Asked by: Caroline Flint (Labour - Don Valley)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prison officers were signed off work for mental health reasons in (a) publicly-managed and (b) privately-managed prisons in each of the last 10 years.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
HMPPS is committed to ensuring the health, safety and wellbeing of its staff in England and Wales, with all staff having access to a comprehensive occupational health service and employee assistance programme.
The number of prison officers who were signed off work for mental health reasons in publicly-managed prison are shown in the Table 1 below.
Table 1: HMPPS band 3-5 prison officers1 who were signed off sick due to Mental and Behavioural Disorders2 in public sector prisons, 2009/10 to 2018/19
Headcount | |
| Number of prison officers who had sick leave due to Mental and Behavioural Disorders2 |
12 months ending 31 Mar 2010 | 1,484 |
12 months ending 31 Mar 2011 | 1,415 |
12 months ending 31 Mar 2012 | 1,456 |
12 months ending 31 Mar 2013 | 1,414 |
12 months ending 31 Mar 2014 | 1,602 |
12 months ending 31 Mar 2015 | 1,422 |
12 months ending 31 Mar 2016 | 1,405 |
12 months ending 31 Mar 2017 | 1,465 |
12 months ending 31 Mar 2018 | 1,357 |
12 months ending 31 Mar 2019 | 1,939 |
While the figures show an increase in the number of individuals, the figures in 2010 represent 5.7% of the workforce and in 2019 it represents 8.5% of the workforce.
We do not collect this information for privately managed prisons, as there is no contractual requirement for us to do so. All staffing matters in privately managed prisons, including the responsibility of ensuring the availability of sufficiently trained and experienced staff to maintain safe and decent prisons, lies with contractors.
Asked by: Caroline Flint (Labour - Don Valley)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prison officers were signed off work with post-traumatic stress disorder in (a) publicly-managed and (b) privately-managed prisons in each of the last 10 years.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
Information is not available on the number of prison officers diagnosed with PTSD in relation to their work in the prison service as there is no classification for PTSD available on the centralised recording of sick absence.
We do not collect this information for privately managed prisons, as there is no contractual requirement for us to do so. All staffing matters in privately managed prisons, including the responsibility of ensuring the availability of sufficiently trained and experienced staff to maintain safe and decent prisons, lies with contractors.
HMPPS is committed to ensuring the health, safety and wellbeing of its staff in England and Wales, with all staff having access to a comprehensive occupational health service and employee assistance programme.
Asked by: Caroline Flint (Labour - Don Valley)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prison officers took early retirement due to ill health in (a) publicly-managed and (b) privately-managed prisons in each of the last 10 years.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
HMPPS is committed to ensuring the health, safety and wellbeing of its staff in England and Wales, with all staff having access to a comprehensive occupational health service and employee assistance programme.
The number of prison officers in public sectors prisons who took early retirement due to ill health in each of the last 10 years is shown in the table below.
Table 1: HMPPS band 3-5 prison officers1 who retired early due to ill health in public sector prisons, 2009/10 to 2018/19
Headcount | |
| Number of prison officers who retired early due to ill health |
12 months ending 31 Mar 2010 | 85 |
12 months ending 31 Mar 2011 | 82 |
12 months ending 31 Mar 2012 | 113 |
12 months ending 31 Mar 2013 | 129 |
12 months ending 31 Mar 2014 | 124 |
12 months ending 31 Mar 2015 | 154 |
12 months ending 31 Mar 2016 | 150 |
12 months ending 31 Mar 2017 | 142 |
12 months ending 31 Mar 2018 | 109 |
12 months ending 31 Mar 2019 | 112 |
1. Includes Band 3-4 / Prison Officer (incl. specialists), Band 4 / Supervising Officer and Band 5 / Custodial Managers
Although there appears to be a clear upward trend, the figures have remained fairly static, representing only 0.3% of the workforce in 2010 and 0.5% of the workforce in 2019.
We do not collect this information for privately managed prisons, as there is no contractual requirement for us to do so. All staffing matters in privately managed prisons, including the responsibility of ensuring the availability of sufficiently trained and experienced staff to maintain safe and decent prisons, lies with contractors.
Asked by: Caroline Flint (Labour - Don Valley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to provide mental health support to immigration removal centre staff.
Answered by Seema Kennedy
The Home Office is committed to ensuring that our immigration removal cen-tre (IRC) suppliers provide a high level of service to detainees while also providing value for money to the taxpayer. With regards to our suppliers’ staff, we require all our suppliers to put systems in place to fulfil a duty of care to their employees to ensure the wellbeing and resilience of their staff throughout their tenure in the IRC.
In line with other contractual agreements, IRC suppliers are required to meet set service standards, including ensuring minimum staffing levels are met.
The new contract to manage the IRCs at Gatwick will set high expectations for the quality of management and staffing in key elements of the estate.
Information on numbers of IRC staff is not centrally recorded in the format requested.
