02/03 Update – The Heatmap has now been update to reflect which sites are on the progression list, and the date that they were added to the list. This will be updated following the heatmap panel each friday.
The heatmap has been updated to note which prisons are on the ‘watchlist’. The ‘watchlist’ identifies prisons where there is evidence indicative of an undeclared outbreak or where evidence suggests an outbreak may arise in the near future. Establishments are not required to take any specific actions as result of being placed on the watchlist, but should be aware of this perceived risk.
The criteria for inclusion on the watchlist consists of:
5 or more reported SARS-Cov-2 positive staff cases in the last 14 days OR 2 or more reported SARS-Cov-2 staff cases and 1 or more reported SARS-Cov-2 positive service user cases in the last 14 days OR Included exceptionally following review.
Sites who have been moved to Amber or Green in the heatmap panel may still be in outbreak.
All contents within this guidance are to be treated as OFFICIAL and the link to the platform is not to be shared externally.
As establishments begin to transition through the recovery process, it is important to maintain focus on developing the rehabilitative culture within custody.
This page has been created to provide establishments with a library of supporting materials to utilise whilst developing local RRMPs and throughout recovery and future planning.
The HMPPS Testing Team are pleased to be able to share two consolidated Testing Manuals for Staff and Prisoners (and children) for immediate use.
SPOCs should review the version control pages on both documents to pick up the latest updates which cover new ROTL process , Recording transfer tests on PERs and updated advice for registration of DCT results. Please use these manuals going forwards, any changes will be highlighted through weekly comms.
All annexes have been reviewed/updated. Frequently used annexes may have been renamed. A spreadsheet of the changes is included below.
Please note two sets of testing guidance sit outside of these manuals- Test for Contact (Visits Testing) and Outbreak Mass Testing guidance documents- these remain live on this site.
Making a Request for a Workforce to Support Outbreak Testing (Update) (03.12.2021)
Please find attached updated comms related to making a request for workforce to support outbreak testing. This communication contains the correct email address for submissions, which had previously been entered erroneously.
All contents within this guidance are to be treated as OFFICIAL and the link to the platform is not to be shared externally.
As the Government has now set out its updated guidelines for the community and outlined its alert system for the country, HMPPS also has a plan in place to change our own restrictions. The COVID-19: National Framework for Prison Regimes and Services provides a conditional roadmap for what the easing of restrictions will mean in practise. At every stage our priority continues to be a safe environment for our staff and those in our care.
Establishments will begin to incrementally ease their restrictions at their own pace, based on their unique circumstances. Nationally, we have now moved from stage ‘four’ of lockdown with a minimum regime in place, to stage ‘three’ of restrictions, where the highest priority areas of regime (e.g. visits) can start to slowly be reinstated with appropriate restrictions, including restrictions in the community on travel to prisons. We continue to prepare for stage ‘two’ whereby compartmentalisation remains in place, testing and monitoring is ongoing and minimal social distancing is required, in line with community guidelines. The final phase of the roadmap is stage ‘one’, where regimes are operating without requirements for social distancing or PPE use. Each stage of recovery is supported by Exceptional Delivery Models (EDMs) and other more detailed guidance on the specific areas of policy involved. Whichever stage of recovery an establishment is at, it is vital that the maintenance of security, stability and safety remain a top priority.
We understand that during this period there may be increased risks to disorder, violence, suicide and self-harm levels, as the current restrictions are lifted. Safety measures must continue to involve tailored support and interventions for the individuals most at risk; now more than ever it is important to be receptive to the needs of individuals in our care, and work with them to help keep them safe. At the same time, lockdown measures have highlighted the value of the conversations and interactions with the people in our care and the positive impact this has had, and these small steps will continue to be important as restrictions are lifted.
The guidance provided in the following sections aims to support establishments to manage safety risks as restrictions are eased, whilst recognising that this will be different in each prison.
Listener scheme guidance and Distraction Packs 07.03.22
Clarification on the need for Wellbeing checks in the Open Estate 16/04/21
This guidance is in response to queries on the continuing need for well being checks to take place in the open estate; recognising that the open estate has been able to operate in a different way to the closed estate during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic and the safety risks have arisen not from elongated regime restriction and isolation but rather other risks such as lack of ROTL and opportunity to demonstrate risk reduction. Prisoners have not been locked in cell and have remained able to access the open air regularly and engage in interaction with others limited only by household and regime group restrictions. Community work has also been retained and many internal activity places have also remained open providing vital and regular interactions with communities and staff members.
