HMP Lincoln

Contents

Background information ......................................................................................................... 3 Inspection judgements........................................................................................................... 3 Scope of the inspection.......................................................................................................... 3 Description of the provider...................................................................................................... 4 Summary of grades awarded .................................................................................................. 5 Overall judgement.................................................................................................................... 6 Effectiveness of provision ..................................................................................................... 6

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Contents

Capacity to improve............................................................................................................ 6 Key strengths ............................................................................................................................ 6 Key areas for improvement..................................................................................................... 6 Main findings............................................................................................................................ 8 Employability training........................................................................................................... 8 Achievement and standards ................................................................................................ 8 Quality of provision............................................................................................................ 8

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Contents

Literacy, numeracy and ESOL .............................................................................................. 9 Achievement and standards ................................................................................................ 9 Quality of provision.......................................................................................................... 10 Personal development and social integration ...................................................................... 11 Achievement and standards .............................................................................................. 11 Quality of provision.......................................................................................................... 11 Leadership and management ............................................................................................... 12 Equality of opportunity..................................................................................................... 12

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Contents

What learners like.................................................................................................................. 14 What learners think could improve...................................................................................... 14

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Inspection judgements

Inspectors use a four-point scale to summarise their judgements about achievement and standards, the quality of provision, and leadership and management, which includes a grade for equality of opportunity .

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Key for inspection grades

Grade 1 Outstanding Grade 2 Good Grade 3 Satisfactory Grade 4 Inadequate

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Key for inspection grades

Further information can be found on how inspection judgements are made on www.ofsted.gov.uk.

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Scope of the inspection

In deciding the scope of the inspection, inspectors take account of the provider’s most recent self-assessment report and development plans, and comments from the local Learning and Skills Council (LSC) or other funding body. Where appropriate, inspectors also consider the previous inspection report ( www.ofsted.gov.uk ), reports from the inspectorates’ quality monitoring or annual assessment visits, and data on learners and their achievements over the period since the previous inspection.

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Scope of the inspection

In addition to reporting on overall effectiveness of the organisation, its capacity to improve further, achievement and standards, quality of provision and leadership and management, this inspection focused on specialist provision in:

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Scope of the inspection

 Preparation for life and work programmes: - Employability training - Literacy, numeracy and ESOL - Personal development and social integration

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Description of the provider

1. HMP Lincoln (the prison) is a category B closed local prison which first opened in 1872. It accommodates various categories of adult male offenders; both remand and sentenced, except category A offenders. The prison has a capacity of 738 and at the time of inspection held 729 prisoners. Even with the re-opening of A wing in 2007, the capacity exceeds demand from the traditional catchment area and the prison now routinely receives over-crowding drafts from across the country.

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Description of the provider

2. The prison has a high turnover of offenders and numbers can vary from day to day. Around a third of prisoners stay for less than a month and a further third stay for less than 3 months. Less than 4% of prisoners stay for over a year.

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Description of the provider

3. Forty three per cent of offenders are aged between 21 and 30 years of age and 6% of offenders are aged over 50. There are 22% of prisoners on remand. The prison holds up to 150 vulnerable prisoners in a dedicated wing. There is a 15% population of prisoners from a minority ethnic background which is far higher than the percentage in the local population. Foreign nationals account for 11% of the prison population.

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Description of the provider

4. The education department is subcontracted to Lincoln College. Courses are available in information and communications technology (ICT), adult literacy and numeracy, English for speakers of other languages (ESOL), creative crafts, teambuilding, money management and citizenship. During the week of the inspection, 127 prisoners were involved in courses, including those in the unit for vulnerable offenders. Library services are provided by the Lincolnshire Library Service.

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Description of the provider

5. There are three production workshops within the prison, one for net-making and charity work, one for textiles and one for tailoring. The net-making and charity workshop holds external contracts and the others hold internal prison service contracts. The laundry provides a service for the prison and other prisons nearby. Work is also available for offenders in a variety of other areas which include; cleaning on the residential wings, and also the prison’s laundry, kitchens, stores and waste management/recycling. Accredited training is available in some of these areas. Additional support for learners with literacy or numeracy needs is available in all of the workshops.

