Just when you think things can't get much worse - they do! We now know the Forum pages do get read down at Chivalry Road because the Napo monitors have been busily at work deleting negative comments, mostly concerning the long periods of radio silence by General Secretary Ian Lawrence.
It's hard to imagine a more politically crass and motivationally naive move on the part of the union, but dear old Napo has form for this sort of stuff and it can only encourage talk of hypocrisy and stupidity in many quarters. Just at a time when the union would do well to listen carefully to grass root opinion, reflect and respond to it, we now only have a fresh barrage of negativity, and it's not pretty:-
Hello. Simon here. Just thought you and your readers might be interested to note that EVERY posting I've made on the NAPO discussion forums has been deleted. It would seem that raising concerns about the failings of NAPOs leaders is not allowed, and that every word I wrote has been deemed to constitute 'a personal attack'. Fail your members? Not a problem. Object to that - not allowed....
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I cannot get my head around this at the moment. I can see how sometimes a posting can be questioned in relation to guidelines, but to retrospectively delete all your postings is a vengeful reaction. I don't see how Napo can boast of being member-led with an apparently envied internal democracy, and square this with an authoritarianism that kills dissenting voices? They should reinstate all your postings.
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No Simon it seems you definately cannot raise concerns and discussion about NAPO'S leaders!!! As Tony Benn once said, no one in power likes democracy!!!
I notice that the GS tweeted the following:
"Indicative Ballot now launched; tell 'Failing Grayling' he's got it all wrong! NAPO needs you to vote!"
Is that not a bit of a personal attack? "Failing Grayling".
At a time when members are getting distressed and frustrated it seems only positive views are to be tolerated and dissenting voices deleted.
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I'm astounded by this. Simon's postings raised legitimate concerns that are shared by myself and the vast majority of probation staff I am in contact with. It's a spectacularly bad decision by the powers that be and just leaves me shaking my head in despair.
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Also, it isn't just Simon's postings that have been removed but the comments that flowed in response to his. So effectively, the respondees have also been silenced.
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Hi. Simon again.Thanks for the Supportive words. I was just about to make the same point that Deb has just made. looking earlier i'd thought it was solely the things I'd written personally that had been removed. This was alarming enough, but I see now that entire threads have gone, and with them all of the debate and the discussion that followed. This discussion and debate was of course the whole point of my making the posts in the first place, and disturbingly it would seem that stifling discussion and debate is the real point in deleting not only every word I wrote but also the words of every member who contributed to the threads. Why not join in the threads - engage with members and address the issues raised? Allay fears? Offer reassurance? Prove me wrong? I'd be delighted to be proved wrong... but no. Just silenced. Not just me but all the members who wanted to consider these vital issues. It's an action that speaks eloquently to the outlook of our union leaders, and thanks to them the state of our union far more than anything posted by me. I wonder if the contributors to the threads have all been blocked from posting as I have too?
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Napo have really shot themselves in the foot this time. Simon's questions were legitimate challenges, not personal attacks. It makes me wonder how long our union higher echelons would last in field teams when challenged by an unhappy client. I was going to attend the AGM in Birmingham at considerable inconvenience. Not any more. I feel let down and terribly disappointed by a union I used to love. The news about the employment tribunal was bad enough, this censoring has put the top hat on it. Goodbye Napo, goodbye Probation. I'm off.
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I am stunned. Some threads have been deleted in their entirety and others "moderated, to the point where they now make no sense. Not sure what to think now. I had retained some hope in Napo. That has just been lost :(
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Napo's actions are truly pathetic. To be honest I'm still in a state of disbelief over what amounts as pure unadulterated censorship. It's bad enough having had to view napo's struggle to launch any semblance of resistance to TR but this is just plain wrong. Right now I'm ashamed to be a member of napo.
I take no satisfaction in highlighting all this, but we're all grown-up for goodness sake and involved in a fight for professional survival. Will somebody in a position of authority bang a few heads together down at Napo HQ and get people bloody focused on what's important! Maybe a job for Mactailgunner?
Ever since he - and I am assuming it is a he - started filing reports, I've pondered if Mactailgunner is officially sanctioned or not? Whatever, I've been impressed and a spark of genius on someone's part because the source obviously enjoys the highest security clearance, is well briefed and most importantly files regular reports with something of significance to impart. Here is a case in point confirming the predicted demise of that flagship privatisation of Unpaid Work in London by Serco:-
It seems that, "by mutual agreement", Serco is to lose the contract by the end of 2014. We take this to mean, at the point of share sale. Why this should be, is unclear - whether it's to do with Serco's generic poor performance on Government contracts or more specifically to do with this contract itself is not known. Rumour has it that Serco didn't feel they were making enough money from the contract because it had been poorly constructed in the first place. If this is true, it doesn't inspire great confidence in any future contracts for Probation Services being run very effectively.
Pity the poor staff who have gone through the painful process of being TUPE'd out to the private sector, with many losing their jobs along the way too. What for those that are left now? TUPE again? What about their terms and conditions?
Pity also the beneficiaries and clients on UPW who have been subjected to this private sector contract. After less than 2 years, the plug is pulled. The public sector isn't able to walk away from it's responsibilities in quite the same way.
A great flagship experiment of private sector enterprise creating an innovative approach to Probation Services!
News that would do well to be heeded by all potential bidders for probation work and I know a few of you read this blog, much to the irritation of the MoJ!
Is there any inside knowledge of what is happening with the bidders? What are there thoughts, any drop outs etc?
ReplyDeleteAny branch care to put a motion to the Special AGM deploring the censoring of members' comments on the forum?
ReplyDeleteNah, not yet. The plan is to lure them in, let them spend a shedload of money and then watch as the whole thing implodes leading to various sackings of top brass whilst we return to doing what we do best and they have little understanding of; being caring, compassionate and understanding.
ReplyDeleteIt will be a hard lesson for them but hopefully they will realise the folly of Grayling's TR before this.
Anyway, no drug, not even alcohol, causes the fundamental ills of society. If we're looking for the source of our troubles, we shouldn't test people for drugs, we should test them for stupidity, ignorance, greed and love of power.
DeleteP. J. O'Rourke
It might be useful, if readers have a spare minute, to indicate on a scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high) just how committed you and your offices are to making sure this whole TR works!
0/10 for me!
Well to here Napo have deleted member posts because the don't like the truth about how many members are feeling, just confirms the post I made on saveprobation forum page on Thursday evening - Napo too have sold us down the river. To Simon and others that took the time to post, god bless you, perhaps we now need a peoples assembly. Thank you Jim for all your dedication in writing the blog, you have been a saviour in get info out there.xxx
ReplyDeleteI recently watched a film called 'made in Dagenham' about women machinists fighting for equal pay, great film on lots of levels. In the film and in reality, at the time the women workers did not get much support from their union hierarchy, who basically wanted to maintain the discriminatory status quo linked to male/female rates of pay. The women workers not only fought their employer 'Ford Motor Company' but also their union to oppose this matter. They did this at great personal cost and sacrifice but didn't give up and won the day. Winning over male workers, their union, their employer and the government. This kind of reminds me of the current fight involving probation staff opposing TR some of whom are losing faith in their union. The lessons from 'made in Dagenham' are:
ReplyDeleteFor workers involved in struggle- if you believe passionately in your cause don't give up, maintain your argument, debate at every opportunity, lead by example. Challenged those who wish to collude or maintain the status quo, even if that means challenging your union.
