9. Staff and Management

Complement

9.1 Staffing at the time of inspection was as follows:-

Management

9.2 The management team was led by the Governor who had been in post for some 3½ years. Managers with responsibility for Custody matters (ie, the Deputy Governor), Operations, Systems and Strategy, Human Resources, Finance and Estates reported directly to the Governor and formed the core of the senior management team. The team was completed by a Regimes/Services manager, a Health Centre manager and four residential Unit Managers all of whom reported to the Deputy Governor.

9.3 In common with other establishments, Perth had experienced a significant turnover of management personnel since the New Staffing Structure (NSS) was established in April 1995. This had been a difficult period but we were impressed by the cohesiveness and teamwork which was exhibited by the management group. In spite of considerable change, the effectiveness of the team did not seem to have been adversely affected and incoming managers had been assimilated quickly without detriment to performance.

9.4 In respect of NSS, some 47 new recruits had been absorbed into the Operations group and non-uniformed staff had increased from 15 to 72. Given the changes in senior personnel which had also taken place during that period, it was inevitable that much of the management’s time and resources must have been absorbed in giving effect to those major changes. While we found no firm evidence that this had contributed to the volatile period which the prison had experienced during 1996, it could have been a contributory factor.

9.5 The meetings structure was appropriate for the size and complexity of the establishment. The Governor met with the Deputy Governor and the Operations Manager on a daily basis while meetings with the wider management team took place on Mondays and Fridays. Unit Managers meetings with Supervisory staff were also appropriate and ensured that the flow of operational information was efficient and fast.

Human Resources

9.6 The HR Manager had been in post for two years and considered himself to be a full member of the establishment's management team. Reporting directly to the Governor, he attended all the appropriate morning meetings and had been involved in the strategic planning process as well as having delegated responsibility for managing the salaries budget. He also had overall responsibility for the staff training function - see paragraphs 9.9-14.

9.7 In line with current policy, he regarded his main customers as the line managers, with his principal role being that of providing advice and assistance to them for their dealings with staff. In addition to that role, his duties included manpower planning, arranging and participating in local boards, ensuring that all procedures were being properly followed for staff leaving the Service and active participation in the local absence management policy. He was also the establishment's HR link with SPS HQ and as such he attended monthly meetings there and was the central point of contact for requests for information or statistical returns.

9.8 His base was in the Administration block where he was able to call on the typing/secretarial services which were available to other managers. At the time of our inspection, an exercise was being carried out to recruit a Personnel Development Officer who would be able to take some of the burden off both the HR Manager and the Staff Training Officer (STO) to enable both to adopt a more proactive role. (Funding for that post had become available as a result of the decision to reduce the number of STOs from two to one.) Within the HR Manager's Office there were the career folders of all staff up to Supervisor level - the Deputy Governor held the others - but plans were being finalised to have these records computerised.

Staff Training

9.9 A Staff Training Committee met every two months under the chairmanship of the HR Manager and representatives (who had named deputies) came from the Residential, Industries and Catering functions. Plans were in hand to extend the membership to incorporate a more representative cross section of staff, including civilians; this is a proposal to which we give our full support. Facilities for training within the prison consisted of a number of well equipped rooms in the old Gatehouse area and were more than adequate for their purpose.

9.10 A Staff Training Policy document had been published and a workshop on the subject had taken place shortly before our inspection. A training plan, which clearly defined the roles of both line managers and the STO in delivering appropriate training as well as identifying the essential training requirements linked to the Strategic Plan, had been prepared for the coming year. The identified training needs ranged from Auditing Procedures for managers to Presentation Skills for newly appointed Supervisors. Based on the annual plan, a quarterly prospectus was completed and widely circulated within the establishment; it contained application forms which individuals completed and submitted to the STO through their line management.

9.11 The content of the staff training programme was varied and covered managerial and supervisory staff as well as a range of disciplines. Routine but essential subjects such as C & R training were receiving the appropriate priority, as was training in hostage management. There was, however, a proper balance being struck between the operational and the development needs of staff and suitable programmes were underway for both Supervisors and Officers.

