Tuesday 8 April 2014

We Need a Plan!

I've heard a rumour that Napo's General Secretary is very unhappy with me and this blog. Now I have no idea why that might be, but it strikes me there's little point in shooting a messenger when the message is clear, if a little uncomfortable:-

I am a PO and NAPO activist and have tried so hard to fight this whole process. I have lost all faith in my employer, my managers, my colleagues, the political process and my union. I find myself in a frame of mind such as I have never previously experienced. I am going to progressively remove myself from my union role because it is the only honourable thing to do.

I feel really upset by the way Chivalry Road has failed to listen, provide information or understand that amongst the membership there are a number of people with transferable skills that could have been drawn on for an intelligent fight against TR instead of all the posturing and veiled promise of JR. For example in my trust alone, 2 former accountants, a solicitor and barrister all retrained as POs and would have willingly worked on projects for the union to pick apart some of the huge amount of TR information deliberately designed by the MOJ to confuse. I am tired of FT officials patronising us. I no longer wish to work with some colleagues but will have to and so, will endeavour to remain professional. 

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This could be describing exact how I now feel and for my personal health I too feel their is no choice but to withdraw from the fight x

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I don’t believe for one second that people have ‘got their heads down and just getting on with it’. The reality is that there is no alternative option accept to ‘get on with it’. The way staff have been treated has been an absolute shambles. People have been allocated to CRC & three weeks later discover to their shock that jobs are being advertised in the NPS. Then told they are not allowed to transfer but have to apply.
 
NAPO and UNISON have both lost credibility and have been inactive. Sorry, active in terms of developing Probation Institute funded by the MOJ. Now, what does that says about our Unions. The strike was good but wasting precious time on how well we did – is not good enough. We have to quickly move on from this and start planning the next course of action. My concern are (and the signs are already showing) that TR issues is likely to go off the agenda as NAPO starts to plan for AGM and work out a strategy to defend PI. Frankly, I don’t give a toss about PI or the AGM. What I care about is being supported in my work and to slow/stop the privatisation of probation. No member can do this on their own – we need the Union behind us. I hope someone reads this and starts to lay out a course of action with clear cut action plan.


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I totally agree with you. I have been fighting every step of the way, been in the service 30 year and have seen many changes but this one seems one too big to fight on my own. Why can't we contact one another and make noises, sod the unions, they don't seem to have any backbone. I keep asking unison to re ballot for strike, but don't seem to get heard. I fear that none of us are getting heard singularly. We need to get together and stage a walk out before its too late. Even the solicitors seem to have a better plan than us.

The sifting process definitely needed to have a judicial review, the criteria changed the very next day with NPS now taking all Mappa level 1 cases, what are the CRC Probation officers going to do, have they all been sent to slaughter.


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The competence of the commissioning of new services and the probation service reconfigurations, we are told, may be open to challenge. I recall that heady moment back at last year's AGM when Ian Lawrence enraptured his audience with his fighting talk of a letter being sent first thing the next Monday morning to get the legal process underway. He got the applause but he lost credibility as JR increasing looked like style over substance. And we still do not know if there will be a legal challenge.

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I feel sorry for the many good people who are active in Napo have seen a very lacklustre performance from their leadership at NapoHQ that failed to capitalise on the very real and at one time widespread anger from members. Their policy it seems is to ensure their own survival at NapoHQ rather than getting their well manicured hands dirty at the coalface. They are after all by and large not former probation staff and probably don't give two hoots if the probation service is destroyed as they will move on to other union jobs whilst others will take up a job more suited to their refined tastes at the probation institute. Isn't it about time the membership woke up and realised they are being taken for a ride and save their subs every month by telling them to either get results or ship out.

Following on from the comments highlighted in the blog post of 2nd April 'The Post Mortem', the time has surely come for a bit of plain speaking. Lets start with acknowledging at least one of the many elephants in the room:-

Is the story true that Tim Rendon applied for a management post in a CRC?

I've known about this for some time because people write and tell me stuff - but I took a decision that in the interests of fighting this bloody TR omnishambles it was necessary to make sure that nothing over-shadowed the strike and days of action, but I feel a responsibility to be as straight as possible with readers given the situation we're in and how high the stakes are. On 3rd April this comment was left anonymously:-

Well that depends on the calibre of the Gladiator the one we elected laid down his argument to collude and join the CRC as an ACO yet he is supposed to the the chair of our opposition are you aware of the context and I bet Grayling has laughed himself to sleep on that application form for several nights now and will no doubt be sharing a copy or two around with his tory chums saying look at this the national chair of NAPO has applied for a lead role in my CRC and they all fall around laughing at us like Cadburys smash advert robots! Wake up poster!

To which I responded:-

Yes a very good point and just another illustration sadly of the utter dysfunctionality of Napo at the top. A very unwise move politically in the middle of this struggle to add to all the other very unwise moves by other people at the top in Napo. 

BUT we are where we are as they say and bad as it is we have to try and get the good ship Napo, holed and rudderless as it is, patched up and back steaming full ahead in the right direction. This can happen by the membership making their voices clear in a variety of ways, including this blog.

