Prison educators stressed

Education staff working in prisons have considerably higher levels of work-related stress than British workers in general, says a new report.

The report, A Punishing regime — a survey of occupational stress and well-being among prison educators, found that 72% who responded “strongly agreed” or “agreed” with the statement: “I find my job stressful”.

The report, commissioned by the UCU lecturers’ union, paints a bleak picture of life for staff subject to repeated contractual changes, but who felt they lacked adequate managerial support and have not had enough clarity over their roles.

The work-life balance of these workers was generally poor. Almost two-thirds of respondents (61%) indicated that they were generally unable to set a firm boundary between their work and home life.

Those who had a poorer work-life balance typically reported higher levels of work-related stress.

Working hours remain high in the prison education sector. A high proportion of staff regularly exceeded the 48 hour maximum working week stipulated by the EU Working Time Directive.