The New Landscape

The musical chairs have nearly finished and we now know who will occupy most of the key positions in the brave new probation world being ushered in as part of the TR omnishambles. I'm really grateful to an enthusiastic reader publishing the information here early yesterday morning and well ahead of other well known sites. The lineup looks like this:-

Humberside, Lincolnshire and North Yorkshire CRC: Martin Davies

Dorset, Devon and Cornwall CRC: Rob Menary

Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire CRC: John Wiseman

Staffordshire and West Midlands CRC: Catherine Holland

Northumbria CRC: Nick Hall

Essex CRC: Mary Archer

Norfolk and Suffolk CRC: Martin Graham

Merseyside CRC: Annette Hennessey

Thames Valley CRC: Paul Gillbard

Warwickshire and West Mercia CRC: Liz Stafford

London CRC: Nick Smart

Wales CRC: Liz Rijnenberg

Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire and Rutland CRC: Jo Mead

Kent, Surrey and Sussex CRC: Sarah Billiald

Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire and Northamptonshire CRC: Tessa Webb

Cumbria and Lancashire CRC: Kevin Robinson

The following CEO vacancies remain to be filled:- 

Cheshire and Greater Manchester CRC

Hampshire and Isle of Wight CRC

West Yorkshire CRC

Durham Tees Valley CRC

South Yorkshire CRC


The National Probation Service Deputy Directors are:-

North West: Roz Hamilton

North East: Lynda Marginson

South East: Sonia Crozier

South West: Angela Cossins

London: Sara Robinson

Midlands: Sarah Chand

Business Development: Jim Barton

As has been commented upon, there are some notable names missing, such as Heather Munro, but there are still a few chairs left before the music stops.

Many people have been surprised at the announcement yesterday by the MoJ of a Probation Institute, I'm certainly deeply suspicious of its timing, coming as it does when automatic assignment and Expression of Interest letters are arriving in the Christmas mail. Yes it's been talked about for some time and undoubtedly falls into the category of being a jolly good idea, but, as one reader put it :-

"I suspect the Probation Institute is being instituted merely as an attempt to legitimise the omnishambles." 

Whilst Professor Paul Senior does not agree, he concedes that the MoJ timing is mischievous:- :-

"No that's not correct. It has been under discussion for some while amongst many groups with interests in this work. it is still in early stages of thinking and not driven by MoJ. It offers a small light in an otherwise dark future. The timing is political spin to create just such a confused response. Its a long overdue development which might, just might offer future protection to professional standards, train, education and therefore of benefit to staff. If it was MoJ led I would not be seeing it in thus way."

The joint statement by PA, PCA, Napo and Unison says:-

"The Institute will provide professional leadership and a framework for unifying the probation workforce as a whole. A key aim is to raise the status of probation and the Institute will contribute to the setting of practice standards and support the professional development of its members, including through a voluntary professional register. It will be an independent, not-for profit organisation, with wide membership open to all staff who work in probation, commissioners, employers and partner organisations of probation."

But as Joe Kuipers points out, this 'unification' is going to be interesting, given that there's to be no requirement for CRC's to have any qualified staff at all. I think a good idea has been hijacked for the purposes of driving through this TR omnishambles crap and is part of a desperate attempt to try and stop any more key staff deserting the profession at this key point.

I was struck by comments I saw on twitter the other day by an attender at some kind of TR conference, and the fact that private sector bidders 'were surprised at the reluctance of probation staff to transfer'. They just don't get it do they? 
  
Of course the probation landscape is changing significantly in all directions with this announcement from the MoJ on Monday in relation to sentencing:-

In a move to improve public confidence in community sentences, adult sentences will now have to include some form of punishment.

Last year more than 130,000 community sentences were handed down by the courts. Around one-third of community sentences contain no punitive element but from 11 December this will change. Most sentences will contain an element of formal punishment such as a fine, unpaid work, curfew or exclusion from certain areas. This could affect around 40,000 offenders per year.

Chris Grayling said:

From my first day in this job I have been clear that punishment must mean punishment. A community sentence shouldn’t just consist of a meeting with an offender manager, prisoners shouldn’t spend their time in prison watching satellite television and the worst offenders should get the very toughest sentences.

Step by step we’re overhauling sentencing and sending a clear message to criminals that crime doesn’t pay. We’re on the side of people who work hard and want to get on and my message is this - if you break the law you will be punished.

Currently, only around two-thirds of community orders contain punishment such as a curfew or unpaid work. Under the reforms that will come into effect this month we expect this to rise significantly. In very exceptional circumstances judges will have the power not to include the element of punishment.

Research suggests the inclusion of a punitive requirement alongside supervision in community sentences, can be more effective in reducing reoffending than supervision alone.

Maybe someone out there can point us in the direction of that piece of research, meanwhile as Professor Paul Senior tweeted the other day:-

History repeating itself. Probation staff haemorrhaging out of Trusts from all levels. First as farce (2001) now as tragedy.

Everyone in this business, including the MoJ, knows that as the TR omnishambles rolls on inexorably to become as one commentator said recently, 'the slowest train wreck in history' trying to maintain business as usual is becoming impossible. Or as Cllr Tim Young recently put it in his resignation letter from the Essex Probation Trust, 'someone's going to be killed'

It was a pleasure to serve as your Vice-Chair and it was a privilege to spend 

some months as Interim Chair of Essex Probation before your appointment. It 

is only because I am so committed and passionate about the work of the 

Service that I feel I have no option but to step aside so that I can campaign 

with others to stop or, at least, delay the government’s deeply flawed and 

dangerous plans. As was said at our recent Board Meeting it is “certain” that 

someone will be killed who wouldn’t otherwise be killed as a result of these 

changes. I must, in my own small way, do something to prevent that from 

happening.