News reached Napo yesterday afternoon that a member of staff in the Oxford PDU was the subject of a serious assault by a Probation client resulting in stab wounds which have not been classified as critical. The suspect was detained by Police and witness statements are being taken. We understand that the office has been closed and that PAM assist resources have been made available for staff. The thoughts and best wishes of Napo members everywhere are extended to the victim and all witnesses to this dreadful attack.
As members would expect, Napo was immediately in touch with the relevant Branch to offer support and this work is being taken forward by Annoesjka Valent (Link National Official) and Dully Gill (Link National Officer) with support from Tony Perkins (National Officer) and Ian Lawrence (General Secretary) as Napo’s National Health and Safety leads. The RPD has already engaged positively with the trade unions and there will be an emergency meeting of Napo members across the Thames Valley Branch tomorrow
Health and Safety standards still not good enough
Members will be aware that this is the second such incident that has taken place on Probation premises this year, and while we await the full facts of what happened and the result of a likely internal investigation (on which we will insist on full trade union engagement), it’s understandable that staff may feel vulnerable about their safety at work when hearing news like this. This is why Napo is prioritising our work on Health and Safety and are pressing senior HMPPS management to publish the full investigation report into the incident in Preston in the summer, and the delivery of an action plan covering the wider Probation Estate as referenced in a recent mail out to members (see here).
The issue of Health and Safety at the workplace brings a number of obligations on managers at all levels and we intend to ensure that all staff are equipped with the necessary support to ensure their day-to -day safety, and that the message to use the SPHERA system irrespective of the seriousness of an incident or ‘near-miss’ is paramount. We also work with your local Health and Safety representatives and encourage them to raise the profile and emphasise the importance of Health and Safety because of the environment that members work in and the increasing challenges that come with the Job
Napo will continue to campaign on safety at the workplace at the highest levels, and more news about our engagement with senior management will follow as soon as possible.
Contacts : dgill@napo.org.uk