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Summary of grades awarded

Effectiveness of provision Inadequate: Grade 4

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Summary of grades awarded

Achievement and standards Inadequate: Grade 4 Employability training Contributory grade: Inadequate: Grade 4 Literacy, numeracy and ESOL Contributory grade: Inadequate: Grade 4 Personal development and social integration Contributory grade: Inadequate: Grade 4

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Summary of grades awarded

Quality of provision Inadequate: Grade 4 Employability training Contributory grade: Inadequate: Grade 4 Literacy, numeracy and ESOL Contributory grade: Inadequate: Grade 4 Personal development and social integration Contributory grade: Inadequate: Grade 4

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Summary of grades awarded

Leadership and management Inadequate: Grade 4

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Summary of grades awarded

Equality of opportunity Contributory grade: Satisfactory: 3

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Inadequate: Grade 4

6. The overall effectiveness of the provision is inadequate. More specifically, the quality of provision including employability training, literacy, numeracy and ESOL and personal development and social integration programmes is inadequate. Leadership and management are inadequate. The prison’s approach to equality of opportunity is satisfactory.

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Inadequate: Grade 4

7. The prisons’ capacity to make further improvements is inadequate. The prison has not produced a wide self-assessment report since December 2005. Individual reports have been written for some areas of the prison such as the education department, resettlement, kitchens and laundry. Some are well written with graded provision, but they have not been collated and no overall judgements have been made about how well the prison’s provision is meeting the needs of the learners. No post-inspection action plan was developed after the previous inspection to enable the prison to address the identified weaknesses and there is no current development plan.

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Inadequate: Grade 4

8. The prison’s quality improvement group has not been used effectively to improve the quality of the provision. For example, it had no involvement in the production or checking of self-assessment reports. The prison has made little progress since the previous inspection, many of the weaknesses remain and some strengths are now satisfactory. At the previous inspection, quality assurance arrangements were described as 'incomplete'. Since that time, no progress has been made to improve this. There have been some developments in isolated areas within the prison, including the introduction of qualifications for those working in the laundry and as wing cleaners. There has also been the introduction of part-time education.

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Key strengths

 Good access to education for most prisoners  Good programmes to help learners gain employment on release  Good developments in education to widen participation and to meet learners’ needs  Well-managed remedial physical education and detoxification work in the Gym

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Key areas for improvement

 Insufficient use and analysis of data  Inadequate quality improvement processes  Poor communications across the prison  Inadequate strategic planning for learning and skills  Not enough recognition of learners’ skills  Inadequate planning of learning  Poor training facilities  Insufficient initial assessment of prisoners’ literacy, numeracy and language needs  Poor teaching in some lessons  Poor attendance and punctuality in many lessons

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Employability training

Achievement and standards Contributory grade: Inadequate: Grade 4

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Employability training

9. The success rate for learners on industrial cleaning programmes is good. In the past six months, 42 learners have started a Level 1 course and all were successful. In addition, two learners completed Level 2 awards and qualified as assessors. A further two learners are working towards the assessor award.

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Employability training

10. In the workshops, learners work at an appropriate pace and demonstrate satisfactory levels of skill in the operation of machinery and equipment, however, the skills and knowledge gained by the prisoners is not recognised enough. There are no qualifications or other forms of recognition for the skills developed in the industrial workshops or in waste management. The kitchen is accredited to offer NVQs but only four learners have begun this in the past 12 months and only one learner is continuing and making slow progress. Industrial cleaning qualifications are available to wing cleaners but this is yet to be made more widely available and facilities to train those not working on the wings are poor. Qualifications are available in the laundry however, this is not yet fully established and learners have not been assessed for any part of the qualification.

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Employability training

11. Data held locally by ICT tutors indicates that success rates on ICT courses are satisfactory with 44% of learners achieving one of more units during their stay in the prison. Their work is of an appropriate standard. There are no advanced level qualifications available for those with the ability and time, however, they are able to develop some unaccredited skills in more advanced work such as website design. Success rates for other programmes were not available due to the lack of reliable data within the prison.

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Employability training

Quality of provision Contributory grade: Inadequate: Grade 4

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Employability training

12. The planning of learning is weak throughout the prison. Learners do not have individual learning plans which cover their particular learning needs and development while at the prison. In the education department, learners are given individual learning plans relating to the individual courses they are on but they do not have a plan that accounts for their stay in prison. The learning plans have very recently been introduced for some learners in other parts of the prison but these are rudimentary and have little positive impact on learner’s experiences. Training in the kitchens and in industrial cleaning is not adequately planned. Although individual teachers and instructors have ideas about how their aspect of the provision might develop this has not been included as part of an overall formal plan to develop learning and skills across the prison.

