Sunday 16 November 2014

TR Week Twenty Four 1

The MoJ say there are 'nominated officials' which sounds a bit scary. The MoJ does not regard any complaints or concerns about staffing levels as whistleblowing because they decreed the staff levels. They don't see H&S concerns, they see dissent in the ranks and they want to quash it. The MoJ is no honest broker. People go to the media and MPs because they have no trust or confidence in the authorities. And this stretches from unsafe jails to child sexual abuse.

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I heard today that following the naming of Sodexo as a preferred bidder the CEO went out and got smashed, celebrating her £200,000 bonus for putting in a winning bid - so someone has to pay for her bonus!

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Will newly qualified probation officers have to apply for jobs in the NPS? Surely if not, CRC PO's have been constructively dismissed as there are vacancies in the NPS? What about when companies try to get rid of PO's or reduce wages? I still don't see how the government have been able to treat staff from the same organisations so differently.

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They are not guaranteed employment but its naive to think future recruitment to NPS will give equal credence to CRC POs as those cutting their teeth in the NPS.

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I suppose they can afford to not give newly qualified staff posts, after all they are only paying for one years training which is why they're asking for criminology/community justice/police study degrees. Its outrageous the way they don't open up to PSOs who've done the job for years. People have families and have to bide their time for it to be right for them to apply. I'm probably what you would describe 'long in the tooth' but I've been bringing kids up and now they've left home I'm ready to train, but have been met with dead ends. I've done the job for years and it counts for nothing. 

The whole mess stinks and as for diversity don't make me laugh, I bet the majority of new recruits are from the same ethnic background and all under 30.


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"the whole mess stinks and as for diversity don't make me laugh. I bet the majority of new recruits are from the same ethnic background and all under 30." In our office they're mainly female and have no experience. They are being trained to deliver Programmes 50% of the time.

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Those "Cutting their teeth" in NPS, will surely also need to be seconded or similar into the CRC's in order to gain the experience and to inform reports? Those PSO's wishing to progress, don't give up, I hear there will be another 1000 trainees recruited in Jan 2015.

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Where are the placements and assessors for these new recruits?

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What will happen to the current Partners who work closely with Probation ie Accommodation and ETE? Who will provide those services? Will all unemployed offenders be referred to the Work Programme ie Working Links? Would that be double funding?

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I'm concerned about why MOJ keep peddling the NPS being the rump of the service rubbish. What do they hope to achieve from it? Flattery in the hope that we don't notice something? What if that something is taking the PO role apart bit by bit to make each piece easier to get rid of until there is nothing left?

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Page 20 of the TOM has a colourful flow chart of community orders and suspended sentence orders split between NPS and CRC, which doesn't show OASys featuring in the CRC work at all! 

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That's because they're not obliged to use it.

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We have a Justice Minister and SoS that doesn't give a hoot for professional assessment, so why should we be surprised when we discover that the tools we're given are actually for the wrong job?

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The professionalism of Probation is a closed book to the SoS. He thinks we are a bunch of lefties who don't understand that all these criminals need is a good slap. Dumb, unsophisticated, unintelligent, uninformed.

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Another heavy push on joining the Probation Institute in our CRC team briefing document this week. It says that the senior management team have all signed up, presumably as a way of encouraging the rest of us to do the same...

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I suppose you can hardly blame them as they can say the unions have signed up! I hope the boycott continues.

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A Q&A document from the PI claims that they had 600 members as of October. Not much out of 18,000 Probation staff really, is it?

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What is the point? An organisation to promote good practice in an area where good practice will no longer apply because it is too expensive? Bit like the word 'deluxe' when attached to cheap goods.

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Unfortunately, I am of the opinion that post share sale, membership of the PI will be on a basis of 'conscription' rather then 'subscription'. Private companies eager to demonstrate its 'professionalism' will want to be able to show the world that their entire workforce are all registered members of this professional centre of 'excellence'. It'll be their way of demonstrating the staff they employ are only the best, all of course members of the PI. I think that's a good enough concern for the union to withdraw its support.

