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1. A Prison makes the decision that all other options having been considered or tried, it is appropriate to refer a prisoner for a Small Unit placement.
2. An Application Form is completed at the referring prison and a decision as to which Unit the application is being made for, is made based on the Small Unit Working Party criteria and the preferences of the prisoner.
3. The Application Form is sent to the Secretary of the Executive Committee for the Management of Difficult Prisoners, who makes a record of it for the Committee, and sends the form to the Unit as indicated on the application by return.
4. The receiving establishment sets up the Interviewing Team (normally the Governor, or Deputy Governor, a Supervisor, the Unit Psychologist and the Personal Officer Designate. A date is arranged and agreed with the referring establishment normally within a month of receiving the referral.
5. The Interview Team visits the referring establishment and there will be a number of activities in this action aimed at enhancing the quality of information required to make a decision.
(a) A file review will be carried out. This may be done on behalf of the Team by the Trainee Forensic Psychologist who will be carrying out a structured interview with the prisoner's personal officer using the Prisoner Behaviour Rating Scale, the Observation Scale and the Personality Disorder Questionnaire. This may be carried out prior to the main interview party going to the prison or at the same time.
(b) The referring prison will arrange a Case Conference with relevant members of staff, i.e. Unit Manager, Supervisor, Personal Officer, Psychologist and Social Worker. This Case Conference will be both a general discussion of views on the prisoner plus an opportunity for the Assessment Team to get some specific information, to add to the other information gathered.
6. The Assessment Team meets with the Prisoner. The objectives of the interview are as follows:
7. There is no set procedure for the interview. The interview should be informal and the prisoner made to feel at ease. The Assessment Team will try to encourage the prisoner to talk openly and honestly about how they see themselves and what they are seeking to gain from placement in a Unit. The Assessment Team should focus not only on the verbal responses to the questions but also to elements of non-verbal behaviour.
Each member will address different areas.
The Unit Governor and/or the Supervisor will normally start the interview by discussing with prisoner why he has been referred to the Unit. They will probe any discrepancies between the prisoner's view of how he has ended up in his current situation and the management view. They will also seek to clarify any points of ambiguity in the report on the prisoner. They will also check details of the prisoner's record throughout his sentence in order to see that the records are accurate.
The Psychologist will focus on the behaviours and situations which have led to the prisoner's current status and the prisoner's coping processes (and lack of them) as well as his views and feelings about his present position. He will seek to identify issues which cause the prisoner difficulty or which are sensitive to the prisoner.
The Personal Officer will ensure that the prisoner has a clear understanding of how the Unit operates, including the Regime and any restrictions that are placed on prisoners while in the Unit. He will attempt to assess how the prisoner will manage within the Unit Regime. The Personal Officer will also question the prisoner about his relationship with other prisoners within the Unit in order to identify whether any problem issues are likely to arise and how they may be managed.
The Governor and/or the Unit Supervisor will round off the interview by ensuring that the prisoner is satisfied that he has raised all the issues he wants raised with Assessment Team. He is advised of the timescale and processes of discussion, which will lead to a decision.
8. The Assessment Team may meet briefly with members of the Prison's staff for informal feedback and confirmation of when a decision may be expected.
9. The Assessment Team returns to Unit and discusses the assessment including the interview, psychological assessment and record search with other staff.
10. This decision is communicated within 2 weeks to the referring establishment both verbally and by letter. A member of the Assessment Team where possible will see the prisoner personally to inform him of the outcome of the assessment process. The prisoner is also advised by letter on whether he has been accepted or rejected.
11. If the outcome is to accept then the identified Personal Officer from the Unit will visit the prisoner on at least one occasion to agree the contract (as determined by Unit) and Exit Plan with the prisoner. Any significant possible variation would need to have been anticipated and agreed either or would have to be brought for consideration.
12. The date of admission is agreed and the transfer details arranged.
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