| answer text |
<p>We closely monitor staffing levels across the estate via a number of internal governance
forums, which assess the vacancy levels for individual prisons and across regions
and functions, including the Long Term High Security Estate (LTHSE). Vacancies are
one of a number of contributory factors that determine HMPPS' assessment of risk and
stability within prisons. We will always ensure that prisons are sufficiently staffed
to deliver safe and secure regimes. Where establishments feel that their staffing
levels will affect stability or regime, including because of vacancies, there are
a number of ways they can maximise the use of their own resource and seek support
from other establishments in the short term, through processes managed nationally
at Agency level. These include overtime payments and support via Detached Duty staff
from other prisons.</p><p> </p><p>We are continuing recruitment activity at all sites
with a current or future need, including in the LTHSE. Nationally, we have seen a
substantial improvement in the national staffing picture within prisons over the past
year. The number of Band 3-5 prison officers increased by 1,634 Full Time Equivalent
(FTE) between December 2022 and December 2023, and resignation rates have fallen over
the same period. This is the result of significant efforts across the agency, including
substantial increases in pay for staff, our first-ever nationwide advertising campaign,
incentivized recruitment schemes where we incentivised applicants to relocate to ‘harder-to-staff’
sites, and the Prison Officer Alumni Network, where we have fast-tracked former staff
back into the service.</p>
|
|