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According to its website, 'The Probation Institute will become the ‘go to place’ and leading voice on probation practice and policy.' You'd think it would have something to say about current policy and practice, but not a squeak. I'd say this blog is the 'go to place' and the PI should adopt the three wise monkeys as its logo, or a white elephant!

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The Probation Institute has much in common with TR – they were both imposed by elites, although at least with TR there was a bogus consultation exercise; they attract no popular support; they are indifferent to criticisms: TR thinks it performing well and the PI is 'the go to place'. 

The PI was bankrolled by the TR enthusiasts, and lacking any independence or legitimacy, it looks the other way as the probation service is vandalised. What is the point of an organisation and all it's purported ethics and values if it looks the other way when it knows that the TR model has a highly dubious evidence base, is refusing to disclose risk assessments of potential dangers and is fragmenting an award winning service? Now, wouldn't you think the PI would have something to say? The PI is a hobby horse – a little earner of money and status for the few. What did the PI do to save probation? Nothing – because it's part of the superstructure of TR.

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Computer systems in a mess? Need all your problems solved by a highly performing professional company with a track record in excellence? Here come ATOS!! Couldn't make it up, could you?

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ATOS will no doubt do for information technology what they did for our understanding of sickness and disability. And if they screw up they will just walk away again.

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I'm a PO in a CRC and I know I'm definitely not an officer of the court. However, I'd suggest that we stopped being officers of the court a long time ago, when the higher ups started talking about us providing services to the courts. But quite frankly the courts appear to be making increasingly ludicrous sentences - certainly there has been a definite upward spike in the number going back for revocation as unworkable from my office. This appears to be getting worse following the split between NPS and CRC, with report writers apparently not listening to advice given about cases by their erstwhile colleagues - or, to put it more charitably, not feeling able to act upon that advice.

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I have a feeling that the upper management chain will be the first to feel the cuts, in either NPS or CRC, once the axe starts to swing. For the amount of contact I have with my SPO we may as well be pen-friends!! We have said nothing face to face that we could not do on the telephone. And if I can speak to a manager on the phone, why would I need one in my office? Or one for each office? The same goes for Directors. NOMS/CRC will have their own management structure in place, one that has 'taken the blue pill' and, like a Borg only with more warmth, fully embraces the culture of profit over people.

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We've got that covered in our area - by creating a post that sits nicely between ACO and SPO all ready for the cuts.

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It's all very well having assessment tools but not a lot of point when there is no time to use them. Our CRC has a backlog of initial OASys despite being told they must be completed in 20 days. No-one wants to work like this. I have a constant knot of fear in my stomach waiting for something dreadful to happen, along with being consumed by anger for the way I and others including offenders have been treated. Alongside this is my irritation with the apathy of colleagues who are complicit with TR and making money by writing reports or temping.

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Here here, well said. To add to this is the way we have been made to feel as CRC workers like we chose to be in this position, all that bleating about NPS having a professional status. If ever there was a dumbing down of a profession it applies to all those that were SHAFTED INTO CRC's.

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Mind you, I was told by a CRC admin colleague today that when she recently applied for a post in the NPS the application form asked if she was a member of UKIP! Forgive me, but I thought UKIP was a legitimate political party, so why was the NPS asking? Also during interview she was asked if she had ever refused to carry out an instruction from her Manager. Two good reasons (in my book) not to ever want to be in the NPS, regardless of how bad it is at present in the CRC. (and down here it is reaallllly bad........

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Fully trained & certified (and used to supervise others) in use of all versions of RM2k, SARN, HCR20. Now, as a CRC PO, I'm told by OASys that I'm not authorised to complete such assessments.

