Staffing pressures impact prisoners daily at HMP Swaleside

In its 2023-24 annual report published today (30 August 2024), the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) at HMP Swaleside has found that difficulties in maintaining full staffing levels have impacted the prison’s ability to provide a consistent and engaging regime for prisoners. Healthcare is still reliant on agency staff to fill gaps, and there is no budget or staff for the resettlement function.

The IMB notes that:

• Industrial trainers have been difficult to recruit and the engineering shop became defunct because of this. It was sad to see a once thriving shop, full of expensive equipment, go unused.
• Over 50% of officers have under two years’ experience, with many under one year. Experience often plays a vital role in building positive and constructive relationships with prisoners and providing effective keywork.
• There is still little difference in the outlook for IPP prisoners and the provision of courses to allow them to progress is inadequate.

However, it is also pleased to report that:

• The education department has achieved a 91% success rate among those completing courses, which is expected to rise to 98% in the upcoming year.
• There were no apparent self-inflicted deaths during the reporting year.
• Assistance given by the psychology team to segregated prisoners was observed to be good, and the regime within the care and separation (segregation) unit appeared fair and safe.

IMB Swaleside Chair, Bob Chapman, said:

“From the Board’s observations, generally staff are doing a good job in difficult circumstances. However, the reliance on detached duty staff and overtime puts constant pressure on the more experienced officers to deliver a stable regime for prisoners. The Border Agency, Police and Civil Service continue to attract staff away. We hope that new recruits can fill these gaps effectively.”