Tackling staff shortages at Scotland’s £140million superjail must be the critical focus of bosses, a report out today warns.
Scotland’s chief inspector of prisons said lack of staff was a factor in a state-of-the-art unit at HMP Grampian lying empty for more than four years.
Wendy Sinclair-Gieben also said problems filling vacancies were affecting the confidence of staff, and causing concerns that the jail’s health unit might fail to deliver “safe care”.
Young inmates ran amok at the jail in Peterhead months after it opened and the young offenders’ unit was shut down, and Sinclair-Gieben noted that Cruden Hall, which had housed them, was still in mothballs years later.
She wrote: “It was disappointing but understandable, given the difficulties of staff recruitment, that some of the highest quality of prison estate in Scotland continues to lie empty.”
She said staff had “mixed views” about safety at the jail, and staff shortages “clearly influenced their confidence”.
And she gave the prison’s health service a “poor” rating, saying: “The recruitment and retention of staff continued to be a challenge for the healthcare team.
“There was concern the team was often operating at below acceptable staff levels to deliver safe care.”
Similar health care problems were highlighted at inspections in 2015 and June last year. Sinclair-Gieben accepted staffing was an issue throughout NHS Grampian.
She also found that the prison was “largely calm and purposeful”, with “emerging signs of stability and progress”.
Most prisoners felt safe, and staff were respectful and courteous to inmates.
The Scottish Prison Service recognised the ongoing recruitment and retention problems at Grampian. They said they had adapted their recruitment processes and brought in staff from other jails to give cover.