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Employability training

13. There are sufficient assessors and internal verifiers within the prison kitchen to deliver the NVQs, however, the prison has been slow to update assessors’ qualifications. One assessor is qualified to the previous assessor standard and has been waiting a significant time to have this updated to meet the current expectations of the awarding body. There are currently sufficient tutors and assessors for industrial cleaning awards although the prison does not have a qualified assessor for the laundry qualification and uses a visiting assessor from another prison. 14. Some learning facilities are poor. ICT training for vulnerable prisoners is only available in the charity workshop of which there are only five computers. The room is noisy, poorly planned and lacks effective teaching resource. The training facilities for industrial cleaning are poor. The designated training area is unsuitable as there are no floor areas for

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Employability training

learners to practice on, inadequate teaching facilities and few teaching resources.

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Employability training

15. Recent changes in the education timetable, and the move to part-time work and education allows good access to education for most prisoners. Learners are able to work part-time and attend education and this is appreciated by learners and staff in the workshops. Prisoners are encouraged to take part in education and there are few barriers to this for most, however, there is poor access to ICT courses for those on E-wing. Education for those on E-wing is provided in two classrooms located on the wing landing. The facilities for ICT training are sited in the charity workshop and are only available for those who work here.

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Employability training

16. The prison offers two good programmes to help learners gain employment on release. One programme for chefs is run in partnership with an international hotel chain. This provides training in catering linked to employability training such as interview techniques and curriculum vitae writing. Learners on this course are able to apply for jobs with the hotel chain on their release from prison and a few have been offered jobs. The resettlement department in partnership with the Lincolnshire Action Trust (LAT) provide a good pre- release course on gaining and sustaining employment. Teaching on the course is good which covers a sound range of issues related to gaining employment. Learners have good access to advisors from LAT and support is available following release through the work of LAT with the probation service.

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Employability training

17. Learners on courses run by the education department have had an appropriate assessment of their literacy and numeracy needs, however, a significant number of learners in the workshops have not. Information about learners needs is not always communicated to tutors and workshop staff across the prison and some staff are unsure what to do with this information if they receive it.

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Employability training

18. Individual support for learners by tutors is unpredictable as some provide good support but others fail to provide adequate support for those who need it. In particular some tutors do not provide appropriate support for learners’ literacy and numeracy needs. The inappropriate design of the learning and skills provision for vulnerable prisoners exacerbates these difficulties. One learner on a programme of study which includes adult literacy and numeracy also attends the money management course, although the lack of numeracy skills greatly reduces the benefit that can be obtained from the course. The support he needs is beyond the level of support that the tutor can provide during lessons without significantly impacting on the delivery of the course.

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Literacy, numeracy and ESOL

Achievement and standards Contributory grade: Inadequate: Grade 4

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Literacy, numeracy and ESOL

19. There is insufficient data available to analyse the performance of programmes in this area, although during the inspection, tutors were able to provide some data for the last three months. This indicates that a satisfactory number of learners, allowing for those transferred out of the prison, complete their course, however, there is insufficient reliable data about the success of learners gaining qualifications or national tests. Learners observed in lessons, demonstrated appropriate improvements in English language, writing and mathematics. Many learners demonstrate an appropriate standard of work, with some evidence of improvement. Many are pleased at the progress they are making, but too few achieve a qualification and few progress further.

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Literacy, numeracy and ESOL

20. Attendance and punctuality in lessons is poor. Attendance is just 60% and many learners turn up late to lessons. In some classes, learners were signed in on the register but were not present when inspectors visited the class. In classes delivered in the residential wings learners tended to wander off during lessons, or failed to return from breaks.

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Literacy, numeracy and ESOL

Quality of provision Contributory grade: Inadequate: Grade 4

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Literacy, numeracy and ESOL

21. Most teaching is satisfactory but too many lessons lack appropriate pace. In these lessons, learners are not challenged enough and make slow progress. There is too much emphasis on practising test papers and learners work at a slow and self-determined pace. Lesson plans are used in all lessons but in some cases teachers base their sessions on modules taken from commercially produced packs rather than the needs of the learners. Too many learners are staying on programmes for too long. In the better lessons, learners are involved and actively engaged. These lessons are well-planned and teachers vary activities to maintain the interest of learners, many of whom are only able to pay attention in class for very short periods of time. In those sessions where teachers establish and maintain a suitable pace, they involve all members of the group.

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Literacy, numeracy and ESOL

22. Target-setting on individual learning plans is weak. Their learning goals are not always realistic or appropriate and many plans lack specific targets. English language needs are not clearly identified.

