The Ulster Unionist Party will bring a motion to the Assembly tomorrow (9 June) calling on the Finance Minister to cease the practice of written warnings under the Inefficiency Absence Policy being handed out to Prison Service staff who have diagnosed mental health issues.

Justice spokesperson, Doug Beattie MLA MC said:

“No matter where your workplace is, no matter what organisation you work for, having a debilitating mental health illness is not inefficiency. The very fact that the Northern Ireland Civil Service Human Resource (NICSHR) department would issue a written warning - under an Inefficiency Absence Policy – to individuals within the Northern Ireland Prison Service (NIPS) suffering from mental health issues clearly shows the policy is not fit for purpose.

“What those suffering from stress to depression, to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder deserve is help; a compassionate approach in order to assist them with an illness that may well be ever-present. Issuing a written warning, that remains with them for 2 years, is in simple terms, telling them that they must get back to work, must not go sick with this illness again or they could face dismissal.

“How can this be right? The honest answer is that it isn’t right.

“The motion before the assembly is to recognise the extraordinary pressures the NIPS are under both within the workplace and outside of work due to an active terrorist threat against them. It makes it clear that mental health illness should not be treated as inefficiency and Prison Officers should not be afraid to present with mental health issues through fear of written warnings or dismissal.”

Motion: Stress Experienced by Northern Ireland Prison Service staff

Proposed: That this Assembly notes the stress experienced by members of the Northern Ireland Prison Service in the course of their duties; calls on the Minister of Finance to ensure that the Northern Ireland Civil Service Human Resources policy on Inefficiency Sickness Absence Management takes into account the stress experienced by Northern Ireland Prison Service staff; and further calls on the Minister to cease the issuing of written warnings to members of the Northern Ireland Prison Service who are suffering from diagnosed mental health conditions and instead to manage the needs of these individuals through positive engagement and compassionate management which focuses on their needs.