Voices

Having been allocated to CRC after more than 20 years' experience as a PO, I'd like advice regarding compensation for having my professional role compromised by the sifting lottery, e.g. no more work with high risk cases, loss of the role of Officer of the Court, etc. I have approached my local branch (napo) but had no reply. The insult is aggravated by the Noms and MoJ insistence that CRC will be the 'junior partner' in the split.

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Totally agree with you, I've been in the service 30 years, assigned to CRC, keep making noises about the sifting process,"experienced officer" etc. but no one is listening. When given a briefing by our ACE, he made comments like things will be going "up to NPS" instead of saying across. Language used made me feel like I am worthless after all those years of commitment to the service I no longer count. Also I don't know if this has happened in other areas but Manchester City offices only have one black Probation Officer assigned surely this is also a legal issue under discrimination equality. Not representative of the communities we serve. I have brought this up in Union meetings and tried to get facts and figures which no one is rushing to give to me. It all stinks and needs to stop now.

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Couldn't sleep because of the amount of work I have. Stuff just going through my head work related. I'm struggling with my current workload, not to mention the expected changes which are due under TR and worrying about how will I manage to deal with the extra work. It's a difficult time for staff who feel alone and vulnerable. Unions seem to be running around like 'headless chickens' not knowing what to do. Management digging their heads in the sand and telling staff "just do it, I don't know how but do it". Staff colleagues are ripping their hair out trying to keep up with the constant emails coming through 'do this, do that, we need this done, we need that done by'. It's a nightmare & I can't flippin sleep.
 
One of the annoying emails was from our new CEO's introducing themselves, with smiley photo's in a glossy, well polished, colourful brochure attached to an email. I just thought to myself are these people for real? Do they live in the same world as me? Have they any idea what staff are going through? I guess they don't because if they did they wouldn't send it out. Then again, I guess that's the easy way out blaming the CEO's.
 
I find myself trying to trick my mind to 'say carry on, it will be ok. You will come through it'. But I worry that I'm not going to make it through because the expectations are just so unreal. When you wake up in the middle of the night worrying about work, can't sleep, trying your best to make sure that the person you serve is not impacted on and receives a quality service; it's flippin hard work.

Reading Jim's blog about a probation officer Anonymous 10 April 2014 18:19 (above ) made me feel really sad about the situation staff find themselves in. There were some helpful comments in response but very little practical support offered - 'you are struggling, we know that, but try this and do that'. Things the person had already considered doing. The point was missed. The writer was asking for action but instead received suggestions. I'm sure the comments were well intended but I couldn't help notice how detached we have become from realising each other's needs. At these times people need others to rally behind them and join forces instead our compassion & care for one another might have been impacted on. I'm going to try & get some sleep again, and think about nice things. I've got work tomarrow!!!

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IS ANYONE LISTENING???? WE ARE NOT COPING, WE ARE BEING DESTROYED AND THIS WILL NOT WORK.

I call upon everyone who reads this who is employed in a probation role to see their MP's in person NOW to express specific concerns about precisely what is happening in each area as they try to roll this out but it must be done as the chaos unfolds. Not to voice objections to TR in principle, they can dismiss that easily because the bill has been passed. Please take concerns about YOUR situation and the HARM that will occur in the communities they represent because this is NOT SAFE and say WHY. For example a brilliant team disbanded, the new IOM's muddle, sex offender specialist teams being destroyed, how the split was done with lack of cover in some areas as a result, CRC uncertainty, the list is extensive now.

Make each MP responsible NOW because if they have the knowledge and do nothing they are culpable. Let's tell them the truth about where we are NOW as this unravels. Middle managers must be terrified about having to try to make this work because they have so little information and really it is practice developing on the back of a fag packet as Jim writes on this blog. Managers must speak out.

The concerns are becoming real now, not some reaction by public sector staff moaning, but UNSAFE SYSTEMS and destruction of a system that worked being replaced with what????? 

THIS IS GRAYLING'S FAULT let's make the MP's culpable too by providing the knowledge to them because they deserve to own this. Use your union reps to come with you if you need to, they will be happy to do this.