TRAGIC EVENTS SHOULD UNITE US NOT DIVIDE US

During difficult times we should value and support each other

The atrocities we have recently witnessed in Southport, committed by a 17-year-old ‘child’, should remind us all that – at times of despair and destruction – we need each other for support and should be united in our response. The dignified response of a devastated community in Southport has been desecrated by a violent mob that took advantage of misinformation on social media to justify hurling bricks at police, looting businesses and burning down properties.

Most of the louts who decided this was their opportunity to target authority figures didn’t even know what their apparent protest was about. For that matter, can anybody tell me what the protest was actually about? If they were protesting about a British-born national committing an appalling atrocity, then where are the protests about Lucy Letby?

The riots we have witnessed were nothing more than an excuse for the criminal minority to ‘have a go’ at the police. The very people who were heroes when they tackled the knife-armed offender were now facing the hostility of a baying mob of thugs. And those thugs will now end up in our care.

The POA has a long-standing association with Southport. I can drive to Southport from my home within 30 minutes. Witnessing the breaking news was horrific. I am proud that the POA has decided to donate to the appeal so the families and the hospital that treated the victims can use the donations in a manner that they see fit. I imagine, one day, we will end up back in Southport for our annual conference. It’s at times like these that we should all value each other.

TRAGIC EVENTS SHOULD UNITE US NOT DIVIDE US

Knowing that the offender will probably be spending his whole life being looked after in a prison or a secure psychiatric hospital brings home just how dangerous our occupations are. Once he is out of sight of public view, it’s down to brave prison officers or psychiatric nurses to deal with him. A violent offender doesn’t stop being violent just because he is incarcerated.

The reform groups that believe ‘children’ should not be in prison, or that want to launch legal challenges to remove PAVA from our estates, will never have to open a cell door to a violent criminal. The so called ‘academics’ and ‘prison experts’ who have never donned a uniform or dealt with violent young criminals now think it’s a good idea to close our youth prisons and heap the pressure onto social services, in its children’s care homes. It’s a pity such educated people do not actually realise that social services simply cannot cope with the clientele we care for in our youth prisons.

A prime example is HMYOI Wetherby, which houses young female offenders because social services and secure training centres refused to hold them because of their extreme levels of violence and the threat they posed to staff. As a service we cannot say no, and we have zero protection from the extreme levels of violence we face on a daily basis. When will the government respect the staff under its command and issue PAVA? Imagine releasing hundreds of violent young criminals into social care – and, even worse, imagine the carnage that would ensue.

I’m pretty positive the new secure school at Medomsley will be given every resource and bit of funding it needs to attempt to be successful, but is it holding the same clientele as our youth prisons, which are the target of constant, intense criticism from the fantasists who know nothing?

Let me be clear, our staff in the YCS do a fantastic job under immense pressure in crumbling prisons that are understaffed and underfunded. Invest in our service and we will make the youth prisons a success.

The critics’ demands are a disgrace to our brave staff and an insult to the victims.

SHAME ON THEM

Shortly after the general election result, the General Secretary and I met with the new Secretary of State for Justice, Shabana Mahmood MP, and the new prisons minister, Lord Timpson. Although this is a time for renewed hope for the POA, no commitments were made or guarantees given. There seems to be misinformation from some POA members about our political allegiances. To dispel the myths, please note that the POA is not affiliated to any political party. We do not donate to the Labour Party. The political fund we hold is to finance political activities for the members and the national executive. This could take the form of parliamentary events, rallies, attendance at party conferences, and lobbying MPs. We are a politically neutral union, and rightly so.

At our meeting, we discussed a variety of important and pressing topics, including (yet again) the lateness of the pay award, our trade union rights, retirement age, and the issue of PAVA in the juvenile estate. I would say the meeting was very constructive and I am cautiously positive about a Labour government. It has already been forced to make some contentious decisions about prisons, such is the mess we find ourselves in. The early release of criminals serving determinate sentences is the correct decision, so we can free up much-needed space. As the riots have proven, we need that spare capacity for such national emergencies. Not having that capability is simply not an option. The POA was never going to allow a breach of our operational capacity.

We must now wait to see what the future holds in relation to long-standing issues surrounding trade union rights and retirement age. If Labour lets us down, I will be holding them to account. Fighting governments is something I will not back down from if they do not respect POA members.

PAY AWARD

The recent pay award has been welcomed by the majority of the membership. At last, we are seeing above-inflation pay rises that will, hopefully, set the trend towards pay restoration over the coming years. We are still between 12% and 37% behind the rate of inflation on pay awards since 2010. That is something that must be rectified if our employer wants a transient and uncertain workforce to remain in post. Although pay has improved significantly over the past four years, we are still uncompetitive when it comes to matching other public sector bodies. We work in the most violent and hostile workplace, yet suffer a pay structure that ignores the dangers and risks we face. A significant investment in pay and working conditions must be implemented to stop the rot.

POA MEMBERS SURVEY

To assist the national executive with our next pay submissions, POA members are encouraged to complete our bespoke survey. Whatever your workplace within public sector prisons in England and Wales, the results will help us formulate our pay submissions. A survey for other demographics will be undertaken in the future. For now, we are asking POA members in England and Wales to refuse to complete the HMPPS survey and, instead, complete the POA survey, which can be accessed at:

www.surveymonkey.com/r/2Y7QPXJ

The survey is open now and will run until Wednesday 16 October 2024.

As summer recedes, I hope you all managed to get some wellearned leave and were able to switch off from the pressures you face. Remember that the POA has support services in place if you are struggling. We pride ourselves on our commitment to your wellbeing. Please ensure you continue to support each other in the workplace. We will always be there for you.

Until next time, take care and look after each other.