About the Service (Prison Social Care Team)

The Prison Social Care Team is a county wide team with duties and responsibilities to provide social care support to people in prisons. Duties and responsibilities to assess and consider care and support needs in prisons was introduced under the Care Act (2014) from April 2015. A key principle enshrined in the Act, is that as far as practicable, individuals in prisons should be treated consistently and should receive an equitable level of care and social care provision as would be provided to individuals who are not in prison. Local Authority responsibilities include assessing social care and occupational therapy needs, providing provisions to meet eligible (care and support) needs, signposting and advising people in prison, and supporting the promotion of wellbeing and prevention.

There are five prisons and one approved premises located within Surrey:

• HMP Highdown (Male C Cat Training and Resettlement prison);
• HMP Coldingley (Male C Cat Training and Resettlement prison);
• HMP Bronzefield (Female private remand/sentence prison);
• HMP Send (Female sentenced prison);
• HMP Downview (Female sentenced prison);
• St Catherine's Approved Premises based in Guildford.