Holme House

MANAGERS

Senior managers praised their ‘amazing’ staff’s teamwork, resilience, care and commitment. They rated the monthly staff training days (focused on offender management and challenging behaviour). They highlighted a ‘comprehensive’ drug strategy, including a dedicated search team, reception X-rays for prisoners, body scans for visitors, and wider use of drug dogs and searches of staff, and said it led to ‘very low’ drug usage. They praised the ‘excellent’ sport facilities and opportunities, and the range of education & training on offer – including Inside OutScheme bringing together students and prisoners to study together – see also “Learning Together” Learning Together - Scheme bringing together students and prisoners to study together, where Teeside students and prisoners learn togetherScheme bringing together students and prisoners to study together – see also “Inside Out”. They rated the palliative care facility and Houseblock 6’s Therapeutic Community. Wing KiosksTouch-screen terminals, normally on the wings, which allow prisoners to deal with many ‘domestic’ issues, such as submitting “apps” and ordering “canteen” and in-cell phones were ‘transformative’. Noting a range of peer mentors and good prisoner consultation which included elected wing reps and monthly meetings with management, they added the new KeyworkA national scheme under which Prison Officers are given training and time to work one-to-one with around six prisoners, aimed at supporting their management and rehabilitation scheme was also ‘very promising’. Monthly family visits, supported by local charity NEPACSA north east charity supporting prisoners and their families www.nepacs.co.uk, were ‘very good’.

PRISONERS

The prisoners were really enthusiastic about in-cell phones and Kiosks, too. They called the family visits ‘great’, and had high praise for both education, and the Inside Out programme in particular. They also valued the ‘effective’ Democratic Council (Prisoner CouncilCommittee of prisoner representatives meeting with senior management to discuss issues relevant to the management and care of prisoners in the jail), and the wide range of peer mentors, highlighting especially the support provided by fully trained social care peer workers.

OFFICERS

The Officers felt staff were ‘enthusiastic’ and ‘committed’, and the new staff were ‘a breath of fresh air’. There was a ‘strong’ rehabilitative culture across the jail. Training days, staff support and the care team were ‘very good’. In-cell phones and Kiosks were ‘brilliant’ and Keywork was ‘great’, and the drug strategy was ‘making a real difference’. Family visits were another positive highlighted.