HMP Dartmoor

Published date 02 February 2012 Inspection number 384733 Inspection number: 384733

p.1

Last day of inspection: 16 December 2011

p.1

Type of establishment: Male adult category C training prison

p.1

Establishment contact:

Head of Learning and Skills HMP Dartmoor Princetown Yelverton Devon PL20 6RR Telephone number: 01822 322090 HMP Dartmoor

p.1

and Skills (Ofsted)

Ofsted works in partnership with Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons and inspects the management and provision of learning and skills for offenders across the full range of custodial establishments and probation areas.

p.2

and Skills (Ofsted)

Inspectors judge the quality of the provision against the Common Inspection Framework 2009 and contribute to the inspection frameworks of Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons.

p.2

and Skills (Ofsted)

The following text is Ofsted’s summary of the learning and skills contribution to Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons’ findings. This Ofsted summary report for learning and skills provision will be published on the Ofsted website ( www.ofsted.gov.uk ).

p.2

and Skills (Ofsted)

Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons inspection reports can be found on http://www.justice.gov.uk/inspectorates/hmi-prisons/prison-and-yoi-inspections.htm

p.2

Information about the prison

HMP Dartmoor is a category C adult male training prison holding sentenced prisoners. The prison was built in 1809 to hold French and American prisoners of war. It became a criminal prison from 1850 and most of the buildings date from the late 19 th Century. The prison is situated in the middle of Dartmoor, Devon. Previously a male category B establishment, Dartmoor became a male category C secure training prison in 2001. Strode College and A4E provides most of the formal education provision and vocational training through the Skills Funding Agency Offender Learning and Skills Service (OLASS). In addition, N-Rgy provides other funded training. Using OLASS funding, Tribal provides careers information and advice. The operational capacity of HMP Dartmoor is 655. Currently around 42% of the population are vulnerable prisoners, and approximately 10 % are foreign nationals.

p.2

learning and skills provision at HMP Dartmoor

Grades: 1 is outstanding; 2 is good; 3 is satisfactory; 4 is inadequate

p.2

Common Inspection Framework (CIF) aspects Grade

Overall effectiveness 4 Capacity to improve 4 Outcomes for learners 3 Quality of provision 3 Leadership and management 4

p.2

Overall effectiveness Grade 4

Learners’ achievement of qualifications on education and vocational courses are mostly satisfactory. However, allocation processes are weak and insufficiently informed by prisoners’ needs. Some prisoners wait for a long time before getting into work or education. Some learners are placed on the wrong courses. Teaching and learning are satisfactory as are assessment and verification practices. Classroom facilities in education are poor. Punctuality is satisfactory but attendance is poor across the provision. The quality of learners’ work in most vocational areas is good and learners develop good skills. Peer mentoring support for learners is generally good and learners receive adequate learning support from staff. Learners have good access to the library. The variety of accredited vocational training is satisfactory although there are only a small proportion of prisoners on courses. Some vocational courses are too long and prisoners have long delays getting on to them. Leadership

p.3

Overall effectiveness Grade 4

and management of learning and skills, education and work are inadequate and strategic planning is insufficiently well informed. Communication and support between providers and the prison are poor. Quality assurance arrangements are weak. The quality improvement group (QIG) meetings are poorly attended and insufficiently focused on improving the quality of provision. Most data are inadequately presented, unreliable and insufficiently used to inform management decisions and effectively monitor providers. Prisoners near release can access a suitable range of advice and guidance on education and employment, although links with employers are underdeveloped. Safeguarding arrangements for learners are satisfactory as is the promotion of equality and diversity. Teaching staff and learners have high levels of respect for each other and learners’ behave appropriately in lessons.

