COMMENDEE 2023-24: Alison is Commended, as Senior Catering Manager at HMP Maghaberry, for transforming the quality and range of food; introducing photo ‘menu books’, with descriptions in multiple languages, to help prisoners choose what to eat; and inspiring many of those she works with to find jobs in catering on release.

Alison’s nomination

Initial Recommendation

Alison was initially recommended by: Andrew Smith (Catering, HMP Maghaberry).

Alison has worked in Maghaberry Prison Kitchen for 23 years. Since she started she has been an excellent team member, she came to the team with a vast amount of catering knowledge and skill which she has willingly shared with the rest of team. Over the years she has been involved in trade training with numerous prisoners, this has shown excellent results with several ex-prisoners having gained employment in different catering venues on their release.

Alison has also given up her own time to be involved in the Night Classes which have been running in the Kitchen, this involves taking 8 prisoners through a 4 week training package which includes Vegan cookery and baking. The training happens when the kitchen closes for the day and has allowed several prisoners to gain skills and spend time in an industrial kitchen.

Over the past few years Alison has also arranged a Christmas cake competition which has allowed the prisoners who work in the prison kitchen to make and decorate a Christmas cake, then compete for a prize. The cakes have then been auctioned and all the proceeds have been given to charities.

Over the last 6 years Alison has been a part of the Kitchen Management Team and has taken the lead in setting up and implementing a Nutritics system, this has involved moving to a New 5 Choice Menu, incorporating vegan choices and healthy eating choices. The menu is completely in line with all nutritional guidelines, fully costed within budget and meets all allergen recommendations. Alison has taken photographs of all the individual dishes on the 5 Choice menu which she has had published in a Menu Book, this is also printed in different languages. These Menu books have been distributed to all the Landings in the Prison. Alison has also had the Menu books printed in Braille. Due to the introduction of the Menu Books we have seen a 40% uplift in prisoners making their own menu selections instead of going with the default choice.

Alison has always been involved in the Charity work within the kitchen which is currently sitting at over £60,000. This has been distributed to several different organisations. Alison is now the driving force behind an Enterprise scheme which involves a prisoner who works in the prison kitchen. This started with the prisoner making traybakes and cakes, these were sold in the Riverside Cafe (the staff canteen, which is staffed by prisoners under limited supervision). This has now escalated to the prisoner having his own department which, with the help of other prisoners that he mentors, now produces traybakes and cakes which are sold to the 1200 prisoners in Maghaberry on a two-weekly cycle. The profits from this venture are donated to prisoner related charities.

Alison has recently been promoted to Senior Officer Catering. I feel she deserves to be singled out for recognition for all her dedication and hard work.

Additional information (from HMP Maghaberry)

HMP Maghaberry provided the following additional testimony in support of Alison’s nomination:

Alison is an absolute asset within our kitchen department. Alison always strives to improve on meals for those in our care whilst working within the budgetary restraints.

Alison was quick to recognise that the prison menu wasn’t meeting the needs of our diverse population and took the initiative to work with prisoners to gain greater understand on the reasons behind the vast increase in special diet requests. Alison took this information and worked with our dietician to expand menu choice that would broaden options whilst meeting the needs for the majority of our population.

Alison recognised that whilst there were specific dietary needs, there were also communication needs with foreign nationals and the language barrier and also those with poor literacy. Alison reached out to our speech and language therapist to work to develop an easy read that again meet the complex needs.

Alison continues to meet with prisoners at regular forums to review menus and these have been positive with regards to feedback. One prisoner, who was on the autistic spectrum, had been losing a significant amount of weight and this was due to food not looking how he imagined it should be presented and therefore he would not eat. Having the photos of food was transformational for this individual. He said: “having photos on the menu really eased my anxiety and I am now gaining weight weekly. This menu is very supportive to myself and others with autism.”

Alison was also put forward for an award by our partners in South Eastern Trust for working collaboratively with partners for better outcomes for Prisoners. You just have to speak with Alison and you will feel her passion for making nutrition better for those in our care. Alison’s attitude and drive makes her so deserving of recognition for her work.

Sign off

The nomination was signed off by the Governor, David Savage.

I asked my Senior Team what they thought of her and the responses can be collated as follows:

A – amazing person
L – liked by all prisoners in her diverse workforce
I – interested in prisoners stories and circumstances
S – simply the best (this was the view of a prisoner who was being discharged)
O – opportunities – she always has faith in bestowing opportunities on prisoners to challenge them to change
N – no nonsense but nurturing at the same time
H – helpful and hardworking
E – energetic in developing ideas and enhancing the lives of her workforce
A – amazing manager
T – terrific – if every prison had an Alison (or 100 like her) every prison would be the better for it
R – respectful to all regardless of their back story or offence
I – intelligent
C – caring and compassionate
K – knowledgeable