Things have improved - the information flow, for example by direct emails to members has vastly improved. After much prevarication, things are at last moving on Judicial Review, although it may be too late. 

There's no doubt the Chair has made some unwise decisions, but while he remains Chair I think he must be supported and encouraged to make the right decisions, especially in getting a grip on the activities of the paid staff at Chivalry Road, exercise some firm leadership and make the most of Grayling's current difficulties. There's plenty of time for recriminations further down the line, starting at the AGM I suppose. 

It's a bloody mess - but it's been a mess at the top in Napo for so many years it's almost like situation normal. The breakout of free speech just might improve things.


Observant readers may have noticed that I've made mention of a dysfunctionality of leadership at the top of Napo several times. To put it bluntly, I think there are considerable tensions between Chair and General Secretary that require resolving. The AGM is a few months off yet, but it's absolutely vital we get firm leadership now and an action plan that can maximise on Grayling's current difficulties and especially with bidders getting cold feet for TR.

What might an emergency 'Action Plan' consist of? 
  • Retain Harry Fletcher's services until October at least
  • Employ an ethical PR company to assist Tania Bassett
  • Recruit one or two front-line practitioners for media appearances
  • Broaden the Campaign Committee membership
  • Encourage as much dialogue as possible on new media platforms 
  • Keep the membership fully informed and engaged 
In the end it's up to the membership to let Napo HQ know what they think, but I believe it would be wise to support the Chair Tom Rendon in urgently getting to grips with things at the top.

Regarding the issue of the Probation Institute, there continues to be widespread unease with plenty of people not just questioning Napo's involvement, but demanding that the union withdraws support. I suspect that the only way that particular issue will be resolved is by branches proposing specific motions on the matter.    

76 comments:

  1. Maybe in this new world where Napo have decided to communicate a bit with its membership, they might consider explaining why they continue their involvement and support for the PI, when clearly its membership wants nothing to do with it.

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  2. Off topic but an article well worth reading. The voluntry sector are obviously wising up to government outsourcing.
    "misleading smokescreen (particulary with probation)"....

    http://www.civilsociety.co.uk/finance/blogs/content/17286/innovation_beyond_the_spin

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  3. The Third Sector Research Centre recently finished examining 30 public service mutual spin-outs. Dan Gregory summarises the findings and concludes that culture is more important than structure - no matter what Francis Maude says.

    Following his role in helping demutualise the building societies at the Treasury in the early nineties, Francis Maude has come to rather admire mutuals. While for decades, this term has referred to businesses owned by their members, it seems our minister for the Cabinet Office holds little regard for tradition and prefers to innovate, using the expression 'mutual' to describe more or less any enterprise which has spun out from the public sector, regardless of its ownership model. Indeed, innovation is one of the main reasons Mr Maude is so interested in spin-outs, describing the benefits as “less bureaucracy, better access to outside expertise and capital, and the huge boosts in productivity and morale… they reduce absenteeism, improve performance management, encourage innovation…”

    Yet there is a danger that policy is being advanced on the basis of very limited evidence. Consequently, a research team led by Professor Fergus Lyon from the Third Sector Research Centre has undertaken an 18-month research programme into the nature and extent of innovation in public service mutual spin-outs. As part of this team, we looked at a sample of 30 spin-outs of different sizes, types, location and public service sectors and what we have found has some interesting implications for public policy. And Mr Maude in particular - with his rather ‘brave and courageous’ ambition for one in six public sector employees to work for mutuals.

    Innovation is easier in social enterprises

    First, this new evidence provides, arguably for the first time, some support for the recent policy ambition and rhetoric. The Cabinet Office’s Mutuals Taskforce previously sought to set out the case for spin-outs, but had to admit that “Most of the evidence tends to come from what is conventionally thought of as the private sector” and therefore could only lamely conclude that there “is no reason why public services should be different”. So our conclusion that innovation can indeed be faster and easier in social enterprises compared to the public sector should be welcomed by those who have been arguing the case for mutualisation of public services.

    Culture wins over structure

    Second, however, many of the most impressive innovations we observed were developed by social entrepreneurial leaders while they were still in the public sector. This perhaps heralds the return of the heroic social entrepreneur – a myth which has influenced the debate around social enterprise for some time but has rather faded in recent years. Our research risks reviving this idea by suggesting that the leaders of these organisations were in some way mavericks, already innovating to a significant degree in the public sector and merely unleashed further by their new freedoms. We conclude that a change in legal form, governance and ownership is not enough to drive organisational change or, in other words, “culture eats structure for breakfast”. This potentially weakens the value of our evidence - while these enterprises became more innovative, this may not be the case for other, less innovative teams. What happens if you unleash unnovation!? So policymakers should also consider how cultures of employee engagement and innovation may be fostered in a public sector context.

