Recurring concern

Failure to ensure custody staff are suitable and competent to work with vulnerable people

First to latest report 30 Jun 2014 — 3 Mar 2016

Reports that mention this concern
2
Times this concern has been raised
3
Stated actions linked to this concern
1

What this concern includes

Includes failures in recruitment, screening, selection, induction or competence-assurance controls specifically intended to ensure that custody staff are suitable and capable of working safely with vulnerable people, including young people or people with complex needs.

What is not included
  • Excludes generic prison staffing shortages, recruitment or retention problems where staff suitability or competence is not the identified unsafe condition.
  • Excludes training, supervision or performance deficiencies unrelated to ensuring custody staff are suitable and competent to work with vulnerable people.
  • Excludes clinical competence, care-home staffing and non-custodial workforce concerns unless the assertion explicitly concerns custody staff suitability for vulnerable people.

Reports and published responses 2 reports

See individual reports that have raised this concern, and the actions taken in response

  1. West Yorkshire Eastern

    AI-generated summary

    Adam RICE · Prevention of Future Deaths report

    This summary was generated using AI from the published report. Please read the original report for the complete account.

    Report summary

    Adam RICE was taken to hospital after being found asleep in a skateboard park, later self-discharged without a CT head scan, and was subsequently detained at a police station after being arrested. He exhibited signs of alcohol withdrawal, collapsed and died in his cell on 12 May 2014. The report identified concerns about communication between hospital staff and police, custody staffing and training, welfare checks, observation levels, handovers and monitoring practices.

    Read the report on judiciary.uk

    Source evidence

    How this individual concern was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Failure to recruit suitably capable custody staff

    Wider context from the report

    “2. That West Yorkshire Police only recruit Custody staff of the highest calibre to carry out this vital role involving some of the most vulnerable members of society. ”

    Source location

    Adam RICE · Prevention of Future Deaths report
    Page 2 · concerns

    Open source report

    Source evidence

    How this respondent action was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Develop proposals to involve Custody Services in selecting future Detention Officers.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “Detention Officers are non-warranted and do not conduct any other roles, if they are employed as Detention Officers. The application process currently entails an application form and interview by our Human Resources (HR) Team. We are currently progressing and developing proposals to involve Custody Services (led by Inspectors ████████) to have involvement in the selection of future Detention Officers, which will further ensure suitability for role at time of selection.”

    Source location

    Adam-Rice-Response_Redacted
    Page 2 · response
    Published 3 March 2016

    Open published response

  2. Manchester West

    AI-generated summary

    Jake Reginald Hardy · Prevention of Future Deaths report

    This summary was generated using AI from the published report. Please read the original report for the complete account.

    Report summary

    Jake Reginald Hardy, a 17-year-old detained at HM YOI Hindley, died on 20 January 2012 after being found partially suspended by a ligature in his cell. The report describes failures to identify, record and respond to his vulnerabilities, self-harm risk and reports of verbal bullying, including failures in safeguarding, ACCT care planning, supervision and overnight risk assessment. Concerns also included ligature points in cells, inadequate personal officer support, staff training and communication systems, and limited access to family telephone support.

    Read the report on judiciary.uk

    Source evidence

    How this individual concern was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Insufficient staff understanding of vulnerable young persons’ complex needs and their causes

    Wider context from the report

    “1. A number of the prison staff from HM YOI Hindley who gave evidence at the inquest clearly lacked (a) any or sufficient aptitude or temperamential suitability for the demands of working with vulnerable young persons with complex needs and/or (b) any or sufficient understanding of those needs and their causes (such as the nature and effect of specific learning difficulties and the effect of abuse or neglect in childhood). I have been told that these matters are now addressed to some extent by the Youth Justice Board and HM YOI Hindley but that further changes are being considered to the way in which prison staff working in Young Offender Institutes are recruited, screened for aptitude and trained. I report this concern so that any outstanding further steps can be considered. ”

    Source location

    Jake Reginald Hardy · Prevention of Future Deaths report
    Page 4 · concerns

    Open source report

    Source evidence

    How this individual concern was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Insufficient staff aptitude or temperamential suitability for working with vulnerable young persons with complex needs

    Wider context from the report

    “1. A number of the prison staff from HM YOI Hindley who gave evidence at the inquest clearly lacked (a) any or sufficient aptitude or temperamential suitability for the demands of working with vulnerable young persons with complex needs and/or (b) any or sufficient understanding of those needs and their causes (such as the nature and effect of specific learning difficulties and the effect of abuse or neglect in childhood). I have been told that these matters are now addressed to some extent by the Youth Justice Board and HM YOI Hindley but that further changes are being considered to the way in which prison staff working in Young Offender Institutes are recruited, screened for aptitude and trained. I report this concern so that any outstanding further steps can be considered. ”

    Source location

    Jake Reginald Hardy · Prevention of Future Deaths report
    Page 4 · concerns

    Open source report

Actions and positions describe what organisations say in published responses. Implementation is not independently verified.

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Data last updated 7 September 2026