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IAN HARVEY (Stoke Heath Prison)

IAN HARVEY (Stoke Heath Prison)

AWARD WINNER 2024-25

Initial Recommendation

This nomination followed an initial recommendation from Natasha Kendall, Head of Education, Skills and Work

IanIan is a dedicated, driven and respected leader. He is supportive but challenging when needed and sets high standards for himself and others. Ian has created a team ethos and a willingness to lead the way on initiatives that improve the prison and provide excellent work opportunities for prisoners in land-based activities, including horticulture, waste management and more recently the introduction of forest fencing. The maintenance and upkeep of the grounds at Stoke Heath are always commented on by visitors.

Ian has great plans to expand his department further, always thinking outside of the box with innovative ideas to improve even further. Ian has established a partnership with the local council for the prison to support with their biodiversity policy, creating bird, bat and insect boxes for residents, schools and businesses free of charge. This featured in several local newspapers including the Shropshire Star and the local radio station. As well as this, Ian led the project to secure a contract with a multibillion-pound construction company competing against five other prisons.

Ian continues to forge links with other companies to create more activity spaces for prisoners and support with their rehabilitation. As the lead for a recent dynamic initiative of the Stoke Heath High Street, Ian is currently working with prisoners, staff and external businesses to create an area of the prison which will mimic a High Street which will further develop prisoners’ skills to enable them to return to society successfully upon release. Within this area there will be a barbers, shop, citizens’ advice, community area and bank to name a few.

Ian is well respected and an excellent communicator, his team are always on board to support with any new initiative. An example of this was when asbestos was found during digging in the vegetable growing area which meant this workshop had to be closed and no fresh produce could be provided to the kitchen. Ian worked with health and safety to devise a plan which meant the workshop could reopen, capping the area with 100mm of concrete. This did not come without its difficulties, restraints and costs of getting concrete lorries in and out of the prison meant it was impossible to cover the area so Ian led the team to cover part of the area in concrete by hand using only a cement mixer and shovels. This is a prime example of how Ian has built and led such a proactive and dedicated team.

Ian’s department is a real strength at Stoke Heath. His team are known across the establishment as positive, committed and helpful. In a recent prisoner survey, one prisoner stated, ‘When I was working in the gardens the staff were really good at training you on how to grow vegetables and are good to work alongside with, it was the best job I’ve had in the prison’. Ian’s department always has the highest prisoner attendance figures. Already this year (May 2024), there has been a 6% improvement from last year’s figures, with one of his workshops recently gaining 91% prisoner attendance for the month. As well as this, currently there are 337 more spaces within his department for the month than this time last year. Prisoners can now also achieve a qualification in most workshops in his department.

Ian meets all the seven values of the West Midlands region, I believe his enthusiasm and hard work must be recognised.

Supporting Documentation

Testimonials

In a recent prisoner survey, one prisoner stated:

“When I was working in the gardens, the staff were really good at training you on how to grow vegetables and are good to work alongside with, it was the best job I’ve had in the prison”.

We also asked prisoners what they have learned in their workshops and this was some of the feedback from workshops in Ian’s department:

“I am learning a lot about gardening since working there”. “I learned how to correctly plant leeks the depth and spacing”. “I’ve learned to pot plants correctly and how they germinate from seed to plant”. “I have learned how to use air guns to put together fence panels. Also, health and safety at work involving the use of air guns”.

Ian is a very supportive line manager and this is reflected in the quality of education within his workshops and the attitudes of his staff which prisoners have commented on:

“I work in Gardens and find this work fulfilling. I believe that our instructors work very hard to use the work to rehabilitate us. I believe that instructors have a difficult job because all prisoners have different abilities but are very respectful”.

In our function, staff are able to nominate who they think should be chosen as staff star of the month. Recently, Ian’s team nominated him with the reason:

“We would like to nominate Ian because he is a very supportive manager and he would go above and beyond to help anybody under his management”.

Additional Information

Ian has been in Prison Service at Stoke Heath since 2007. He has progressed from an Operational Support Grade (OSG) to Industries Manager while leading on Land Based Activities including horticulture and waste management. He has been in his current role for approx. 3 year and shown that he is a dedicated, driven, and respected leader.

Ian has taken on additional responsibilities at the request of the Governor, driving up the quality and quantity of the purposeful activity offer at HMP Stoke Heath.

Ian’s department is a real strength at Stoke Heath. His team are known across the establishment as positive, committed, and helpful. This can be reflected in prisoner attendance data where the Land Based Activities team regularly boast a 90% and above attendance, proving that prisoners enjoy and want to work with the team. Ian also works hard to ensure all the workshops in his department are fully allocated.

Ian has introduced some excellent new work at Stoke Heath in the past 12 months including setting up two workshops for Forest Fencing, winning a contract with a company called Prism, manufacturing component parts for the construction industry and is leading on developing Stoke Heath High Street which will include a bistro, barbers, advice centre, charity shop and prison shop.

Ian has supported the introduction of Cancer Champions with Lingen Davies Charity, supporting Market Drayton Food Bank and a great initiative of prisoners making bird, bat, and insect boxes by prisoners from waste pallets which are donated to the local council for use in local parks and schools

Sign Off

Ian leads a team who are commitment to maintain beautiful looking gardens, looking after the environment including making their own compost and recycle as much as possible. Ian grows a range of product that are all planted from seed; prisoners work and grow vegetables which are provided to the kitchen which is used for prisoners’ meals. Initiatives such as setting up recycling orderlies is a great idea that provides social value have been driven by Ian. Ian meets all the 7 values of the West Midlands region, however certainly tenacious, professional, inclusive, and courageous.

Ian has been a fundamental part of the drive to be innovative and ambitious in achieving the overall aim of being a rehabilitative prison and I believe he is an excellent candidate worthy of winning this prestigious award.

Mark Greenhaf

Governor, HMP Stoke Heath