Report of the Inquiry into the circumstances of the Death of Bernard ...

include long working days followed by several days off. Providing a consistent personal
officer service that builds constructive relationships with individual prisoners presents
challenges.
23.17 In 2007 HMCIP found that there was a notice on each cell door stating which
member of staff had been allocated responsibility for group officer work for the cell
occupant. The work of the group officers was monitored monthly. The group officer
programme was known to prisoners. They expressed a range of views about whether
they would approach the member of staff concerned with personal problems.
23.18 The Governor told the inquiry that the Group Officer Scheme had recently been
relaunched. The statement of purpose says:
“The work of group officers is central to the care of prisoners and the security of the
establishment. A group officer scheme or shared working arrangement is required to be
in operation at HMP Manchester so that particular staff can get to know particular
prisoners and prisoners can turn to them for advice and assistance.
“Such continuity can provide and build a personal relationship with the prisoners….”
23.19 Group officers are allocated to particular cells and required to take responsibility
for the occupants of that cell. There is a lead officer and a stand-in for each cell. They
are required to introduce themselves and interview the prisoner at the earliest
opportunity and within one week as a maximum. Instructions to staff say:
“As a group officer you will be the first point of contact for the prisoner within the whole
prison system. Group officer relationships with prisoners are critical. You should make
each prisoner aware of who the next point of contact is should you be unavailable. You
should influence and encourage all prisoners by your example, your standards and your
guidance. You are responsible for dealing with documentation relating to your prisoners,
helping them resolve problems, setting them targets and giving advice in relation to the
IEP scheme and helping them address their offending behaviour.
“As a group officer you should aim to know more about the prisoner than anyone else in
the prison, his past history, his risk factors, his problem areas, his achievements and
domestic situation, his aspirations and his plans and goals.”
The local IEP policy says that personal/group officers must make a minimum of one
“quality entry” in a prisoner’s history sheer each week with “comments on general
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