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June 22, 2009
AGM MINUTES
BRANCH AGM MINUTES
Sea Street, Newport, IOW
Friday 19th June 2009
•Present & Apologies – In book. Note that meeting quorate.
•Matters of accuracy – Previous AGM Minutes agreed.
Changes to Agenda agreed – Office Closures added to Agenda. Job Evaluation removed from Agenda.
•Election of Officers
Chair - GEORGE CLARKE nominated and seconded. No other nominations. Passed unanimously.
Vice Chair – TINA WILLIAMS nominated and seconded. No other nominations. Passed unanimously.
Health & Safety Rep – PETER WADE nominated and seconded. No other nominations. Passed unanimously.
Treasurer – FIONA LIDSTONE nominated and seconded. No other nominations. Passed unanimously.
Branch Secretary – TINA WILLIAMS nominated and seconded. No other nominations. Passed unanimously.
Membership Secretary – TREVOR EMANS nominated and seconded. No other nominations. Passed unanimously.
NEC Reps (1) – MARGARET DUNNE nominated and seconded. No other nominations. Passed unanimously.
(2) – STEVE CHRISTIE nominated and seconded. No other nominations. Passed unanimously.
Edridge Fund Rep – JERRY KENNELLY nominated and seconded. No other nominations. Passed unanimously.
PSO Rep Vacant
TPO Rep Vacant
Diversity Rep Vacant
Ordinary Member JNCC- STEVEN BROUGHTON nominated and seconded. No other nominations. Passed unanimously.
Ordinary Member – SAMANTHA ASHTON-REMNANT nominated and seconded. No other nominations. Passed unanimously.
•Office Closures
-Members raised concerns regarding office closures and process of moving to different locations.
-Noted that no staff member has had an individual face to face consultation regarding their move.
-Noted that staff have already been moved and where choice (noted from a questionnaire) could not be offered then direction applied.
-Noted that this ad hoc approach to directing staff anywhere without consideration of their circumstances could happen to anyone.
-Outline of union requests for formal talks regarding the redeployment of staff. Union reps have made contact with HR management to request formal consultation meetings. Meeting now scheduled for 7th July 2009 but it is concerning that staff are being moved before any procedure put in place. A Policy framework needs to be in place prior to moving staff.
-Members noted there may be serious health and safety issues regarding, for example, overcrowding.
-Members suggested refusal to move unless procedure in place. However, this is direct action that would require consultation with all members and ballot. Decided that strong union action is required on this matter. Reps to take forward. Napo Note to go on website to advise members on the need to come to Reps with individual concerns.
-If members feel aggrieved by decisions – advised to take out a Grievance.
-Members raised concern regarding the impact on service users. Generally felt that compliance will be affected and this reorganization will result in hardship for some.
Car parking Policy discussed.
-Acknowledged that Policy on the HR came into effect on 1st June 2009.
-Discussion regarding Policy implementation and concerns raised over lack of effective consultation with unions.
-Noted that separating out of business mileage into eligible mileage counted towards thresholds for free parking and other mileage is contradictory. Members noted that all mileage should be counted as essential business mileage. Members noted that designated role holders who now receive free parking rarely undertake journeys for direct offender contact thus their mileage would never reach eligible thresholds.
-Members noted that where business space allocation in operation there is already in fighting between staff on who can book the spaces.
-Members noted that where they do not qualify for ECU any longer they do not essentially need to provide a vehicle for business use. HPA have a duty to ensure appropriate transport arrangements are available. However, concerns raised over the impact on staff of trying to arrange suitable transport arrangements. This impacting on stress levels for busy staff.
-Noted that HPA rely heavily on staff goodwill when using their own vehicles.
-Concerns raised that where car parking is currently free it will be withdrawn and/or charged for in the future.
-Members advised that if they feel aggrieved by these issues they should raise a Grievance.
•Dispute Panel Ruling
-Result of Dispute Panel Hearing on 3rd June 2009 fed back to members. Dispute regarding the Chief Officer’s decision to stay new applications for ECU status pending completion of consultation and negotiation over the introduction of a revised Travel Policy. Richard Marshall (then Chair) and Tina Williams (Vice Chair) presented the case for Napo. Unison Rep also in attendance and Barrie Crook presented the case for HPA. The Panel consisted of 3 Board Members. The findings were:
1. The Chief Officer did not consult about his intention to stay new applications for ECU status.
2. The extant ECU Policy did not include any specification of timeliness. The staying of applications did not therefore in itself constitute a breach of the Policy.
3. The notice of staying of applications was accompanied by a stated intent to apply new and agreed criteria to the stayed claims. Had the intention been to apply other than agreed criteria then we would have found that to be a breach of policy.
Therefore, the Panel did not uphold the complaint.
-Discussion ensued and some members noted that Panel Members consisted of Board Members thus concern over bias that could occur in the decision making process.
Workloads/WMT
-Outline of history of negotiations between management and staff side regarding the WMT.
-Noted that branch do not accept the WMT as a legitimate tool for recording workload. Timings are not considered truly reflective or valid. New tasks will not be evaluated thus outcomes will not be truly reflective of workloads.
