Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what training regarding prisoners with disabilities they provide to staff.

The Disability Advocacy & Wellbeing Network in HM Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS) offers internal disability awareness training to promote understanding of the issues faced by prisoners with disabilities. Prison staff have access to a suite of guidance materials in relation to disability, enabling then to be confident in their approach and meet the needs of prisoners with disabilities. These resources are reviewed regularly to ensure that they continue to complement our national equality policies, which provide direct instruction to prison staff on meeting the requirements of our Public Sector Equality Duty under the Equality Act 2010.

Dedicated Neurodiversity Support Managers are now in place in every public prison in England and Wales. These specialist staff are tasked with making sure prisoners with neurodiverse needs are identified and can access the right education and training opportunities while in prison, as these are crucial to reducing re-offending.

Some neurodiverse offenders may have speech and language needs which can lead to challenging behaviour, meaning they struggle to engage with prison rules and rehabilitation programmes. Support managers will ensure other prison staff know how to avoid and de-escalate volatile situations when working with offenders who have neurodiverse conditions.

HMPPS has a duty to make reasonable adjustments for prisoners with disabilities. These adjustments must be monitored and adapted as necessary throughout the course of the prisoner’s sentence. Where prisoners are transferred, the adjustment requirement will transfer with them.

There is an expectation that each prison will allocate sufficient resources to ensure that equality and diversity are managed effectively locally. The amount of resource required varies from prison to prison, and it would not be possible to obtain a total figure without incurring disproportionate cost. Our newly revised policies place renewed emphasis on the responsibility of senior leaders, including prison governors, for identifying and addressing disparity and promoting inclusion.