Prison officers’ experiences of key-working with women living in a psychologically informed planned environment (PIPE)

Purpose A key aspect of psychologically informed planned environments (PIPEs), are the attachment theory-informed relationships between residents and staff (Bainbridge, 2017). The key-work provision of one-to-one support from officers to residents is one of the main ways through which relationships are formed. The purpose of this paper is to explore prison officers’ experiences of the key-work role within a PIPE in a women’s Prison in England. Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured interviews explored ten prison officers’ experiences. Interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings Five main themes were identified; “Professional support”, “Negotiating Professional Boundaries”, “A Successful Relationship”, “Rupture and Repair” and “Growth for Everyone”. These themes reflected the framework around keywork; what support officers need to cope with the emotional demands of the role, and how to manage challenging situations and build meaningful key-work relationships. Research limitations/implications Limitations include the lack of focus on diversity, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on officer experience and applicability to other PIPE services. Future research could address some of these limitations. Practical implications Practical implications highlight the need for consistent supervision, greater consideration of officers’ transition to the role and trauma-informed training. Originality/value The research provides an unprecedented account of prison officers’ experiences of the key-work role, adding to the limited literature within PIPEs in the women’s estate. The supportive nature of the key-work relationship was perceived by officers to contribute towards people’s sentence progression and officers’ personal and professional development.