Wednesday 9 July 2014

More Mutual News 2

Readers may find the following of interest in relation to the astonishing about turn in relation to the Innovo staff mutual partnership and dumping of The Manchester College as a partner last week. A new deal was stitched up at alarming speed with Geo Group and there has been a suggestion that should they prove successful, an expensive legal challenge to the late bid might be forthcoming from unsuccessful bidders. We all remember what happened with the botched West Coast Mainline challenge by Virgin don't we?  
Dear All,

Last Tuesday you were all told the news that Innovo Rehabilitation, the partnership between Innovo CLM and The Manchester College (TMC), would no longer submit a bid into the competition.

It is important to us that we communicate the circumstances to you and we have an announcement that demonstrates Innovo’s meaning and how we are determined to live up to its name - ‘renew, restore and restart’!

We are delighted to announce that a bid has been submitted as a result of hard work and the development of a new partnership between Innovo CLM and The GEO Group LTD (GEO). The first part of the bid was submitted at 10 am June 30, and the second part, the financials, was submitted earlier today.

Discussions were held late Wednesday 25th June with other potential bidders who could partner with Innovo CLM and talks with GEO occurred. From this conversation a meeting was arranged on Thursday with the Managing Director and Chief Operations Officer. Many of you may have questions about GEO and their name may be familiar to some as it is currently partnered with two other probation staff mutuals who have submitted bids as well so we have been aware of them for some time. GEO has made their announcement simultaneously to their staff.

The framework of a potential partnership was outlined in this meeting along with a demonstration of their commitment to work with us. It was evident from their proposition that they have a clear understanding of the probation service. They demonstrated their understanding of the importance of a staff mutual and the values it represents.

Due to the pressing nature of the first part of the bid submission of 30 June and after hearing GEO proposition, negotiations took place and were concluded with an agreement being reached – launching the birth of ‘GEO Innovo’.

Undeterred by the setback at the 11th hour, the team sought out and explored other options for partnerships and through hard work successfully delivered a jointly agreed bid which we believe will be a great outcome that delivers a top model for both service users and staff in the CRC.

We will now wait to hear the preferred bidder status that should be announced in August/September.

For more information on GEO we have provided their press release that was sent out simultaneously to their staff.

GEO Innovo twitter page will be launched later today so we encourage you to follow to receive the latest news. @GEOInnovo_Rehab

Regards,

Geri Byrne-Thompson and Dave Christian

Joint Venture with Innovo (CLM) 
I am pleased to announce that The GEO Group UK Ltd has entered into an agreement with Innovo (CLM) CIC to bid for the Ministry of Justice’s Transforming Rehabilitation competition. For the purposes of bidding, we are known as GEO Innovo.

Innovo (CLM) CIC
Innovo is a Community Interest Company set up by the management and staff group of the former Cumbria & Lancashire and Merseyside Probation Trusts.

Together we have bid for two contracts to manage offenders in the Cumbria, Lancashire and Merseyside areas.

I have attached to this NTS some frequently asked questions about this exciting venture. We have also placed a message on our website, Facebook and LinkedIn pages, which I would encourage you to read.

Staff in Innovo are being told simultaneously about this announcement. 
Phil Watkins
MANAGING DIRECTOR

The Joint Venture

Q: What are you announcing today?

We are announcing that GEO UK and Innovo have entered into an agreement to bid for two of the Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs), covering Cumbria & Lancashire and Merseyside areas.

Q: Who is Innovo?

Innovo is a community interest company set up by the management and staff group from the former Cumbria & Lancashire and Merseyside Probation Trusts.

Q: Are we changing our name?

No.

Nothing is changing to our Company and we will remain The GEO Group UK Ltd.

However, we have jointly bid with Innovo for the contract to manage the Community Rehabilitation Company (CRC) in the Cumbria & Lancashire and Merseyside regions.

Q: Why are we forming this Joint Venture?

GEO and Innovo are bringing together our collective experience and expertise to form this exciting proposition. Both organisations have the same vision and values and are pooling our collective resources to meet the Ministry of Justice’s objectives of reducing reoffending rates.

Q: Didn’t you tell us about Joint Ventures with Delta and Mercia Community Action/Willowdene?

Yes. We have separate arrangements with: 
Delta Rehabilitation Ltd (Delta) , the staff mutual formed from the management and staff group in the former Humberside, Lincolnshire and North Yorkshire Probation Trusts. We are bidding jointly with Delta for these three regions which will become on single contract package area, and 
Mercia Community Action (MCA)/Willowdene. MCA is the staff mutual formed from the management and staff group in the former West Mercia and Warwickshire Probation Trusts. Willowdene is a social enterprise in Shropshire. We are bidding jointly with MCA and Willowdene for these regions which will become on single contract package area.

Q: How is this different from Delta and MCA/Willowdene?

It isn’t very different. All Joint Ventures will look very similar but will cover different parts of the country.

Q: When will the Joint Venture begin?

A legally binding agreement has been signed with Innovo which will be developed into a formal Joint Venture later on in the process. We have the same arrangements with Delta and MCA/Willowdene.

Q: How much finance is GEO UK putting into the Joint Ventures?

The GEO Group has global assets of £1.9 bn. While the exact amount GEO UK will invest in these Joint Ventures is commercially confidential, it is substantial and will allow us to transform the way in which offenders are managed and rehabilitated in the two regions.

Q: What specific skills do both parties offer?