For the union- listen to your membership, communicate with them as much as possible in a way that is easily accessible, engage in debate, do not collude with the employer the membership will rumble you, stand shoulder to shoulder with your membership, not next to employer, or in front of your membership or behind the membership, it's all about solidarity. Do not censor workers, engage. (Napo for instance- withdraw form PI involvement at this time, do not negotiate or discuss in any form TR with gov, NOMS or trusts. If they want it - let them impose it in 100% with no help, advice or guidance from NAPO. NAPO stick to one objective and focus all energy and resources on maintaining worker togetherness and solidarity, and opposing probation privatisation in all it's forms, stick to and fight for the principles which have brought the membership together as one, these are not negotiable. Cancel special AGM to discuss membership split issues linked to NPS/CRC sifted staff, this by default gives credibility to TR process and legitimatises the attacks on probation staff, which in turn will alienate the union leaderships from the membership. Instead NAPO take lead in bringing together all parties who oppose the wholesale dismantling of probation service, attacks on legal professional etc and other sections of Justice system. TR is a disaster expose it, dismantle the principles, beliefs that underpin it.
For employers- failure to listen to legitimate grievances, by passing and dismissing the legitimate concerns of workers, treating workers with disrespect and contempt may well mean you will never win the hearts and minds of current and future workers, your corporate reputation will be damaged and as an employer you will carry that stigma. When you need staff to be innovative, flexible, dedicated etc etc etc like a slave master, you will need to stand over your slaves at all times to ensure they work, because their will be no good will, no innovation, no enthusiasm etc etc. the vast experience stored in workers brains will be lost to you.
For government and politicians- govern for all the people of this country not a select few. Voters have long and unforgiving memories.
Excellent post, very powerful and equally true.
DeleteI agree - and Made in Dagenham is an excellent film. Those women didn't just win their case, they made history and changed employment legislation around the world.
DeleteWe have all heard about fake beef; today the Guardian reports on fake food – all as funding for Trading Standards is cut. Yesterday Channel 4 News carried a report about fake jobs. It is mandatory for all job seekers to use the DWP website to register and apply for jobs. If they don't, they lose their benefits. Yet it's estimated up to a third of the jobs posted may be fake. What's in it for someone to fake jobs? One of the alleged fraudsters, Mark Coward, links his unsuspecting jobhunter to a site offering a CV service. Coward gets a £1 from this site for every CV that's uploaded to its library. It is estimated that up to 11,000 'jobs' on the DWP Jobmatch website may be bogus...and, of course, the government can claim that job vacancies are growing as the economy recovers.
ReplyDeleteOnce upon a time if a business was offering work it would contact their local job centre and after vetting would see the job advertised. Now with outsourcing any unscrupulous individual can post unvetted jobs and sit back while the money rolls in. How easy it becomes for corrupt practices to flourish in an unregulated marketplace.
http://www.channel4.com/news/why-is-government-website-carrying-fake-jobs
Hello Smudger here.As a union rep who has often felt cast adrift by NAPO as with my colleagues I have attempted to deal with Grayling 's TR on a local level I am aghast by the deleting of Simon's posti gs.I did not agree with what he said a great deal of the time would support his right to say it.The cherry on the cake this week has been the outcome of the ET.How could NAPO fail to have adequate staff protection policies in place . Their goal should be to set the standard for Trusts to follow.I know that our current CO takes behaviour like that seriously and promptly because I once reported a similar instance on behalf of a staff member was reduced to tears.I did not envy the guy involved.
ReplyDeleteI see the Daily Mail has picked up on the tribunal case - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2554363/Predatory-union-chief-quits-campaign-harassment-against-ex-girlfriend.html It does seem extraordinary that the victim of the harassment was the person responsible at Napo for Equalities. Yet Napo is now able to state categorically: 'We take the issue of staff care very seriously and have put measures in place to ensure that our staff are protected from any possibility of sexual harassment in the future. ' This from a union that portrayed itself as being in the vanguard of diversity – many of us will have sat through reports from the Monitors at AGM, holding our breath perhaps, wondering about inadvertent faux pas.
DeleteHowever, on lesser matters, such as postings that question the competence and strategy of the leadership, Napo comes down like a ton of bricks. I think there has been too much deference to the Napo leadership, too little accounting of what we get for our money. What does the leadership see when it looks down from its platforms – a committed rank and file or a bunch of useful idiots?
We now have a leadership that is desperate for the support of an AGM to approve constitutional changes to preserve their power. They will be in deep trouble if they don't get it.
The Napo national officials are well-paid relative to the average probation salary. I would contend that the real heavy-lifting in the union is done by the unpaid branch officers. And from experience it was often easier to pass through the eye of a needle than to get the national office on board with local problems. There was never any shortage, though, of encouraging words. To ask Napo nationally to seek a legal opinion on something of local importance was akin to Oliver Twist asking for more porridge. And yet when it came to protecting the former general secretary money was no object.
A trade union baron described as a ‘sexual predator’ has quit after harassing his married assistant. Jonathan Ledger, general secretary of the National Association of Probation Officers, was said to have had a six-year affair with Cordell Pillay. When the affair petered out in 2009, he carried out a lewd campaign to reignite it – grabbing her bottom, exposing himself and leering at her breasts, a tribunal heard. Jonathan Ledger, general secretary of the National Association of Probation Officers, was said to have had a six-year affair with Cordell Pillay When his behaviour was exposed, the union is said to have mounted a ‘Jimmy Savile-style cover-up’. Mr Ledger eventually resigned in disgrace and Mrs Pillay has now been awarded £15,000 by an employment tribunal for sexual harassment. She also made a claim for unfair dismissal after her sacking in 2011 over budget errors, but the panel ruled it was fair. Although Mrs Pillay denied having an affair with Mr Ledger, employment judge Mark Emerton ruled: ‘The two had a consensual sexual relationship dating back to 2003, when they were both assistant general secretaries. When the affair petered out in 2009, he carried out a lewd campaign to reignite it ‘The relationship was sustained by sexual contact in the union’s offices and, particularly, away at occasional residential conferences.’ Among a catalogue of tawdry incidents, South London Employment Tribunal heard that the £90,000-a-year union boss committed a sex act in front of Mrs Pillay in their offices after their affair ended; stripped to his underpants in a hotel room in front of Mrs Pillay and his long-time girlfriend, Catrina Flynn, 54; showed her naked pictures of his partner on his phone; and leered at his assistant at a meeting while joking about the size of her breasts. Mr Ledger was also accused of suggesting threesomes involving Mrs Pillay’s grown-up daughters; grabbing her bottom at a TUC conference; and asking her for a kiss in his office before exposing himself. But the panel rejected Mrs Pillay’s claims that Mr Ledger sexually harassed other union workers. And it also criticised her for lying about her qualifications and the ‘quite extraordinary’ way she had used the title Dr when ‘she had no right to do so’. Mrs Pillay, 52 who was the union’s equalities officer, lodged a further claim of race discrimination, accusing Mr Ledger of displaying the ‘racism of the plantation’ but the tribunal turned it down. A further claim of religious discrimination was also rejected. The tribunal noted that Mrs Pillay’s barrister, ....