Wellbeing checks were predominately introduced to mitigate the loss of Key Worker sessions in the closed adult male estate and provide valuable and more structured interactions with prisoners who were locked in cells for the majority of the day. Key work does not operate in the open estate and staff resourcing levels and deployment differ meaning that resources need to be deployed carefully where it is clear there is an identified risk. As the majority of Open Prisons are now at Stage 3 with the remainder close to progressing to Stage 3, it is appropriate to review whether Wellbeing Checks remain appropriate for the Open Estate. It has been determined that due to the increased regime opportunities, time out of rooms, good levels of regular and normalised staff interactions alongside established peer support that there is no longer a requirement for Wellbeing Checks to be routinely carried out in the Open Estate.
It is, however, still imperative that Open Prisons continue to identify those prisoners who may be at increased risk and ensure that appropriate support is put in place on an individual basis.
Review of safety and risk assessment processes following video appearances 29/04/2022
Video calls for social or official purposes bring huge benefits. But it is vital that we manage safety risks just as if someone had returned from a physical meeting or hearing. As set out in PSI 07/2015 and PSO 3050, similar health screening arrangements must apply before and after video appearances, just as they would for a physical court appearance. The same risk assessments for self-harm or suicide also apply.
Staff must talk to a prisoner straight after a video call to assess whether anything could affect their safety risk. As well as taking necessary actions, staff must record discussions and interventions on NOMIS and wing observation books and notify wing colleagues.
Following a death in custody in March 2021, Phil Copple, Director General of Prisons wrote to all Prison Group Directors and Governors, asking them to review local safety and risk assessment processes.
Given the potential for staff moves, Prison Group Directors and Governors have been asked to review their safety and risk assessment processes and to re-share the attached documents with staff, in particular, those working in Reception, Video, and Offender Management Units as a minimum.
Resources: Safety briefing and wall charts are attached that can be used to raise staff awareness.
Phil Copple to Governors review of safety and risk
Staff information notice
Wall charts showing how to keep prisoners safe after a change in circumstances
It is vital for staff to talk to a prisoner after a change in circumstance. Some examples are listed below, but there may be many others:
Sentencing hearings, especially if resulting in a long or unexpected sentence
Postponement or delay to remand or sentencing hearings
Refusal of bail, especially if the prisoner was expecting bail
Proceeds of Crime Act hearings if prisoners lose home, savings, or business
Family Court or local authority meetings where prisoners lose access to their children
Local authority meetings that result in loss of home and/or belongings
News of a bereavement or illness
Other information relating to children’s education, welfare, or placement
As well as taking necessary actions, it is also important for staff to record discussions and any interventions on NOMIS and wing observation books, and to notify wing colleagues.
An updated ACCT Q and A is attached here. This will continue to be updated as required. This includes updated guidance on undertaking the ACCT Assessor and Case Manager roles during this period, including quick guides to support staff with ACCT. Further guidance is also attached on defensible decisions.
Constant supervision is used only in times of acute suicidal or life-threatening crisis and should be used for the shortest time possible. The following guides have been written to help you provide one to one interactive support within the context of COVID–19.
On the page accessed through this link, ignore the top ‘contact us’ link as that will take you through to Motorola, instead scroll to the bottom of the page, where you will find the heading ‘Body Worn Cameras – Formally Edesix’.
If you need any assistance you can also contact Edesix at support@edesix.com or by phone: 01311 510 0232
The address for returns has recently changed and is now:
Edesix Ltd
Unit A
5 Bankhead Medway
Sighthill
Edinburgh
EH11 4BY
Connect With Prisoners
We know from studies of people in the community who have been isolated during pandemics that it is common to feel frustrated, anxious, fearful, depressed and angry. These feelings can worsen as time goes on; normal daily routines are restricted; people do not get the basic things they need and they do not understand what is going on, why things have changed and for how long the changes will be in place.
Being in isolation in prison can aggravate these feelings, particularly for certain groups of people, so it is important for staff to recognise this during the current pandemic, and know what practical things they can do.
• Isolating people to contain the virus should NOT be seen as a punishment • People should have the basic things they need in clean and decent cells • People should have things to do and be able to contact family and friends • People should have the right information about access to help and support • People should be kept up to date about the pandemic • Some people feel the effects of isolation more than others and will need extra support
Each prisoner should be seen at least once each day, and it is good practice to record that this has occurred (there may not be time for this to be done on an individual basis, but a landing or wing record may be possible).
