The Probation Service has existed since 1907 when the Probation of Offenders Act was passed in Parliament and work that had previously been carried out through missionaries, was given official status. The mantra of Advise, Assist and Befriend gave the Probation Service it’s rehabilitative ethos within which it functioned for many years. The 1990’s saw […]
Conference motions
Conference was dismayed to learn about the proposed cuts to civil service jobs, the proposals of which are anything between 20% and 40%. Prime Minister Boris Johnson asked his Ministerial team and Permanent Secretaries to develop proposals to return the civil service to the size it was in 2016. It is noted that the Probation […]
Conference notes with concern how many Trainee Probation Officers (PQiPS) are reporting work place stress, feeling inadequately supported, going off sick and in the worst scenarios, abandoning their training. The Probation Service has placed a huge financial investment into recruiting new trainee Probation Officers however, however have failed to ensure that there is enough support […]
Operation Uplift is part of this government’s pledge to recruit 20,000 additional Police Officers by March 2023. As of 31st March 2022 13,576, Officers had been recruited. This increase in Police Officer numbers is having an adverse effect on Police Staff. Many Police Officers are now taking up roles that have previously been held by […]
Conference welcomes UNISON’s PCSO20 campaign to celebrate the 20 year-anniversary of the creation of the PCSO role. Conference notes that PCSOs provide a highly visible police presence. They deter anti-social behaviour, provide reassurance, gather intelligence and work with businesses, schools and statutory partners to keep communities safe. PCSOs are a force for good. People love […]
Conference notes that: 1)Feedback from UNISON workplace representatives is that there is increasing confusion within the ranks of Probation Service middle managers regarding the use of appropriate HR policies when dealing with UNISON member issues; 2)At present, it would appear that the use of either Probation Service or wider HMPPS policies is a matter of […]
Conference notes that: 1)Police staff who are required to launder items of uniform at home are entitled to claim an annual allowance from HMRC to assist with the associated cost; 2)Currently, PCSOs are entitled to claim £140 tax allowance but other police staff can only claim £60; 3)Police officers are also entitled to claim £140. […]
This conference condemns any behaviour that falls within the categories of sexism, harassment and misogyny. We are a union that at its core, has values that support the inclusion of women at all levels within our organisation. Women make up the majority membership within UNISON which is reflected within our Service Group. We all have […]
Conference may be aware that The Probation Service has experienced an ongoing difficulty with the recruitment and retention of Probation Officers. The latest figures available from the Ministry of Justice indicate that over a third of staff have been in post for less than three years and recruitment and training of Probation Officers since March […]
Conference notes that: 1)The Probation Service has a long history of good industrial relations and joint working; 2)It has taken years of hard work to maintain commitment to the National Negotiating Council (NNC) joint agreement on pay and conditions which was introduced in 2006; 3)The custodians to this agreement were the Joint Secretaries, one from […]
This conference believes that the social media presence and visibility of our service group on the UNISON website needs improvement. It is reasonable for members to expect to be kept updated and to identify with issues that are affecting them. For example, the official service group twitter feed has not been populated since 15/03/2020 and […]
Conference recognises that the cost of living crisis now affecting UNISON members in the UK is the worst for 30 years. Inflation is currently running at 9% (March 2022), which is the highest level in three decades. For the value of police, probation and CAFCASS staff salaries not to fall back even further, they must […]
Conference notes that on 16th May 2022, the government announced an ambition to reduce staffing levels in the Civil Service to 2016 levels by cutting 91,000 jobs. In this government’s distinctive style, these plans appeared hastily drawn up and vague, with no concrete indication of the Civil Service departments where these cuts may fall. Conference […]
Conference is concerned by certain IOPC (Independent Office of Police Complaints) investigations relating to Police Staff are failing to be investigated proportionately. Some cases relating to police contact are demonstrably targeted at Police Staff unjustifiably. It has been shown that investigations are centred in apportioning blame to our members when evidence suggests that they are […]
Conference notes with concern that a number of complaints relating to our members that could be considered as vexatious (purely to cause annoyance to the subject). We have seen examples within the workplace and from members of the public who have used the police complaints procedure to damage members, particularly where there is a relationship […]