Delete......Peter Herbert, had accused Mr Ledger of being a ‘sexual predator’ and that the union as a whole had mounted a cover-up ‘similar to the BBC covering up the Jimmy Savile scandal’. Both the union and Mr Ledger – whose expertise as a probation officer was working with sex offenders – were found liable over the proven sexual harassment claims, and the burden of paying the £15,000 damages rests upon them equally. Mr Ledger eventually resigned in disgrace and Mrs Pillay has now been awarded £15,000 by an employment tribunal for sexual harassment The union’s 9,000 members have been kept almost completely in the dark over the case. It tried to hush up giving Mr Ledger a rumoured £135,000 pay-off, initially saying only that he had ‘decided not to re-apply for his job’ as general secretary following ‘a difficult employment tribunal’. But after the damning judgment was made public this week, the union said: ‘As an organisation Napo has been cleared of all allegations of institutional racism, sexism, discrimination and victimisation and it was found to have acted fairly in the way it followed its internal procedures. ‘Three allegations have been upheld against the former employee but these relate to incidents between the former employee and the complainant. However, the judgment makes it clear that neither Napo or its staff were collusive with this.’ The union added that it had formally apologised to Mrs Pillay. The tribunal has been running for a year, but an order preventing identification of all the parties was only lifted earlier this week. Mrs Pillay runs her own race equality group, Race4Justice, from the home in Corby, Northamptonshire, she shares with fire chief husband Warren Simpson, 48. She plans to appeal against the tribunal’s rejection of her racial and religious harassment claims, and unfair sacking.
DeleteMore than 11,000 positions currently advertised on the government's Universal Jobmatch website may be bogus, an investigation by Channel 4 News has found.
ReplyDeleteThe jobs, which range from sous chefs to dry cleaners, account for almost one in 50 of all those posted in Britain on the site and, in some areas, a third of all the jobs available on Jobmatch, may be fake.
Since March 2013 it has been mandatory for all jobseeker's allowance claimants to register and use the Jobmatch website.
Those who fail to do so can have their benefits cut entirely. But if some of the jobs on the site are not genuine, the claimants who have applied for them may have been wasting their time.
The Channel 4 News investigation found that nine apparently unconnected recruitment websites, advertising thousands of positions across the UK, are all controlled by one man in Coventry - Mark Coward, a businessman and Baptist deacon who has posted thousands of jobs.
n recent months, Coward has received thousands of pounds for marketing job products at applicants. Jobseekers who answered any one of thousands of ads posted by Coward were encouraged to visit a legitimate recruitment business, CV-Library, using links that showed Coward had recommended them.
He then received £1 for every CV successfully submitted to CV library. Coward later told Channel 4 News that most of the original applications submitted to him for the jobs he posted were then simply deleted.
Last year Channel 4 News was contacted by Richard Evens, an out-of-work librarian who had concerns.
At first, Mr Evens was delighted when a raft of library jobs suddenly appeared on the Universal Jobmatch website. Each position was offered in a different area of the country but the job descriptions were identical.
Three companies posted the ads: Thomas Reilly Associates, MF Training and Recruitment Solutions and Que Consultants.
All are controlled by Coward, and his business network has many other identities. Jobs Junction, Career Nationwide, Recruitment 4 Office, Retail Jobs 4U, Career In Caring, and Find My New Job are all controlled by him.
Some of the websites associated with these businesses were registered anonymously but linked back to rental properties owned by Coward in Coventry.
It was under the names of Thomas Reilly Associates Ltd, a dormant recruitment company based at a PO box in London, and Que Consultants, a dissolved recruiter which employed Coward's wife Dionne, that most ads were posted however.
Channel 4 News sought to establish the credibility of some of the adverts listed on the Universal Jobmatch by these firms. It was unable to find a dry cleaning job posted in Greenhithe, Kent, or sous chef position posted in Lairg in the Scottish Highlands.
DeleteOne in three jobs located in Lairg and available on the Jobmatch website had been posted by Coward.
The search continued but, having failed to find any employers matching the job descriptions posted by the Cowards, we contacted them.
They said that they were unable to verify if the jobs were genuine because all the adverts they uploaded on the Universal Jobmatch website had been harvested by an "offshore outsource company", run by a man called Vikram Mishra in New Delhi.
Channel 4 News was unable to contact Mr Mishra at the address they gave in Delhi, and no trace of the company they claim to work with has been found. The Cowards “categorically reject any accusation that they willingly posted adverts for jobs that weren't authentic”.
This afternoon, CV Library, the firm that paid the Cowards, told us that they have terminated the relationship.
Concerns about the quality of employer vetting on the Universal Jobmatch first emerged in 2012 when hackers posted a job advert for a "Target Elimination Specialist working for the British government" - "particularly suitable", so the ad said, "for those who like their martinis shaken and not stirred".
In response, the Department for Work and Pensions said they would vet employers to ensure that the jobs posted on the site are genuine.
Our investigation places question marks on thousands of them. Tonight the DWP told us: "The vast majority of those employers offer genuine roles for jobseekers to apply for - however we won't hesitate to ban the small minority who try to break the rules and post fraudulent jobs. When possible, it can – and has – led to criminal prosecutions.
"This individual has been suspended from the site and the vacancies removed. We take any allegations of this nature very seriously and will investigate any further evidence Channel 4 provides.”
Ooops. NAPO scoring highly on the sleazeometer in today's Daily Heil.
ReplyDeleteWhat is crass is that such publicity was obvious - Napo could not shut it down on the Internet - presumably the DM are only publishing what they legally have access to do - we knew it was terrible - Lee Jasper told us so, long ago.
ReplyDeleteNapo needs to go public in a clear way and get a 'proverbial' line drawn under this dreadful situation for which we members share a level of responsibility for the employment monitoring systems that were in place
Andrew Hatton
Plus I still fell great concern for the victim with whom I once worked in Napo and had the highest respect for - we lost someone who once did great things for Napo, Probation (articles in the journal reference) and Trades Unionism and she was denied a leaving that acknowledged her achievements.
