PSO 2855 - Inside Time

PSO 2855 Page 15CHAPTER 5The Management of Disability within EstablishmentsThe role of the Disability Liaison Officer (DLO)5.1 The role of the Disability Liaison Officer (DLO) is principally to act as a source ofinformation and advice within the establishment on issues of disability affecting prisoners.They are not expected to be experts, but rather to know where to obtain information oradvice when needed. Where the Governor expands the role to cover staff disability issuesas well, the DLO needs to be resourced to cover the additional work. The DLO should beproviding advice to managers and staff, and is not responsible for undertaking all disabilityrelated work in the establishment. The DDA places the responsibility for ensuring thatdisabled persons do not suffer discrimination on all managers and members of staff.5.2 The Governor should ensure that the DLO (and any staff assisting in the role) have the timeand resources to fulfil their duties given the size of the establishment and the nature of thepopulation. Cover for the DLO should be in place for any significant absences to ensurethat, for example, applications made to the DLO are opened (and actioned where possible)rather than being left for the DLO‟s return from leave.5.3 These duties may include interviewing or speaking to prisoners on induction, dealing withapplications, and assisting with drawing up the establishment action plan. It should includeproviding advice to the senior management team on disability issues affecting theintegration of prisoners with disabilities into the life of the establishment. The DLO shouldbe accessible to prisoners, and it should be possible for prisoners to discuss sensitiveissues involving their disability with the DLO in private. Information confided by the prisonerto the DLO should be treated in confidence and only disclosed when strictly necessary. Forexample if the prisoner will have difficulty in the case of an emergency, or knowledge of thedisability may enable other staff to assist and manage the prisoner better.5.4 Reasonable adjustments arranged by the DLO or another member of staff, for a particularprisoner should be recorded on his/her record, both to ensure that on transfer thatinformation is made available to staff at the receiving prison, but also to document theactions taken to meet our duty under the DDA.5.5 A sample DLO job description is attached at Annex H.Issue No. 295 Issue date 3/04/08