HMPPS Conduct and Discipline policy: what exists, what's next

In shortFor prison staff the policy is PSI 06/2010 (with AI 05/2010), listed as extant but not published on GOV.UK.

That index logs two relatively recent edits: a contact email update dated 13 January 2020 and a minor data-protection wording change dated 7 May 2025. Those entries tell us the policy is maintained, but they say nothing about its substance.

We do not know from public sources what changed in 2020 or 2025 beyond what the index says. If a reader tells you that 'the policy now says X', ask where the text came from.

Prison staff, England and Wales

Prison Service Instruction 06/2010, paired with Agency Instruction 05/2010.

Probation staff

Probation Instruction 34/2014.

Public status

The Prison Service Instruction index on GOV.UK, a PDF generated on 10 July 2026, lists PSI 06/2010 as extant and records that it is not published on GOV.UK, which in practice means it is available on the internal intranet rather than to the public.

In shortNo policy framework of that name exists; websites using the name are mistaken or describing something we cannot verify.

HMPPS has been converting older Prison Service Instructions into policy frameworks for years. The GOV.UK collection of prison and probation policy frameworks holds roughly 120 of them, and many readers assume that conduct and discipline was converted too.

We checked the full collection listing on 3 October 2026 and none carries that name.

• Counter Corruption and Reporting Wrongdoing Policy Framework (re-issued 10 May 2022)
• Exclusion from Working for HMPPS Policy Framework (in force 1 January 2025)
• Security Vetting policy (revised 20 February 2025)
• Use of Force Policy Framework (re-issued 11 September 2025)

In shortOnly the 2013 text of scope, principles, the informal stage and the formal investigation is visible; suspension, hearings, penalties and appeals are not.

The only public full-text version we could open is the 22 July 2013 re-issue, hosted on a third-party document site and cut off after section 4. It predates the 2020 and 2025 edits.

Sections 5 to 9 (action after the investigation, alternative duties and suspension, the disciplinary hearing, penalties and appeals) and the annexes with guidance and model letters are not publicly visible.

• It applies to directly employed staff.
• Its stated aim is to resolve matters speedily and fairly and to encourage improvement.
• It sets the balance of probabilities as the standard of proof, with a higher level of proof for more serious allegations.
• No one will be dismissed for a first breach except for gross misconduct; there is a right of appeal; confidentiality applies.
• For investigations: a 28 working day target, 48 hours' written notice of interview, a right to be accompanied, a typed interview note and a presumption that sickness does not automatically delay the process.

In shortThe Government says the replacement policies are 'close to being finalised', but we found no published policy and no date.

'Close to being finalised' is not a commitment on timing, and it says nothing of the content. We cannot say whether the new policy will change time limits, sanctions, hearing arrangements or appeal routes. Be wary of summaries that confidently describe a 'new process'.

The Rademaker Review is the best public guide to the direction of travel. It paid particular attention to speed, noting that the speed requirement in paragraph 2.9 applies to both PSI 06/2010 and PI 34/2014. That is a hint about the issues, not about the text.

In shortAsk HR in writing for the version in force on the date of the alleged conduct, then try your POA rep, and use Freedom of Information only as a last resort.

The first and best route is your establishment HR team or the HR business partner supporting your area.

Ask in writing, quote the title (PSI 06/2010 Conduct and Discipline, or PI 34/2014 if you are in probation) and ask for the version in force on the date of the alleged conduct and the date of your case.

The second route is your POA branch rep or the union's legal team, who commonly hold the current text and understand how it is applied locally.

1. Email HR: 'Please provide the current Conduct and Discipline policy (PSI 06/2010 / PI 34/2014) and confirm in writing which version you are applying to my case.'
2. Ask your POA branch rep for their copy and for their view on which version is live.
3. Ask HR to confirm in writing the dates of any local adaptations, such as local procedures or delegations.
4. Keep a dated record of requests and replies.
5. Only if neither route works, consider a Freedom of Information request, understanding it may take weeks.

In shortGrievances, attendance, performance, probation and outside activities each have their own instruction, and prisoner adjudications apply to prisoners, not staff.

Prisoner adjudications, covered in the Prisoner Discipline Procedures (Adjudications) Policy Framework re-issued on 2 September 2026, apply to prisoners, not staff. Confusing the two is common, because search results mix them.

If you want the staff process, the guides to the disciplinary process, investigations, suspension and hearings are the right place to start.

In shortEven where HMPPS text is hidden, the Civil Service Code and the Acas Code give a public yardstick of fairness, and tribunals can adjust awards by up to 25%.

Civil servants are bound by the Civil Service Code, whose core values are integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality. The Acas Code of Practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures, published in 2015, is the statutory baseline that tribunals consult.

• Suspension should be as brief as possible and kept under review.
• Different people should carry out the investigation and the disciplinary hearing where feasible.
• The employee should be given sufficient written information about the allegations and copies of evidence before the hearing.
• There should be a right of appeal heard impartially.

In shortScotland and Northern Ireland have their own published codes, both with old review dates and neither confirmed as current.

Both are public, both carry old review dates and we cannot confirm that either is current. They are useful for seeing what a published procedure looks like, but they must not be used to guess at the English and Welsh rules.

Scottish Prison Service

Code of Conduct (policy HR010/001, dated 23 February 2018, with a stated review date of 23 February 2021).

Northern Ireland Prison Service

Professional Code of Conduct (revised September 2013), deposited with the Northern Ireland Assembly.