Climate change is no longer a distant environmental concern. It is now a workplace health and safety and security issue that is affecting our members, the people we supervise, and the delivery of probation and Cafcass services. Napo believe that there needs to be national discussions now to discuss the challenges of climate change.
Across the country we are seeing more frequent heatwaves, flooding, wildfires, storms and periods of poor air quality.
These events present real risks to probation and Cafcass staff working in offices, travelling across large geographical areas by car and public transport, undertaking home visits, probation staff supervising Community Payback, and Cafcass FCAs and Guardians visiting children and meeting parties at contact centres, schools, and other public areas. They can also affect service users’ ability to attend appointments, have the potential to disrupt court and prison operations, and impact the continuity of public protection and family justice services.
As a trade union, Napo believes employers have a legal and moral duty to prepare for these risks. Under health and safety legislation, employers must assess foreseeable risks and take reasonable steps to protect staff. Climate related risks are now both foreseeable and becoming increasingly common.
We are therefore calling on HMPPS, probation employers, and Cafcass to develop a national comprehensive and proactive climate wellbeing approach that places the safety and wellbeing of staff before performance targets.
This should include:
• Climate-related workplace risk assessments.
• Clear heatwave and severe weather guidance for all probation and Cafcass functions.
• National operational guidance for Community Payback, including clear amber and red alert actions.
• Safe working temperatures and appropriate ventilation in probation buildings and Cafcass offices.
• Access to drinking water, shade, rest breaks and appropriate adjustments during periods of extreme heat.
• Flexible working arrangements where severe weather makes travel or workplaces unsafe.
• Business continuity plans that maintain public protection and children’s welfare while protecting staff.
• Consideration of the disproportionate impact of extreme weather on disabled staff, pregnant workers, older colleagues and those with underlying health conditions.
• Meaningful consultation with recognised trade unions on climate resilience planning.
Recent periods of extreme heat have reinforced the importance of ensuring that operational targets never take precedence over the health and safety of staff or those undertaking Community Payback. We welcome examples of good local practice, but a consistent national approach is now required to ensure a proactive and robust framework for all to work safely in.
Climate resilience should not be viewed solely as an environmental issue. It is fundamentally about keeping people safe, maintaining effective public services and ensuring probation and Cafcass can continue to fulfil their vital roles in increasingly challenging conditions.
We encourage members to raise concerns where they believe climate related risks are not being properly managed. Health and safety representatives should ensure that these issues are discussed through local health and safety committees, risk assessments are reviewed, and lessons are learned following periods of extreme weather.
As the climate continues to change, probation and family court services must adapt. Preparing now will protect staff, support service delivery and ensure that public protection and child welfare remains effective in the face of future challenges.
Lives Before Targets must remain our guiding principle.