No Crisis With TR!
Here's that rabbit out of the hat in the form of a press release from the MoJ as official performance data shows there's no TR crisis after all! Odious Andrew Selous just can't stop himself taking the piss :-
Justice Minister Andrew Selous has praised hardworking probation staff for their dedication to maintaining public protection as the government introduces a radical new approach to rehabilitation, aimed at tackling stubbornly high reoffending rates.
This comes as performance data is released today showing that significant progress has been achieved following an initial transition period towards the new ways of working.
The government is introducing a much wider range of organisations from the private, public and voluntary sectors to bring new ideas to turning round the lives of offenders. They will offer an unprecedented level of support to offenders on short sentences who currently get no statutory post-prison support and return to crime at an alarming rate. Nearly 60% reoffend within a year of release.
Twenty-one new regional Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) have been created to focus on turning round the lives of medium and low risk offenders, while a new National Probation Service (NPS) is tasked with protecting the public from high-risk offenders.
The new structures went live on 1 June this year and the CRCs are remaining in the public sector until new providers take over in early 2015. This bedding-in period was built in to ensure a smooth handover to the new arrangements.
Andrew Selous, the minister responsible for probation and rehabilitation said:
"Our crucial reforms to probation are being rolled-out in a sensible way, with testing at every stage.
The wide range of information we have published demonstrates how closely we are monitoring the system to ensure that performance levels are maintained.
This has been a challenging time for staff, but they should be extremely proud of the way they have kept up standards. I want to put on record my thanks to them."
The ‘preferred bidders’ who are set to lead the new fight against reoffending were announced last month, and the voluntary sector are set to be at the forefront of the new approach.
Almost all of the 21 CRC areas will be led by new partnerships and joint ventures between private sector firms and some of Britain’s biggest and most successful rehabilitation charities.
Providers will only be paid in full if they are successful at reducing reoffending, helping drive innovation and getting best value for taxpayers.
Dear andrew, you are talking out your arse.
ReplyDeleteThankyou
Concerned probation worker
Do you think they have took into consideration the massive increase in SFOs since June and they are mostly CRC clients.o told this by an ACE. Of course couldn't admit it is to do with the split but surely more than a coincidence!
Delete"The number of SFO notifications between 1 June 2014 and 30 September 2014 was 151. This is a reduction compared with the same periods in the last 2 years, as shown in Table 1."
Deletemmm hasn't the criteria changed a few times over recent years?
DeleteYup. I think it was September 2014 strangely enough. The same time the figures were collated. I'm very surprised the MoJ have not made this clear!
Delete2013.
DeleteTip, don't start on the wine as soon as you come home from work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
S18 GBH, despite being a 3 strikes, life sentence totting up offence, was removed from the SFO criteria. That's why numbers dipped.
DeleteI think it's very signifacant that is Selous has published the statement and Grayling doesn't get a mention!
ReplyDeleteI know Selous has responsibility for probation, but I am left wondering where Graylings gone scurrying to.
He's far too quiet, and I'm sure if all was as rosey as the statement suggests, Grayling would be out shouting from the rooftops.
I'm curious.
What a load of rubbish! Where do we get access to the raw data so that we can do our own analysis? I'm serious. Can NAPO insist on having access to the raw data?
ReplyDeleteThe Probation Service has continued to do well DESPITE TR, rather than DUE to it.
ReplyDeleteIt's a testament to us rather than Grayling. However, hope and goodwill is running out and fast. I fear that the figures over the next 12 months are only going to be in decline across the board.
Dear Andrew
ReplyDeleteWhat world are you in - It is certainly not the real world. I speak as someone who has seen the real results - the the rubbish you are putting out.
If the MoJ won't acknowledge the prisons crisis, they were never going to acknowledge the crisis caused by TR. No surprises here.
ReplyDeleteDoesn't he realise that releasing information 'proving' that staff are doing well despite TR just kicks the can down the road, and can be used as evidence of the chaos that ensues when all that CRC 'innovation' destroys any notion of a good service?
ReplyDeleteThey won't be around then.
ReplyDeleteHey, MoJ spinners, if you can release this data then surely you can give us the results of Testgates 1-4?
ReplyDeleteYou are absolutely right, they could. However, it needs refining first and some details added as well as evidence losing.
DeleteDo you honestly think we'd get it any other way? My clients have got nothing on MP's when it come to underhand, mendacious, self centred sociopathic behaviour. This Tory bunch are rotten to the core and yet every election manage to convince people they are not. Now what does that behaviour say about them?
Speaking to a NHS Consultant and nurses. Apparently the process the Consultant has to follow in order to refer to a colleague more specialised is now so convoluted they are no longer sure how to ,but certain it does take much longer than when they could simply speak to each other and refer directly. The Nurses are so overstretched and the IT system is slow, clunky and less efficient or helpful than the previous system. Ring any bells !!!!
ReplyDeleteJust a few observations - clear to see some NPS staff have voted with their feet and its very reassuring to hear they will all be replaced with new recruits in the near future (gawd 'elp us)
ReplyDeletePerformance: nearly all of these things are linked to Key performance indicators and so im not surprised that programme completions; recall timeliness; terminations and employment at termination are all on target because I know my ACO would lynch us if we missed. But what is being missed at the expense of hitting these targets - they're that stats i'd be interested to see.