DeleteFor her to have been dismissed but not the apparent perpetrator of behaviour that is truly shameful is beyond my understanding - but then as an associate member, I have had almost no information.
Andrew Hatton
Andrew, your status as an associate member made no difference to what information you were officially given; virtually everyone at local branch level was deliberately kept in the dark as well, all in the name of a reporting embargo but I suspect there were other motives at play here also. It's all been very unedifying -I've had colleagues approach me this week since NAPO HQ put its summary of the tribunal findings out, wanting to know
Deletewhat the heck has been going on. Anyway, you should be able to access the full detail of the case and the Tribunal findings on BAILII. Haven't got round to it myself yet but I intend to, 'cos I want to see the official version and not just NAPO's take on it.
Deb
The fight against TR has been severly undermined by NAPO because of their desire to keep 'in house problems' away from the watchful eye of the media.
ReplyDeleteIndeed NAPO's personal needs have taken priority over the struggle against TR. As such I think there's a strong case for misrepresentation to be answered by NAPO.
My own personal opinion is that if the General Secretary or any other staff at NAPO HQ having affairs with each other, then they should resign from their position.
ReplyDeleteI’m not being prudish, it’s just that how do we (the people who pay their wages) know that any professional incompetence is not being overlooked? I'm not suggesting this was the case, just hypothesising
I would hate to think that someone who wanted to stand for a job at NAPO HQ felt they couldn’t because the other person listed was seeing the GS. Or if one of the individuals having an affair was so piss poor at their role, but was not being asked to step up their performance due to their ability between the sheets.
I know that the very nature of affairs make them clandestine, however people know and tongues do talk.
Sounds like you know something. Maybe the same thing that lots of us know? ....and why we wonder if our leadership have their eyes distracted on other 'things'. We know there are people on the NAPO payroll who are not performing, at least not in their jobs.
DeleteMaybe it's the same I was told some time ago?
Delete'The same' - what - is there still more scandal to be revealed - lets have it ALL out now, I am really fantasising now - surely nothing like - 'Napo official having affair with Tory minister of justice'? or something worse - I do hope not!!
DeleteBut whatever it is - if any reader really does know something please say - 'our secrets keep us sick'!"
http://www.resilience.org/stories/2009-11-11/culture-pretend-how-psychotherapy-keeps-our-communities-sick
Andrew Hatton
Andrew Hatton
Yesssss - Am I getting the wrong end of the stick, or are there implications here that there may be some CURRENT interpersonal shenanigans getting in the way of an organised fight against Privatisation?
DeleteAndrew,
DeleteI think the best that can be said at this point is that Napo should be considering setting up an independent enquiry, as I suggested some time ago.
Members need to know what happened and why internal management, supervision and accountability of staff at all levels singularly failed. There may will be lessons to learn in terms of probity and appropriate professional conduct by staff.
'The same thing that lots of us know? ....and why we wonder if our leadership have their eyes distracted on other 'things' '??????? will someone give us a clue what this is all about? Are we talking about the Jonathan 'Letcher' affair or are we talking about the current pro-privatisation lot?
DeleteLets not be coy any longer - here's some of the DM reportage. I don't doubt its biased but its in the public domain. If anyone thinks it shouldn't be here, ask Jim to remove it. I'm ok with that. But lets not play Victorian parlour games. As was stated earlier, we're grown ups. Lets deal with it.
ReplyDelete"A trade union baron described as a ‘sexual predator’ has quit after harassing his married assistant.Jonathan Ledger, general secretary of the National Association of Probation Officers, was said to have had a six-year affair with Cordell Pillay. When the affair petered out in 2009, he carried out a lewd campaign to reignite it – grabbing her bottom, exposing himself and leering at her breasts, a tribunal heard. When his behaviour was exposed, the union is said to have mounted a ‘Jimmy Savile-style cover-up’.
Mr Ledger eventually resigned in disgrace and Mrs Pillay has now been awarded £15,000 by an employment tribunal for sexual harassment. She also made a claim for unfair dismissal after her sacking in 2011 over budget errors, but the panel ruled it was fair.
Although Mrs Pillay denied having an affair with Mr Ledger, employment judge Mark Emerton ruled: ‘The two had a consensual sexual relationship dating back to 2003, when they were both assistant general secretaries.
When the affair petered out in 2009, he carried out a lewd campaign to reignite it. ‘The relationship was sustained by sexual contact in the union’s offices and, particularly, away at occasional residential conferences.’
Among a catalogue of tawdry incidents, South London Employment Tribunal heard that the £90,000-a-year union boss committed a sex act in front of Mrs Pillay in their offices after their affair ended; stripped to his underpants in a hotel room in front of Mrs Pillay and his long-time girlfriend, Catrina Flynn, 54; showed her naked pictures of his partner on his phone; and leered at his assistant at a meeting while joking about the size of her breasts.
Mr Ledger was also accused of suggesting threesomes involving Mrs Pillay’s grown-up daughters; grabbing her bottom at a TUC conference; and asking her for a kiss in his office before exposing himself.
But the panel rejected Mrs Pillay’s claims that Mr Ledger sexually harassed other union workers. And it also criticised her for lying about her qualifications and the ‘quite extraordinary’ way she had used the title Dr when ‘she had no right to do so’.
Mrs Pillay, 52 who was the union’s equalities officer, lodged a further claim of race discrimination, accusing Mr Ledger of displaying the ‘racism of the plantation’ but the tribunal turned it down. A further claim of religious discrimination was also rejected. The tribunal noted that Mrs Pillay’s barrister, Peter Herbert, had accused Mr Ledger of being a ‘sexual predator’ and that the union as a whole had mounted a cover-up ‘similar to the BBC covering up the Jimmy Savile scandal’.
Both the union and Mr Ledger – whose expertise as a probation officer was working with sex offenders – were found liable over the proven sexual harassment claims, and the burden of paying the £15,000 damages rests upon them equally.
Mr Ledger eventually resigned in disgrace and Mrs Pillay has now been awarded £15,000 by an employment tribunal for sexual harassment
The union’s 9,000 members have been kept almost completely in the dark over the case. It tried to hush up giving Mr Ledger a rumoured £135,000 pay-off, initially saying only that he had ‘decided not to re-apply for his job’ as general secretary following ‘a difficult employment tribunal’.
Quite a sad situation, brought about be the actions of one person and the inactions of others. I feel that those in the upper echelons of NAPO have lost a significant amount of credibility. Both you and I know that they read this blog and it will be interesting to see if their inactions continue!
DeleteOnce again we have a MASSIVE open goal; the report from tailgunner, Serco pulling out of the UW contract and both Serco and G4S being allowed to be considered for ANY Government contract whilst they are being investigated by the SFO. It completely beggars belief that NAPO have not got the ear of a friendly journalist who would publish this information.
If only there was some medium that they could use to 'self publish' this information. A way which could read millions of people, just at the push of a send button.
It appears that, whilst trying to legitimise themselves by joining the Probation Institute, covering up for their boss whilst dragging a victim through a Court case, they have forgotten their true role.