More information on helping to manage the current situation and support people in isolation to cope with the restrictions in place; can be found in the attached guidance.
The weekly Safety Intervention Meeting (SIM) should continue to take place as it focusses on those who are classed as posing a significant risk to harming themselves or others, ensuring that those individuals are managed and supported appropriately. The attached guidance provides more information on the importance of these meetings.
It is particularly important to get information from a multi-disciplinary team and this may mean conducting these meetings in a large room so physical distancing can be observed or holding a phone meeting instead.
Do Not Attempt Resuscitation (DNAR) / RESPECT Forms
Due to the impact of COVID-19 in the wider community on particular groups of people, doctors are being encouraged to have conversations about resuscitation at an early stage with those who are likely to have a poor prognosis, should they become infected. On the most part the elderly and those with multiple underlying health conditions are having such discussions.
It is essential that ALL staff are aware that these conversations are taking place, and that there is effective communication with colleagues when decisions not to be resuscitated have been taken by prisoners.
Whilst the principles are the same everywhere, the details of the approach adopted vary between different part of the country, with some areas using a ReSPECT form which includes discussions around treatment and DNAR decisions, and others using a Treatment Escalation Plan and Resuscitation Decision Tool.
Therefore, the prison should work with the healthcare provider to ensure that the guidance below is followed using the forms that have been adopted locally.
We know that there will be a focus on determining whether new receptions are COVID-19 positive or whether they have symptoms of the virus. It is also important that other risk factors are not overlooked at this time. Prisons should do all they can to assess risk effectively during these times whilst adhering to the physical distancing guidelines.
Improving communications between staff and prisoners during the COVID-19 outbreak: The role of COVID-19 Communications Representatives
It is important that prisoners can understand why new processes have been put in place to respond to COVID-19. To help with this some prisons have appointed prisoners to the role of COVID-19 communications representatives to help inform their peers of the developments and to reinforce the messaging to them. This work has to be undertaken in line with social distancing requirements. See attached.
Isolation, and especially long-term isolation, can significantly increase the risk of self-harm and suicide or involvement in violence. Long-term isolation is also associated with an increased risk of mental health problems, depression, poorer pain management, and poor health outcomes. We know that the number of prisoners recorded as isolating have previously been rising. We need to be mindful of the additional impact that Covid-19 restrictions will have on this cohort.
The attached update provides more information about the impact Covid-19 has had on prisoners who isolate, and the need to raise staff awareness on how they can best identify and support previous and current isolated individuals. It also provides links to resources.
Reducing Violence and Self Harm during Recovery from the COVID-19 Outbreak
Cohorts Awareness Guide
Our prisoner population has individual and often quite complex needs. In this guide you will find information about a range of different prisoner cohorts that we have identified through our safety learning to help address some of the known safety risks of harm to self, to others, and in some cases, both.
It is important to remember that people are individuals, and cohorts are fluid. It is possible to belong to more than one cohort at any point in time, and so the needs and risks of prisoners are likely to change during their time in custody.
The guidance is not structured to be read from beginning to end – you can move to relevant sections by scrolling through the document or using the direct links in the contents page.
This guidance explains the importance of visible leadership, setting the tone and how giving clear and supportive information to both staff and prisoners in a personal and sensitive way can help to manage the impact on the prison community.
Use of Listeners and Use of Peer Workers (14.07.21)
Peer Support is a valuable resource. We know that many schemes, including the Listener scheme have been suspended or are operating with reduced capacity and support at present. Wherever possible, prisons should aim to maintain and promote these schemes to prisoners, and encourage them to volunteer, as they can provide a vital lifeline for those in need. Peer support schemes guidance is available to help you set up and make the most of peer support opportunities.
Training and support visits for Listeners by Samaritans volunteers are permitted where local circumstances allow, and the local branch is able to maintain them. Where this is not possible, prisons should continue to work closely with their local Samaritans branch to facilitate remote support and to resume visits as soon as possible. Any problems should be escalated to the group safety lead who can liaise with the Samaritans regional prison support officer to resolve them.
Where Listener numbers have dwindled, prisons should work with Samaritans on recruitment, encouraging prisoners to apply, using the standard application form and being as flexible as possible about scheduling training sessions. Prisons should promote the Listener scheme: with prisoners by distributing Samaritans materials and ensuring the Listener DVD is used in induction; and with staff by inviting local volunteers to provide awareness sessions at staff meetings and briefings.