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    1. Social enterprise more popular than mutual

      Third, our research established a clear attachment among the spin-outs to their identity as social enterprises and less so as mutuals. The concept of mutuality remains contested - while these organisations may have had an element of staff and user involvement in governance, the greater role of staff and users in decision-making was still just an emerging ambition. Social enterprise was perhaps more significant as most recent spin-outs made progress along their journey under Labour’s Right to Request programme, which was founded on the concept of social enterprise rather than a mutual ideal. This is worth noting for those who argue that spin-outs are this government’s Trojan Horse for privatisation. First, it was Labour and the Department of Health which enabled the vast majority of these spin-outs, despite what the Conservatives and the Cabinet Office claim. Second, these spin-outs are a relative sideshow in the context of outsourcing which has been happening anyway under successive governments. This government’s talk of mutuals and the VCSE sector may indeed be a misleading smokescreen of sorts (perhaps in probation in particular) but why construct a Trojan Horse which is meaningless in the context of a wider war already raging on the battlefield beyond the city walls? Policymakers might want to reflect on – given the public distrust of the profit motive in public services - whether a not-for-profit social enterprise agenda or an anything-goes mutual agenda is more likely to enable further waves of public sector spin-outs.

      Passing power to the unwilling

      Finally, our research has implications for the Big Society and people-powered services agendas. Spin-outs seeking to develop a culture of staff or employee ownership were often wrestling with how to give power to a group which may not instinctively want to seize this power, echoing national political narratives. Each major party seems keen on transferring power from the state to society in some way, although this varies in terms of transferring either assets; choice; ownership; accountability; or perhaps more dauntingly, transferring responsibility to pay for services or provide them. Politicians of all parties need to be clearer about what it is they want to transfer and how this can be supported, rather than simply expecting citizens to seize powers they are used to the state exercising on their behalf.

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  4. I doubt any plan will make much difference while Napo has;

    1. A leader, Ian Lawrence, who has no leadership skills.
    2. A media officer, Tania Bassett, who has neither effective media skills nor a voice.
    3. Most importantly, a Chair, Tim Rendon, that has already tried to desert the sinking ship to join the opposition - and FAILED.

    I also wonder how much is being spent on retaining Harry Fletcher as a consultant?, as Napo are keeping pretty tight lipped on that, and whatever the cost, Napo are still losing to TR.

    Napo already has a plan - do nothing!

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    1. I think Tim Rendon's position is untenable and he should consider his position. I think he has been considering his position but from his own selfish perspective. You cannot have a person who is apparently leading the fight against TR seeking a position with a CRC. The obvious parody is Animal Farm. There is no form of words that can square the disorientation and upset at the grassroots level where members have been shifted around like pawns, with the manoeuvring of one of their leading representatives who appears to be in I'm All Right Jack mode.

      If we ever get to a judicial review the judge at least will have the pleasure of a wry smile as he considers Napo's 'vehement' (well, you do wonder if it's real) opposition and the actions of one of the opposition's leading proponents. If the notion of the split is so terrible and poses genuine risks to public safety, how can you then act to the contrary without losing all credibility and how can you trust words that seem quite independent of actions. It all boils down to trust and confidence. And if a leader is asking members to make sacrifices, she/he cannot afford to be perceived to be acting cynically and egocentrically.

      We need a chair who will be single-minded in the fight against TR, not one who holds a directorship in the Probation Institute and aspires to be a senior manager for the privateers. He should go.

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    2. I have to agree with you netnipper. You can't represent members in a fight against something that you actively seek to become part of.
      Theres obviously been for some time a big conflict of interest at NAPO HQ, and that can only have had a negative impact on the TR struggle.
      I too think he should go.

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    3. I have to say I think that would be a big mistake, be even more destabilising at a critical time with the AGM only a few months away and would hamper getting agreement on an action plan. I'm sure there is a plan - it just needs leadership to implement it in the face of some internal indifference and resistance.

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    4. These references to Tom R applying for ACE post appear only to be rumours:his application and alleged non success should surely have been confidential information so whilst I feel if the information regarding the application were true this action relects poorly on him,it feels malicious and seedy talking about stuff which could all be false. Can it not be clarified at a NEC meeting?

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    5. I have not seen his application form and my basis for believing it to be true is based on the authentication provided by this blog. I trust Jim Brown's evidence.

      If he stays he will not be trusted. He strongly supported the probation institute and has written in support of it. The problem is you are left wondering about true motivations when actions seem contradictory. It's possible that his leadership will prove to be increasingly divisive.

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  5. At least many will feel Harry is doing something and he is good at what he does.

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    1. We had to give £10 000 to Harry's new anti stalking charity to stop him abandoning us at the most critical time in our history, and in the process taking all his specialist knowledge, media connections etc with him, and what do we get? Some twaddle about influencing toothless committees at the house of commons... We've been played for fools by everyone involved in this farago, from Grayling through to the union leaders who see us only as pawns in the game of perpetuating their careers

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    2. Ah, yes the £10,000 to the new charity. Seems reasonable to me, but as to the why's and wherefore's of Harry's fall out and departure from Napo as part of the JL fiasco, well we need an enquiry don't we?

      I agree Harry can probably not be regarded as a particularly good team player and almost certainly has always had his own agenda, but he knows Parliament and that's the key forum where decisions are taken. It's ridiculous to imply it's been time and effort wasted.