p.3

Capacity to improve Grade 4

Capacity to improve is inadequate and many key areas identified for improvement during previous inspections remain. Outcomes for learners are satisfactory. The processes for allocation to activities continue to be weak and insufficiently well informed. Little has been done to improve the quality of teaching and learning which remain satisfactory. Facilities for vocational training are mostly satisfactory although poor in education. Attendance at classes and individual learning plans also remain poor. Since the previous inspection, the variety of accredited vocational training has slightly improved, although for a training prison only a small proportion of prisoners are completing courses. Classes are sometimes cancelled due to insufficient staff cover. Physical education (PE) facilities are good with a wide range of recreational physical education. However, no vocational PE courses are available. Links with

p.3

Capacity to improve Grade 4

employers are underdeveloped. Self-assessment is insufficiently evaluative and quality improvement planning is poorly informed. The use of data remains weak.

p.3

Strengths

 high standards of work in most vocational training areas with good development of practical skills

p.4

Strengths

 good effective use of peer and mentor support

p.4

Areas for development

 Insufficient range of shorter vocational courses to meet the needs and interests of all prisoners  Inadequate short and long term target setting in individual learning plans

p.4

Key Areas for Improvement

 Insufficient communication and support between providers and the prison  Inadequate collection, analysis and use of data to manage provision  Inadequate process for the allocation of prisoners to activities  Inadequate education classroom accommodation  Poor quality improvement arrangements

p.4

What does HMP Dartmoor need to do to improve further?

 Improve the recording and use of data to more regularly analyse the performance of learners and providers and continuously improve the provision

p.5

What does HMP Dartmoor need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of classroom accommodation in education to provide better facilities for learners.  Improve the recording of individual learning plans to give clearer, better informed targets for learners.

p.5

What does HMP Dartmoor need to do to improve further?

 Introduce clearer and better informed processes for the allocations to activities to ensure prisoners are given appropriate and timely work and activities.  Improve attendance across the provision of learning and skills to ensure the provision is effectively utilised.

p.5

What does HMP Dartmoor need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality improvement arrangements to ensure a fully co-operative approach between prison staff and providers to continuous development

p.5

What does HMP Dartmoor need to do to improve further?

 Continue to improve links with employers to offer prisoners better opportunities for jobs upon release Record of Main Findings (RMF) – Young adult and adult prisons

p.5

What does HMP Dartmoor need to do to improve further?

Prison Name: HMP Dartmoor Inspection No 384733

p.6

What does HMP Dartmoor need to do to improve further?

A. Outcomes for learners 3 A1. How well do learners achieve and enjoy their learning? 3 A1.a) How well do learners attain their learning goals? A1.b) How well do learners progress? A2. How well do learners improve their economic and social well-being through learning and development? A3. How safe do learners feel? 3 A4. Are learners able to make informed choices about their own health and well being?* na A5. How well do learners make a positive contribution to the community?* na B. Quality of provision 3

p.6

What does HMP Dartmoor need to do to improve further?

B1. How effectively do teaching, training and assessment support learning and development? 3 B2. How effectively does the provision meet the needs and interests of users? 4 B3. How well do partnerships with employers, community groups and others lead to benefits for learners?

p.6

What does HMP Dartmoor need to do to improve further?

B4. How effective are the care, guidance and support learners receive in helping them to achieve? 3

p.6

What does HMP Dartmoor need to do to improve further?

C. Leadership and management 4 C1. How effectively do leaders and managers raise expectations and promote ambition throughout the organisation? C2. How effectively do governors and supervisory bodies provide leadership, direction and challenge?* na

p.6

What does HMP Dartmoor need to do to improve further?

C3. How effectively does the prison promote the safeguarding of learners? 3 C4. How effectively does the prison actively promote equality and diversity, tackle discrimination and narrow the achievement gap? C5. How effectively does the prison engage with users to support and promote improvement? 4

p.6

What does HMP Dartmoor need to do to improve further?

C6. How effectively does self-assessment improve the quality of the provision and outcomes for learners? C7. How efficiently and effectively does the prison use its available resources to secure value for money? *if applicable to the type of prison Grades using the 4 point scale 1: Outstanding; 2: Good; 3: Satisfactory; 4: Inadequate Overall Approximate number of learners in training and work and education with or without qualification outcomes at the time of inspection Overall effectiveness 4 Capacity to improve 4 achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and

p.6

What does HMP Dartmoor need to do to improve further?

other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231 or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

p.7

What does HMP Dartmoor need to do to improve further?

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.7