It may be helpful to hold a meeting between the Governor and safety team and the local branch director and prison support officer to discuss how to manage the recovery period. Further guidance is available on operating the Listener scheme during Covid-19 and working with Samaritans.
Reminder for all prisons to keep prisoners Next of Kin records up to date
Re-starting of FLO Training
Updated remined of Staff Support
Health and Safety guidance for attending home visits
Reminder of Funeral Attendance protocol
OMiC Key Work in the male closed estate (14.07.21)
As we move into recovery the Key Work EDM for levels 4-1 should be followed. Please read the EDM below in its entirety. Here is an overview:
Key Work Exceptional Delivery Model – Level 4
At the very minimum a key worker session must be carried out for prisoners in the priority groups weekly. If it is not possible to undertake key work, then at the very minimum, a wellbeing check must be carried out daily for prisoners in the priority groups.
Key Work Delivery – Level 3
Full delivery of Key Work to those in priority groups (one session of Key Work weekly).
Increased level of Key Work sessions outside of the priority groups should take place on a 1-2-1 basis with a minimum of one session per month for all other prisoners.
Key Work Delivery – Level 2
Full delivery of Key Work to those in priority groups (one session of Key Work weekly).
Increased level of Key Work sessions outside of the priority groups should take place on a 1-2-1 basis with a minimum of two sessions of Key Work monthly per prisoner not in the list of priority groups.
Key Work Delivery –Level 1
Full delivery of Key Work to all prisoners. Prisons should deliver a minimum of three sessions of Key Work monthly per prisoner.
Offender Management in Custody (OMiC) Key Work in the Women’s estate (14.07.21)
OMiC Key Work is being rolled out across the Women’s Estate. As part of this roll out we need to safely move away from wellbeing checks which have been in place since December 2020 as part of our COVID regime mitigations to reduce self-harm.
From 1st May 2021, it is expected that:
Where the OMiC model has been rolled out all women receive 1 key work session per month.
Prisons review all the women currently within the priority groups and identify those who will continue to benefit from and require the daily wellbeing checks.
All women not currently receiving daily wellbeing checks are to have weekly wellbeing checks in place until the OMiC model is fully rolled out.
The Wellbeing Plan is a self-help tool created with input from mental health charity Mind, and prisonerfocus groups. The booklet helps prison prisoners plan their safety and support. It also contains a variety of mindfulness and distraction exercises to support wellbeing.
The resource has been designed for everyone. However, the Wellbeing Plan can also complement work to engage people with support, and alongside other therapeutic resources.
Paper copies of the Wellbeing Plan will be sent to establishments for each prisoner in the coming weeks, though timescales will depend on changing printing capacity. The plan will also be translated into a number of languages including Welsh, and these will be made available via the intranet once completed.
It is worth bearing in mind that this resource was designed before the current pandemic, so if printing individual copies, establishments should communicate to prisoners that some of the support available may have temporarily changed due to COVID-19.
To support prisoner wellbeing, the Psychology Team have developed some additional resources. The links below will provide the most up to date versions:
Offending behaviour work will be undertaken subject to Government and PHE guidance. This will largely be 1-1 and in small groups with social distancing measures in place. Small group working as an option needs to be risk assessed locally and should only be done with the same prisoners from the same cohort and the same staff (i.e. they must be from the same unit/wing and not from different areas of the prison). Prisoners cannot be transferred to undertake OBPs.
ROTLUpdate 26/11 – Briefing published which updates the guidance around Resettlement Overnight Release (ROR). This briefing includes the introduction of the requirement for mandatory testing of prisoners following ROR and amendment to the guidance around self-isolation during ROR to require that positive prisoners return to the establishment . All establishments facilitating ROTL are requested to read this guidance. The changes published come into action on 09.12.21.
This document replaces all previous HMPPS guidance relating to ROTL and approves the further expansion of ROTL from all Open prisons, including female Closed dual sites and Youth Custody Services to include ROTL to an approved private address subject to:
satisfactory risk assessment
the Covid threat levels
adherence to national guidance
individual prison having the resilience within their prisons to manage this activity effectively, and have
PGD approval via RRMP process.
This document provides advice for Governors and their teams to enable ROTL activity where possible whilst complying with PHE/PHW advice and national restrictions in force in either England or Wales without need to seek further central approval.
ADDITIONALLY:
Please note that when someone is released on ROTL for work as an essential worker, returning prisoners should be managed pragmatically and in line with cohorting guidance. If prisoners are going out daily, it is better to manage the risk of seeding the virus by locating them in a designated area away from the main population where possible.