      Finally, Harry knows the media and how to deal with them, unlike the present incumbent sadly.

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  6. This govt (& the opposition for that matter) say there's no public money for anything, austerity, broke, too much debt, etc. So, Boris the Mayor today announces plans to spend £many millions of taxpayers money on a commercial science-based business triangle, i.e. London, Oxford, Cambridge. Presumably serviced by Boris Airport?

    We cant expect the wealthy life science companies to fund their own commercial enterprise, not when Tory boys and girls have generous shareholdings and investment in these "cash machines". And in order to release those public funds we need to sell off the nhs and probation and anything else that the plebs use. Its natural selection of the rich and powerful - some are born to it, some embrace it, the rest can rot in their hovels.

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  7. The facts are that the National Chair Tom 'I'm a Director now so get lost you lot' Rendon probably doesnt see any problem applying for a job as an ACO (even though he is a relatively wet behind the ears inexperienced PO with his eye on a top job away from the riff raff) whilst others in the union are standing shoulder to shoulder with their members in the trenches. He also doesnt see any problem travelling round the country enthusiastically promoting the PI when what he was voted to do, and what he is supposed to be working on our behalf, to lead the campaign. I dont see any problem not voting for him when he comes up for election in October. I understand Grayling likes him a lot and thinks he's a nice lad.

    I think we are stuck with Ian Lawrence who was past his sell by date even before he joined the Napo gravy train for failed trade unionists and has little impact (who's heard of him in the corridors of power?). - simply an opportunist non-entity looking to make a quick buck who would be wise to llisten a lot more carefully to criticism from the membership. As for Tania Bassett I would agree with the previous comments made - another non-entity.

    Perhaps it is time for a fresh approach from someone who has been around a bit and knows their onions and is not afraid to rattle Graylings cage. Any suggestions? Any Napo leaders out there think they can do better than the shambles at Chivalry Rd? Go for it?

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    1. What is your evidence of Chris Grayling's view of Tom Rendon? I did not vote for him at both last elections but don't like all this innuendo and rumour spreading.

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  8. Gutless, anonymous people telling others how they should act as a representative, who do not even have the nouse to use Napo's constitution to get these issues out in the open at an SGM and get a motion before the membership to make the views explicit.

    And what about people not offering themselves as candidates for Committee and officer positions?

    Maybe what you are getting is the consequence!

    Think on before you criticise another from behind an anonymous facade.

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    1. No, it does not lack integrity to criticise using a non de plume, a pseudonym, or plain old Anonymous – though that does make for the melodramatic cloak of anonymity. And it seems that any posting that someone does not like the troll complaint is deployed.

      Like it or not, those who represent Napo at the top have public personas. They sought those positions and whether through kudos, job satisfaction or pay, they are not the downtrodden. They are Napo's leaders, they go on public platforms and urge others to agree with them and follow their leadership. They are our leaders. They are not our Dear Leaders.

      So, to my mind they are fair game when it comes to criticism. So what if offence is caused. If we were to embargo causing offence we would have no freedom of expression and no HIGNFY and other satirical stuff. Though TR is far from a source of fun.

      I like anonyonimity and it does not bother me in the slightest that the overwhelming majority of contributers post anonymously. I am not interested in 'who' is saying something, but in 'what' is being said.

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    2. I did not complain about trolls and recognise people who are current practitioners can have difficulties if their identities are public - the Grayling gag and client retribution.

      When I began using the internet regularly around 2001 I wanted to be open but having had direct experiences of threats - I thought better of it and have been conflicted about the issue.

      I have had no recent problems - though there will still be some who are experiencing or have experienced custody where I have encouraged that - some behaved violently or dangerously in other ways and seemed willing to make open threats.

      There is also the cyber problem of scams and worse, I had my home phone corrupted once, or I was tricked & found some very expensive charges on my bill that no user at my address knowingly instigated and I also had a credit card cloned seemingly when I used it in a restaurant someone got the details and did some swift purchases that were quickly identified and I was reimbursed.

      So I have stayed with either a pseudonym or more recently I have reverted to using my own identity, but only 'anon', when I cannot get the gadgetry to work and that prints out automatically, in which case - I try to remember to 'sign' the actual post.

      There could be a bigger issue if 'Jim Brown' is a singular person who has not shared his passwords. Unplanned things do happen to people, that cause them to be unavailable - it would be a great shame - if either suddenly this blog was deleted or stopped.

      I once gave strong advise about not keeping an organisation structured so it depended on only one person to function. My friend, said it is the most important thing in my life - then she died and it folded, leaving folk bereft and isolated

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    3. Andrew,

      If it folds or disappears for any reason, another will appear. The internet does not allow a vacuum to exist for long.

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  9. Of course the blog itself needs to be anonymous - it is only necessary because Napo has such poor online communication between its members, but if you are commenting and personally criticising others by name behind a cloak of anonymity - for what ever reason you need to hide - does that not lack integrity?

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    1. In a word, Andrew, yes. And I stand by my choice of words in describing some of the comments on this blog as trolling. It is all too easy, I am afraid.

