11. ADMINISTRATION AND OTHER SERVICES

Administration

11.1 Following the introduction of NSS, a decision had been taken to re-structure the area previously known as the General Office. Under that new local structure, the Court and Criminal functions had been moved to the Reception so that the staff operating those functions would have easy access to all the necessary documentation and would not be side-tracked from their primary duties to deal with other issues. At the same time, the opportunity was taken to merge the stores - except for the catering store which was moved to the kitchen - into one area to improve the overall level of control. Staff not involved in the Criminal and Court functions were relocated to the new stores area to create a Procurement Unit which was now responsible for all the Institution’s financial transactions. Staffing in that area comprised a Supervisor, two full-time Administrators and two part-timers who operated a job-sharing arrangement.

11.2 The new arrangements were working very well and all procedures appeared to be in accordance with SPS instructions. Budgets had been devolved to all functional areas of the Institution, though named budget holders had yet to be identified for the Residential function pending the resolution of a Disputes Procedure case about staffing in those areas. Some problems were being encountered with regard to the recently introduced new computerised financial package but those difficulties were being addressed at national level; the entire operation was in fact computerised. Accommodation for the Procurement Unit was satisfactory and no major difficulties had been encountered in the change-over from a Discipline to a Civilian staff operation.

Stores

11.3 As noted above, most of the Institution’s stores had been merged into one area and were the responsibility of one full-time Administrator. Although that merger had increased the overall level of control and management of the function, it had also led to a number of other difficulties. Firstly, the location of the area made access difficult for delivery vehicles which sometimes had to park some way away, with staff then physically having to move the items into the store. Secondly, the actual stores area was quite cramped with little space for staff to move about and every corner of the location was being used, including an area which was prone to leaks at times of heavy rain. We have, therefore, written to the Governor suggesting that consideration be given to easing those difficulties, though we do acknowledge the problems in relocation given the recent establishment of a local Procurement Unit. On the positive side, we were pleased to learn that no real difficulties were being encountered with regard to deliveries from SPS Central Stores.

11.4 Located within the stores area was the staff uniform store and though the area was well stocked, we had some concerns regarding security and have, therefore, written to the Governor.

SPIN

11.5 There was a total of 29 SPIN terminals and eight network printers dispersed throughout the establishment. The majority were situated in critical administration areas though no provision had been made for staff working on the galleries other than a terminal in the Supervisors’ offices. It would appear that there were adequate resources to meet the immediate needs of those requiring access to the Prisoners’ Record System (PRS) and the competence of the primary users - such as Administration, Gate and Reception - appeared satisfactory.

11.6 A Residential Supervisor and two deputies were responsible for co-ordinating the system which appeared to be satisfactorily managed. Information regarding warrants was diligently updated but the absence of any auditing process or quality assurance checks undermined the accuracy and reliability of the information contained in PRS.

11.7 Apart from PRS, it was apparent that the full range of functions within the system - such as E mail, Team Forum, Quest and Team Library - were not being maximised by most staff. The importance of utilising IT technology for present and future needs as part of the day-to-day business had not been fully realised amongst most staff, especially those in the Residential Units. The lack of proper training and the absence of terminals and printers ( only one printer serving all the Residential Units) contributed to that apparent indifference. Bids had been submitted for additional hardware but at the time of inspection, there had been no response to that request.

Comment

11.8 Overall, the primary functions of SPIN were operating adequately in the establishment. However, there was a need for a strategy to improve staff training in the wide range of SPIN functions in order to encourage greater awareness of IT as a communication and management tool. It is also important that more Residential staff have access to the facility and that essential data quality assurance and integrity checks be carried out.

Race Relations

11.9 The Ethnic Minority Liaison Officer (EMLO) was a Residential Officer who had held that job for approximately two years. There was no Deputy EMLO but there was a sufficiently robust structure in place to deal with any issues arising from the relatively small number of those from ethnic backgrounds admitted to the Institution. That said, no records existed to indicate the numbers admitted during the course of the present EMLO’s tenure and the overall administration of the job was unsatisfactory. However, the attitude of staff appeared to be positive with no evidence of racism, despite little or no training on the matter.

11.10 At the time of our inspection, there were no remands or convicted adults from ethnic minority backgrounds but a temporary arrangement was in place to accommodate PADs transferred from HMP Greenock - see paragraphs 3.12-13. From an initial number of eight, only two Indian Sikhs remained, the others having been liberated.

Comment

11.11 Many of the positive aspects regarding race relations issues were being driven by senior management and are worthy of praise. However, consideration should be given to raising the profile of the EMLO in order to devolve greater accountability and to manage some of the deficiencies that were evident in the administration aspects of the role.

11.12 The situation regarding the PADs had brought praise from both the SPS Liaison Officer in the West of Scotland Community Relations Council and an independent member of that organisation.

Equal Opportunities

11.13 The role of Equal Opportunities Officer (EOO) was held by the HR Manager. However, there was no Equal Opportunities Committee in place and no specific local policy or code of practice, the SPS Policy Statement having been adopted as the local policy.

11.14 During our inspection, we were informed that a small number of complaints alleging sexual harassment had been made to the previous Governor but we were satisfied that these were now being properly investigated. Additionally, line managers in the Institution had recently received training on equal opportunities awareness with an emphasis on gender issues. It was intended that that awareness would be cascaded to all staff by the line managers in order to raise the profile of Equal Opportunities and its application in the workplace. A wide range of literature on the topic was available from the EOO.

11.15 Toilet facilities for females working in the Residential Units were adequate, with access to them covering most areas across the estate. However, the provision for visitors and potential employees with physical disabilities was extremely poor, with no toilets for the disabled and access to many of the buildings being restricted due to the lack of ramps.

Comment

11.16 Given the allegations which were under investigation, it did not surprise us to find that the equal opportunity agenda at the Institution was dominated by gender issues. However, the whole issue of equal opportunities requires a higher profile within the establishment through the creation of a Committee which represents a broad range of staff and more emphasis on training and awareness. Establishing a local policy across a broader spectrum of equality issues with a monitoring capability would also enhance the working environment for all staff.