Caring for the Suicidal in Custody: Wandsworth Prison (Hansard, 22 March 1995)

§ The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Blatch):

Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter to Lord Harris of Greenwich from the Director of Personnel of the Prison Service, Mr. A. J. Butler, dated 22nd March 1995

Lady Blatch has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent 74WA Question asking what action will be taken following the comments of Her Majesty's Coroner on the death of Shane Barnes and the criticism of the Board of Visitors at Wandsworth prison following five other suicides in the last year.

There were in fact four suicides in 1994 and two in 1993.

The Director General received a letter from the Coroner on 13 March in which he makes his recommendations. The governor of Wandsworth has already called for a transcript of the inquest, as he wishes to study the Coroner's comments with his Suicide Awareness Committee. The governor will then prepare an action plan which takes into account all the circumstances surrounding the death of Shane Barnes.

The Prison Service has already introduced an updated strategy called Caring for the Suicidal in Custody. Wandsworth prison was one of the establishments which piloted this scheme and has therefore implemented many of the procedures associated with it. The new strategy involves all staff in helping to prevent suicides. This has been linked to the personal officer scheme which gives prisoners a direct link with a member of staff who they can turn to in times of distress. All prison officers receive suicide awareness training as part of the induction programme.

Every prisoner who arrives at Wandsworth is screened on the initial reception and is interviewed by a medical officer. They are also shown the Misadventures Video which, using a realistic storyline, deals with the issue of custodial suicide.

If a prisoner is identified by any member of staff as being at risk of self harm, a standard form is raised to alert those concerned with the prisoner. He is then seen by the residential unit manager and a health care officer who make an initial assessment. If appropriate, the prisoner may be transferred to a shared cell, where increased contact is used as a preventative measure, or he may be transferred to the health care centre where he will be seen by a doctor. When necessary the prisoner is placed under observation.

When the standard form is raised a care review is held and a support plan devised. Further case reviews are held as needed. There are regular discussions with the prisoner as part of his daily supervision and to enable him to feel more in control of his situation. This process is only relaxed when the prisoner appears to be coping.

Wandsworth prison staff have also established a suicide awareness group which co-ordinates the dissemination of information about best practice, reviews the incidents of self harm and death in custody, and inputs this information into the training programme for staff. This is a multi-disciplinary group which includes a representative of the Board of Visitors. Samaritans visit the prison weekly and have trained prisoners to be listeners. There are also close contacts with the visiting consultant psychiatrists.