I have a feeling that this time next week the will still have done sod all!!!!
The key issue in all this is the members' money.
ReplyDeleteMost will recall the phraseology used by Napo when the former general secretary resigned and '...decided not to re-apply for his job following ‘a difficult employment tribunal’. I don't know how much the pay-off was – the papers are saying £135,000. But why did Napo allow its general secretary to resign and be rewarded in the circumstances? They knew of the sexual harassment allegations and yet instead of considering whether the GS was in breach of Napo's own Code of Conduct, a payment was authorised. This is not normally what happens when someone is so accused. Was Napo exercising due diligence in making a payment and possibly other payments and benefits? Was this a responsible use of members' subscriptions? In my view they should not have made a payment and the 'decided not to reapply for his job' was, I believe, misleading and in breach of practices that normally apply. There was a total lack of transparency at the time and there has been no clarification or explanation since.
If this £135,000 pay off is true, my reckoning is that each member has contributed about £15. I would like my money back please.
ReplyDeleteSo would I.
DeleteI want my last 20years subs back. Would have been better spent on an unfair dismisal or constructive dismissal policy
DeleteRe the forthcoming 'trust visits from the bidders', as out;lined on EPIC if you get the opportunity, let them know the reality of the situation and what they're letting themselves in for
ReplyDeleteI have a feeling that there are many who will make their feelings crystal clear ;)
DeleteThere are many events going on where bidders will get to know their local area.....does NAPO have the required information as to when and where to provide a welcome from the staff????
Delete"provide a welcome from the staff????"
DeleteI'm sure you meant to put 'warm' in that sentence ;) I'm sure that you would not want our bidders to think we were not grateful for their 'help'.
*hides tar & feathers*
This will be only one of very few opportunities for bidders to be in the same room as "ordinary probation staff" by which I mean not CEO, Mutual staff or those specifically chosen to be pro TR.
DeleteIf the staff in offices were prepared for an impromptu arrival of bidders ( these events will not be publicised !) perhaps provided by NAPO then a reflection of feeling may be given directly to bidders...... There must be guidance , do we walk out , do we discuss , DO WE SIT THERE QUIETLY???? I am sure not!
These kind of events are where NAPO should earn its corn.
There are a number of streams to the TR work, Trusts are closing, there is transition to CRC/NPS split and there is competition.
Competition is dealing with bidders now , but we are all focused on closure and transition - if we are not careful the competition will be done and dusted before we know. Therefore NAPO needs to approach the bidders who we all know now , approach the MoJ competition teams and get involved with the process .....not collusive but to provide clarity about what these bidders will be buying into .....the reality not the spin...
I also think the £135,000 (if true) should be paid back & I have also started a thread on the NAPO website re this..........Bobbyjoe
ReplyDeleteI'm starting a book guys, any bets on how long Bobbyjoe's thread is there before it gets taken down??!!!!
DeleteDeb
Victim recieves 15K and 135K goes the other way! How come NAPO could pay out without membership approval?
DeleteGrayling et al are gonna be rubbing their hands with glee re NAPO crisis
ReplyDeleteIf NAPO extended a few invitations to reporters who write articles like this, then TR would, I'm sure, be a far more concerning issue for the general public.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/feb/08/britain-private-sector-public-sector-ethics-customers
Yes but that would be to suppose that NAPO leaders were interested in TR concerning the Public, whereas their true interest appears to be in acting as an arm of management, and smoothing the way for TR. There is no evidence of any serious attempt on their part to organise against privatisation, and more evidence by the day of their collusion in seeking to ensure that it is a success.
DeleteI find it increasingly difficult to argue with this view. I think that, unless NAPO do something quite extraordinary, then members will vote with their feet. It does take a lot to get us riled but heaven help those who feel our anger!
DeleteI also agree with Keista22 in the NAPO now need to completely withdraw (their inclusion lending legitimacy) for anything that promotes TR and start actively, and I mean actively, opposing it.
Evil prevails when good people do nothing......
Napo is line managing the membership into TR.
DeleteA couple of selective paragraphs from today's piece in the Observer by Will Hutton (Link above):-
DeleteThen there are Serco and G4S, with their litany of failures as holders of government contracts. The root of their difficulties is, whatever their original virtues, both have built a culture in which exploiting, rather than serving, the customer comes first – whether it's Serco charging the state for electronically tagging prisoners who did not exist or G4S woefully underproviding security guards for the Olympics. The same dynamic – transient, greedy owners and pay systems that over-reward short-term financial success and cutting corners – produces the same result.
Now large parts of the probation service are to be run in the same way by the same kind of company, with the justice secretary, Chris Grayling, absurdly promising more " reform" and "efficiency". He is outdone by his colleague Dan Poulter at health, selling off 80% of Plasma Resources UK, the NHS company that secures blood plasma for British patients, to Bain Capital, the private equity company built by presidential candidate Mitt Romney. Bain's sole interest is financial, constrained only by its fear of a reputational disaster if patients start dying as it cuts costs and over-rewards managers who try to fleece the NHS, as they necessarily will. Who could consign the provision of blood plasma to such custodians? Only a fool, knave or Tory politician.
The NHS takes a daily pummelling, but enter its portals and a very different culture rules. Despite all the efforts of successive New Labour and Conservative ministers intent on reproducing the private sector "disciplines" that so animate Lloyds, Bombardier, Serco, G4S et al, it still manages to combine humanity and efficiency. Its systems are not extravagant, but there is a sense, as I recently discovered with a close family member in a long spell in hospital, that the patient remains at the centre of everyone's preoccupations.
The public sector is imperfect: it is run and operated by fallible human beings. There are spectacular failings, ranging from the BBC's wasted £100m on its digital media initiative to the unfolding IT disaster over universal credit. But what it does not deserve is universal castigation because a priori it must be useless. It is accountable. It does not loot its users. It is pretty efficient. It is humane.
Regarding Simon Garden's posts, Napo were wrong to remove them. Members should be able to voice opinions without being censored, non-members too. If Napo is censoring the views of its members, then there will be some doubt over whether it can be trusted to represent the views of its members, and whether there is any point paying subscriptions to a union that may no longer be listening to its members.
ReplyDeleteThe worrying thing about all of this is that the deleted posts were only asking for Napo to;
1. listen to, engage with and communicate with Napo members.
2. for Napo to stop negotiating and colluding with TR, Probation Trusts and the MoJ, and stop engaging with the processes for implementing privatisation.
3. if points 1 and 2 are to difficult for Napo and if it is unable to revert to a position of unequivocal condemnation for everything TR related, then the eleventh hour is past and the battle already lost and there is little point Napo continues to provide any further campaign spin.
The real concern is that we have reached a point where these questions need to be asked, and whats even more concerning is that these questions are being ignored and deleted by Napo!
Is Napo doing enough to fight TR? Add your questions to Napo.