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    2. Ruth,

      I monitor this site very closely and I can say hand on heart that it's virtually troll-free. This is one of the best behaved sites I know of given the volume of visits and sensitivity of subjects discussed, but we're all entitled to different opinions.

      Cheers,

      Jim

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    3. Thanks Jim. I really like your blog and agree that in general, people conduct themselves well during this incredibly difficult and confusing time. However, I did feel attacked personally when I dared to challenge a view/growing orthodoxy about non strikers on the 1st of April. I am very comfortable with opinions that differ from my own and delight in debate, being a political animal. However, I was described as a 'lost cause', and blamed for TR going forward - 'people like you', and labelled as 'selfish and indifferent' for not striking. This felt attacking and personal, not the expression of a different opinion. This crossed a line.

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    4. Ruth,

      Yes point taken and it was an ill-tempered exchange, no doubt because strike action is a very contentious issue. I'm sorry the exchanges did unusually get personal and hope you feel able to carry on contributing.

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    5. Thanks Jim. I am sure I shall! And thanks again for your quality blog!

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    6. Pompous self congratulatory statements about 'integrity' and ad hominem attacks regarding the anonymity of other posters are no more likely to progress the debate than the imaginary trolling, had any in truth taken place. That's jolly good for you, Ruth, that you stand by your facile notion that any critical assesment of your entirely integrity-free stance on industrial action can be dismissed as mere trolling. I stand by my words that people like you are selfish and indifferent for not joining collective action. You were quite happy to sneer about what you felt NAPO were failing to do, and yet you feel you should be exempt from criticism yourself? The message for you, and for anyone else who feels they should be free to criticise, but would wish to deny that freedom to others - whether anonymous or under an unverifiable identity - is simple: don't post anything, and then you won't be criticised

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  10. I think whats gutless Andrew is telling the membership your engaged in a fight for survival, we can't tell you all thats going on, but your interests are at the heart of all we are doing when its clearly not.
    Too much time has been lost trying to deflect fall out from embarrassing events and a payoff that I feel for one was disgusting.
    Union support is being given to a probation institute that only serves to legitimise TR.
    And, whilst sending its membership to the picket line, to strike for reasons that are still not clear to most, it's revealed that the NAPO chair has applied for an ACO possition in a CRC?
    Thats a hard faced cheeky bastard in my opinion.
    Maybe Andrew, before you criticise others for their opinions (anonymous or not) you may wish to consider your own loyalties which appear to me to be blind, entrenched, and somewhat misplaced.

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  11. Easy to blame napo, but to what extent do they reflect a largely flaccid, compliant workforce. Now if the leadership really felt it had muscle behind it........

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    1. Agreed - and I have been one of those better at complaining than doing - sorry.

      I have gathered some comments under the heading: -

      We Need a Plan! not just a critique of 'Jim Brown'

      -Probably should also have added - or Napo - though the damned - subject box would not have allowed all that if I had thought of it before!

      Anyway - for those bothered it is here: -

      http://www.napo2.org.uk/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=616

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  12. NAPO does seem to attract a lot of criticism, and I have to say for the most part in my opinion its justified.
    However, I'd like to take a moment to give some thought to the very hard working reps on the shop floor, that do many hours of extra work for members, despite being as frustrated, fed up and disheartened as everyone else. They must feel caught between a rock and a hard place at the moment.

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  13. Has there been any confirmation that Tom did try for the job or is it at present an unsubstantiated rumour?

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    1. It has been confirmed as the process is conducted by assessment centre and a number of persons were also present.

      It must have been quite a surprise to see the National Chair of Napo there not least because he is a relatively inexperienced maingrade PO.

      Had he been succes

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  14. Ha Ha! We win like we knew we would. You bunch of hippy weirdos out there in la la land had no chance at stopping us. We're a government ministry, do you not think we know how to get our own way. If we win a majority in 2015 then watch out. Mutuals can think again, the NPS will be shrunk to the point it will be absorbed by the PCC. Justice is better in the private sector. All the research shows that. Cheaper and better

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  15. Calling for resignations is not going to help the situation one bit. Can we have some views on the need for a plan and what it might contain please?

    Cheers

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    1. Straight away I'd like to see a withdrawal from any involvement with the PI, and second, I like to know something about 'all the things' that are being done behind closed doors thats so clandestine I'm not allowed to know about yet.

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    2. Nothing. Nothing is being done 'behind closed doors'. It's a lie, as indeed the whole so-called 'campaign' has been a lie. We've been sold out by people looking out solely for their own interests.

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  16. We should get some unions people actually have some warmth for like teachers, healthworkers and firemen behind us and have had a proper, concerted barrage of industrial action TOGETHER. Was aligning with lawyers & Barristers ever going to draw anything other than indifference (at best) or contempt (at worst) from the public?

    What has come out here is that in general modern Brirain has been subsumed by individualism to the point that we are effectively a defeated nation. Neoliberalism wins. Its far bigger than just TR.