9.12 From our examination of the Unit’s records, we noted that in the year to December 1996, some 12,500 training hours had been planned while just over 10,300 had actually been delivered, a shortfall of some 18%. We were told that that was due to circumstances outwith the STO’s control as he was often forced to postpone or cancel courses when staff availability was curtailed by more pressing operational requirements. In order to improve matters in that respect, progress reports on staff attendance at training events were now being completed by the STO and forwarded to line management to ensure that they were making every effort to meet their staff training targets. The shortfall in delivery was particularly disappointing as there was a lock up every Friday afternoon with the specific purpose of allowing staff training to take place. We noted from recent minutes of the Staff Training Committee that the problems of low attendance on Friday afternoons had been recognised and that appropriate action was being considered to rectify this issue.

9.13 In common with many other Scottish establishments, a backlog had built up in the number of Prison Officer recruits waiting to be assessed and verified for Scottish Vocational Qualification (SVQ) units. This has meant that a six month extension period had been added to the two year probationary period in order that the SVQ programme could be completed. We were pleased to note that during our inspection, SPS HQ had taken action to address this shortcoming.

Comment

9.14 The facilities, procedures and plans for staff training were good and well thought through but like many similar establishments, difficulty was being experienced in delivering all the planned (and necessary) training due to operational pressures which were often outwith the control of those directly involved in staff training. However, there were two issues which caused concern. Firstly, staff training on Friday afternoons seemed to have diminished for reasons that were not entirely clear and we suggest that the Governor should review this arrangement with the aim of re-invigorating the staff training opportunities. Secondly, we were surprised at the general perception among staff as to what went on in the Training Unit. There was a lack of knowledge and understanding of what training was available and what was actually being delivered and we suggest that action should be taken to address that perception - perhaps through regular contributions to Team Briefing.

Staff Grievance Procedure

9.15 The HR Manager had overall responsibility for the scheme for which he maintained a central record of all cases. Since the scheme had first been introduced, a total of 12 cases had been raised, two of which were ongoing at the time of inspection. Part of the HR Manager’s function was to establish whether any trends or patterns of complaint were emerging so that appropriate action could be taken if necessary; no such pattern had, however, been established thus far.

9.16 We were satisfied that all relevant timescales were being met and the fact that the grievances which had been raised came from a wide range of functions throughout the establishment was an indicator that staff were aware of the existence of the scheme and how it operated.

Staff Facilities

9.17 Since our last inspection, the General Office had been moved - see paragraph 11.1 -and its former location on the ground floor of the Administration block had been converted into a large non-smoking staff dining/rest area. In April 1996, an externally managed canteen facility had been added and now provided hot meals and sandwiches from 0745 to 1730 hours Monday to Saturday. Also within the area were two vending machines which provided hot drinks and snacks.

9.18 In another part of the Administration Block there was a staff rest area in which smoking was permitted. Given the numbers who used the facility, it was adequately sized and a drinks vending machine was available. However, there was a lack of fresh air in the area, a situation not helped by the fact that the air filter machine was out of service; we suggest that this should be repaired or replaced as soon as possible.

9.19 In addition to those two, there was another staff dining area adjacent to the Control room in ‘A’ Hall. We were advised, however, that that area was about to be converted into a staff fitness facility - in fact, the establishment had recently taken delivery of the exercise equipment. Included in that redevelopment would be two female staff showers.

9.20 There were two staff locker rooms, both of which were located in the Administration Block; they were well organised and generally clean and tidy. The upstairs room had two toilets and showers and there was one toilet and shower downstairs. However, none of the toilets was properly equipped for unisex use and only the downstairs shower was suitable for use by female staff.

9.21 The whole issue of staff toilets - and in particular their suitability for use by female staff - was one which gave some cause for concern. There were very few female only toilets and the majority were not properly equipped for unisex use. Toilets in the Halls were badly in need of upgrading and cleaning - a number of them even doubled as stores for cleaning equipment. We suggest, therefore, that there should be a complete review of all staff toilet areas with the aim of upgrading them to an acceptable standard and of ensuring that they are properly equipped for unisex use.

Staff Perceptions

9.22 During the course of our inspection we met formally with a range of staff from all grades, specialisms and levels of experience. Though there was inevitable duplication, a wide range of issues was raised.

9.23 We have recorded the views of staff as they were put to us but that should not be taken to imply that the Inspectorate is in full agreement with every point raised. We do feel, however, that it is important that the views and perceptions of staff on aspects of the establishment be recorded. Where issues raised relate to aspects on which we have commented in detail elsewhere in this report, we have cross-referenced the relevant paragraphs. The following is a summary of the main points raised and staff's comments on them.