Those who want power shouldn't have it - those who should, don't want it. Sounds like a deal has been done.
DeleteMaybe not enough members are taking active attention where Napo is concerned.
DeleteI do not suspect malevolence from those at the centre and don't think it helps if frustrated members treat them in that way. I think it is more like too few well intentioned folk struggling to get up a mountain, with inadequate equipment, support and with vast resources pitted against them, including unrealistic time limits.
Nonetheless TR remains a very bad project - the worst of it is that it splits the 'delivery' of probation work at the ground level, where it most needs to be united. It will fail, and already locally there is apparently being seen a need for NPS & CRC folk to collaborate , like they always have done - yet they are in different 'teams' with their individual reputations to concern them themselves about.
Maybe a focus of Napo, in branches and nationally now needs to be to ensure that members are supported to NOT merge the two organizations - in the end they will be the losers because the basic plan is flawed.
To understand in simple terms the basic plan as being presented by the originators at the MOJ is shown in booklets such as has been prepared by DCPT (which I think is Devon and Cornwall Probation Trust)
http://t.co/Y0ZS21fZpf
I have not looked in detail it all but just reading the page headed 'Prison alignment - I realise how flawed it is.
It is a booklet produced by a probation trust for just two counties, who will be part of a CRC - yet they go into no detail and do not even identify their own area prisons - what about this through the gate mentoring - how are plans for that going??? (for example)
Pre release visit - met on day of release, escorted to accommodation - these are the standards this project needs to be measured by - what the Secretary of State said it would achieve - no more will prisoners be released with just £46.00 etc., etc..
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BgA9QLHCYAAnDT4.jpg
Andrew Hatton
Andrew, please could you confirm the web address for the DCPT booklet, my computer doesnt recognise it. Thanks
DeleteDeb
I extracted it from this Tweet: -
Deletehttps://twitter.com/CEOLewis/status/431717883002257408
http://t.co/Y0ZS21fZpf
Andrew Hatton
Clear strategy to adopt at this crucial time for NAPO
ReplyDelete1. Immediately cancel special AGM ratify nothing that will assist TR
2. Consider legal challenge against discriminating between staff regarding continuity of service issues
3.devise a membership portal where members and officials can communicate freely and confidentially. Don't just rely on local branch meetings, engage the membership using modern technology
4. Openly and vigorously promote campaign of joint action with others in the CJS who are under attack
5. Openly and vigorously promote campaign if joint action with others in the public sector who are under attack
6. Arrange media friendly meetings / events where those who oppose privatisation are all brought together to openly, in one voice register their concerns (trade unions, national and local politicians, PCCs, judges, QCs, barristers, church leaders, solicitors, prisons, user voice, charities etc)
7. Union officials and members regroup refocus and move forward in the struggle. No napo officials should attend any meetings to discuss issues in any way linked to TR. the message needs to be clear ' we are not going to assist or offer guidance in any way, shape or form to the demolishing of the world respected probation service'
The holding of a Special General Meeting has already been supported by a national meeting of Branch Chairs and a meeting of our Nationsl Executive Committee (comprised of elected reps from all Branches). If the split into NPS and the CRCs goes ahead as of June 1st without Napo members having debated and agreed their organisational change there will be no agreed way for deciding who are the local Union reps in both CRC or NPS to support members in (for exsmple)capability/sickness/disciplinary matters and in the CRCs no agreed reps to attend the Joint Negotiating Committees. CRCs are to be formed by merging areas (ie merging existing Branches)so a fair way of ensuring there will be Union representation from across the new "area" is vital.
DeleteIt is a legal right of an employee to be represented in the workplace. There is a statutory right to time off. The employers would be in as much a pickle as Napo. So, I don't buy into the notion that members would be disadvantaged in reality. The real dynamic here is about fitting into the Framework Agreement and the TR timetable.
DeleteSorry, I must take slight issue with Anon 11.33. As a Branch Chair who attended the national meeting recently I wouldn't quite agree with your wording that the 'holding of the SGM has already been supported by (the) national meeting of Branch Chairs....' From my recollection the premise was queried by some Chairs, and altho the Officers explained their rationale for acting now we weren't ask to vote on it, so I dont think you can necessarily conclude that all were in favour. Ditto the recent meeting of the NEC; unless it can be confirmed that the vote was unanimous it is a little misleading in my view to present it as unequivicol support.
DeleteDeb
Sorry;I'm Anon from 11.33.I'm neither a Branch Chair or NEC rep but understood from our Branch reps the plan for SGM was supported and debate was rather over which were preferred changes which is now up to members at SGM to vote on.
DeleteSorry Have gone off info given me by Branch reps as Iam neither Branch Chair or NEC rep.
DeleteNeeds a motion to General Meeting at Birmingham to really test it - the less points the better - Napo motions - like the one about Probation Institute are too wordy therefore diffusing rather than directing action
ReplyDeleteAndrew Hatton
I think it is important to note that whatever happened with Jonathon Ledger's removal was known to NAPO's National Executive Council, the employer of all national officers. They would have been party to all of the facts and will have made a decision collectively. The NEC is made up of at least one rep from each branch. To accuse NAPO of mishandling this as if there was a tiny cadre of individuals complicit in a complex deception is a misrepresentation of due process. The villain of the piece is Ledger, not NAPO. Scapegoating the national officers over that case is, to my mind, unreasonable. The censorship of Simon G, however, was clumsy and poorly thought through. I found his posts irrational and unnecessarily provocative but that doesn't warrant the response we have seen.
ReplyDeleteWell let's hope there will be some clarification and justification for the decision-making that allowed the former general secretary to receive a golden handshake. He was facing serious allegations and Napo has a Code of Conduct. No one in a similar situation lower down the food chain would have been compensated in such circumstances. Was legal advice taken? Was the situation misrepresented at the time? And a question that those at Chivalry Road cannot dodge is did they know about the affair. There have been many rumours and stories about goings on at the top of the union and I know for a fact that some are true. This is not scapegoating, it's a belated attempt to get some truth. All the GS has to do is tell the truth about who knew what and when and explain why JL got a pay-off.
DeleteTo Anonymous (10:35). Just to add, I think it's very important to be clear about something you wrote: in relation to the NEC you stated: 'They would have been party to all of the facts and will have made a decision collectively.' This is plainly wrong. They could not have known all the facts, especially the most important one – that the complaint of sexual harassment would be upheld. There was a tribunal with reporting restrictions – that too limited the disclosure of other facts. There was a range of actions that could have been taken and I simply find it extraordinary that JL received a pay-off.
DeleteYES the NEC DID know the facts, they were given in closed session, the reason being the ET embargo. So NO, the information was not shared with the branches.
DeleteYou fundamentally miss the point. It's got nothing to do with an embargo at the time.
