The POA podcast POA Podcast

The union has recently reviewed and renewed it’s Health and Safety Consultative Committee and already the changes are having a positive effect. In this episode, National vice-chair Dave Todd, NEC member Jackie Marshall and lay committee members Paul, Zaz and Jade talk about how the committee works hard to deliver for members, the current key health and safety challenges, and what drives the committee members to get involved in this area of the union’s work. More information from poauk/health-safety

As part of the union’s campaign to support and empower women members, a second Women’s Networking Event was held earlier in the year. In this episode, Amy Crook from HMP Long Lartin and NEC member Jackie Marshall talk about why this event has become such a popular feature in the union’s calendar – ranging from what participants like Amy get out of bringing women members together in a mixture of formal and informal sessions, to all the work that takes place behind the scenes to make the events successful.  For more information visit poauk.org.uk

Weapon related assaults of prison staff have increased from
10% of all assaults in 2010 to 25% in 2022 – and knife and blade attacks have increased by 16% in the most recent year that statistics are available for.

 

Despite awful assaults with life-changing consequences, the
response of the employer and of government has been slow.  The union is awaiting the outcome of pilot exercises on the removal of razors. 


This is expected imminently but the union has persistently said that this over complicates and delays what should be a straightforward decision.  The signatories to a
Parliamentary Early Day Motion on the subject clearly agree.



In this episode, national chair Mark Fairhurst and General
Secretary Steve Gillan set out the union’s campaign to banish blades from jails, why there is some optimism about progress towards this, and what members can do to most effectively keep themselves safe in the meantime.



More information on the ongoing campaign is to be found in
April’s issue of Gatelodge and on the union’s website
where you can also find more on Risk Assessments and Safe Systems of Work, and the union’s Parliamentary work.

 

The POA Welfare fund is one of the union’s “jewels in the
crown.”  Funded by and for members, £1 of each month’s union subscription is ring-fenced for the Welfare Fund, whose objectives are “the relief of the poor and sickness.”

 

In this toolkit podcast, POA General Secretary Steve Gillan
talks about the origins and workings of the Fund and of the amazing
rehabilitation work done by the Firefighters’ Charity, which POA members can naccess through the Welfare Fund.

 

These are two important and highly prized member benefits.  You can find out more at www.poauk.org.uk/support/welfare-fund/

For better or worse, the private sector is now part of the
landscape in the prison and custodial sector. 


The POA has a fast growing private sector membership and local officers who have to engage with a different breed of managers and employers.  In this episode we look at the work of the union’s Private Sector Consultative Committee and talk to reps about their experiences of dealing with Sodexo, Mitie, G4s and Serco. 

More information at www.poauk.org.uk

In this episode we meet the newly formed POA Committee at Manston Short-Term Holding facility and discuss the unique work of POA members at the juxtaposed sites in France.