The staff who formed Innovo have been successfully managing offenders for many years, operating as two Probation Trusts (Cumbria & Lancashire and Merseyside). The newly created Community Interest Company, Innovo, will build on these skill sets, but have a radically new approach to reducing re-offending.

GEO UK will provide financial investment, expertise in custodial management, logistics and sophisticated ICT solutions to support the services we jointly deliver to offenders.

Q: Are my terms and conditions changing?

No.

You will remain an employee of The GEO Group UK Ltd.

Q: What opportunities does this announcement bring for me?

We are not in a position to confirm any future opportunities for staff with the new Joint Ventures. We will keep staff informed as the process moves forward.

Q: Where will the Joint Ventures be based?

We expect to operate the Joint Ventures in the regions. However, we have not yet decided where exactly they will be located.
Press Release: GEO UK Website

The GEO Group UK Ltd and Innovo (CLM) CIC have today announced that they are to form a Joint Venture to bid for the Ministry of Justice's Transforming Rehabilitation competition in the Cumbria, Lancashire and Merseyside.

Phil Watkins, GEO UK's Managing Director said:

"We are delighted to be announcing our relationship with Innovo today. Innovo is the third staff mutual organisation that GEO has partnered with in the MoJ’s Transforming Rehabilitation, following Delta Rehabilitation (North Yorkshire, Humberside and Lincolnshire) and Mercia Community Action / Willowdene Farm West Mercia and Warwickshire).

We share joint values and a vision for transforming the lives of offenders, reducing re-offending and keeping the public safe. Together we have offered the Ministry of Justice an innovative and strong proposition.

Innovo’s Director, Geri Byrne-Thompson said:

"The staff who make up Innovo have been managing offenders for many years, helping them to turn their lives around. We are excited by the opportunities this competition brings and are delighted to be working with GEO to build services which will serve the needs of offenders and the local communities of Cumbria, Lancashire and Merseyside”

8 comments:

  1. Moj are requesting probation staff to go to london on the 15 and the 17 july to talk processes. Quite short notice

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    Replies
    1. If Probation Staff would like to 'talk' to the nonsense merchants at the MoJ and let them know how strongly you feel about TR etc there is a lunchtime demonstration at 1pm outside the MoJ in Petty France tomorrow where Napo Greater London Branch (we know that there is never a free lunchtime in Pat Watermans diary) will be showing their support for strikers from PCS and other unions. All welcome x

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  2. I predict that the private companies will have the probation qualification changed in order to make it more easier for new recruits to qualify. They will cause an increase in supply of probation officers, and thus will be better placed to operate competitively by paying lower wages as a result.

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    Replies
    1. The Government has already changed it by not setting any national requirements of qualification for Community Rehabilitation Companies - that is part of the deprofessionalisation of probation which Napo and the academics and predecessor organisations of the probation association and probation chiefs association, were unable to prevent Michael Howard advancing, although the progress was slowed when Jack Straw EVENTUALLY approved the introduction of the DipPS after Howard - like Grayling cancelled all pre entry probation training.

      We were warned!

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  3. It's genuinely heartbreaking to see probation officers being deprofessionalised all in the name of Tory ideology.

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  4. The newly created Community Interest Company, Innovo, will build on these skill sets, but have a radically new approach to reducing re-offending.
    re the ...radical new approach to reducing offending...Does anyone have the detail ? or would this be secret ?

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  5. • “Innovo is a community interest company set up by the management and staff group from the former Cumbria & Lancashire and Merseyside Probation Trusts” – well that’s wrong for a start. Innovo is a management led, management self-appointed bureaucratic hypocrites. Staff have not been involved. Staff have not been consulted. Staff have had no choice in the matter. So how can this be a mutual?
    • “Nothing is changing to our Company and we will remain The GEO Group UK Ltd” – absolutely spot on. Out to make a profit at all costs.
    • “Both organisations have the same vision and values” – is this an indication that Innovo has now changed their values following the last minute negotiations? GEO seem fairly confident about this.
    • “ While the exact amount GEO UK will invest in these Joint Ventures is commercially confidential, it is substantial and will allow us to transform the way in which offenders are managed and rehabilitated in the two regions.” – so how much is it? How do you plan to recoup the money back. Exactly what agreements have been signed and how much has this cost or will cost. What implications will this have for cutting back on staffing.
    • “The newly created Community Interest Company, Innovo, will build on these skill sets, but have a radically new approach to reducing re-offending.” – what is this radical new approach?
    • “GEO UK will provide financial investment, expertise in custodial management, logistics and sophisticated ICT solutions to support the services we jointly deliver to offenders.” – lock them up and we profit, tag them and we profit, supervise in community and we profit? Sounds like in with the money!! Is the new IT system designed to record minimal information? Is this to cover up any poor practices?
    • “Innovo’s Director, Geri Byrne-Thompson” - How the f’ing did she manage to get directorship. Who exactly made that decision and were staff consulted or vote don. No. so how the Fing hell can you call that a mutual.
    • “We are excited by the opportunities this competition brings and are delighted to be working with GEO to build services which will serve the needs of offenders and the local communities of Cumbria, Lancashire and Merseyside”” – sounds like excited by the possible profits available.
    FFS this is a joke.

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  6. "The staff who formed Innovo have been successfully managing offenders for many years, operating as two Probation Trusts (Cumbria & Lancashire and Merseyside)."

    Not true. Cumbria, Lancashire & Merseyside operated as THREE Trusts. If you can't count to three, what hope the contract for £30+M a year?

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