Scottish Prison Service faces ‘significant cultural challenges’, report finds

The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) faces “significant cultural challenges”, with staff raising concerns around leadership and the handling of inappropriate behaviour,  a report has found.

The independent review also found a number of staff felt “undervalued” by the service, and some expressed concerns over morale, communication and operational pressures.

Crowe Advisory, which carried out the review, made 12 recommendations for strengthening organisational culture at the service, including the introduction of a “robust anti-bullying framework”, and addressing gender bias.

At the same time the report also identified “significant strengths” at the SPS, and concluded that the service was “well positioned” to address its current challenges.

These include the workforce’s “strong commitment” to prisoner rehabilitation, and the “teamwork, operational cohesion and locally driven innovation” shown at many establishments.

SPS chief executive Linda Pollock said: “I am incredibly proud to lead the SPS and the staff whose professionalism, dedication, and compassion is rightly recognised and praised in this important report.

“The report identifies our many strengths as an organisation, the progress we have already achieved, but also the improvements still needed, which we will continue to work on.

“Significant work is already in progress across SPS that aligns with the many themes and recommendations identified in the Culture Review Report.

“Much of this activity was initiated already, reflecting an ongoing commitment to build on what makes SPS such a special and important place to work.

“We are already delivering on these and are committed to continuing to build on this progress in line with our values.

“This work is focused on all those who work for the SPS, are in our care, or depend upon us to look after their loved ones or help keep their communities safe.”

The review was developed through visits to prisons and focus groups, and conversations with more than 700 members of staff, along with inmates, and partners.

It was done at a time of “significant” pressure on the SPS, with the prison population levels reaching a record high, and challenges from serious and organised crime, drugs, and an ageing prison population.

Phil Fairlie, assistant general secretary of the Prison Officers’ Association (Scotland), said: “The report identifies some significant areas of great strength within the organisation, not least the staff who work in the frontline in incredibly challenging circumstances.

“Indeed, the timeframe through which the information was gathered to produce the Crowe report meant that the organisation was being observed and measured through a prolonged period of significant challenge and strain right across the service, so some of what has been identified comes as no real surprise.

“However, it also matches up with some of the things our own survey of Prison Officers’ Association members described about the culture in which they work, and those areas are a worry to us all.

“We are already engaged with the SPS senior leadership, working in partnership with a view to jointly agreeing the priorities, and finding the improvements and solutions together.

“Much as there are areas of real concern identified, there is nothing that cannot be overcome if proper care and energy is given to genuinely addressing them.

“While those areas are significant, we should not lose sight of the very positive findings about the staff in the service who, again, while being tested to the extreme on a daily basis, have left the independent observers of their work talking about them with such positivity and respect.”

Paula Arnold, chairwoman  of the Prison Governors’ Association (PGA) – Scotland, said: “The PGA welcomes the publication of the Crowe Report and recognises the importance of its findings in supporting the continued development of a positive organisational culture across the SPS.

“The report provides a balanced assessment of SPS, acknowledging the professionalism, commitment and dedication demonstrated by staff throughout the organisation, while also identifying areas requiring further improvement, including leadership, trust, accountability and staff wellbeing.”