Memorandum submitted by the Public and
Commercial Services Union
The Public and Commercial Services union (PCS)
is the largest trade union in the civil service, representing
over 320,000 members. The Prison Service group of the PCS organises
and negotiates on behalf of over 1,000 Instructional Officer (IO)
grades within Her Majesty's Prison Service (HMPS). PCS would welcome
the opportunity to present written and/or oral evidence to the
committee on your current inquiry on Prison Education.
These IOs are currently delivering learning
and skills to all types of offenders right across the public Prison
Service estate. The instructors fall into two groups:
— Vocational Training Course (VTC)
Instructors who teach vocational skills such as construction industry,
carpentry, engineering, hairdressing, motor mechanics, industrial
cleaning and many other trade based skills including an expanding
range of information technology related courses.
— Prison Service Industries Instructors.
These instructors train and supervise offenders working in the
many and diverse prison industries such as, woodworking, engineering,
tailoring and textiles and contracted service workshops. These
workshops and the workshop staff are more frequently taking on
the role of basic skills training in a working environment.
It is the above PCS members who have been described
by past Chief Inspectors of HMPS as "staff who perform miracles
on a daily basis".
It is also these PCS members who are at the
sharp end of delivery of arguably the most important aspect of
an offenders' chance of being prepared to return to society with
skills, ability and aptitude to get and keep paid employment following
their custodial sentence.
PCS believe those making decisions regarding
the future of education and skills training for offenders should
hear the views of IOs working in prisons throughout the country.
February 2005
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