Cancer Screening

Breast and bowel cancers are two of the biggest cancer killers in the United Kingdom (UK). There are around 10,000 deaths from the former and 16,500 from the latter. Across the different parts of the UK upper age limits for breast and bowel cancer screening are routinely set by the relevant health authorities. This motion […]

Withheld and Unclaimed Benefits

Conference expresses its deep concern that the suicide of an 81 year old pensioner left with no money because the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) wrongly stopped her State Pension and Winter fuel allowance because of changes to her pension credit entitlement. She had only £5 when she died. Older people often cannot easily […]

YOUNG PEOPLE DO NEED HELP, BUT NOT AT THE EXPENSE OF OLDER PEOPLE

It is acknowledged that younger people are facing significant falls in living standards; however, this is not as a consequence of older people stockpiling all the wealth, as suggested by the House of Lords Committee on Intergenerational Fairness and Provision (April 2019). On 25th April 2019 the above committee called upon the Government to: “Take […]

Impact of Technology on Older People

Conference notes the increasing use of technology in everyday life and its impact on elderly and vulnerable people. With moves to make most access to local and national government and many other organisations including UNISON only available online it risks leaving a significant part of the older demographic behind. Given that many older people either […]

Career progression for Police Staff

In the recent survey that UNISON undertook into wellbeing amongst Police Staff nearly 80% of respondents said that they had no defined career structure. Conference rightly agrees that this is unacceptable to both the individual staff members and also the forces. Forces need to work harder to retain talented and hardworking police staff. Conference also […]

Supporting LGBT+ members in police and justice

Conference notes that despite the government telling us that ‘austerity is over’ cuts to our public services continue, with lack of funding to police and justice services causing mass job losses, department closures, and outsourcing. Whilst UNISON leads the way in the fight to save jobs there are times when jobs cannot be saved, such […]

Privatisation of Approved Premises

Conferences notes that… Approved Premises or AP’s are one of the core elements of the Probation Service’s responsibilities. They accommodate, in local communities, recently released prisoners to support and enable them to return to society post release from custody, most often from lengthy sentences. The National Probation Service (NPS) is moving its AP estate from […]

A Call to End Overly Intrusive Vetting Practices

Conference recognises the necessity for all police staff and officers to undergo vetting checks before a career in the police service begins. It is also acknowledged that these checks need to be reviewed at regular intervals, for the safety of staff, the public and the police service. However, many Forces are overreaching their authority by […]

Time for a Police Staff Mobile App

Conference will note that since the introduction of the revised Police Staff Council Pay & Conditions of Service Handbook in April 2017 many of our members continue to struggle to understand their workplace rights. Our members often have to make immediate decisions and will most likely not have quick access to the Handbook and Guide […]

Future Model of Probation

Conference notes the Government’s intentions to dismantle its failed Transforming Rehabilitation reforms by bringing all offender management work currently undertaken by the private Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) under the control and direction of the public sector National Probation Service (NPS). Whilst Conference welcomes the return of this important part of probation to public ownership, Conference […]

Organising for Probation Reunification

Conference notes the Government’s announcement that all offender management work currently undertaken by the Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) in England will transfer to the National Probation Service (NPS) in spring 2021 and in Wales by the end of 2019. This is likely to involve the transfer not only of approximately 7,000 staff from the CRCs […]

Custody – Is it Time for a Detention Officer to Cell Capacity Ratio?

Conference will recognise the devastating impact on staffing levels in the police service as a result of Austerity led reductions in funding to the service. Many cell blocks have been closed and staff made redundant or not replaced when they leave to save money. As a result, our members in Custody are often being forced to […]

Bring Back All Probation Work into the Public Sector at Local Level

Conference notes that the government intends to leave unpaid work, programmes and other rehabilitative services out in the private or voluntary sector when offender management is transferred into National Probation Service (NPS) Wales/NPS in 2019 and 2021. Conference is totally opposed to this latest arbitrary split in probation which will only serve to extend and […]

Serious Further Offences

Conference notes that the current process for Serious Further Offences (SFO’s) in the National Probation Service is to assess the quality of practice in the management of an individual case leading up to the SFO. Conference further notes that during this investigation, information is gleaned in order to improve future practice. The process is not […]

National Collective Bargaining and Protecting Members’ Terms and Conditions

Conference recognises the importance of national collective bargaining for the protection of members’ terms and conditions across all sectors in the Service Group. The Police Staff Council for England and Wales and the Police Scotland and the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS) negotiating machineries are essential for this protection. National collective […]