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Home OfficeICVA Presentation 14/11/09SPEAKER
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1. Home Office Presentationto theIndependent Custody Visiting Association 14th November 2009
2. Home Office
ICVA Presentation 14/11/09
SPEAKER – Mark Hill
Safety and Dignity in Police Detention
3. Home Office
ICVA Presentation 14/11/09
SPEAKER – Mark Hill A brief introduction Mark Hill
Senior Technical Standards Manager
Mark.hill38@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
Responsibility for Home Office guidance for police buildings with particular reference to custody
4. Home Office
ICVA Presentation 14/11/09
SPEAKER – Mark Hill Access to Home Office Custody Design Guidance Available via Home Office website at
http://police.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/police-buildings/
Or via a Google search for -
Police
Buildings
Publications
5. Home Office
ICVA Presentation 14/11/09
SPEAKER – Mark Hill Safety and Dignity There should be no conflict between the two
6. Home Office
ICVA Presentation 14/11/09
SPEAKER – Mark Hill Safety Guidance On The Safer Detention & Handling Of Persons In Police Custody
http://police.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/operational-policing/Safer_Detention_and_Handlin1.pdf
7. Home Office
ICVA Presentation 14/11/09
SPEAKER – Mark Hill Safety Protection of the physical and mental wellbeing of the detainee
A basic and over-riding human right to life
A safe custody building (or as safe as reasonably practicable)
Appropriate and well matched operational procedures (SOPs)
8. Home Office
ICVA Presentation 14/11/09
SPEAKER – Mark Hill Safety – Key issues Ligatures risks
Unsafe features/areas
Hygiene
9. Home Office
ICVA Presentation 14/11/09
SPEAKER – Mark Hill Safety Remove
Reduce
Manage
10. Home Office
ICVA Presentation 14/11/09
SPEAKER – Mark Hill Ligatures risks
11. Home Office
ICVA Presentation 14/11/09
SPEAKER – Mark Hill Ligature risk Look for drainage grills in cell floors
If you feel that you could tie on or jam in a shoe lace or similar onto or into a floor grill why is it there?
The wish to sluice out a cell should not take precedence over detainee safety
Remove the risk and change the cleaning method!
12. Home Office
ICVA Presentation 14/11/09
SPEAKER – Mark Hill Ligatures risks
13. Home Office
ICVA Presentation 14/11/09
SPEAKER – Mark Hill Ligature risk Home Office advice is that holes in ventilation grills should not exceed 2mm diameter.
A 3mm drill bit can be used as a simple check. If it fits the holes size is too big.
3mm holes have been used in self harm incidents. It is possible to get a ligature in and back through another hole for secure ligature attachment
Ask the force if they have a program to replace unsafe ventilation grills or what SOPs they have to reduce or manage this risk.
14. Home Office
ICVA Presentation 14/11/09
SPEAKER – Mark Hill Ligatures risks
15. Home Office
ICVA Presentation 14/11/09
SPEAKER – Mark Hill Ligature risk A crack or gap can be used to jam in and hold a ligature or something can be jammed into the gap and a ligature attached to it.
Self harm incidents are associated with gaps in cell benches, around cell benches, around ventilation panels, around or within WCs, light fittings, and even CCTV cameras.
A 3mm drill bit can be used as a simple check. If it fits the gap size is too big.
Ask the force why they have not sealed such gaps using a hard setting resin.
16. Home Office
ICVA Presentation 14/11/09
SPEAKER – Mark Hill Ligature risk – Cell Doors When closed a gap of no more that 2mm should be available from within the cell at the sides and top of the door. If a 2p piece fits it is OK, a Ł1 coin should not
It should not be possible to insert a 1p piece into any gap between the door and food hatch.
Does the force impose a policy that all food hatches must be left shut?
Are food hatches themselves safe?
Are they secure when in the closed position?
Do they include holes that themselves may offer a ligature risk?
Does the force have a program to replace unsafe cell doors and hatches?
17. Home Office
ICVA Presentation 14/11/09
SPEAKER – Mark Hill Ligature risk – Exercise Yards What is the force policy regarding detainee exercise?
Is the detainee always escorted when in the exercise yard?
If not, is the exercise yard as ligature and self harm safe and a good cell is?
In particular look for unsafe drainage grills, climb risks, access to lighting, wires, overhead security mesh etc.
18. Home Office
ICVA Presentation 14/11/09
SPEAKER – Mark Hill Unsafe features - Inward opening doors
19. Home Office
ICVA Presentation 14/11/09
SPEAKER – Mark Hill Cell Doors – Opening outwards Cell doors should open outwards.