Asked by: Caroline Flint (Labour - Don Valley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to provide support to individuals employed in immigration removal centres who are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Answered by Seema Kennedy
The Home Office is committed to ensuring that our immigration removal cen-tre (IRC) suppliers provide a high level of service to detainees while also providing value for money to the taxpayer. With regards to our suppliers’ staff, we require all our suppliers to put systems in place to fulfil a duty of care to their employees to ensure the wellbeing and resilience of their staff throughout their tenure in the IRC.
In line with other contractual agreements, IRC suppliers are required to meet set service standards, including ensuring minimum staffing levels are met.
The new contract to manage the IRCs at Gatwick will set high expectations for the quality of management and staffing in key elements of the estate.
Information on numbers of IRC staff is not centrally recorded in the format requested.
Asked by: Caroline Flint (Labour - Don Valley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people employed in immigration removal centres were signed off work as a result of mental health illnesses in each of the last 10 years.
Answered by Seema Kennedy
The Home Office is committed to ensuring that our immigration removal cen-tre (IRC) suppliers provide a high level of service to detainees while also providing value for money to the taxpayer. With regards to our suppliers’ staff, we require all our suppliers to put systems in place to fulfil a duty of care to their employees to ensure the wellbeing and resilience of their staff throughout their tenure in the IRC.
In line with other contractual agreements, IRC suppliers are required to meet set service standards, including ensuring minimum staffing levels are met.
The new contract to manage the IRCs at Gatwick will set high expectations for the quality of management and staffing in key elements of the estate.
Information on numbers of IRC staff is not centrally recorded in the format requested.
Asked by: Caroline Flint (Labour - Don Valley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people employed in immigration removal centres took early retirement as a result of ill health in each of the last ten years.
Answered by Seema Kennedy
The Home Office is committed to ensuring that our immigration removal cen-tre (IRC) suppliers provide a high level of service to detainees while also providing value for money to the taxpayer. With regards to our suppliers’ staff, we require all our suppliers to put systems in place to fulfil a duty of care to their employees to ensure the wellbeing and resilience of their staff throughout their tenure in the IRC.
In line with other contractual agreements, IRC suppliers are required to meet set service standards, including ensuring minimum staffing levels are met.
The new contract to manage the IRCs at Gatwick will set high expectations for the quality of management and staffing in key elements of the estate.
Information on numbers of IRC staff is not centrally recorded in the format requested.
Asked by: Caroline Flint (Labour - Don Valley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people employed in immigration removal centres were signed off work as a result of post-traumatic stress disorder in each of the last ten years.
Answered by Seema Kennedy
The Home Office is committed to ensuring that our immigration removal cen-tre (IRC) suppliers provide a high level of service to detainees while also providing value for money to the taxpayer. With regards to our suppliers’ staff, we require all our suppliers to put systems in place to fulfil a duty of care to their employees to ensure the wellbeing and resilience of their staff throughout their tenure in the IRC.
In line with other contractual agreements, IRC suppliers are required to meet set service standards, including ensuring minimum staffing levels are met.
The new contract to manage the IRCs at Gatwick will set high expectations for the quality of management and staffing in key elements of the estate.
Information on numbers of IRC staff is not centrally recorded in the format requested.
Asked by: Caroline Flint (Labour - Don Valley)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what mental health support his Department provides to people employed in the justice and custodial sector.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) recognises the importance of mental wellbeing and offers a wide range of mental health support to employees working in all its executive agencies and arm’s length bodies, which includes HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) and HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS). This is captured in our Mental Health Strategy. MoJ has a network of Mental Health Allies, trained staff volunteers, working across MoJ to support staff.
MoJ offers all staff access to an Occupational Health (OH) service. For staff working in HMPPS this includes additional access to specialist Mental Health Advisers. All MoJ staff have access to our Employee Assistance Provider (EAP). The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. It includes:
We have dedicated mental wellbeing intranet pages that all staff can access. Content includes, stress support tools and stress risk assessment forms, guidance for managers on how to support employees with mental ill health and links to external organisations. HMPPS offer staff “Live learning” programmes aimed at supporting the mental health of new Prison Officer recruits. Prison Officers are also supported by a variety of peer support groups such as Wellbeing Champions, the Chaplaincy Team, and Care teams.
Asked by: Caroline Flint (Labour - Don Valley)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what support his Department provides to people employed in the justice and custodial sector who are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
At the Ministry of Justice, all staff in all its executive agencies and arm’s length bodies, which includes HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) and HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) have access to our Occupational Health provision and our Employee Assistance Provider (EAP) services.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can be identified through an Occupational Health referral. In addition, within HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) Mental Health Advisers, specialist advisers, provided by our OH supplier can identify treatment for PTSD, following a work related traumatic incident. Where PTSD is diagnosed MoJ employees will be referred for bespoke support provided by our EAP in the form of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing (EMDR). These treatments have been identified as best practice in NICE (National Institute of Clinical Excellence) guidelines.
In HMPPS we plan to implement TRiM (Trauma Management) training for prison based staff. This will take place in ten prisons with imminent roll out across the estate. TRiM is a mental health assessment approach used by the military to detect PTSD and will provide an additional method of recognising the condition which will allow employees to be fast tracked to the appropriate therapy.