Maghaberry Prison

Management Support Services

The civilianisation of administration posts began in January 1995. The umbrella name given to this section of civil servants is Management Support Services (MSS). MSS staff are employed in various locations throughout the prison and their role is to support prison staff and management. The team is headed by the Director of Planning, Finance and Staff Services assisted by a deputy who is also head of Health & Safety in the prison.

MSS assist the management team of the prison successfully achieve the aims and objectives of the Northern Ireland Prison Service and reach performance targets set each year in the Corporate and Business Plan.

MSS staff are fully committed in helping the Prison Service take forward the Modernising Government Agenda aimed at creating a more 'open' and publicly accountable level of government.

MSS staff currently work in the following areas:
cashier's office, general office, Governor's private secretary / typist / switchboard/ cleaning staff, health and safety, hospital, inmate services, kitchen, lifer management unit, Compass, personnel office, prisoner's private cash, psychology, secretariat, stores, training, tuckshop and works department.

 Cashiers office

The Cashier's Office is managed entirely by members of MSS, who are responsible for the prison finance operated through four different accounts. They ensure that all input and expenditure transactions are accurately recorded and processed, as per the finance manual and instruction circulars. Monitoring of the prison finances and budget levels through the computer system, especially for public accountability purposes, is also an important responsibility.

Other responsibilities include:

• Monitoring and payment of invoices;
• Monitoring sectional budgets and provides reports;
• Liasing with senior management, HQ, Suppliers etc on financial matters;
• Monthly reconciliation of all four accounts.

 General office

A senior member of MSS manages the General Office and is supported by a senior officer and other MSS staff. The office is responsible for ensuring prisoner attendance at court and that all inmates are detained in custody for the correct period of time. Close liaison with other groups including Reception, Committal and Prisoner Escort Group is essential to ensure efficient and effective working processes in this busy working environment, with no margin for errors.

Other duties include:

• Processing home leave requests;
• Maintaining a register of sex offenders;
• Organising prisoner transfers;
• Processing temporary compassionate release;
• Maintaining prisoner statistical records;
• Checking release dates and remission changes;
• Answering queries from solicitors, courts, probation etc.

General Office staff are responsible for the security of all prisoner files and ensuring that all essential information is placed on them. Accuracy of information on files and ensuring all outstanding issues are followed through, is also an important responsibility of MSS staff.

Governors private secretary/typists/switchboard/cleaning staff

GOVERNOR'S PS: The support for the Governor includes acting as receptionist, general typing, keeping appointments diary, recording minutes of meetings, handling post etc.

TYPING POOL/ SWITCHBOARD: These sections of the prison are staffed entirely by MSS staff. The staff type letters and reports etc. for all areas of the prison and manage the switchboard on a rota system. Other support includes handling outgoing post and ensuring correct postage is paid before collection.

CLEANING STAFF: A team of cleaners, managed by the Personnel Office manager, operates on a rota basis to ensure the prison is clean and tidy at all times. A senior cleaner supervises the work on the ground.

Health & safety

The Health and Safety section, headed by a senior member of MSS and staffed entirely by members of MSS, are responsible for ensuring the provision of a safe and healthy working environment throughout the prison for both staff and prisoners. They ensure that all accidents in the prison are properly recorded and investigated. Representing the Governor in defence of compensation claims is also an important function.

Safety audits and risk assessments of areas within the prison are undertaken by their investigating officers and they also prepare reports for senior management on Health and Safety matters. Regular Health and Safety meetings are organised to discuss any problems and ensure the prison is constantly aware of health and safety matters for both staff and prisoners. The quarterly policy meeting chaired by the Governor and attended by relevant staff and trade union representatives, gives an opportunity to discuss any new legislation or issues and amend prison policy if necessary.

 Hospital

In the Hospital, MSS personnel make a co-ordinated effort to ensure and maintain an up-to-date medical records filing system. This is extremely important, to help provide an efficient and effective hospital administration.

This involves:-

• Development of new records;
• Maintenance of existing records;
• Organising filing system of dead records, for easy access.

Another main duty involves organising sick parade each morning and hence ensuring the availability of requested medical records and delivery to certain houses. They are also responsible for the preparation of medical records, before Doctors diagnose prisoners fit/unfit for the weekly transfer to HMP Magilligan.