If a cell door opens inwards how would the cell door be opened if a detainee is hanging from it or slumped in front of it?
Does the force have a program to replace inward opening doors with outward opening doors?
The door should be fitted with an adjustable and removable lock keep. If not how would the door be opened if the lock jams?
The cell door lock should be fitted with an anti-ligature handle
20. Home Office
ICVA Presentation 14/11/09
SPEAKER – Mark Hill Unsafe features/areas - Cell Privacy Walls HO advice is to remove half height privacy walls.
Self harm has been associated with people climbing onto these and in once instance sliding head first into a WC.
A half height privacy wall can provide a ligature via another feature. The ligature is tied onto or around a “safe” WC then up over the privacy wall. By looping up and over self harm is possible.
21. Home Office
ICVA Presentation 14/11/09
SPEAKER – Mark Hill What can be done to improve matters? Gaps can be quickly and economically sealed using hard setting resin
Hemispherical polycarbonate mirrors can be fitted to the ceilings of cells to provide vision into blind spots.
Adjustable and removable cell door keeps can be fitted.
Custody can be risk assessed and appropriate SOPs agreed that remove, reduce or manage these risks.
22. Home Office
ICVA Presentation 14/11/09
SPEAKER – Mark Hill Unsafe areas – restricted space Sometimes a space or areas is just not suited to the task
Restricted space means that both detainee and staff may be injured in the event of a struggle.
23. Home Office
ICVA Presentation 14/11/09
SPEAKER – Mark Hill Unsafe areas
24. Home Office
ICVA Presentation 14/11/09
SPEAKER – Mark Hill Unsafe Areas - Health and Hygiene
25. Home Office
ICVA Presentation 14/11/09
SPEAKER – Mark Hill Hygiene and health risk Some cells and custody suites are just not cleaned properly.
This could provide a real risk to health and is certainly not a display of respect for basic dignity.
If you wouldn’t feel comfortable to eat your breakfast in a cell then it really isn’t clean enough.
26. Home Office
ICVA Presentation 14/11/09
SPEAKER – Mark Hill Hygiene and health risk Some working areas and practices in custody are inadequate
Detainee meals and drinks should be prepared in clean environments suited to the task
DNA samples, staff food and detainee food should not be mixed
27. Home Office
ICVA Presentation 14/11/09
SPEAKER – Mark Hill Dignity The basic human right of an individual to respect and ethical treatment
HMIC
Dignity – Respect - Privacy
28. Home Office
ICVA Presentation 14/11/09
SPEAKER – Mark Hill Dignity It may be possible for an organisation to become too risk averse and for safety considerations to compromise dignity to an unacceptable degree
A basic lack of respect for detainees will lead to a basic lack of dignity
A lack of due regard for privacy points to a lack of respect and dignity
29. Home Office
ICVA Presentation 14/11/09
SPEAKER – Mark Hill Dignity Key dignity and respect driver is HMIC
Inspections of police custody draw attention to a need for real improvements
Some issues centre around the physical environment, some around SOPs and working practice.
30. Home Office
ICVA Presentation 14/11/09
SPEAKER – Mark Hill Dignity - Visual privacy - Holding Is the detainee put on open display in holding rooms or cubicles?
If holding facilities are open is there a SOP that recognises that privacy is an issue?
31. Home Office
ICVA Presentation 14/11/09
SPEAKER – Mark Hill Dignity – Visual/sound privacy – custody desk Is the detainee put on open display at the desk
Can conversation at the counter with detainee be held privately when required?
If custody desk facilities are open is there a SOP that recognises that privacy is an issue?
Is there a discreet booking position or procedure?
32. Home Office
ICVA Presentation 14/11/09
SPEAKER – Mark Hill Dignity –privacy – solicitors Is the detainee able to have a private conversation with their solicitor over the telephone?
Is the detainee able to have a private conversation with their solicitor at the custody suite?
33. Home Office
ICVA Presentation 14/11/09
SPEAKER – Mark Hill Dignity –privacy – use of shower and washing facilities Is the detainee able to use shower and washing facilities with a reasonable degree of privacy.
Though staff must escort them and ensure their safety, are they subject to vision from others at this time?
34. Home Office
ICVA Presentation 14/11/09
SPEAKER – Mark Hill A balance The safety, dignity, privacy and respect of staff and detainees can and should be protected
In well managed custody appropriate and considered Standards Operating Procedures should be in place to ensure this.
You have a very important role in ensuring that this happens!