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Don't forget there will be a significant number of senior managers who have been accepted for EVR and will be leaving post share sale. I seem to recall the deal was to not work past June 2015? This was a big pot of money and we have not been told how much of it is committed. Personally I am hoping some is left for POs...

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I'm one of those PO's that wouldn't even wait for the ink to dry.

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Until recently there was no known method of saving the completed RSR.

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I'm in a CRC and dislike it when I see comments that are posted about cuts to terms and conditions etc, as it comes across as smug even if that wasn't the intention. There were a few posts to that effect the other day and it was evident that tempers were starting to rise.

But please can we refrain from making comments about NPS colleagues being complacent as well? By all means post the link, but I for one feel the comment is unnecessary. We may not be in quite the same boat any more, but we're all still heading towards that bloody great Grayling-shaped iceberg.


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Who reads OASys assessments anyway? POs aren't even countersigned. Why, as a PSO, am I doing full OASys on relatively minor offences with offence analysis not linked to harm. Why??

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EXACTLY!! If I'm going to see one of my clients, then I don't need to read the OASys, because I wrote the damn thing. If I'm seeing someone else's case, then the pertinent information should be on the Delius(eless) records. If I need a longer term perspective, I'll read the PSR. OASys is just a time-consuming database for measuring targets - and even then only if information is put in in the 'right' way.

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If it's true, as Allars, says, that performance has been maintained and the performance in new processes is improving in line with expectations, then are complaints about chaos and meltdown subjective and unrepresentative?

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It is quite extraordinary that Allars and Payne have issued a document that indicates no fall off in performance. So how have all the practitioners who contribute here got it so wrong? We do the job, we are having to cope in this chaos and now we learn that we are liars too.

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Performance has only been maintained because we change the dates on an OASys if it is out of time. Simple. We've probably got 1000's of these with dates changed. Allars you know this and are full of shit.

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It's a deceit. Performance targets were amended to ensure they were met so no-one could say that TR compromised performance. Sleight of hand, a long standing strategy within the prison service. Count the beans differently and you meet the target. Great way of avoiding having to actually DO anything.

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The Allars piece is incredibly patronising – the cheap rhetoric about being a 'learning service', as though TR was nothing more than a comprehension test, nothing to do with deep unease about the direction of travel and the fact that a JR has been submitted. In effect the Allars note tells you everything about his arrogant mindset. He is a cynical propagandist for the MoJ and his contempt for the workforce is palpable. What a shame the MoJ isn't a learning service, as maybe then it wouldn't waste millions on IT failures, wouldn't be fiddled left, right and centre by Serco and friends; and would actually listen to what criminal justice professionals say about TR. 

Allars knows all this but follows the democratic orders of his ideological boss. I understand these motivations and excuses, but sometimes, surely, conscience must kick in? I remember Spurr at an AGM a couple of years back justifying what he was doing by reference to the democratic mandate of ministers. The fact that he made this reference at all was because he could not stand in front of an audience and say I believe in what I am doing. And it's probably the same with Allars – 'Allars', as Harry Enfield might say: 'Shut up!'

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"Allars knows all this but follows the democratic orders of his ideological boss". Yes, exactly. Shock, horror! He is a civil servant. His job is to implement the policy of the democratically elected government. That is exactly how it should be in a democracy. Like it or not, we have a system in which democratically elected politicians decide on public policy, not professionals (with all their vested interests) who no one elected and who are accountable to no one...

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The number of people that have left the service and the high levels of sick leave throughout the service as well as the documentation being presented by judical review, tell a very different tale. But remember there's no crisis in the prison system either, despite a vast amount of evidence to the contrary.

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They got rid of a number of performance targets recently, no where near as many as we used to have. Can someone confirm?

30 comments:

  1. is it me or does anyone else think its strange the wall of silence from the winning bidders? Maybe they don't want to antagonise the losers and again I also think their silence is strange too.....

