The team, led by Professor Gail Kinman with Dr Andrew Clements and Jacqui Hart, conducted an independent survey of work-related stress and wellbeing experienced by prison officers and nurses in psychiatric secure hospitals in the United Kingdom.

The report also provides an independent view of the viability of a proposed pension age of 68 for employees.

The POA (Professional Trades Union for Prison, Correctional & Secure Psychiatric Workers) who commissioned the survey have described the findings of the survey as shocking, highlighting the need for an urgent independent review into working conditions.

Professor Kinman said: “Our survey has found solid evidence that people working in prisons and in secure hospitals are at considerable risk of violence, work-related stress and emotional exhaustion.

“The finding that disclosing work stress to managers is highly stigmatised and little support is available is particularly concerning. There are clear implications, not only for the health of employees but also for the safety of prisoners and the functioning of the UK prison service in general.”

Professor Kinman is a Professor of Occupational Health Psychologyand Director of the Research Centre for Applied Psychology at the University of Bedfordshire.

The findings were presented at a seminar in the House of Commons (Wednesday 19^th November) by Professor Kinman and Dr Clements.

The key findings include:

• Experiences of violence from prisoners are common with little support available
• Psychological wellbeing and job satisfaction are considerably poorer than in other ‘highly stressed’ occupational groups.
• None of the benchmarks set by the UK Health and Safety Executive for the management of work-related stress have been met
• 84% of respondents feel under pressure to come into work when they are unwell
• Disclosing work-related stress and ‘failure to cope’ appears to be highly stigmatised
• Respondents gain considerably more support from colleagues than from their managers
• Less than 7% rate the quality of on the job training as very good or excellent;
• 7 out of every 10 respondents to the survey regret their choice of job.
• 60% are considering leaving the Prison Sector in the near future.
• 75% of the sample surveyed indicated that working after 60 years of age would impair their job performance “very much”.