Napo - Situation Normal

The tensions at Chivalry Road are finally coming to the surface, as indicated by National Chair Tom Rendon's resignation letter yesterday:-

Dear All

I'm stepping down from my role as National Chair of Napo with immediate effect. This is one of the toughest decisions I've had to make and I don't underestimate the impact of it.

For several months I have disagreed with the direction of travel taken by Napo's senior officials on some important matters of employment and on the campaign against Transforming Rehabilitation. Although debate is healthy, the differences here are so fundamental as to make my position untenable.

We are a professional association as well as a trade union but I strongly feel our professional issues have not been given enough weight in our central strategy. For many members, Napo is not just any trade union because part of our purpose is to affirm and promote probation values. I don't think this is either adequately understood or respected across the management team. I hope that changes.

I want to publicly thank the elected officers for their support, the National Executive Committee for holding us to account and to the many activists who make me feel proud to be part of Napo. I'm proud of my achievements over what has been a very troubled time in our history and I'm grateful for many of the experiences I've had in this post. It's been a privilege to be your elected representative.

I realise that my decision will be unsettling but I want to reassure members that I will be handing over to the Vice Chairs over the next few weeks until the NEC makes a decision about the vacancy when they meet in July.

After the first of June, I'll return to working as a probation officer; a job that I enjoy and believe in. For my part, I think stopping the re-structure of Probation was a very tall order but stopping privatisation is infinitely possible. I'll still be a Napo member and I'll do whatever I can to stop the sell off.

Best wishes,

Tom Rendon

Here's the key bit:-

"For several months I have disagreed with the direction of travel taken by Napo's senior officials on some important matters of employment and on the campaign against Transforming Rehabilitation. Although debate is healthy, the differences here are so fundamental as to make my position untenable."

Now regular readers will be aware that for some weeks I have tried to argue that the National Chair deserved support from members and that far from calling for his resignation, I maintained that members interests would be far better served by him remaining until the AGM at least, and exerting some leadership and control over the senior employees. For whatever reason this has not proved possible and, clearly feeling undermined, felt obliged to throw the towel in as his position had become untenable. 

The situation is confirmed by today's email to all members from the Officer Group:-

Subject: Resignation of National Chair – Napo Officers response

Date: 23rd May 2014

Members all received a resignation email from Tom Rendon yesterday. The Napo Officers believe it is important to clarify that the views expressed were his personal views and not those of the Officer group.

The timing is regrettable  but we promise you that the Officers will do all that they can to carry forward  all the ongoing work and to communicate with members. We  will continue to have a constructive , mutually respectful and professional relationship with all of Napo's Officials and Napo staff.

We need to all pull together to achieve the best possible outcomes for all our members in Napo at this critical time.

Megan Elliot, Yvonne Pattison,  Chris Winters - National Vice Chairs, Keith Stokeld -  National Treasurer

"We need to all pull together to achieve the best possible outcomes for all our members in Napo at this critical time."

A laudable sentiment, but in my view almost certainly just empty rhetoric given the continued dysfunctionality abundantly on show at Napo HQ. In my view the main problem has for some time been with the General Secretary, together with Napo's historic inability to effectively exercise managerial control and accountability. The possibility of that happening any time soon vanished with Tom Rendon's departure yesterday and subsequently confirmed beyond doubt by the Officers extraordinary statement today. 

Having nailed their colours firmly to supporting the status quo, it remains to be seen if the membership are willing to endorse such a complacent view at the forthcoming AGM in Scarborough later this year.