Five Wells Prison: Staff

(asked on 5th November 2020) - View Source

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans he has to publish expected staffing levels for HMP Five Wells; and if he will make a statement.


Answered by
Lucy Frazer Portrait
Lucy Frazer
Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
This question was answered on 13th November 2020

In response to questions 112152 and 112154, we do not plan to publish staffing levels for HMP Five Wells. The operator contracts between the Department and all private prison providers require the Contractor to be responsible for all staffing matters, including ensuring staff have the training and experience necessary for safe and decent prisons. This is monitored to ensure the standards are maintained across the lifetime of the contract.

In response to 112153, mandating minimum staffing levels for private prison operators would restrict their ability to introduce and foster innovation, and their flexibility to adjust their staffing levels across the lifetime of the contract according to the needs and demands created by any changes to the prison population or in risk. It could also deter them from engaging with expertise and professional support in the local and wider community and hinder their ability to respond quickly to new challenges and opportunities. As such, the contract for the operation of HMP Five Wells does not include minimum staffing levels or staff-to-prisoner ratios.

However, we rigorously and robustly evaluated staffing levels as part of the evaluation process for the operator competition for HMP Five Wells. We are confident that the new prison operator, G4S has an approach and staffing model that will provide and ensure a decent, safe, secure and rehabilitative environment.

In response to question 112155, prisoner-on-prisoner and prisoner-on-staff assaults will feature as contract delivery indicators within the performance framework for HMP Five Wells. Similarly, levels of prisoner self-harm will be covered in the framework through contract delivery indicators compared against HMIP Safety scores and the HMPPS Risk Management Audit. Performance in this area will also be published as part of the standard and regularly published statistics once the prison is operating and at full capacity.

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