Youth Custody: Coronavirus

(asked on 10th November 2020) - View Source

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will publish the number of staff absences by establishment throughout the youth secure estate as a result of the covid-19 outbreak for each month since 1 April 2020.


Answered by
Lucy Frazer Portrait
Lucy Frazer
Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
This question was answered on 18th November 2020

Published data on staff absent due to Covid-19 was first published in August on gov.uk for the period up to 31 July 2020. These figures can be found under the Covid annex, via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/her-majestys-prison-and-probation-service-workforce-quarterly-june-2020

Number of staff absent due to COVID-19 from April 2020

Establishments

30.04.2020

29.05.2020

30.06.2020

31.07.2020

Adel Beck

6

13

12

12

Aldine House

~

0

0

0

Aycliffe

4

6

~

~

Barton Moss

24

22

23

23

Clayfields House

0

4

4

5

Cookham Wood

47

28

30

29

Feltham A

12

4

~

~

Hillside

4

4

5

4

Lincolnshire

~

~

0

~

Oakhill (STC)

8

10

11

8

Parc (YOI)

5

6

4

4

Rainsbrook (STC)

~

4

0

~

Vinney Green

11

8

6

4

Werrington

5

~

19

12

Wetherby

38

36

59

53

Total

171

149

178

160

(1) Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system. Much of the data collected during the COVID-19 pandemic has been done at pace, with recording practices evolving as we understand more about the requirements and conditions we are facing. In order to present the timeliest information, the data presented has not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics.

(2) Numbers of 3 or less have been supressed and so have totals where the supressed number could be calculated.

(3) The types of COVID absences recorded are Sickness Absence, Self Isolation or Quarantine on Official Health Advice, Caring Responsibilities and Other reasons.

Closed settings such as prisons pose particular challenges in managing outbreaks, but we have had to introduce a number of necessary restrictions, guided by public health advice to limit the spread of COVID-19 in establishments and to protect both staff and residents, with necessary adaptions to manage infection.

We will be introducing a testing regime for staff and those in our care across all establishments in England and Wales to help identify and isolate cases early and control the spread of coronavirus. Routine staff testing will also be rolled out from November for both directly employed and non-directly employed staff who work with service users on a weekly basis.

Reticulating Splines