Cutting hundreds of probation jobs ‘may raise re-offending rate’

Sodexo is planning to shed the jobs at six community rehabilitation companies – including one in South Yorkshire – it began to run in February, when the probation service was part-privatised.

Unions fear the move heralds the introduction of supervision of medium and low-risk offenders via call centres and biometric machines instead of face-to-face contact with a trained officer. Sodexo was also accused of seeking to impose a severance package worth less than half what staff are owed.

A total of 436 staff are at risk, 32 of which are earmarked for the South Yorkshire Community Rehabilitation Company.

The company’s website says it currently employs around 280 staff and manages more than 3,700 medium and low risk offenders every year either on a community order or on licence following their release from prison.

As well as South Yorkshire, unions said jobs would be lost in Northumbria, Cumbria, Lancashire, Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex. Some of the losses are expected to focus on administrative streamlining with ‘back office’ work centralised at a base in Salford.

A Unison spokesman said cutting staff and relying on impersonal reporting could lead to a rise in reoffending.

He said: “You might well be missing the kind of signs that personal, face-to-face contact picks up. An offender could just arrive somewhere, enter some information on a machine, say everything’s fine, then walk off when everything isn’t fine.

“It’s not like scanning a tin of beans in a supermarket, they are human beings. It really is a sad direction to take.”

Probation workers’ union NAPO also said warning signs could be missed without direct contact with offenders.

A spokeswoman said: “We don’t believe you can deliver a safe service if you cut corners in terms of staff. Using biometric machines and call centres is not an equivalent to proper supervision in the community.”

Sharon Holder, national officer at the GMB which represents senior staff, said: “We are concerned safety is becoming an issue. The number of people managing the service has reduced to such a point now it’s unsafe. Staff aren’t going to get the guidance and support they need.”

She also flagged up concerns about the redundancy terms on offer and said: “Sodexo was well aware of our members’ contractual entitlement to redundancy pay when it bid for, and was awarded the contracts.

“Who will ever believe Sodexo’s claim to be an ethical employer when it’s pulling a fast one on redundancy pay.”

Ian Lawrence, Napo general secretary, added: “Sodexo’s claim that it follows high ethical standards is in tatters following the company riding rough-shod over our members’ contractual entitlement to a decent redundancy package. We demand the company pays what our members are due.”

Ben Priestley, national officer for Unison, said: “Sodexo made £39.6 million operating profit last year, so the company’s pleas, that giving staff their contractual entitlement to redundancy pay is too expensive, rings very hollow for our members.

“The company should do the decent thing and pay up now.”

A Sodexo Justice Services spokesperson said: “We have shared details of a voluntary severance offer and our proposed staffing levels with employees at our six community rehabilitation companies.

“Given that we are formally consulting on plans, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage. Safety is a priority for Sodexo across our whole organisation.”