Rise in violence leading staff to quit jobs

Prison staff in Scotland are opting to quit after taking sickness absence as the thought of returning to the environment is too much for them to take, MSPs have been told.

Overcrowding in prisons combined with increases in violence, mental health issues and use of psychoactive substances have all been raised as key factors in staff choosing not to return after time off.

Phil Fairlie, Scottish national chairman of the Prison Officers Association Scotland, made the comments to Holyrood’s audit committee yesterday as it heard evidence from prison bosses.

It follows a report from the Auditor General which highlighted a

“A lot of the staff off just now sick won’t come back”

“significant” increase in assaults by prisoners against staff, while stressrelated sickness among workers had risen by nearly a third in 2018-19.

Mr Fairlie said: “Some of the types of violence, some of the mental health issues they’re dealing with, the growth in the mental health issues we’re dealing with, is a real challenge and some of them are struggling to cope with that.”

He said the increase in the retirement age for staff is pushing many to choose to quit.

He added: “When they go sick in their 40s and 50s, the thought to come back is a much more difficult one. A lot of the staff off just now sick won’t come back.”

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “The SPS pay agreement for 2019-2022 reflects the important contribution made by staff in prisons.

“It sees the lowestpaid staff in our prisons receive a pay rise of up to 6% in its first year and up to 15% over three years.”