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    1. I totally agree with you. We have discussed this in my area, wondering why Napo has not approached police firemen health workers and social workers. A united walkout would definitely draw media attention as this government want to privatize us all. The people of this Country know the truth.

      NAPO ARE YOU LISTENING?!!!!!!!!!

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  17. Jeremy Cameron and Judy Green of the old NAPO "Action Group" were always powerful at AGM's and they understood that getting close to power corrupts the best of us. Could either of them head up a last hurrah, I think Cameron is employed as some sort of representative by NAPO

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  18. So far I have written to every Lib Dem, MPs and peers, numerous times and then was told that Clegg said they would let Grayling privatise Probation if he dealt with the under 12 months, and he agreed although he said recidivism would only go down at most 8%, from 60% to 52%. So Grayling is lying every time he says he thinks he can reduce re-offending with this group and all those hours writing to Lib Dems were wasted.

    Then, I contacted every media outlet I could think of, had to complain about the Daily Mail, never heard anything from Woman's Hour and was ignored by everyone else. I also contacted every women's group but they didn't want to know as we worked with perpetrators. I suggested a PR firm to Napo 6 months ago and was told no.

    I have also become firm friends with our local media. I have been disappointed with Napo's national media campaign and I know Tania is being contacted by the media and doesn't return their calls. I also know that Ian initially refused my calls for a second opinion for JR but then claims that he keeps his word at the rally!

    I think we should insist they keep Harry Fletcher on at the NEC as we need to keep working in parliament and we should send in stuff about inadequate provision for the JR, as the last Napo mailout said. We should also be aware that there is an action plan at the next NEC which will be along Harry's three attack points - industrial action, legal action and parliament. I also think we need a media plan, but maybe someone else would have more luck than Tania or myself.

    I see Jenny Chapman has said she will reverse TR if the contracts aren't signed. I wonder whether we can look at contacting the shareholders of the private companies and telling them the truth about how hard it will be for them to make money - maybe we need to do some stuff like the MOJ do, except we'll be telling the truth.

    I have handed in my resignation and am thinking that we need Labour to get in, although they need to change a lot. If they changed, we wouldn't need to think about trying to get people to stand as Independents. I will carry on fighting after I've left, but if there's one thing I've learned from this whole TR episode, is that those with power can do anything they like. We need to have people in power with a moral vision similar to our own.

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    1. And there lies the issue...the government has no sense of morality. They are display a greater degree of greed, are more deceitful and corrupt than those we generally deal with on a day to day basis. And it makes no difference if they are conservative, labour or lib dems, they all want this to happen.

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    2. Before we begin to consider the likes of Harry Fletcher - was he not present at a time when the then general secretary i.e. Ledger (the sexual predator) was abusing his position. Where was Harry then? How much are we paying Harry for his services now? and how much did our membership go towards paying uncle Harry out? and you want him back!!!

      People talk about integrity but don't even know what means. I tell you what is integrity; it is the likes of people like Jim who dedicates his time and energy to assist many probation officer with up to date information. Guess what, you would be surprised to hear - he does it for free. At no cost to anyone - why because he has integrity.

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    3. I think you will find that Harry Fletcher is one of the few people who come out of the JL affair with any integrity - I'm fairly sure he resigned in disgust, although you wouldn't guess that from outward appearances would you?

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    4. Sorry Jim, but he never resigned. Ask him. He was paid out. Ask NAPO. They all knew about it at the time but they don't tell. All their silence is collusive. Why? That's the question we need to be asking.

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    5. Well all I know is that there was a widespread impression that he'd retired and I'm sure I heard him say at last year's AGM when presented with some gift or other - 'I didn't retire I resigned' or words to that effect.

      Anyway, no doubt someone sometime will explain what happened, but it all goes to further illustrate how dysfunctional things are at the top of Napo.

      Whatever, Harry is good at handling Parliamentary stuff and in my view his services are still needed.

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    6. Jim, fair point but without an internal review of the functioning of NAPO from the top how can we i.e. membership have confidence in a system that is meant to represent the people. The question is why someone with his so called credibility, reputation and contacts, out of the blue, with no apparent reason whatsoever, make a decision to resign at such a critical time in the history of probation (and abandon his children). Why? Why has NAPO failed to undertake a full review given the serious nature of the issues presented by JL and there are more questions to be asked... but people need to be more vocal and need to ask searching questions. And by the way if people are asking why I’m anonymous well, I’ll tell you why... because if someone who can abuse their position of power (JL) and then get paid off with a nice little sum, how can I trust that same organisation. If NAPO are actively engaged with PI and the Chair applies for a job with CRC, the structure we are fighting against what message does that send to the membership. Frankly I don’t trust NAPO and if the membership is serious about its value base and its principles then need to get our own house in order first. We need to back to basics!

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    7. The reason there has not been a review is because the Officers Group, the NEC or a General Meeting did not commission one.

      A lot of problems, may be because members think of Napo as THEY when in fact it is WE/US.

      In the same way as if my family plan an activity together, then somehow reach a decision together and do it, that is how Napo works.

