PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Prison Officers: Labour Turnover (14 January 2020)

We want prison officers to have a long and successful career in HM Prison and Probation Service.

There has been a specific focus on improving the induction processes while also providing care and support for new recruits and the offer of additional training. These interventions are intended to reduce staff turnover in the early stages of employment.

The Prison Officer Entry Level Training is being redeveloped into an apprenticeship that will launch in Summer 2020. The apprenticeship aims to improve retention and build a portfolio of experience through on-site training and reflective learning over a longer period.

In addition, there is work being undertaken directly with Governors to address local issues that will support experienced staff and new recruits to remain in the service.

Staff are provided with the appropriate equipment including: PAVA spray, rigid bar handcuffs, batons and training to enable them to maintain a safe and secure workplace. The aim is to create an environment which is rewarding to work in and promotes the values needed to rehabilitate offenders. We have also rolled out our key worker model, which assigns each prisoner a dedicated officer for support. This helps to build the critical prisoner and staff relationships aimed at improving safety.

For prisons where the local labour market makes it hard to recruit and retain staff, supplements to standard base pay are used together with a tailored approach to recruitment advertising in order to ensure that we are competitive in the local employment market