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Home Office Presentation to the Independent Custody Visiting Association

Home OfficeICVA Presentation 14/11/09SPEAKER

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Home Office Presentation to the Independent Custody Visiting Association

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    1. Home Office Presentation to the Independent 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!

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