Setting

REINSPECTION REPORT RE_PART 17/01/2007 00:00:00

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17 January 2007

26/02/2007 08:30:10 26/02/2007 08:30:10 HMP RISLEY REINSPECTION

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Adult Learning Inspectorate

The Adult Learning Inspectorate (ALI) was established under the provisions of the Learning and Skills Act 2000 to bring the inspection of all aspects of adult learning and work-based learning within the remit of a single inspectorate. The ALI is responsible for inspecting a wide range of government-funded learning, including:

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Adult Learning Inspectorate

• work-based learning for all people aged over 16 • provision in further education colleges for people aged 19 and over • learndirect provision • Adult and Community Learning • training funded by Jobcentre Plus • education and training in prisons, at the invitation of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons • adult information, advice and guidance services ( nextstep ).

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Adult Learning Inspectorate

Inspections are carried out in accordance with the Common Inspection Framework by teams of full-time inspectors and part-time associate inspectors who have knowledge of, and experience in, the work which they inspect. All providers are invited to nominate a senior member of their staff to participate in the inspection as a team member.

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Grading

Inspectors use a four-point scale to summarise their judgements about the quality of provision in occupational/curriculum areas and Jobcentre Plus programmes, as well as to summarise their judgements about the quality of learning sessions. The same scale is used to describe the quality of leadership and management, which includes equality of opportunity and quality assurance. The descriptors for the four grades are:

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Grading

• grade 1 - outstanding • grade 2 - good • grade 3 - satisfactory • grade 4 - inadequate

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Summary

Description of the provider 1 1.00 Grades 2 1.00 About the reinspection 3 1.00 Leisure, travel and tourism 4 HMP RISLEY REINSPECTION

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DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVIDER

1. HMP Risley is the largest category C training prison in the UK, with an operational capacity of 1,080 sentenced adult male offenders. It is also the eighth largest prison establishment in the country. The average length of stay is around three years but the sentence length varies from three months to life.

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DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVIDER

2. HMP Risley is in Cheshire, between Manchester and Liverpool. Currently around 45 per cent of offenders will be released into the Greater Manchester area and 20 per cent to Cheshire.

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DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVIDER

3. The prison was opened in 1964 as a remand centre for the Northwest and has seen many problems and changes of identity since then. After a particularly difficult period in the late 1980s, Risley changed from being a remand centre and became three prisons in one - a category C unit, a female unit and a trans-Pennine allocation centre.

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DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVIDER

4. The prison site has been extensively rebuilt and improved over the past 10 years, and only one wing remains from the previous buildings. In 2001, following the latest phase of building, the capacity of the prison increased from 800 to the present 1,080, with the addition of the G wing complex. However, shortage of space for workshop accommodation has seriously impaired the prison’s ability to provide sufficient regime activities for each offender.

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DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVIDER

5. The inspection in February 2006 identified the need to increase progression opportunities, improve the quality of individual learning plans, maximize regime activities by eliminating interruptions, and identify opportunities for offenders to obtain nationally accredited qualification.

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DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVIDER

6. Education continues to be provided by City College Manchester (the college), and HMP Risley has benefited from a relatively smooth transition to the new Learning and Skills Council (LSC) contracting arrangements under the Offender Learning and Skills Service.

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DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVIDER

7. The head of learning and skills is responsible for all educational and vocational training delivered throughout the prison and for all regime activities. She reports to the head of reducing re-offending and is a member of the senior management team.

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DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVIDER

1 © 2007 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE HMP RISLEY REINSPECTION

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GRADES

grade 1 = outstanding, grade 2 = good, grade 3 = satisfactory, grade 4 = inadequate Grades awarded at previous inspection

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Leadership and management 3

Contributory grades: Equality of opportunity 3 Quality improvement 3

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Construction, planning and the built environment 3 Construction, planning and the built environment

Contributory areas: Number of learners Contributory grade Construction crafts 3 Other government-funded provision 30 3

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Information and communications technology 3 Information and communications technology

Contributory areas: Number of learners Contributory grade ICT for users 3 Other government-funded provision 65 3

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Leisure, travel and tourism 4 Leisure, travel and tourism

Contributory areas: Number of learners Contributory grade Sport, leisure and recreation 4 Other government-funded provision 12 4

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Preparation for life and work 3 Preparation for life and work

Contributory areas: Number of learners Contributory grade Literacy and numeracy 3 Other government-funded provision 329 3

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Leisure, travel and tourism 2 Leisure, travel and tourism

Contributory areas: Number of learners Contributory grade Sport, leisure and recreation 2 Other government-funded provision 22 2

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Leisure, travel and tourism 2 Leisure, travel and tourism

2 © 2007 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE HMP RISLEY REINSPECTION

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ABOUT THE REINSPECTION

8. When HMP Risley was inspected in February 2006, inspectors judged the leadership and management of learning and skills, and the arrangements for quality improvement and equality of opportunity to be satisfactory. Preparation for life and work, information and communications technology (ICT) and construction, planning and the built environment were also satisfactory. The training in sport, leisure and recreation was inadequate. At the end of the reinspection, training in sport, leisure and recreation was satisfactory.

