- Conference
- 2024 Police, Probation and CAFCASS Conference
- Date
- 14 June 2024
- Decision
- Carried
A recent Panorama documentary titled ‘Can Probation Keep us Safe?’ highlighted how some of the most basic ‘tools of the trade’ needed by AP staff, such as drug tests, are not available to them, as a result of funding and cost cutting measures. Our AP members across the estate often report a lack of staffing, buildings that are not fit for purpose, and regular health and safety concerns. The Approved Premises estate houses the most high risk cohort of people under Probation supervision and yet somehow in this instance resource does not appear to follow need. It is absolutely clear that all aspects of Probation work have been chronically underfunded for many years and it is vital that Unison campaigns strongly for funding across the board, however given the potential public protection concerns and public interest issues that have come about as a result of the spotlight that the Panorama programme gave these issues we think there is an urgent need for funding to APs to be addressed.
We call on the SGE to:
1:Work with Labour Link to continue to highlight the importance of fully funding a fit for purpose Probation Service
2: To work with the employer to ensure that resource follows need and that funding is prioritised for core Probation work