led the unions to call upon Interserve Following a period of change within to: CAFCASS, 2017 was a year of relative stability for the majority of members Establish a joint working group based within the organisation. Vic to oversee the stress Walsh, a UNISON Regional Organiser identification and management in the North West, took over process, and for this group to responsibility for the employer at the beginning of the year. include adequate trade union representation. Membership & Recruitment Remove the triggers for stress in the workplace and provide a Membership figures across the safe system of work for all employer fell over the period 2016/17 Purple Futures staff in relation from 266 to 245. This drop can be to workload attributed to staff leaving the organisation. CAFCASS have outlined Ensure that individual and their plans to increase workforce stress risks assessment are recruitment of new staff over the next completed and reviewed when year, consequently we expect to increase these figures, and have necessary, and that trade union factored this into the reps strategic health and safety reps are organising plan for 2018. involved in the risk assessment process Reps & Activists Agree with the unions a Over the past year, the number of workload management tool, accredited UNISON reps within which provides all staff with the CAFCASS has increased. There are reassurance that their now five active reps spread workloads will be set according geographically across England, undertaking casework and engaging in to strict criteria to protect both bargaining with the employer. staff health and safety and public protection. Workplace Issues 1.2.6.3 Other CRCs There are a number of workplace issues affecting UNISON members Information relating to the bargaining within CAFCASS, primary among situation in the other CRCs can be these are the high levels of caseloads found in the Regional reports in prevalent in many areas, and the Section 2. The reason for this lies in increasing workloads resulting from the fact that negotiations with the other the proliferation of compliance tools. CRCs are undertaken by UNISON The increasing workloads means that many Family Court Advisers are now Regional officials. undertaking unpaid work in the 1.2.7 CAFCASS evenings and weekends just to keep up. This is having a detrimental effect on the health and well being of Overview
led the unions to call upon Interserve to: Establish a joint working group to oversee the stress identification and management process, and for this group to include adequate trade union representation. Remove the triggers for stress in the workplace and provide a safe system of work for all Purple Futures staff in relation to workload Ensure that individual and stress risks assessment are completed and reviewed when necessary, and that trade union health and safety reps are involved in the risk assessment process Agree with the unions a workload management tool, which provides all staff with the reassurance that their workloads will be set according to strict criteria to protect both staff health and safety and public protection. 1.2.6.3 Other CRCs Information relating to the bargaining situation in the other CRCs can be found in the Regional reports in Section 2. The reason for this lies in the fact that negotiations with the other CRCs are undertaken by UNISON Regional officials. 1.2.7 CAFCASS Overview Following a period of change within CAFCASS, 2017 was a year of relative stability for the majority of members based within the organisation. Vic Walsh, a UNISON Regional Organiser in the North West, took over responsibility for the employer at the beginning of the year. Membership & Recruitment Membership figures across the employer fell over the period 2016/17 from 266 to 245. This drop can be attributed to staff leaving the organisation. CAFCASS have outlined their plans to increase workforce recruitment of new staff over the next year, consequently we expect to increase these figures, and have factored this into the reps strategic organising plan for 2018. Reps & Activists Over the past year, the number of accredited UNISON reps within CAFCASS has increased. There are now five active reps spread geographically across England, undertaking casework and engaging in bargaining with the employer. Workplace Issues There are a number of workplace issues affecting UNISON members within CAFCASS, primary among these are the high levels of caseloads prevalent in many areas, and the increasing workloads resulting from the proliferation of compliance tools. The increasing workloads means that many Family Court Advisers are now undertaking unpaid work in the evenings and weekends just to keep up. This is having a detrimental effect on the health and well being of
2017-Police-and-Justice-Annual-Report.docx