N Educarse, ¿por la mañana, por la tarde o en cualquier N tiempo?

It is recommended that all new cells meet the standard Home Office police cell design and specification. When older cell stock is refurbished it is recommended that cell fittings meeting current Home Office police standards are installed.

Custody managers should ensure that routine checks by custody staff are supplemented by a regular regime of cell inspections and inspections of equipment. See Appendix 2 Custody Suite Inspection and Maintenance Regime.

A competent person, who is aware of the specific risks associated with detention, should be identified. They must have the authority to declare cells fit for occupation or to close them should they not meet health and safety requirements. This task should be carried out in consultation with the custody officer (if that the custody officer is not

NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED © ACPO NPIA 2012

179 the nominated person) as they will ultimately be responsible for the placement of a detainee in the cell.

Cells which have been taken out of use for safety reasons must be inspected after remedial work has been completed and before they can be reused. This includes cells which have been taken out of service after ligature points have been found.

Custody managers should establish stock control systems, taking into account projected demand and realistic lead times.

A risk assessment must be completed before any moveable furniture is placed in areas such as medical and interview rooms. The materials used must be capable of withstanding heavy impact and in medical rooms of meeting requirements for infection control and forensic cleaning. (These requirements may be specified by the healthcare professional themselves, or within the contract for healthcare services to custody).

For information relating to the equipment and supplies required in the medical room see the approved Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine (2007) Operational Procedures and Equipment for medical rooms in police stations and victim examination suites

11.2.1 CELLS

All cells should have adequate natural and artificial light. Cell fittings and furnishings should meet the appropriate current fire rating and must be highly robust to withstand extreme and continual abuse. They should be constructed and maintained to prevent ligature attachment or other forms of self-harm. Furnishings in areas of a custody suite accessible to detainees should be secured to the floor where operationally practicable; they should also be well maintained and not have any sharp edges. Furniture should not be allowed to come loose in a way that would enable a detainee to wedge part of their body in or behind it, or to create a ligature.

11.2.2 HATCHES

All cell hatches present risks. Older police cells which may not have been designed to current specifications present greater risks. Consideration may be given to replacing old hatches of the types

NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED © ACPO NPIA 2012

180 associated with past self-harm incidents with safer current Home Office approved types. Hatches must always be left fully closed after use. Signs may be placed on cell doors to remind staff of this.

11.2.3 DOORS

All cell doors should open outwards and be fitted with the Home Office anti-ligature handle and an adjustable and removable door keep. Doors should be well maintained and fitted tightly. A maximum gap of 2mm is advised between the cell door and rebate when the door is closed.

All doors to rooms that a detainee may have access to within the custody suite should have vision panels. The only exception is the medical examination room where a balance must be struck between safety of the staff and the detainee, and confidentiality.

11.2.4 BOOKING-IN AREA

The layout of the reception or booking-in area should allow the custody officer to have unimpeded vision of the detainee and allow good verbal communication during the booking-in process. The layout should also allow the detainee a reasonable degree of visual and auditory privacy during the booking-in and charging process. The use of privacy screens or a separate, discreet charging area may help in this regard.

11.2.5 THE EXERCISE YARD

An external exercise yard should be provided in all new custody suites. The yard should be free from ligature points and any other features that might permit self-harm.

Before a detainee is allowed to use the exercise yard, the custody officer must carry out a risk assessment to determine whether the detainee may safely be left in the yard unsupervised for a designated period of time, and/or, to determine an appropriate level of supervision and monitoring. For further information see 3 Risk Assessment.

11.2.6 CLEANING

NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED © ACPO NPIA 2012

181 regime of all custody areas. Procedures for specialist cleaning services to remove body fluids must be considered. Adequate drainage should be provided in custody areas and exercise yards. If drainage becomes contaminated by body fluids, this must also be professionally cleaned.

Rooms used for medical examinations must be thoroughly cleaned and those used for forensic examination must be forensically cleaned.

All cleaning fluids should be stored securely.