CIRC 042: NATIONAL CHAIR UPDATE MAY 2026

Please bring the contents of this circular to the attention of all POA members.

 

Medical Innefficiency Procedures recommence

The temporary pause on medical efficiency dismissals for staff who are members of the Civil Service Pension Scheme (CSPS) was put in place due to disruption in the provision of medical efficiency compensation quotes following the Civil Service Pensions transition. Without a confirmed and accurate quote, dismissals could not safely proceed, as the organisation was unable to pay compensation and there was a risk of placing staff in financial detriment.

This position has now changed. We are seeing service improvements and quotes now being supplied. Civil Service Pensions is able to provide the necessary medical efficiency calculations required. As a result, managers can now progress medical efficiency cases to dismissal where this is the appropriate and proportionate outcome, in line with policy and following due process. Medical efficiency dismissal is only appropriate where medical advice confirms that the employee is permanently unable to attend work in a regular and reliable manner. A Civil Service Pensions quote is required before dismissal on medical efficiency grounds to ensure that the organisation can accurately confirm and pay any medical efficiency compensation the employee is entitled to under the Civil Service Pension Scheme (CSPS). This is a mandatory requirement within the process, not a discretionary step.

 

Director General of Probation post to be recruited

HMPPS have confirmed the following:

The current structure has one Director General (DG) role, DG of Operations, that is accountable for operational delivery across Prisons, Probation and Youth Custody. Going forward we will have two Director General roles accountable for operational delivery.

One focused on the work of probation and one focused on Prisons.

  

Facility time

All local POA representatives are reminded that under the new facilities time agreement announced by the Government there is no longer a restriction on the amount of facility time employers can approve for trade union representatives. You are reminded that any senior manager who states that you are only allowed a maximum of 8 hours per week facility time (HMPPS) is misleading you as this is simply untrue. I encourage all local POA committees to negotiate an agreed amount of facility time per week that satisfies all the committee commitments with their local SMT’s. Agreeing full-time facility time can be approved locally without the need for approval above that of a local Governor. Workplace inspections for Health and Safety representatives have unlimited facility time that must be approved under legislation to carry out workplace inspections.

Local POA committees should ensure they formalise requests for additional facility time hours by submitting a suggestion for change (SFC) via PSO 8525.

  

Threats to staff

The NEC are acutely aware of the ever-increasing threats to staff outside of their workplaces. We will continue to ask for a ‘Supplementary risk allowance’ so staff are able to increase their home security and the threat is acknowledged by the employer. In order to obtain as much evidence we possibly can to present to the Pay Review Body we need POA members to forward details of the threats they face from ex-convicts. This may include being recognised when outside of the workplace and either verbally or physically attacked, threats via social media channels or being followed home from work or receiving phone calls from unrecognised numbers. We need as many examples as possible. Please forward examples to: nicola@poauk.org.uk

 

All the best.

 

MARK FAIRHURST
National Chair

 

  

ENCLOSURE

Attachments

• POA Circular 042-2026 - National Chair Update May 2026.pdf

  0.50 Mb, pdf