9.24 We received mixed views on the issue of relationships with management. Some staff felt that in recent times the quality of the senior management team had improved with a resultant improvement in relationships with staff. However, the majority view was that there was still a gap between staff and management with most members of the latter being rarely seen in the Halls. There was also a view that management did not want to listen to the views of staff or to consult with them, whilst it was also alleged that lack of prison experience among Managers was a problem - paragraphs 9.2-5.

9.25 On a similar vein, communications were generally regarded as being poor with information being slow to reach staff. There was, however, praise for the system whereby staff were given a briefing before coming on duty - paragraphs 9.39-41.

9.26 Staff training came in for universal criticism from all staff groups, the generally-held perception being that training was not being provided despite the fact that adequate facilities were available. It was claimed that the Friday afternoon training sessions were not available to all staff because of the need to cover posts and there were claims that courses were often cancelled at short notice. Progress on SVQ training for recruits was mixed with some staff saying that it was difficult to get time with their assessors. Civilian staff felt as if they were being overlooked when training priorities were being set - paragraphs 9.9-14.

9.27 The general view about staff morale was that it was low. Staff were concerned about the pace of change and the perceived lack of direction at national level coupled with the loss of experienced staff and the lack of promotion opportunities at local level. It was claimed that staff were working under too much pressure - particularly at Supervisor level - and Operations staff felt that they had been cheated by Press advertisements about the salaries which were available to them; we were told that significant numbers of staff in that group were actively seeking other employment. On the positive side, the recent tightening up on security matters had helped staff feel that they were now more in control of what was happening within the prison - paragraphs 9.3-4 and 4.3.

9.28 We received mixed views on the issue of staff facilities. Some felt that there had been a great improvement in recent times, particularly the new rest room and the new staff canteen arrangements (though some concern was expressed about the attitude of the canteen staff). Concern was, however, expressed about toilet/shower areas and especially the shortage of such facilities for female staff - paragraphs 9.17-21.

9.29 Concern was expressed about high levels of TOIL throughout the establishment and the difficulties in getting days off at a time which was convenient to staff, which made forward planning very difficult. We were told that there were some pockets of high banked hours which in their view, was an indicator of bad management.

9.30 The majority of the staff groups had no trust in the system of performance related pay and could not see how it would work on a fair and equitable basis. They saw it as a control measure, particularly as many claimed that they could go for long periods without ever coming into contact with their Reporting Officer.

9.31 Inter-staff relationships was another issue on which we received some mixed views. Some groups said that they were good, with all staff pulling together in times of trouble. However, it was also claimed that there was a very clear divide between ‘C’ and ‘D’ Band staff.

9.32 Universal concern was expressed about overcrowding in the prison, particularly in 'C' Hall where there was a potentially explosive mix of prisoners. There was a lack of progression opportunities available to prisoners and staff had no time for other than the basics of the job. It was claimed that further overcrowding would inevitably lead to outbreaks of violence - paragraphs 2.2 and 3.11-13.

9.33 Sentence planning for short-term prisoners was described as a waste of time - paragraphs 6.9-12.

Comment

9.34 The main concerns expressed to us by staff were all issues which we had identified or examined during our visit.

9.35 We were not convinced that relationships with management were as poor as related to us. The meeting and briefing structures in existence showed that management was making considerable efforts to communicate fully with staff and we were impressed by the efforts which were being made in that regard - see paragraphs 9.5 and 9.39-41.

9.36 Whilst we judged that staff morale could be improved, there were clear signs that the impact of the major changes which the Service had undergone were diminishing. Most staff appeared in fact to be in good spirits, in spite of the demands which overcrowding was placing on them. We agree that there is always room for improvement in respect of teamwork, inter departmental cooperation and consultation but we were impressed by the overall level of enthusiasm with which staff faced the daily demands placed upon them. Another indicator of good morale and one which led us to the conclusion that staff were focussed on their task, was the low level of sickness absence and we were pleased to see that in overall terms, the establishment was below the SPS target. We were, however, concerned about the TOIL situation (see paragraph 9.29) which was higher than we would have expected at this time of year and also about its apparent inequitable spread across the various staff groups.