      If we leave it to others to arrange, either the wrong thing will happen or perhaps nothing, but if we want to do something as a 'family', one of us needs to propose it and then reach agreement with the others about the details, if we say nothing, the only opportunity we have is to decide whether or not to join in, if others arrange it.

      I was always surprised with how proportionally few of the members bother to turn up at general meetings, at one time during my working life the quorum was 12½% at least - sometimes it was a struggle and sometimes sessions of general meetings did not happen, so it was gradually lowered.

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    8. Andrew, I don't dispute what you say and completely agree with your comments, but unfortunate the reality is that NAPO does not LISTEN. Any voice of opposition is oppressed and made to feel (the way people in power do) that you are the problem for raising it in the first place. The reality is that voices of dissent are repressed. If people don't attend what has NAPO done to enquire about the reasons for this. How has NAPO actively supported peoples attendance to meetings.Knowledge is power but the system including NAPO's inactivity has only promoted dis-empowerment amongst it's membership. You can't blame the membership if NAPO has been at the forefront of creating this culture of inactivity.

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    9. I am not blaming anybody - any two full members can initiate a change of Napo policy or action by proposing and seconding a motion at a branch meeting or general meeting.

      Napo is us - not a distant organisation over which we have no means of influencing action - one can even test policy and action by asking questions of the annual report at a general meeting - there have been times when the report has been referred back for rewriting - Napo is me and all other members together - if we choose to join in.

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  19. If a socialist alternative were on offer would any of you vote for it?

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    1. Yes. Absolutely. Yes.

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    2. No. That's why labour was out for years. Get real.

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    3. I am only an associate member - and in earlier years was frightened of what seemed rampant socialism, because I did not feel there was an intention to build allegiances and acceptance but rather to force whatever version of 'socialism' through that those in power chose. So before I would vote for it I would need to know what was involved, what were the priorities and how would those who could never agree be treated.

      I would be in favour of all comprehensive schools, removing charitable status from private schools unless they offered bursaries for a specific proportion of free students and for nationalising the banks, utility services and all public services.

      I am not very well politically informed or astute and need more education

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    4. The Russians are coming :)

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  20. I work in an office that saw very few take strike action last week, the best excuse was “I can’t afford to strike as I have just returned from a skiing holiday that cost me a fortune”. With this type of loyalty behind us, it is no wonder that we are in this mess. I feel that NAPO have given a very poor show, there are a few who are prepared to fight this all the way but the majority are sheep who are already squabbling over the desk they want and accepting the inevitable. I have personally become disillusioned with all the spin from management and from my union, there are many like me who are saying that once the dust has settled they will leave NAPO.

    Just a suggestion, why don’t we all phone in sick on Monday and return to work on Thursday? This will have more effect than any strike and at the same time allow those financially hard pressed individuals who are saving for their next vacation a chance to do something constructive.

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  21. I am so sick of reading this kind of rubbish on here. Most people did not strike. Most of your colleagues feel totally disrespected and pushed around by the government, our employers and the many self righteous people who come on here asking us to resign, quit, strike (again) and then to brow beat us and say we have no principles. I think most of us are sick of it and your colleague probably works their backside off and deserves a holiday. So leave it out. We all have our lives outside of probation and don't deserve the self righteous kicking that many want to dole out on here. What a way to cultivate solidarity.

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  22. I lost £250 in salary supporting the strike action, I secured live interviews on local radio and I am now fighting for members discriminated against for having health problems against a Trust that protects the few and rides roughshod over the rest of us and I cannot even get Ian Lawrence or Dean Rogers to respond to an e-mail. I never thought I would post a negative blog about Napo, but whilst Tom shows some integrity, exhausted activists are struggling with minimal support, This fight is not to preserve Napo, but to stop privatisation and save an established evidence based service, also to stop the Tories destruction and sale of the entire public sector. I work in the Trust that treats managers like children with the certain grades of higher managers deliberately placed in the lifeboat without any competition or evaluation of the roles which have been created for them. Napo HQ please do your jobs - you want information then respond to e-mails.

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  23. I'm a lowly PSO and a single parent. I want to strike for 2 weeks. We won't starve. We need determination and a a we can do attitude. Because we can do it. We have all the power. We just have to recognise that and fight.

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  24. no strike equals government and new employers who will slash your pay wake up and turn oasys off before you non strikers have no job simple !!!!

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  25. Yeah. Because we who did strike achieved what? Oh yeah - the probation institute rubber stamp and napo signing up to say we agreed to measures for our transfer. At least we got all th media coverage - oh wait? But j r - still waiting. Maybe it's we who should wake up.

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  26. Napo is part of The Probation Institute because the General Meeting last October agreed it should be involved and subsequently at the behest of the National Executive Committee representatives who were all elected by ordinary members.

    I gather there was not a motion brought forward at The Birmingham SGM, calling for withdrawal or suspension of Napo involvement - which is what I would favour - but I did not go to Birmingham or actively campaign for it via my branch - I am sorry, but as an associate member I no longer choose to attend meetings.

