Press Release - The Management of Staff Sickness Absence in the
National Probation Service
26 April 2006
Sir John Bourn, Head of the National Audit Office, reported
today that sick leave in the National Probation Service is running
at an average of 12.3 days a year for each member of staff,
directly costing £31.6 million. The difference between what is
being achieved and the Service’s target of nine days amounts to
66,420 working days lost, equivalent to some £11 million or around
300 full time employees. The cost of overtime payments to cover for
absent colleagues could add a further £2 million a year.
Insufficient management information hinders the Service’s
ability to diagnose the reasons for high levels of sickness absence
and take appropriate management action. The Service has limited
information on the causes or average lengths of sickness absence or
breakdowns by age or gender.
As well as good information, managing sickness absence well
needs a clear policy and firm management. In April 2003, the
National Probation Directorate circulated a model national policy,
including guidance for managers, to the 42 regional Probation
Areas. But managers can use discretion on action to be taken and
procedures are not applied consistently.
One third of days lost were due to stress, costing £9.8 million.
The National Probation Directorate has developed a stress
management arrangement, praised by the Health and Safety Executive,
and Areas are implementing it locally. But progress could be
faster: only one fifth of staff have had stress awareness
training.
Dissatisfaction, workload and a poor work/life balance can
impact on sickness absence levels. Organisationally, the Service
has changed much in recent years: changes in community sentences
and the introduction of performance targets have created new
demands for staff. But sickness absence itself increases burdens on
other colleagues and fuels a vicious circle by creating more
stress.
Long-term sickness absence in particular has a substantial
impact on the overall absence rate. Tackling long-term sick leave
needs a systematic approach and close working with occupational
health to get staff back to work or, if necessary, to terminate
employment. Areas are not routinely reviewing such cases in line
with good practices such as regular case review and are slow to
bring cases to a conclusion.
Sir John Bourn, said:
"Managing sickness absence more effectively will lead to
better value for money in the Probation Service. Reducing current
sickness absence rates of 12.3 days per person to the Service’s
target of 9 days would save £11 million, equivalent to 66,420
working days or some 300 full time employees. Tackling the problem
will require investment in better information, robust and proactive
management, and consistent application locally of policies that
have been agreed nationally, particularly to tackle stress and
improve work/life balance. "
Notes to Editors
- The National Probation Service (the Service) has a key role in
enforcing sentences and working with individuals to deter them from
committing further crimes. The Service is responsible for the
supervision of offenders over 18 years of age within the community,
and each year supervises nearly 200,000 offenders.
- Staff are the main resource available to the Service: pay and
associated costs accounted for £564 million out of the Service’s
£872 million budget for 2004-05 (around 65 per cent). The Service
employed 20,128 full time equivalent staff in 2004-05; 76 per cent
of staff are operational, including over 5,000 probation officers
and 5,850 probation support officers. The Service comprises 43
distinct employers. Each of the 42 local Area Boards is an employer
in its own right, and there is a small central National Probation
Directorate.
- National Probation Service records show that each member of
staff in the National Probation Service was absent on sick leave
for an average of 12.3 days in 2004-05, compared to the Service’s
own target of nine days and public sector average of 10.7 days. The
average sickness absence rate was broadly the same as it had been
for the last two years (the average for 2003-04 was 12.3 days, and
in 2002-03, 11.9 days).
- The National Offender Management Service (NOMS), part of the
Home Office, was established in June 2004 to bring together the
Prison Service and the National Probation Service. The Service will
introduce end-to-end offender management with the aim of reducing
re-offending.
- Press notices and reports are available from the date of
publication on the National Audit Office website at www.nao.org.uk.
Hard copies can be obtained from The Stationery Office on 0845
7023474
- The Comptroller and Auditor General, Sir John Bourn, is the
head of the National Audit Office which employs some 800 staff. He
and the National Audit Office are totally independent of
Government. He certifies the accounts of all Government departments
and a wide range of other public sector bodies; and he has
statutory authority to report to Parliament on the economy,
efficiency and effectiveness with which departments and other
bodies have used their resources.
Press Notice 33/06
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7934
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