Reports of bullying and harassment are “a wake-up call and an
opportunity to change”, said today (6 May), after a
review recommended wholesale change to how HM Prison and
Probation Service (HMPPS) deals with complaints.
The Prisons, Probation, and Reducing Reoffending Minister pledged
a ‘seismic shift' to improve professional standards across the
service.
Immediate action will include establishing a new unit to
investigate and better respond to allegations of bullying,
harassment and discrimination.
It will be independent – taking complaints away from the line
management hierarchy to ensure they are dealt with impartially
and fairly by a dedicated team of experts.
It comes as more than one in eight staff last year reported being
bullied, harassed, or discriminated against – 50 per cent higher
than the wider Civil Service.
Today's announcement follows a comprehensive review by Jennifer
Rademaker, a non-executive director for the Ministry of Justice.
Commissioned by HMPPS leaders, it examined the HR processes and
culture for dealing with professional standards complaints.
In a speech at HMP High Down in Surrey this morning, Timpson
said:
“Professional standards matter. They cannot simply be words on
paper. They must be reflected in how we treat each other, every
day.
“And where those standards aren't met – our staff – and the
public – must know that we'll take swift and decisive
action.
“HMPPS recognised that something needed to be done. That's why it
commissioned Jennifer to carry out her independent Review in the
first place, and I'm pleased we have accepted her recommendations
in full.”
He contrasted the misogyny and sexual harassment experienced by a
young prison officer at work with the bravery of staff responding
to help prison officers attacked last month at HMP Frankland.
said:
“They ran towards danger, when others would run away. They are
true heroes. And our thoughts are with the injured officers as
they continue to recover.
That kind of bravery isn't rare in the Service. Our probation
officers, too, manage risk constantly, working with dangerous
offenders to keep the public safe.
These are jobs where heroism happens daily, in environments more
stressful, more pressurised, than people could possibly imagine.
The question is, then: how do we make this a Service worthy of
the heroes at Frankland? Worthy of every hero in the Service?
Recommendations from the report include:
- The establishment of an independent central unit to handle
the reporting of claims of bullying, harassment and
discrimination.
- The creation of an Independent Commissioner for HMPPS
Professional Standards.
- Improving data collection on complaints by creating one
database and regular updates to all staff.
The Government has accepted all the recommendations from the
review and will begin implementing them immediately as part of
its Plan for Change. It will ensure unacceptable behaviour is
tackled quickly and effectively. Improving staff morale, safety
and retention rates will ensure prisons and probation can focus
more on reducing reoffending and making streets safer.
This will build on significant action already being taken to
drive up professionalism across the Service and root out those
who fall below the high standards expected. This includes
bolstering vetting processes to make it harder for unsuitable
people to enter the workforce and improving staff training.
Work is also underway to improve the training provided to staff -
to ensure they not only have the technical skills needed but
possess strong ethical foundations, too. It will see the
introduction of a more structured, longer-term approach to
training with higher standards, so staff will be better equipped
and more likely to thrive.
Meanwhile, HMPPS's Counter Corruption Unit is working directly
with police forces across the country to identify and remove
staff who abuse their position or engage in criminal conduct.
ENDS
Notes to editors
- The report provides 12 recommendations to improve the
processes around reporting bullying, harassment and
discrimination. HMPPS has accepted all the recommendations and
work is underway to implement these.
- You can read both the review and HMPPS' response on GOV.UK:
HMPPS Professional
Standards Review - GOV.UK