-Noted that extra tasks could be noted on the supplementary information sheet. Noted also that travelling times can be recorded on these forms, especially where travel times increase due to using public transport.
-Concerns that retiering likely - to reduce recognized staff workload data yet in reality staff will still be working with service users with higher needs than acknowledged. ETE Officers, do not have an effective tool for measuring workload.
-Handout given with advice from Napo National Office on how to deal with workload stress.
-Discussion ensued in which members agreed that it is preferable to keep timesheets enabling documentation of the actual hours worked. Members advised to discuss the taking of their TOIL with Line Managers where this is accrued.
-Members advised to inform their Line Managers that they do not have faith in the WMT figures and if feel their workload is not adequately assessed or dealt with – then to raise a Grievance.
•AGM Motions
-Discussion regarding submission of a Motion to Napo AGM in Torquay. Ideas surrounded a Motion requesting Napo to explore the issue of organizational bullying in the service. Members reported feeling fearful, intimidated and bullied into working towards achieving targets and changing working practices. Motion to be created by Branch Secretary and discussed with Members who raised the concerns before submission to Napo.
•AGM
-Discussion regarding AGM attendance.
-Motion regarding eligibility to be put to Branch in Any Other Business.
-Discussion regarding attendance. Nationally Napo are in discussions with the employers regarding facility time for all AGM attendees. To date, talks looking favourable. Also noted that some Areas already allow facility time for AGM due to the professional nature of Napo as well as a Trade Union. Officers to update Members with future news.
-Members advised to contact Branch Secretary by 30th June 2009 if they wish to attend the Napo national AGM in Torquay this year.
•Staffing/Local issues
-Member raised a concern regarding a lack of operational Managers across prisons. Concerns regarding lack of time availability to effectively supervise staff. Member advised that this should be discussed with Line Manager if issues arise and if feeling aggrieved by this issue then to raise a Grievance.
-Member raised a concern regarding the number of temporary contracts in use in the Area. Concerns also regarding the vacancy freeze and the impact on staff workloads. Number of cases increasing with no relief due to lack of available staff. Member advised that if they feel they have no more capacity for further cases they must discuss with their Line Manager. If member not happy with discussions they are advised to raise a Grievance.
•Health & Safety-
H & S Rep presented Report. Concerns raised regarding HPA’s cancellation of inspection meetings.
-Member raised concerns regarding lack of a Lone Working Policy for UPW Supervisors. Supervisor safety issues raised and discussed. Noted that situations can be eligible for Grievance. H&S Rep to take concerns forward. Noted that a Hazard Report should be completed each time a Supervisor takes a group out without there being an appropriate Risk Assessment in place. Please copy Peter Wade into the Report.
-Personal Protection Alarms should be tested regularly. ^This not occurring. In fact when Alton office alarm tested for external assistance there was no response. H&S Rep to take this issue to the H&S Steering Group. Aim that every building should be tested regularly.
•Treasurers Report
- Treasurer not present however Report submitted.
- Branch balance healthy.
- Report detailed cost of Paulton’s Park member Fun Day.
- £200 donation to northern branches for AGM travel assistance.
- Still awaiting £200 donation from HPA towards Women In Napo conference costs.
- Discussion regarding expenditure. Acknowledgement that AGM will incur substantial costs.
•Membership Report
-270 members. Noted that there have been number of requests to join Napo recently. This encouraging in the current financial climate. Noted that word of mouth the most effective recruitment tool. Noted that membership is open to temporary staff in Probation.
•NEC Report
-NEC Rep who will be attending next NEC not present thus no discussion.
Union Social Events
-Paultons Park Member Family Fun Day took place on 14th June 2009. All agreed the day was successful. Participant (GK) to write a short report on the day for the website.
-Tolpuddle Festival – to take place over the weekend of 18th – 19th July 2009. To date there have been insufficient participants to warrant the hire costs of a coach thus discussion regarding alternative arrangements. Members can receive financial assistance for this event in one of 2 ways;
1. Cost of pitch for overnight camping OR
2. Cost of travel to Tolpuddle based on mileage on Sunday 19th July 2009.
Members are encouraged to attend this great event with their Napo colleagues. Please advise your Branch Secretary, Tina Williams by 30th June 2009 if you wish to attend and which option you will need.
•Any Other Business
-Women In Napo Conference. Branch gave thanks to the Women In Napo Organizing Committee for organizing this national event.
-Motion put to Branch by TW;
THIS BRANCH AGREES TO REMOVE THE REQUIREMENT FOR MEMBERS TO ATTEND 2 BRANCH MEETINGS TO QUALIFY FOR FUNDING FOR THE NATIONAL AGM. ALL MEMBERS ATTENDING ARE EXPECTED TO ATTEND EVERY SESSION.
Some discussion regarding wording of the Motion. Vote took place and Passed by majority.
- Member raised wish to send a message of support to Greater London Branch in the wake of the Sonnex murders. All agreed.
•Date of next meetings
Calendar for Hampshire and Isle of Wight Branch meetings discussed. Dates will be advised to members.
Next Meeting; Friday 31st July 2009 at 2pm at Town Quay.
Posted by tinawilliams at June 22, 2009 10:20 PM