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Literacy, numeracy and ESOL

23. Resources to support skills for life provision are adequate. Generally, the learning materials are satisfactory and learners have sufficient books to support their research. The library has a good supply of easy-reader books, English-foreign language dictionaries and novels in foreign languages. Too many computers are not operational.

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Literacy, numeracy and ESOL

24. Accommodation for teaching is satisfactory within the education department and on residential wings. The better classrooms are decorated with learners’ work and information posters and provide an appropriate learning environment, however, the facilities available in the workshops for outreach work are inadequate. Tutors and learners sit at tables within the workshops and learners do not have access to separate study or work areas. The environment is too noisy and lacks the opportunity for confidential discussion and uninterrupted support.

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Literacy, numeracy and ESOL

25. There is insufficient assessment of learners’ literacy, numeracy and language needs. Less than a third of the population of the prison have had an adequate assessment of their needs. A process to test all new prisoners has recently been introduced but has yet to have sufficient impact. Work is still ongoing to ensure that all new prisoners attend the testing process.

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Literacy, numeracy and ESOL

26. The testing and diagnosis of learner’s literacy, numeracy and language needs is satisfactory for most of those who receive it, but this is poorly managed for some. Insufficient attention is given to the needs of those for whom English is not their first language and no distinction is made between those who may be illiterate in their own language and those who may be literate but have poor English language skills. In one induction session, a learner from Eastern Europe with very poor English was set an assessment of his literacy and numeracy skills in English.

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Literacy, numeracy and ESOL

27. The education department has recently introduced some positive improvements to widen participation and better meet learners’ needs. New learning provision has recently been introduced in education aimed at providing greater access and key skills have been introduced to allow for progression beyond Level 1. The provision of literacy, numeracy and language skills for hard to reach learners on residential wings and in workshops has increased. The education department has a good understanding of self-assessment and is beginning to use this to implement changes. However, the prison does not have a Skills for Life strategy and these improvements are taking place in isolation of an overall framework and with insufficient knowledge of the needs of the total prison population.

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Personal development and social integration

Achievement and standards Contributory grade: Inadequate: Grade 4

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Personal development and social integration

28. There is inadequate data to judge the performance of programmes and courses in this area. Overall, those learners observed during the inspection were making adequate progress, however, little of their development was formally recognised. Learners on the 'reading together' parenting course were making good progress in their development however, as with much of the unaccredited provision, there was little recording or recognition of learners’ development.

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Personal development and social integration

29. Attendance and punctuality is poor on many courses. Attendance at education was below 60% and the rigour of the register and attendance system is unreliable. In some classes, learners were signed in on the register but were not present when inspectors visited the class. The learners in E-wing tended to wander off during lessons, or failed to return from breaks for up to 30 minutes.

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Personal development and social integration

Quality of provision Contributory grade: Inadequate: Grade 4

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Personal development and social integration

30. Teaching in some classes is poor. This is typified by too much talking by the teacher, little effective use of teaching resources and little checking of learners’ understanding. In one lesson, the teacher paid too much attention to an able learner and failed to provide adequate support for the less able learners. Teachers make insufficient use of the results of learners’ literacy and numeracy tests. The management of attendance and punctuality by teachers is weak.

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Personal development and social integration

31. The planning and recording of individuals’ development is inadequate. Learners do not have an effective individual learning plan and these plans were introduced for some courses but do not provide adequate planning for a learners’ overall programme. There is insufficient recording of learners’ progress or what learners have achieved and individual plans fail to build on the progress learners are making. 32. Resources are satisfactory. Teachers are appropriately qualified and classrooms provide a suitable environment for learning.

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Personal development and social integration

33. Learners on courses run by the education department have had an appropriate assessment of their literacy and numeracy needs, although most other learners across the prison have not. Information about learners needs is not always communicated to tutors outside of the education department and some tutors are unaware of the existence of such information, how to obtain it and what to do with it if they receive it.

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Personal development and social integration

34. The prison provides a suitable range of programmes for personal development and social integration. The education department courses in teambuilding, citizenship, money management and creative crafts all lead to a qualification. The library service provides two courses to support fathers in reading with their children. One of these is linked effectively to family visits. The chaplaincy and library service have recently started a parenting course.

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Personal development and social integration

35. Teaching on some library courses is good. The library provides good support for the development of learners and fund staff to run reading courses for fathers. The library was pro-active in developing the reading programmes and integrates well with other parts of the prison. The parenting course is well-planned and taught well. The PE department provides good programmes for detoxification and remedial physical education, and has established good links with the healthcare department.