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  27. Tom Rendon - if you are reading this, you are a disgusting traitor and you should resign you position with immediate effect. I have always said that Napo colludes with senior management and this just proves it. We then a purge of these traitors and collaborators. Animal Farm springs to mind; "everyone is equal but some people are more equal than others."

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  28. This situation is nothing new, I've seen family out on strike, not just for a couple of days but for months I find this saddening; if not faintly amusing. Grayling is not busing in hordes of strike breakers to sit at colleagues desks. None are being 'sent to Coventry' at least, or having your windows put through, or 'Scab' painted on your car, or children taunted at school at the worst. Are they? No they're not! So let's get some sense of perspective here. I'm not condoning these kind of behaviours I've just described but it does help to illustrate the passion and willingness to fight others have had in the past that quite frankly just does not exist in Probation ranks. Yes there are a handful of strikers, activists, bloggers, tweeters and FBookers who I take my hat off to and do a great job in keeping everyone involved and keep the dialogue rolling. Put that aside and a day or so of waving a card on a stick outside our office is hardly Orgreave, now is it?
    The fact is the scale of the confrontation or challenge matters little. The passion and the real hunger to fight TR is just not there. This was clear back in November on that first strike day. Whether you were in a union or not, you should have been out that day! If you hadn't been convinced by the arguments by then you were never going to be convinced by them. Then NAPO in their wisdom decided to let over 4 months go by and ask members to come out again. Fatal mistake! Why? Many members could not see the point. Unison clearly had their own agenda (eyes on cosying to CRC hopefuls like Carilion), the media had lost interest (our fault), it got confused and lost in the legal aid argument, and senior managers/union leaders are colluding with TR spin-offs such as the Probation Institute! Sorry how many own goals can we score before we get accused of match-fixing?
    There needs to be a debate/inquest, it needs healthy public dialogue, it doesn't have to be nasty, it shouldn't have to be done anonymously and the sooner the better.
    The plan? A 'refreshed' and recharged supported NAPO leadership, might just be the answer in a final push to bury TR once and for all.
    Peace, love and understanding to all.

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    1. Its hard not to want to give up - there's more than enough evidence of sleaze and incompetence by HMG, but equally by NAPO. No-one comes out of this with any fragrance, yet no-one seems to want to take anything head on.

      Plan? I think as has been suggested we need a team before we can come up with a plan. The team just isn't there at the moment, the team managers seem to be matchfixing with the opposition (nice analogy stolen from an earlier post), the team players don't seem to want to play, and no-one's turning up for training.

      Publicgadgie argues for a way forward - so why not? Those with experience and knowledge of union law and procedure might want to initiate the necessary debate/inquest and help find a means of refreshing/recharging NAPO leadership and membership.

      Is it too late? For the restructure, yes. For the opposition and fight against ideological death-by-TR, no.

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  29. We seem to be getting stuck in a circular argument - we need action now and in particular some media appearances - how difficult is it to pick up the phone and employ a PR company?

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  30. Well looking at Ian Lawrence's latest blog seems media appearances might be in the offing?

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    1. Yes it seems to imply that a plan is evolving

      "as we develop our ideas across the parliamentary, industrial, legal and media landscape."

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    2. Deeds not words

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  31. Yes Jim I agree I think the 1% versus the 99% came from a PR company. As I have said many times its impossible to stop fighting because if they win this round there will be a next. probably when they want to slash your pay by a third and cut your holidays. Teachers and health professionals are in the same fight we should be talking with them. Come to think of it students being saddled with debt are in the same fight too. Their leadership is located in the Midlands I know them; this fight is much bigger than Probation.

    papa

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  32. At the risk of sounding a bit irritating - can we all remind ourselves that we are in this together - each and every employee! Let's accept, we will try to do what is right for the collective group, but we have been conditioned and consumed by a political era that is one of self interest and risk aversion. I think NAPO members should remember they had an opportunity to vote for the top table, and there is no use crying over spilt milk, as they used to say. Nor do I want to sound complacent...if there is one thing the vast majority of us can agree on is Probation used to be a great place to work, to find out who we really are and in addition to financial security, it provided us with a platform to do our bit for humanity. This Government is anti-everything Probation stands for, and given the inequality of power and authority, we are in a fight not of our making and definitely as the underdogs. I dispair that my colleagues feel the need to espouse and support in-fighting; this is not helpful to us, but serves to bolster the opposition. My Team Manager yesterday, looked frazzled and I have no doubt that all grades are labouring under misinformation and the lack of any support or real direction...because...to use a football analogy "they don't know what their doing"....none of us do. So please, lets have a little respect for our colleagues and I include NAPO - I was on the NEC once and the top table is not a place for the faint hearted, and if anyone of us could have done it better, then we would have stepped up to the plate. Looks like we have been successfully divided, let's not them rule us! Good day to everyone!

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  33. Well said!If people want to volunteer services to Campaigning Cttee (which sounds good idea)then could try contacting the link Nationnal Officer..used to be Megan I think but Napo HQ would know.Am sure Cttes can co-opt people on to assist with specific issues and if people have mexia experience that could well be useful.

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  34. Sorry meant "media" experience!

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  35. No you didn't you meant mexis

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