DeleteThe NEC could not know the facts unless they were soothsayers. Did they know that the former general secretary would be ruled to have sexually harassed a colleague? The general secretary chose to resign. Fine, anyone can choose that option. But it does not follow that you then receive a golden handshake. There was no need to jump the gun and agree to a massive settlement. Was legal advice taken? We are dealing here with the use of members' subscriptions. There was a lack of due diligence and the facts that we now have show this. Knowing what we now know would the NEC have agreed the settlement in light of the general secretary's gross misconduct? In effect that is what has been rewarded – in light of ALL the facts.
Semantically - the former General Secretary was at the end of a 5 year contract of employment - he may effectively have resigned from Napo, but as I understand it was he did not seek to apply for a further five year contract and offer himself for re-election.
DeleteIs electing a general secretary by all the members such a good system? - I do not think so - I did not oppose it when it was brought in, but do not think it achieves much, especially if the membership does not pay close attention to central Napo matters.
Elsewhere, Jim Brown has reiterated his recommendation for an independent enquiry into the running of Napo - I endorse that and had expected it to have come out of the last annual general meeting.
Andrew Hatton
Whilst napo haven't been proactive i do have a degree of empathy for them, we are preaching to the converted on this blog.the reality is most staff are apathetic and have no sense of collectivity. Many i know have little or no interest even in their own t and c's and thats what napo's up against.
ReplyDeleteIt's not so much what NAPO is up against as what NAPO has created - by not communicating effectively or trying to organise members. Plus, how many members really knew that while lip service was being paid to opposing privatisation the leadership were in truth busying themselves looking for a slice of the action in putting it into practice through helping establish the jewel in the MOJs Transforming Rehabilitation crown, The Probation Institute.
DeleteI agree with Keista- cancel SGM now though I suspect it is not possible. and we are in blood stepped so far that to go back would be as much as go o'er. Spot the O level Macbeth.
ReplyDeleteI like the strategy proposed by Keista too.
Abandon SGM because:
1. The SGM seems like a high risk strategy- midweek with no employers' support for attendance. Failure to reach quoracy will be an embarrassment. 2. Those that do attend may seek an alternative agenda - "no confidence" motions are being drafted as we speak I suspect. Parading our concerns about poor communication, censorship and poor supervision of our employees will offer another gift to Grayling.
3.Do we have confidence in the leadership's capacity to manage what will be a difficult meeting given their tendency to delete rather than confront alleged personal criticisms? Will the planned business be done?
4.Given the shortness of the meeting to deal with a complicated set of proposals at a troubled time, what possessed our leadership to consider giving over precious time in that meeting to visiting speakers?
5.We may debate just how many vice chairs there are and from whence they should be drawn but is this just a holding strategy until we make a final decision later?
8.There is presumably a briefing paper prepared in support of these constitutional changes. If not, why not? and can we see it?
9.Postings here and on the NAPO Members Forums indicate a number of people are considering exit from NAPO. Rather than re-arrange our chairs on the deck of a sinking ship should we not consider tying up to a bigger boat. . This may be the time to consider affiliation to another union.I need more than three weeks to think that one through.
It is becoming abundantly clear that NAPO have been in disarray, trying to keep too many balls in the air, especially the one in relation to the Tribunal and keeping a lid on that - when in fact everyone knew about it anyway...now the compensation of both victim and perpetrator is out in the open, NAPO are using their time and energy on damage limitation. I accept all the arguments about NAPO membership being less militant and fair-weather trade unionists, but NAPO have for a very long time, looked weak and ineffective when it comes to protecting pay and conditions, for example, the manner in which some areas just gave up the essential car users allowance, some who fought, kept the allowance, others, such as West Yorkshire gave employees a new contract to sign within 24 hours of NAPO urging the membership to accept we couldn't go any further, and an ex gratia (remember them) payment of £200 to cushion the blow of the changes to monthly income...which reminds me. Will we all be required to pay the £200 back, as in the shinny new contract, if you took the £200 you were obliged to repay it if and when you left the service - whether by moving on, or retiring. The Trust I expect, will be looking to recover that money, just another kick while we are prone on the ground!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kiesta 22 - 'Clear strategy to adopt at this crucial time for NAPO
1. Immediately cancel special AGM ratify nothing that will assist TR!'
Organisationally, administratively, logistically and legally Napo needs constitutional amendments to clarify structure of it's organisation to continue functioning in the event of the employers of probation workers changing (I presume - I am not a constitutional expert)
ReplyDeleteAndrew Hatton
Thats the point regarding not ratifying the Nps/CRC split. By putting T&C policies in place napo are by default agreeing with split. Cancel SAGM, it's being arranged to fit TR agenda and idiotic timescales.?why? if this stuff needs discussing, discuss it in a consists way where all members have time and opportunity to read and digest the detail. The whole sifting process, which has so divided many probation staff was rushed through with no discussion with staff it actually impacted upon, why are napo seeking to follow the same model. All members of napo have criticised the rush TR discussions have been pursued, so why napo buying into that same daft rushed process, that is ill conceived and a shambles. As far as representation in Nps/CRC this really is secondary to fighting the whole principle of TR. workers will organise when it right for them, and not dancing to the tune played by MOJ. Ask yourself who would want representation from a union which is perceived by some to have directly, indirectly or naively facilitated the transition from public probation service to omnishambles. Sort it out ASAP,
ReplyDeleteFor such a small union, it's surprising Napo has acted in this way. It's hard to not agree with all said above. The secrecy of the JL employment tribunal and the related massive payout to JT from member subscriptions is bad enough (reported in the Daily Mail as a £135k pay-off on top of a previous General Secretary salarly of £90k per year), but it gets much worse when adding the lack of Napo action over TR, it's abysmal campaign/fight against TR which has been unsuccessful, it's collusion with and ratification of TR processes without the agreement of it's members, etc, and now it's censorship of a member that is asking why, which is something we all want to know because there's other available, cheaper and more effective unions out there.
ReplyDeleteNapo's online presence is practically nil which is unacceptable in these modern times, and do not seem to recognise the importance of facilitating member/non-member debate on the public domain. Its staff and moderators rarely attend this forum or respond to posts, but are quick to log in to delete anything that may be to difficult for Napo to answer. It is hard to ignore that Napo is starting to look like a dictatorship employing cold-war tactics to hide it's ineffectiveness.
There is a discussion on this at the Napo forum - add your views: [url=http://www.napo2.org.uk/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=495&start=10]Napo forums censored? [/url]
I would not use the word 'ineffective' as it appears that the top brass at NAPO have been able to both feather their nest and further their career by getting a role in the PI. Was this at the expense of them ignoring (or worse, colluding) in the TR process; who knows. I'm reminded of the tethered goat in Jurassic Park, however, mine (and your) demise will not be as swift and painless, rather prolonged and VERY stressful. what make's it worse if that despite their being a lot of postings of the past few days which have questioned NAPO's credibility, their has been no response from them. Appears to be a 'I'm all right Jack' attitude!!
DeleteWell let me tell you, even if you win the rat race, you're still a rat!!
