Bridgwater custody suites inspected by HMICFRS among others

His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) along with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) today published the findings of its latest assessment of how Avon and Somerset Police manages custody suites.

The police force has stated it is committed to acting upon the recommended improvements listed in the report.

After visits to three sites in Bridgwater, Keynsham and Patchway in January this year, inspectors noted areas for improvement, as well as good work by custody personnel.

According to the recently published report, the force has 'a strong commitment to keeping children out of custody'.

"However, too many children who are charged and refused bail are detained in custody overnight instead of being moved to secure or other appropriate alternative accommodation," it says.

"In the year up to our inspection, the force made 42 requests for local authority accommodation but only one child was moved.

"The force doesn’t record whether a request has been made in all cases, so can’t monitor this effectively."

The report also recommended the force improves upon management of risk assessments, increasing observation for prisoners at risk of self-harm, more regular safety maintenance checks, allocating a female officer or member of staff to oversee the care and welfare needs of girls in custody.

Inspectors found in almost eight per cent of cases the detainee’s ethnicity was not recorded, and also that although the use of PAVA incapacitant spray in custody was found to have reduced, it remains higher than they usually see.

In contrast, staff at the custody suites were commended for showing a caring attitude with detainees, keeping custody centres well-maintained and clean, and being patient with violent and volatile detainees.

Good evidence’ of diverting prisoners with mental health illness away from custody where appropriate was also noted by inspectors, as well as comprehensive training in line with College of Policing standards, and a commitment to transparency.

In response to the report, Assistant Chief Constable Joanne Hall said: “Last year we made almost 20,000 arrests and therefore it means our custody suites are always busy.

“Each detainee’s circumstances and needs are different and it is important that we ensure everyone is kept safe while under our care.

“It is pleasing to hear the HMICFRS positively recognise the good standard of the facilities we have, as well as the strong commitment we have to keeping children out of custody and the work we carry out with mental health partners.

"This is a testament to the hard work and commitment of everyone who works in custody.

“As a police service we believe in the importance of learning and therefore accept the recommendations we have received to further improve our practices.

“Although this report may have been published today, the invaluable feedback we received from inspectors during the course of their visit has enabled us to quickly take proactive steps to already improve the service we offer in our custody suites.

“One area of significant change has been around risk management to ensure we keep detainees safe.

"The use of ‘rouse and respond’ checks for detainees who are intoxicated has also significantly increased compared with the same period last year. 

“We recognise the increased vulnerability children have and across the organisation we seek to avoid criminalising juveniles where appropriate.

"It is important we seek to minimise the time they spend within custody, such as prioritising them during the booking in process where possible.

“There can sometimes be challenges in securing alternative accommodation for children who are not granted bail, but we continue to work closely with partner agencies to resolve these on a case by case basis.

“We welcome this inspection and the positive findings within it. Recommendations of the HMICFRS are being used to help us make necessary changes, as we continue to strive to become an outstanding police service.”