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    1. It's because they aren't winning bidders yet. They are preferred bidders, but they are essentially still part of an active competition. The bidders can still drop out and the MoJ can still decide not to contract with the. Noone is going to say anything until substantive until contracts are signed

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    2. THERE. WILL. BE. NO. CONTRACTS. SIGNED!

      JR will delay TR to the point of no return (I believe Andrew calls it Purdah). We need to support those who are willing to give evidence and continue our resistance to this ideological attack on the award winning service and those who BENEFIT from it, it whatever means.

      Stay strong, fight the fight. We don't have long to go and we CAN win this!

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    3. "by whatever means"

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    4. Of course contracts will be signed. Purdah starts with the dissolution of Parliament on 30 March, so the MoJ still has four and a half months to deal with anything that may come out of the JR and get contracts signed...

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  2. The competition isn't over until contracts are signed and share sale happens in february, until then there will understandably be limited amount heard from the mercenaries in waiting.

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  3. http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/mr-grayling-how-do-you-account-for-these-prison-suicides-9863262.html

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    1. Not long ago I asked a governor from one of Britain's largest prisons what she thought of her boss, Chris Grayling, Justice minister since September 2012, under whom the prison system has experienced the most severe crisis for at least 25 years. She grimaced and shook her head. Sometimes silence says more than words. The way Grayling seems to go missing when the issue of prison suicide crops up speaks volumes about him. "There is," he insisted in an interview on the subject, "not a crisis in our prisons."
      One might have expected him to make an appearance – or at least be quoted – on Friday's Today programme on Radio 4, in which Lord Harris, the Labour peer charged by the Government with investigating the reasons behind the 50 per cent rise in prison suicides since 2011-12, presented some of his preliminary findings. A fear of pre-empting that review's findings is surely not a good enough excuse.

      Deborah Coles, the co-director of Inquest, a charity that helps those left bereft by deaths in custody, expressed frustration at Grayling's absence. "All these people charged with the inspection and monitoring of prisons are warning ministers that there is a crisis," she said, "ministers' indifference to this issue is really concerning … I'm surprised that he [Grayling] isn't here to address these issues."

      Lord Harris clearly felt he should have been there, too. His initial findings – that too many people are being sent to prisons which lack the resources needed to facilitate effective rehabilitation – point the finger of blame pretty squarely at the coalition government. Its counterintuitive policies, which have cut the prison service to the bone then loaded it to breaking point, have brought us to this crisis. "But where was the minister to respond?" read a post, cattily re-tweeted by Lord Harris shortly after the programme aired.

      Until Grayling is willing to take responsibility for his actions, the situation will only get worse. The tragic irony of the situation is that our prison system is infinitely more violent than the majority of people who end up inside it. Unlike Grayling, most prisoners are a hazard only to themselves. The ongoing suicide crisis is sad proof of both of these claims.

      As Lord Harris observes, prison is massively over-used. The mental health problems and drug addictions that afflict so many inmates would be better dealt with by the social services, with prison itself saved for the most serious cases. Sadly, nobody will be sending Grayling to prison for his policies. But with more than 100 deaths on his watch in the past two years alone, perhaps in another, more just world, there's an over-crowded cell with his name on it.

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    2. "The tragic irony of the situation is that our prison system is infinitely more violent than the majority of people who end up inside it.

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    3. http://www.kentonline.co.uk/sheerness/news/ongoing-disturbance-at-sheppey-prison-27061/

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    4. Chris Grayling is not taking responsibility for the prison crisis, neither is the government holding him to account. They are all complicit in this, they are all in it together.

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  4. At the end of this article it asks if yoy feel safe at work if you're a prison officer, and gives contact detauls to text your comments to the bbc. I see no reason to not comment if you're a probation officer wuth concerns about workung in or visiting prisons.

    http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-30067669

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  5. I understand Chris Grayling used to work for Burson Marsteller, a global public relations company. Go on folks, have a look at the Wiki entry, I particularly enjoyed the reference to BM being subject to "protest and criticism for its use of smearing and doubt campaigns" .....so that's where he learnt his dark arts....