To help achieve their targets and objectives, they have developed and maintained, effective communication networks with the following groups:

• Doctors
• Nursing staff
• Solicitors
• Prison Officer grades
• Security
• General Office.

 Inmate services

Inmate Services (or Inmate Activities Support Team) is supported by two members of MSS. Responsibilities include:

• Work Allocation Board

This Board meets every Friday morning to discuss the allocation of work to sentenced prisoners, selected from the landings for various jobs within the prison. MSS staff collate the names and forward to Security for approval, deferral or refusal. The prisoners are then informed of the Board's decision.

• Suicide Awareness Meeting

Inmate Activities/Programmes Meeting are held monthly and MSS staff in Inmate Services record, type and distribute the minutes.

• GOMIS system

This system holds all the information on prisoners with a sentence of 12 months or more. The information is collected from various departments within the prison, transferred onto the computer and updated.

• Sentence Management Planning

Inmate services are currently responsible for the upkeep of Sentence Management Plans for all sentenced prisoners. These plans are completed in the house, typed up and returned to Inmates Services for interview with the SO and the Governor i/c of Inmate Services. Copies of these plans are also kept within the office.

 Lifer management unit

The Lifer Management Unit at HMP Maghaberry, has the fastest increasing number of MSS staff than any other section. One of the main roles of MSS staff in the unit is to co-ordinate multi-disciplinary casework for life sentence prisoners.

Their duties include:

• Arranging RUC briefings on new lifers.
• Preparation of case summary documents.
• Arranging multi-disciplinary review of cases.
• Organising individual case conferences.
• Arranging risk assessment meetings for all lifer temporary release applications.
• Maintaining files and database.
• Commissioning reports for review purposes and requesting information from General Office files.
• Preparing case document files for hearings.
• Arranging hearings involving prisoners, solicitors, witnesses and panel members.
• Monitoring progress through pre-release scheme.

 MIDAS

Management Information on the Deployment and Attendance of Staff, or MIDAS for short, has two MSS operators. They input information relating to staff attendance onto the computer system. This information is provided by Group Managers from all areas of the prison. Daily planners are then produced, with prison staff allocated tasks based upon the information provided. Weekly shift patterns for all uniform prison staff is then created through the MIDAS system.

The information that they record can also be used by management to: -

• Identify staff attendance records.
• Anticipate sick levels, leave and training against approved allowances.
• Anticipate through gate figures against required figures.
• Advise on number of day's leave remaining to be paid off during the year.
• Anticipate shortfall on shifts.

 Prisoner's personal cash (PPC)

PPC section, staffed entirely by members of MSS, is accountable to the Governor for the efficient and effective monetary control of prisoner's personal cash. Prisoners are not permitted to hold cash while in custody and any cash belonging to them is lodged into a personal account. Each account is operated similarly to a bank account, where lodgements and withdrawals are made daily. PPC staff act as the prisoner's 'bank manager' ensuring that all transactions are accurately and efficiently processed.

Prisoners receive funds to their account through:

• Cash on committal or on return from home leave.
• Cash left by visitors.
• Cash, postal orders or cheques sent through the post.
• Wages paid into their accounts.
• Payments from charities etc.

Prisoners spend from their account by:

• Tuckshop spending.
• Cash passed out to visitors.
• Television rental payments.
• Opticians fees etc.

PPC staff regularly receive balance enquiries from prisoners, through their class officer and can either give a verbal response or provide a computer-printed statement detailing all transactions, providing an invaluable service to the prisoners.

 Personnel office

The Personnel Office in the prison is run entirely by members of MSS, who support the Personnel Governor, in carrying out the personnel functions relating to both Prison Officer grades, MSS staff and auxiliary positions. They are responsible for ensuring that all functions undertaken are in accordance with Prison Rules, Circulars, Governors Orders and any other directives.

Functions include: -

• Monitoring sick leave.
• Granting excusal of sick leave.
• Granting special leave.
• Managing annual leave.
• Issuing pay increments.
• Issuing annual reports and recording markings.
• Arranging internal boards.
• Recording staff changes.
• Organising Code of Conduct and Discipline hearings.
• Monitoring grievance procedures.
• Distributing post, cheques and pay slips.
• Responsibility for the security of all personnel files.

Kitchen

A member of MSS, supports the Principal or Senior Officer in charge of the prison kitchen by taking responsibility for the control of ordering, delivery, receipt and payment of all kitchen goods. Once the person in charge has decided the weekly menu, the MSS person plans and acts accordingly ensuring objectives and targets are reached.