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ABOUT THE REINSPECTION

9. The overall effectiveness of the provision remains satisfactory. Since the previous inspection, the prison has implemented successful strategies that have improved retention and achievement rates on physical education (PE) courses. New courses have been introduced which are focused on employability skills. The post-inspection action plan has been managed well and has led to improvements.

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ABOUT THE REINSPECTION

Number of inspectors 2 Number of inspection days 5 Number of learners interviewed 11 Number of staff interviewed 10 Number of visits 2

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ABOUT THE REINSPECTION

3 © 2007 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE HMP RISLEY REINSPECTION

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Leisure, travel and tourism Grade 2

Number of learners Contributory areas: Contributory grade Sport, leisure and recreation 2 Other government-funded provision 22 2

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Leisure, travel and tourism Grade 2

10. Twenty-two learners are on courses in the PE department. Ten are on a three-week taster course, and 12 are following a two-week accredited course in first aid at work which leads straight to the externally validated gymnasium instructor award at level 2. The assistant gym instructor course at level 1 runs for six weeks. It is due to start in March 2007 and has places for up to 12 learners. There were also 15 offenders on a gym induction during the reinspection. Learners attend practical and background knowledge sessions in the PE department throughout the day. The department is staffed by an acting senior PE officer and seven PE officers. Seven prisoner orderlies provide support on rotation covering a range of duties such as cleaning, and setting up equipment for sessions, and assisting during induction sessions. The establishment has two main indoor sports facilities. One is used entirely for recreational weight lifting and the other consists

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Leisure, travel and tourism Grade 2

of a sports hall, fitness suite, a weights room and a classroom area. Over 50 per cent of the prison population uses the PE facilities, with separate sessions run specifically for vulnerable offenders and those referred with specific health issues.

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Sport, leisure and recreation

Strengths good skills development and course completion rates 00 • successful strategies to improve retention and achievement rates 00 • good action-planning to promote and drive improvements 00 • Weaknesses some poor resources and accommodation to support teaching and learning 00 • incomplete strategic links for joint working with the education department 00 •

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Achievement and standards

11. At the previous inspection in February 2006, retention and completion rates were identified as a weakness. Much good work has been done over the past 11 months to improve this area, and there has been an extensive review of programmes. Over 50 per cent of learners were failing to complete programmes at the previous inspection, but since then, two courses have achieved 100 per cent completion, and there has been 80 per cent completion of the taster course and 75 per cent completion of the level 1 assistant gym instructor course. The requirement for learners to achieve literacy and numeracy qualifications has also led an improvement in the overall number of qualifications gained during PE courses. There have also been successes in key skills awards following from the taster course. Learners develop good vocational and personal skills, and those

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Achievement and standards

4 © 2007 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE HMP RISLEY REINSPECTION

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Achievement and standards

interviewed were articulate and confident. Staff provide good role models, and relationships between staff and learners are professional and respectful. Learners take their courses seriously and work hard to achieve demanding outcomes.

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Achievement and standards

12. New initiatives have been introduced to improve retention. Learners on PE courses are not transferred to other prisons until they have completed their course. Attendance at sessions is satisfactory, with most absences arising from attendance at medicals or during whole-prison lock-downs. During the reinspection, attendance was good at 85 per cent.

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Achievement and standards

13. Learners produce good-quality written and background knowledge work with results for externally verified portfolios at around 80 to 90 per cent. They demonstrate very good understanding and knowledge of anatomy and physiology, and how this is applied in a gymnasium-based physical training environment. Learners spoke confidently about various muscle groups and the extent to which various training techniques affected development. They understand the importance of healthy living and how it affects physical development.

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The quality of provision

14. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. All three taught sessions observed during the inspection were graded satisfactory or better. Staff are appropriately qualified, highly experienced, knowledgeable, and very enthusiastic. They provide good practical and background knowledge teaching, with accurate and detailed demonstrations, movement breakdown and performance analysis. Practical demonstrations are of a good standard and physical education officers provide effective coaching to ensure learners understand the significance of correct and appropriate posture, muscle usage, intensity, fatigue and appropriate periodisation when training. Learners’ understanding is regularly confirmed through questioning and demonstration. Constant references to practical sessions ensure that background knowledge is founded on experience, and that learners understand the links between theory and practice.