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Inadequate: Grade 4

Equality of opportunity Contributory Grade: Satisfactory: Grade 3

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Inadequate: Grade 4

36. Leadership and management of learning and skills are inadequate with poor strategic planning. At the previous inspection, strategic planning was identified as a strength, however, the plan has not been implemented and is now out of date. Learning and skills staff across the prison understand the overall aim of the provision but there has been insufficient consultation about how to harness their ideas to address learners longer term goals and agreeing actions to fulfil these. This is not being effectively led by the prison and there is no understanding by staff of how this will be achieved.

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Inadequate: Grade 4

37. The prison does not use and analyse data effectively. The prison was unable to provide inspectors with adequate, reliable data relating to the number of learners, the performance of courses and individuals or other relevant measures. The education department has recently started to use an effective database to record information about success rates, however, this is too recent and does not yet hold all the information for the current year. Information about the education providers’ key performance targets is received by the prison but no other data has been requested. The prison does not keep sufficient useful data about the vocational training provided throughout the prison.

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Inadequate: Grade 4

38. The prison’s processes to improve the quality of the provision are inadequate and there is no wide learning and skill quality improvement plan. The prison has not produced an overall self-assessment report since December 2005. No post-inspection action plan was developed after the previous inspection to help the prison address the identified weaknesses and there is no current development plan. The provision provided by Lincoln College is not monitored effectively by the prison. It has not requested, and does not receive, information from the annual learner questionnaire that the college undertakes. Neither has it routinely requested information about success rates. Arrangements to observe teaching and learning are unsatisfactory. The education department has an appropriate system in place but this did not identify with the level of unsatisfactory teaching observed by inspectors and many new teachers have not yet been observed. No

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Inadequate: Grade 4

observations of the training across the rest of the prison have taken place. The prison’s quality improvement group has not been used effectively to improve the quality of the provision. For example, it has had no involvement in the production or checking of self- assessment reports. At the previous inspection, quality assurance arrangements were judged as 'incomplete'. Since that time no progress has been made to improve this.

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Inadequate: Grade 4

39. The prison recognises that communications across the prison are poor. There have been some recent actions to address this such as the introduction of regular meetings of all those involved in learning and skills, however, this group has met only once and it is too early to judge its effectiveness. Teachers in education are not fully aware of the range of other training offered across the prison. For example, a teacher offering information, advice and guidance was unaware that basic food hygiene is offered in the prison and did not suggest this for a learner who wished to enter the catering profession. The results of numeracy and literacy assessments are not communicated effectively to relevant staff. Teachers in the education department are not always informed if any of their learners are young offenders, although, communications within the education department and between it and the college and other prisons is effective. There is a wide range of local meetings and there are regular

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Inadequate: Grade 4

meetings with the education managers of other Lincolnshire prisons. The education manager has made some links with other parts of the prison although these are largely informal.

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Inadequate: Grade 4

40. The promotion of equality of opportunity at the prison is generally satisfactory. There are an appropriate range of policies and procedures covering, for example equality and diversity, harassment and bullying. Similarly, Lincoln College has an appropriate equality of opportunity policy but learners are not always made aware of this. The prison does not have a safeguarding policy in relation to young offenders. While engaged in learning and skills, all learners are treated with dignity and respect and there is a good rapport between learners and their teachers. As with the prison as a whole, some parts of the education department are not easily accessible to learners with restricted mobility. Where possible staff re-arrange classes to take place on the ground floor to take account of these needs. Staff provide good individual support for learners with particular needs. For example, one learner with restricted vision has been provided with large print books and more recently

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Inadequate: Grade 4

41. The activities office is responsible for the allocation of offenders to work. This is usually done on a first-come first-served basis, but even this does not always happen. The process is not always clear to offenders. Allocation to wing cleaner roles is outside of this process and is not adequately understood by offenders or other staff. Management of waiting lists for places in education should also be on a first-come first-served basis but some prisoners, such as young offenders are prioritised for places and again the process is not always clear and transparent to offenders. Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Inadequate: Grade 4

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What learners like :

 The opportunity to learn ― ‘I am really pleased I have managed to learn to read’  The good support from some teachers ― ‘Some teachers are fantastic’  The parenting course  The chef training programme

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What learners think could improve :

 ‘Books could be more up to date’  ‘I would like more variation in the activities I do’  The time taken to get certificates  The use of education time and the access to some courses  Teaching ― ‘Some teaching is boring’  Access to ICT courses for those on E-wing

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