Also worth observing that all of those stats (with the exception of programme completions) are very poor indicators of how good or bad the work is. I could see a client precisely zero times, but as long as I got the recall in within 24 hours and then completed the bloody OASys at the right point in a two month period, that's two ticks for me.
DeleteMr Selous doesn't know the half of it in reality. The majority of adjourned PSRs in my area are written by CRC POs on a sessional basis because there are not enough NPS POs. This is unsustainable. Adjournments for PSRs are five weeks-illegal at best. PSRs being typed the day before the hearing so no time for quality control-checking proposals etc. Subject of report doesn't turn up for interview or writer is sick on day of interview so case adjourned again for another five weeks. Ten weeks between plea and sentence. Hardly great for defendant or victim or standing of probation with the judiciary. This situation is the direct consequence of TR, nothing else.
ReplyDeletere my letter from Andrew Selous, forwarded to me by my MP - (see my highlighted bits on 'comments' yesterday and the replies (TR week 24 1 - at 16 18) and the full letter Jim has put on this blog today.)
ReplyDeleteMore pertinent, after also sending it to Ian L, he has put the paragraph about staff morale on his blog today, and highlighted the bit about professional counselling being available to all. I am delighted that he has suggested "that *every* member should consider seeking an appointment for this valuable facility so kindly offered by your employer."
So - there you go. Your union Gen Sec has given a timely and useful piece of advice - I say go for it - all of you, it might cause problems for TR and the MoJ..... but - your well-being is important to Andrew and Chris....
Couldn't face work today, not all that well. At one time I would have gone in, not now. They need to come and spend à week in one of our offices they'd soon see the chaos they've created.
ReplyDeleteWhat the MOJ data shows is a reduction in the number of front line staff, both PO and PSO grades. Nightmare for those left.
ReplyDeletesee my comment above - 2031. and I hope you feel better soon.
ReplyDeleteMy ML comment at 2038 was intended for 2033, suggesting, as they are unwell, they read my 2031 comment. My 2038 comment clashed with another one at the same time!
ReplyDelete'Serco's Turmoil Claims another victim as Chairman Lyons quits'
ReplyDeletehttp://www.standard.co.uk/business/business-news/serco-chairman-alastair-lyons-to-stand-down-9864412.html
Russell Webster gives quite a good calm look through the management information, coming to the conclusion that "to be honest, the conclusions that can be drawn from this management information are limited:"
ReplyDeletehttp://www.russellwebster.com/moj-publish-tr-information-for-judicial-review/
I think everyone who's seen the stats came to that conclusion too.
DeleteI get the impression that the status quo is being used to argue that the TR impact to date is negligible to vaguely positive, hence the JR is unneccesary. As many have already identified, the data produced is either irrelevant or inaccurate, i.e. it has been manipulated. Hopefully Mr Justice Ouseley will know the difference.
DeleteHad a quick glance at these figures and they are really of little relevance. It's noticeable that they tone of the language makes much of small upward trends and then glosses over opposite trends. The SFO figures prove nothing. In fact only year on year trends have any validity and even these need to be treated with caution given the variability of human nature blah blah blah. I have seen NOMS machinations up close and this smacks of the approach they adopt in similar situations esp JR's. Honest brokers simply outlining the facts in an objective manner. Although ths belies the fact that a number of high level meetings will have identified this as a strategic defence for the JR and rushed to release a paper that is largely meaningless. Although it's purpose is really to sow a seed of doubt in the courts mind come the hearing. All rather tawdry but then that was the overall impression I gained of NOMS. My advice would be to pursue a FOI request to find out what correspondence took place, and what meetings were held prior to the launch.
ReplyDeleteYou want dodgy? You want controversial? You know the tune. Posted in the context of & knowledge that many African Born & based musicians & influential others have been excluded from the white euro-centric BandAid Project:
ReplyDelete"It's Chris-mas time, and there's no need to be afraid
At Chris-mas time, we let in light and banish shade
And in our world of bidders we can make a load of cash
Spin the truth until it suits
At Bidding time
But say a prayer, pray for the other ones
At Bidding time, it's hard but while you're having fun
There's a world outside your window, and it's a world of lies and spin
Where competitors can beat you, if you're left out then you're not in
And the Grayling bells that ring there are the clanging chimes of gold
Well tonight we're cashing in, what about you?
No peace and joy this Christmas in The CRC
The only hope they'll have is not yet being sacked
Where they're doing what they're told
But all the CRC's will fold
No-one thought that JR's time was here
Here's to you
Raise a glass to everyone
And here's to us
And all the years to come
Let them know it's JR time after all
Heal the world, let them know it's JR time etc etc etc"
Impressed.
DeleteWow
DeleteThis should be another nail in Graylings coffin. How long before its a member of staff?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/prisoner-darren-ashcroft-stabbed-merseyside-8124767
https://www.opendemocracy.net/ourkingdom/james-davies/uk-government-tries-to-hide-chaos-caused-by-legal-aid-cuts
ReplyDelete