9.37 We agree that some effort is required to bring some aspects of the staff facilities up to a consistent standard.

9.38 It is pertinent to record that staff expressed concern about issues relating to prisoners - such as overcrowding, lack of progression opportunities and sentence planning - though it should be acknowledged that these issues do also impact on the working conditions of staff. Behind the comments, we detected a genuine element of concern about standards which staff were unable to influence and which they recognised were, in certain cases, unacceptable.

Communications

9.39 The role of Communications Co-ordinator was filled by the Systems and Strategy Manager who had held that responsibility for about nine months. There was also a Communications Committee which was chaired by the Governor and which comprised representatives from the various functional areas; the Committee met on a bi-monthly basis.

9.40 Despite the lack of any formal training, the Committee had devised a communications policy and strategy which included a set of Operating Standards. Those Standards covered areas such as team briefing, Governor I/C meetings with staff, targets for responses to mail and a staff suggestion box. Two of those Operating Standards were audited on a monthly basis. The staff notice boards and Governor’s Order Book were checked and updated regularly and were accessible throughout the establishment. We noted also that a monthly intelligence bulletin was circulated and two electronic mail display systems had been introduced - one specifically for staff, the other for visitors.

9.41 In our opinion, this is one of the best communication strategies we have come across within the SPS. Of particular note was the Governor I/C meetings with staff which were managed in such a way as to ensure that at least 60% of staff were able to attend.

Industrial Relations

9.42 There had been no meetings of a local Whitley Council as the Local Branch of the Scottish Prison Officers Association (SPOA) had refused to participate. We did not ask, therefore, to meet with individual union representatives but at the request of the Governor, we met with two members of the local Committee of the SPOA whose views on a range of matters we subsequently conveyed to the Governor.

9.43 We were pleased to learn that notwithstanding the issue surrounding the Whitley Council, the current industrial relations climate was good and there were no areas of formal dispute between the Governor and the SPOA. Management would appear to adopt a consultative approach on issues which impact on staff and we saw minutes of formal meetings which supported that view.

9.44 Suitable provision was made in regard to facilities and other resources to allow the various Trade Unions to function, including authority for lock up meetings when necessary.

Race Relations

9.45 The Ethnic Minorities Liaison Officer (EMLO) was a Supervisor who had been responsible for that function for about 18 months; the Deputy EMLO was one of the Cognitive Skills Officers.

9.46 All admissions from ethnic minority backgrounds were notified to the EMLO who then made contact with the prisoners concerned in Reception where reception cards in eight different languages were available. A list of interpreters, including some who could read braille or sign language, was also available in the Reception. Before being transferred to their Halls, all ethnic minority prisoners were given a card with the EMLO’s name on it; this ensured that immediate contact could be made if required and it is a practice which we commend to other establishments. We were also interested to note that all interviews between the EMLO and ethnic minority prisoners were logged on to a computer which then acted as a database for local research and analysis purposes.

9.47 A race relations policy statement was on display at strategic points throughout the establishment and there was a proposal to appoint an Officer in each area with specific responsibility for that subject. The EMLO, in conjunction with the senior social worker, was hoping to establish a local committee with the specific remit of further developing race relations. External contacts were maintained with Tayside Community Race Relations Council and with EMLOs in other prisons and regular meetings were held with the catering manager to discuss dietary arrangements. We have written to the Governor suggesting that copies of the SHAP calendar should be made available in the Halls.

Equal Opportunities

9.48 The Equal Opportunities Officer was the STO and he was backed by a Committee chaired by the HR Manager; the Committee had, in fact, been reconstituted recently in order to ensure that it contained members who had an active interest in the subject. Meetings were held approximately every three months and the minutes contained an action column so that responsibility for ensuring that tasks were completed was shared amongst the members.

9.49 A recent decision by the Committee had been to review the local equal opportunities policy statement which instead of being produced in the form of a small diary insert, would be contained in a general equal opportunities folder, which would be on permanent display in the staff muster area. The Committee was also looking at ways of raising its own profile - eg, by producing posters giving details of its membership.

9.50 As noted earlier in this report - see paragraph 9.21 - we had some concerns about the provision of toilets for female staff but overall, there was no obvious evidence of any discrimination. We were particularly pleased to learn that management had recently tackled the issue of offensive photographs in staff areas.

9.51 There was adequate wheelchair access for visitors to the establishment and a number of car parking spaces close to the pedestrian entrance had been reserved for disabled drivers.