There was an overriding culture where “employees did not always realise they could raise issues” and most employees depended on the “rumour mill” to receive communications. To meet the employee engagement challenges at Lowdham Grange, a number of initiatives were implemented. These included monthly training sessions, weekly ‘Director’s Hour’, Director’s Breakfast’ and staff meetings. Employees also meet in focus groups to discuss the impact of changes and new initiatives.
The prison achieved a Level 4 Performance Rating during 2011 which places Lowdham Grange amongst the best for prison performance in England and Wales. The completion rate of the 2011 Viewpoint survey was close to 100 per cent, and the level of employee engagement increased by 7 per cent on the previous year.
