Napo at Work in Wales

Thanks go to the reader for pointing me in the direction of the latest Napo Cymru Newsletter:- 

Napo Cymru 

SPRING NEWSLETTER 2020

Just in: CRC PAY OFFER ACCEPTED GMB, NAPO and UNISON members have voted to accept the following offer: Realignment of all salary bands to the 2019 NPS Pay Banding. If this results in less than a 3% increase for an employee Seetec will apply an unconsolidated payment for the percentage differential. Acceptance of this offer brings an end to the current pay dispute.

Office and Interface meetings
Feedback from members 

Your Napo officers have been getting out to offices, many topics discussed, and an opportunity to garner feedback about how the transition for both “legacy” and “onboarding” staff is going. We will continue to get around the offices, please come to these meetings, or send your comments via local reps. These meetings also inform our joint chairs, Helen and Pen, who attend the monthly Interface meetings with the transition leads: so your information and opinions are vital. There were themes common to all the meetings in Wales, the points are covered in this newsletter. 

We must not work for free 

Many “Onboarding” staff have felt very pressurised by the training: the risk assessment and management training has in general been welcomed and useful. Completing the workbooks has however put many members under pressure, and we have accounts of staff taking the workbooks home to do in free time, in some cases, even taking annual leave in order to complete the work to deadline. This is not acceptable: We have been told that overtime is available for extra work engendered by the transition. If you are having to work extra hours, ensure that you are paid for them. 

Doing work over and above what you are paid for is unfair on you, and it also impacts unfairly on colleagues who may be feeling swamped, but intimidated by the apparent ability of their workmates to get it done. It also encourages our employers to accept unacceptable workloads as the norm. Please speak to reps or contact officers if you need support.

SFO’s, Workloads and Stress 

You may have seen the shocking report in the press recently regarding the increase in the number of killings committed by people supervised by probation, since TR (it has basically doubled). This is devastating for victims and their families. It is also very concerning for Probation staff. Napo is campaigning for workload to be included in the information considered in SFO investigations and reports. We received feedback from members that press coverage of a recent inquest has not been addressed with staff: members voiced concerns that the OM in question was not supported by managers and that managers have made no attempt to learn how this has impacted staff on the front line. Members now feel anxious and vulnerable. 

Foreseeability notice 

We strongly encourage all members who are experiencing work related stress to complete a “foreseeability notice” form and give this to their manager. You can find this form, and further advice, on the Napo website here https://www.napo.org.uk/stress-work. Speak to your local Napo Cymru rep. Stress related absences appear to be very high in the CRC staff group in particular. We have been given partial information by Seetec and are pursuing this with them. “Soldiering on” while experiencing prolonged stress is bad for your health. It is also bad for business: it is in the interests of the organisation to take steps to mitigate against stress as early as possible, as leaving this untackled raises the probability of long term sickness absences. 

Workplace Adjustment Passport 

NPS staff. If you require adjustments to enable you to work, we strongly advise you to complete the HMPPS Workplace Adjustment Passport. Adjustments can include extra time to complete tasks (to be reflected in WMT), a variation to hours, flexibility for carers, as well as Assistive technology or special equipment. The advantage of the passport is that once completed and agreed with your current manager, you can carry this with you through changes in post or manager, without having to have the same discussion repeatedly. If you require a copy please contact your local rep or branch officers 

Justice Unions motion in the House 

Napo is under the Justice Unions umbrella, this group organises lobbying, questions to ministers, and so on. In solidarity with our colleagues in the prison service, you are invited to write to your MP to ask them to support this Early Day Motion: 

Safe inside prisons charter EDM #215

Tabled 25 February 2020

2019-21 Session

That this House notes with alarm the record-high levels of violence against prison staff, with over 10,000 reported annual assaults compared with less than 3,000 a decade ago; welcomes the new Safe Inside Prisons Charter launched by the Joint Unions in Prisons Alliance, a coalition of nine national trades unions representing the majority of staff working in prisons; believes that the Charter's proposed single reporting system for violence, accessible both internally and externally so staff can report incidents away from the workplace, represents the kind of common-sense solution so badly needed to tackle the health and safety emergency in our prisons; and calls on the Government to adopt the Charter immediately and work with the Alliance to help protect the diligent, brave and committed staff that keep our prisons running under the most challenging circumstances.

Overpayment of wages 

We have been made aware of some NPS staff being overpaid, and then subject to demands from Shared Services for immediate repayment. DO NOT AGREE TO THIS. There is a process by which you can negotiate a schedule of repayment. If you are experiencing difficulties with this, please speak with a rep.

Wages and negotiations update 

Please keep an eye on Napo Website and your email in-tray for updates from Napo HQ. NPS except transitional staff, will get automatic pay band escalation in their pay packets in April 20. Transitional staff – Pay harmonisation and other t’s and c’s are still under negotiation. Transitional staff who were part of the original TR split have pay/pension/ contractual protections, these are still in place: however, Napo is pressing for staff employed since TR to have similar protections put in place, this is the hold up. CRC staff - We have put your update at the head of this newsletter! 

Sickness Policy and Coronavirus 

You will have seen the guidance issued regarding Coronavirus. We believe that any absence in this respect should fall outside the sickness policy guidelines, but there has been no specific statement from managers indicating this. We will be seeking agreement that arrangements should be made for staff to continue to work where possible: for example, a member required to self-isolate should be enabled to work from home. We will be seeking clarification about how your employers intend to make compatible the sickness policy and the Coronavirus advice in a way which does not unfairly discriminate. 

Napo Union Activists Training 

The training event running from 1 st to 2rd April in Swansea is nearly full. At the time of writing there are two places left. Get in touch with your local rep, or Napo HQ urgently if you are interested in a place. This is obligatory training for reps new and established, with a follow-up final day for new reps. The April event is also suitable for members who are interested in the workings of our professional association, and who may be thinking about taking a more active role. Accommodation and travel expenses will be met for you. Please contact a rep or go to Napo HQ (number is on the website) if you would like to attend. 

PQuip Training questionnaire 

You have been emailed recently with a questionnaire about the qualification training. The quality -and brevity- of the PQuip training has been a concern and was debated at Conference in October. Please, everyone, complete this questionnaire. 

Workloads 

NPS staff should check their WMT regularly - To ensure that any agreed “credit”, eg facility time, is still in place in the calculator for each individual - To monitor the, albeit crudely measured, workload they are shouldering. We strongly recommend that your workload is recorded and discussed at every supervision meeting with your manager. While the WMT allows for required training and administrative tasks, it is well worth asking your manager if any task or role you take on (eg single point of contact in an office or team) comes with extra workload allowance. We reiterate the headline from above: we must not work for free.