Ensuring that the Cash Based Dietary System is managed effectively and efficiently is also an important responsibility for the MSS member. This involves ensuring that the budget allocations for prisoners' diets are followed.

Other duties include: -

• Monitoring finance levels.
• Maintaining adequate food levels & emergency rations.
• Checking invoices and preparing for payment.
• Undertaking spot checks on stock.
• Coding all new food items.
• Assisting design of recipes.

 Psychology

The Psychology Department is supported by a member of MSS from Inmate Services. The Principal Psychologist undertakes consultations with sentenced prisoners including those serving life and sex offenders. Currently they are running a Sex Offender Treatment Programme, which runs for 9 months for 8 sex offenders and have recently completed a Deniers group for the sex offenders and an Enhanced Thinking Skills programme for 8-9 prisoners.

Support provided by MSS includes:

• Managing the Psychologists Diaries, setting up meetings and liasing with HQ regarding the collection/analysis of data on research projects and evaluation of Offending Behaviour programmes.
• Preparing presentational materials e.g. OHP, flipcharts, handouts etc for group work and training.
• Operating computer scoring and psychometric testing.

Secretariat

A member of MSS acts as the prison secretariat whose main role is acting as secretary to the Board of Visitors. Organising board members to call and sign holding papers for certain prisoners, within correct time limits, is a vitally important role. Taking, circulating and following up minutes of the BOV monthly meetings is also an important function.

Other duties include:

• Maintaining a prison circular database and library.
• Undertake audit checks of accounts, tuck shop supplies and stores.
• Annual check of phone cards held in the prison.

 Stores

A member of MSS manages the Prison Stores and is supported by other MSS staff. They are responsible for providing a service for the needs of almost 1500 people including prison officers, Prisoner Officers' Association and prisoners. This task involves the maintenance of necessary stock levels to ensure the smooth running of the prison which covers a range of over 23 product groups including cell furnishings, cleaning materials, stationery, furniture and staff uniforms. Prison orderlies are employed to stock shelves and assemble orders for the various locations in the prison. The Stores are also responsible for ordering of non-stock items using contracts and tender procedures.

Other responsibilities include:

Organising the repair of electrical items by contractors.

• Undertaking regular stock level reviews.
• Order and supply of prison officer's uniform and protective clothing etc.
• Monitoring budgets to help financial planning.
• Maintenance of Capital Asset Register.
• Staff Accommodation.
• Payment of invoices.

Training

A member of MSS supports the Principal Officer and staff responsible for training both prison officer grades and civil servants employed at Maghaberry prison.

She helps organise training courses for:

• In-service Training.
• Prison Service College.
• Firearms Training Centre.
• Outside Agencies.

She processes all training applications, inputs all data onto computer system and arranges for staff to attend their nominated training course. She also provides the Training Principal Officer with staff training profiles, which are updated quarterly and deals with correspondence. Other activities include producing training overheads, flyers for courses, statistical information and recording minutes of training committee meetings.

 Tuckshop

A member of MSS manages the Prison Tuckshop and is supported by prison officer grades, other MSS staff and prison orderlies. Prisoners place a weekly order through the prison shop on a rota system. They can order confectionery items, phonecards, stationery etc. and the costs are deducted from their personal accounts. Certain prisoners can also order special items such as televisions, computer games, videos etc. These items are their own personal property and the prisoners take them on release.

MSS staff process the daily orders from prisoners through the computer system. The prison orderlies then pack the requested items. MSS staff are responsible for ensuring that stock levels are sufficient and order items from local suppliers when required. They also ensure all statutory regulations are enforced and policy instructions from senior management are followed to ensure an effective and efficient operation of the prison shop.

 Works department

The Works Department in Maghaberry Prison is the latest section to receive support from MSS staff. This department consists mainly of tradesmen whose duties include carrying out maintenance around the prison. MSS staff are the first point of contact between prison staff and the works group.

Supporting the Works Department includes:

• Taking calls and generating RMF dockets to enable repairs.
• Operating the Planned Maintenance system.
• Recording Portable Appliance testing on computer systems.
• Ensuring records of works activities are kept to enable measurement of group performance against ESDA targets.
• Assisting the storeman with Storesmaster Computer system.
• Keeping an efficient filing system of work records, especially for litigation purposes.