So where does the NAPO leadership leave several thousand Probation staff?
DeleteAnd their families? I'm so angry, I really hope that none of the CRC bidders comes to my office as I really do not think I would be able to stop myself from telling them EXACTLY how I feel about things.
CRC bidders are in your office they are called mutuals
DeleteJingling their 30 pieces of silver!
DeleteNapo forums censored
ReplyDeleteTime for a Probation Staff Union (PSU)?
ReplyDeleteHow about JB, Netnipper, D Hurst, Debs, Scargill, Joe K and Keist22 - set up an alternative union...I'd join!
ReplyDeleteYes build it from the bottom up this time because this is the only way to establish an active membership. Workplace democracy now there's an idea.
ReplyDeleteThey need to make sure that the best T and C are secured for all staff. I've been assigned to NPS and I'm worried that the office I am based at with no longer be used for NPS and that I might have to relocate to a location which is much further than I am. This worries me particularly as I have 2 young children.
ReplyDeleteSimple points really:
ReplyDelete1. Grayling, weak Senior Trust Managers and every single colleague who failed to act against this are responsible for this mess.
2. BOTH unions ( NAPO and Unison) were weak and ineffective because their members sat back like sheep waiting for direction and in reality NO-ONE knew what to do because this is so BIG, the destruction of a brilliant service that performs. We all thought there would be something that would kill it but nothing came along, did it?
3. NAPO must put its house in order. There are clear allegations from this blog that affairs are going on, if this is correct those people must go. If NOT how do people defend themselves from such allegations?
This entire saga leaves a bad taste. In terms of the battle for probation, Napo failed miserably and Unison wasn't interested, to the detriment of all staff. I think it would be wrong for either union, especially Napo, to claim to be 'probation unions' after 1st April.
ReplyDeleteA truly honourable vocational profession has been covertly dismantled and left in disarray by right wing fundamentalist politicians aided and abetted by employers (no surprises there) and those within the profession itself (disappointing). The professional body and trade union has left its members vulnerable and exposed, whilst at the same time were so distracted by their own interests I can hear Frankie Howerd in Up Pompeii musing "Hmm, yesss, fiddling while Rome burns, nooo, oh, yesss". (Perhaps a bit too close to Gollum? Perhaps their behaviour was more Gollum-like? Must have the shiny preshuss regardless of the impact upon others.)
ReplyDeleteFeel free to add to this list those of adjectives believed most applicable?
abusive, disrespectful, collusive, contemptible, dishonest, selfish, dishonourable, without integrity, unpalatable, feral, self-serving
There's been a lot of gum bashing on both this and the NAPO website. This will get you nowhere as nobody is listening! I'll give you a vision of the future:
ReplyDeleteIf you're in the NPS you are fecked as your workload is going to increase significantly, not least because your 'colleagues' in the CRC as going to pass al of the crap to you. Whilst this is likely to be a management choice, secretly they will love it, simply out of pure envy that you got chosen and they did not!
If you're a PSO in the CRC then get used to massive caseloads and box ticking. The days of actually helping clients are long gone. TR WILL happen; get over it.
If you're a PO in the CRC....well, it's being nice working with you, however, with having no MAPPA, CP or HR cases then you are pretty much surplus to requirement and WILL be one of the first out of the door. A PSO is cheaper and can do the job that you do equally well (tick boxes).
FFS, stop the wailing and wearing of hessian shirts. It's over, we've been sold out and those in NAPO who are now in the PI will devise a new set of qualifications, these being of a lower grade than SW/PO that we currently have. Not only that, they will have a army of volunteers who will not only take up these new qualifications but also work for less than we are on now.
My advice is to either develop some coping strategies or get the hell out!
I'm sure many are already implementing similar advice. While there is little point in commenting on what Napo should or should not have done, given that subscriptions have been paid it is reasonable for members to vent about the service expected from the outset, ie effective action, value for money and to win the battle for probation, which was possible. Complaining about any poor service purchased is the right of the consumer, in fact, since Napo has failed to deliver its service to protect/defend the rights of probation employees I would think a refund is in order, at least an apology. The fact many have resorted to social media to express concerns about Napo is a concern in itself. I hope Napo is listening as without clear action along the lines suggested to rectify its ineffectiveness so far, although it is probably too late in any case. Under Napo, at best probation is no different to a poorly coached athlete hoping for a bronze medal when fourth-last place is more realistic. We'll see what Napo's strategy will be over the coming days, and without a drastic surge of constructive activity, it is doubtful that Napo will be able to credibly claim to be a 'probation union' after 1st April 2014 when probation will become a very different place.
DeleteSharing and expressing ourselves on this and other blogs, is a coping strategy. For me I feel able to put it all out there, and knowing I am not alone, is priceless....and it's a place to give and receive information, which cannot be found elsewhere. Whereas at work, I feel I need to support colleagues, and still put in a full shift with my clients. As for the 'get over it advice' I am not admitting all out defeat, as there is so much to fight for and I will be damned if I am going to help pave the way for this malicious attack on us all.
ReplyDeleteAwww, I like my hessian/hair shirt. Makes me feel alive, although admittedly not very stylish. I don't agree with all that anon18:42 has to say, but its probably not far off how things are heading. NPS will be a nightmare, CRC will be a nightmare, PI will be a travesty. In 2021 there'll be a public inquiry into a monstrous set of circumstances asking why there isn't a robust or seamless means of managing "offenders" by disembodied organisations and why the training is crap. They'll recommend that it ought to be incorporated into social work training, and will blame NAPO for the pisspoor design of the probation training via the PI. The inquiry will be headed by Lord Grayling of Epsom.
ReplyDeleteI'm assigned to be a PO in a CRC. I have a coping strategy. I'm leaving. I'm giving myself a six month target to find another job. Everyday when it's horrible and I'm finding it hard to cope I'm going to tell myself not to worry because I'm not going to be here much longer.
ReplyDeleteI am actually old enough to retire but because I don't have 25 yrs service if I leave voluntarily my pension will be reduced. I had hoped to work for another 2 or 3 yrs - my strategy now is to last until my next birthday (July) after which the pension reduction will be less.......unless of course the promised lands of NPS & CRCs are not so bad as we had imagined......Bobbyjoe (apologies to those who don't have this option).
ReplyDeleteAnon 20:04
ReplyDeleteI think I'm about the same age as you and I'm in a similar position and whilst I respect your strategy I going to stay and fight the bastards.
NAPO NEC has now formally called the SGM for Wednesday 5th March 2014 at Birmingham Town Hall. Why jump to MOJ's rushed timetable, why legitimatise TR and splitting up of public sector probation service. Cancel SGM and amendments for napo constitution to recognise CRCs. If this isn't a mixed message what is, ---?we want members to oppose TR, but by the way we are going to adopt a constitution to help it come about, plus we will help to form a probation institute to further help TR on its way. Why
ReplyDelete