All prisoners entering prison including those on ROTL should be reviewed by Healthcare teams for COVID-19 symptoms (and other changes of circumstances). Whilst HMPPS does not have a blanket policy to thermometer check prisoners on return, thermometer checks may make up part of a Healthcare assessment. Guidelines have been drawn up on what to do if prisoners ar returning from ROTL during hours where Healthcare staff are not on site.
Risk issues should be balanced with the compassionate needs of the individual and special consideration must be given to those who have ‘General Parental Responsibilities’ and whether the welfare of children is compromised due to a carer contracting the virus. If a prisoner reports as ill on RDR then they should return to the establishment and self-isolate. We are currently seeking advice on whether establishments will be able to refuse ROTL on health grounds where prisoners have contracted Covid-19.
Analytical Services and the COVID-19 Reporting Team regularly provide feedback to sites to address any missing or incomplete information in the COVID-19 returns – these data QA exercises have proved helpful in terms of closing data gaps.
The most recent communication to regional and local prison COVID-19 Reporting SPOCs relating to staff returns was on the 8 September. These updates include feedback on specific data for each site to review and update. However, there remain a number of data omissions on some site returns, for example employee number and reason for absence.
The data errors should be worked on and corrected in the next submitted COVID-19 returns.
It is essential that the COVID-19 returns are as comprehensive and complete as possible in order to support our continued understanding and analysis of the impact of COVID-19 on HMPPS.
Please ensure that returns are reviewed and if necessary updated by the local Reporting SPOC (as per the individual site feedback provided to them) by close of play on Friday 29 October at the latest.
As we continue recovery and you make progression at your establishment, it is still important that you maintain Defensible Decision logs.
HMPPS have put in place and consistently reviewed numerous risk assessments with considered UKHSA specific guidance in order to safely run prisons through Covid-19. Live risk assessments, as well as Safe Operating Procedures and Local Operating Procedures, act to inform a Governor of ongoing risk and how this can be managed.
Secondly, Governors were previously advised to open a Defensible Decision log and keep it open for the duration of the Covid-19 period in order to record decisions made outside of policy. Vitally, the log must continue to demonstrate the justification behind complex decisions to prioritise or not operate elements of the regime, not to ourselves, but to the independent, objective viewer. Their base of information must prove this defensibility, through local information, the engagement of recognised trade unions, and most importantly, the inclusion of the live relevant Risk Assessment. If it is not possible to provide the evidence base with which the defensible decision has been formed, there is potential for the independent third party to argue its defensibility in principle.
Reporting Update (09.09.21)
As we learn to live with COVID-19, we are seeing some increase of COVID-19 prevalence rates in the community. Whilst at present this does not appear to be having the same impact on the number of people falling seriously ill, being admitted to hospital or deaths as in previous waves, it is important that we continue to focus our attention on information that will assist with supporting and managing any operational challenges.
It is essential that we continue to receive timely and accurate COVID-19 returns, specifically:
Submission of the standard COVID-19 data returns – currently daily (Mon – Fri). Regional returns must be submitted to the central COVID-19 Reporting Team by 11am each week day. Individual sites must, therefore, ensure that returns are submitted to Regional SPOCs swiftly each day to ensure the 11am deadline is met.
Completion of the weekly Testing Data Smart Survey – deadline 1pm each Wednesday. Every site is required to complete this survey with their weekly testing data: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/WeeklyReturn/
Reminder:
Seriously ill individuals and hospitalisations
All cases of serious illness or hospitalisation must be notified without delay to the COVID-19 Reporting Team FMB: HMPPSCOVID19@justice.gov.uk and these cases must be recorded on the daily COVID-19 returns.
COVID-19 related deaths
The process of reporting of COVID-19 related deaths remains the same. All COVID-19 related deaths (confirmed or suspected) must be reported without delay to the National Incident Management Unit (NIMU) NIMU@justice.gov.uk (0207 147 4021) using the relevant notification forms, and copied to the Reporting Team FMB.
Early detection
If you have additional information e.g. the likely source of infection resulting in a number of new cases, please email the COVID-19 Reporting Team FMB. Any information along these lines is valuable in terms of assisting with the early identification and subsequent effective management of future outbreaks.
The COVID-19 Reporting Team continue to operate out of hours and weekend support, contact can be made via COVID-19 Reporting Team FMB, or contact as listed on the weekly NIMU Gold rota.
For further advice or guidance please email the COVID-19 Reporting Team FMB.