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The quality of provision

15. The establishment has adequate facilities and equipment and the sports hall is well equipped for activities sports and games. The cardio vascular suite is very well used for the training programmes and is particularly well equipped with cardio vascular and modular weight-training equipment. Two other gyms contain additional free and modular weight-training equipment, which is generally used for recreational sessions. Most of this equipment is new and in a good state of repair, but there is no structured or rolling replacement plan for equipment. Gymnasium changing and shower facilities are inadequate with no benches or hooks to hang clothing. There are still insufficient showering facilities, as identified at the previous inspection, and another very well-equipped and serviceable gymnasium on a wing is still unused.

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The quality of provision

16. The classroom used to teach most background knowledge sessions is equipped with a television, whiteboard and mobile overhead projector, but has no projection screen. The gym instructor course is computer-based and a digital projector has been purchased to support it, but there is no computer to use with this. The classroom is large, and in most sessions only half the room is used. When two background knowledge sessions have to be run at the same time, one is taught in the sports hall where the acoustics are inappropriate. Schemes of work have been established for all training programmes, but detailed lesson plans are not yet available for the assistant gym instructor or the introductory taster courses. However, a comprehensive and appropriate workbook is

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The quality of provision

5 © 2007 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE HMP RISLEY REINSPECTION

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The quality of provision

provided for all learners on the taster programme. It follows the scheme of work closely, giving learners information and exercises to complete. The department has purchased new anatomical models including a skeleton, learning resources including books, computer-based programmes, and a number of heart-rate monitors which are well used to support teaching and learning.

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The quality of provision

17. The programmes now on offer to learners are very well suited to their needs. All learners are given a satisfactory induction to the gym before taking exercise. When they have completed this, the ‘heartstart’ and a manual handling course, they are given an access card. A progressive programme of instructional courses is available to all offenders. Staff use an effective and appropriate selection process to identify those most suited to the courses. Learners progress from the taster programme to level 1 assistant instructor and qualified level 2 gymnasium instructor. Although they gain skills during their training, they are unable to further develop their coaching skills during the rest of their time in the prison. Programmes provide core PE qualifications but do not equip learners with a sufficiently wide range of additional skills to gain employment in the fitness industry.

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The quality of provision

18. All offenders have an initial assessment of their literacy and numeracy levels during their induction to the prison. Assessment results are used appropriately to determine their suitability for courses and to identify their support needs. The prerequisite to have literacy and numeracy at a determined level ensures that learners develop their skills in this area and that they can cope with the background knowledge content of the course.

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Leadership and management

19. A good and effective action plan was developed shortly after the inspection in February 2006. It has been used well to identify, drive forward and manage areas for development. Targets have been set and monitored to bring about appropriate development. Actions have been carefully defined to ensure the real issues are being dealt with and to ensure a lasting effect. At the previous inspection, there was no selection process for learners who wanted to take courses. Now all potential learners are interviewed for the taster courses with a view to developing a progression route to becoming qualified gym instructors. All learners are well motivated and work hard as they appreciate the opportunity they have been given. Three internal audits have been carried out since the inspection and have been used to good effect to help identify additional areas for development.

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Leadership and management

20. PE officers are very well motivated and lead sessions with exuberance and enthusiasm, based on sound knowledge and skills. They are all appropriately qualified with qualifications from the national governing bodies of sports including football, rugby, and exercise and fitness.

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Leadership and management

21. At the end of each course, learners and staff complete course evaluation reports. These are analysed and evaluated appropriately to bring about changes to the training programmes. The evaluation of the reports has led to changes in the initial assessment and selection of new learners. The results of each evaluation, including achievement statistics, are publicised around the prison and used effectively to show how important the feedback is in making changes. A programme is in place to ensure all PE officers are formally observed twice each year. This is supported by peer observations and intra-departmental mentoring.

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Leadership and management

6 © 2007 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE HMP RISLEY REINSPECTION

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Leadership and management

22. There is still insufficient liaison between education staff and PE staff. There is inadequate strategic planning to ensure that skills developed in PE can be transferred to wider key skills learning in education. Key skills, especially in numeracy, are not developed or promoted during the gym instructor courses. In one session, learners were working out maximum and working heart rates, but this contextualized skill development was not contributing to key skills qualifications. Staff have recently devised a schedule of meetings between PE and the education department, but it is too early to judge its effectiveness. Individual learning plans written in the education department do not link to work or PE activities. They are not regularly reviewed with learners or PE officers, or consistently completed. Some do not give a clear picture of the progress learners have made during their courses.

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