recognisable from other documents. A local H & S policy had been produced and there was an individual H & S handbook which staff could consult for general information. The Coordinator hoped in the near future to be able to offer SCOTVEC certified courses on H & S for staff.

7.59 The establishment had recently been inspected by the SPS’s H & S Adviser and we were satisfied that the items in his report had either been dealt with or were in the process of completion. All accident forms and subsequent communications were stored in a confidential lockable cabinet.

Comment

7.60 The H & S Committee had a high profile throughout the establishment and we were pleased to see that it enjoyed the support of senior management. A number of innovations had been introduced which were beginning to have an impact on the environment of the prison and the members of the Committee appeared to be very conscientous in their approach to the task.

7.61 We suggest, however, that safe systems of work should be introduced for all areas, including Hall passmen. The H & S coordinator and his team should also formulate a planned schedule of audits of all areas of the prison with proper time allocations to carry them out. Finally, a budget should be provided to enable posters and other materials connected with H & S issues to be purchased.

Energy

7.62 The Estates Manager was the Energy Coordinator and he chaired quarterly meetings of the local Energy Committee which was made up of representatives from each area within the establishment; all Committee members had a named deputy.

7.63 The main energy sources were electricity, gas, water and an emergency oil standby system. A building management system, which was in the process of being upgraded at the time of our inspection, was in place for all sources other than water.

7.64 The Committee gave regular consideration to energy saving measures, including campaigns which targetted specific areas; at the time of inspection, the establishment was on target for a 2% energy saving for the year. It was also interesting to learn that Perth had a waste recycling policy in place, which had been organised in conjunction with Perth and Kinross District Council Environmental Health Department; as far as we are aware, this is the first establishment in Scotland to operate such a policy.