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  6. In terms of civil servants and democracy, I think it is important to note that TR was NEVER mentioned by ANY of the parties before the election as wasn't the wholesale privatisation of the NHS (poor grammar). What concerns me is this talk of silencing dissent and political officers from the MoJ based in CRCs. I implore MOJ staff to read up on the politics of oppression and ask themselves whether what they have become are agents against free speech and the democratic right to criticize your Government if it is not acting in the best interests of the electorate. Probation has a powerful history of challenging the status quo. It would be a tragedy if that was another victim of this TR debacle.

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    1. More importantly than whether TR was mentioned in terms in any party's manifesto, civil servants are duty bound to implement the policies of the democratically elected government. That is their constitutional role. It isn't for civil servants to decide which policies to implement and which not to implement. You would soon cry foul if a group of civil servants decided not to implement a policy you were in favour of simply because they disagreed with it

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  7. Off topic, but an interesting article, especially for anyone thinking of swapping probation for social work.

    http://m.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/local/debate-as-peterborough-social-worker-gap-proving-tough-to-fill-1-6414966

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    1. Plans to attract qualified social workers from Eastern Europe are to be discussed in an attempt to plug the gap of permanent staff in Peterborough.

      A meeting is being held this week by Sue Westcott, director of children’s services at Peterborough City Council, with an anonymous individual to look into the possibility of securing social workers from countries such as Romania.

      The enquiry is one of the measures being considered as the department look to cut down on the use of agency staff.

      Another proposal is to introduce an academy where the council could train and develop their own social workers and possibly be tied into a contract.

      Discussing the possibility of bringing in social workers from Eastern Europe, Ms Westcott said she would welcome any applicants who are qualified.

      “I am making tentative enquiries about whether we could employ qualified social workers who want to come to this country from Eastern European countries,” she said. “It depends on whether they are qualified.

      “It would reflect the diversity of this community. Social workers from Eastern European countries would be able to speak the same language as members of the community.

      “We welcome applications from any qualified social worker who wants to come here permanently from this country or the European community.”

      The council currently employs 87 social workers but 24 positions are filled by agency staff who cost £30,000 more per person than what is given to a permanent worker.

      According to a council report, in the past year 12 social workers have left the council department to become agency staff but “none have left dissatisfied with the support or supervision offered.”

      Ms Westcott added that difficulties in recruiting permanent social workers is a problem for authorities across the UK.

      “One of the drawbacks about having agency staff, if they leave and somebody comes in, it means a lack of continuity for children and their family,” she said.

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    2. My CRC are discussing using S. Workers to replace disappearing POs. Their qualifications are acceptable and, with some sort of conversion training, they would be welcomed.

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    3. regular readers will have noted that EPIC has adverts for SW on there, highlighted here a couple of weeks ago, it's interesting!

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  8. If it was easier for CQSW qualified probation staff to register/ demonstrate professional competence then they would fill some posts.

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  9. Thé government have already got troubled families waiting in the wings to fill the gaps.

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  10. Grayling will get his platoon of old lags to plug the gaps, perhaps recruited by Old Chums Archer, Black & Aitken.

    CQSW & DipSW qualified POs spend £hundreds & minimum 12 months registering despite their probation background, whilst the old lags just walk in through the back door with MoJ approval. Sweet!!

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  11. http://play.inputads.com/a/?siteid=en-news-10-2&href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gloucestercitizen.co.uk%2F24m-grant-support-witnesses-court%2Fstory-24541838-detail%2Fstory.html

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  12. Does anyone know what defence the TSoL will be putting forward tomorrow? If it's anything regarding to the allegedly bent and fatally compromised Probation Inspector then I cannot see us ever losing. He could always get a note from his wife to say that they have NEVER discussed work.
    Never.
    Ever.
    Scouts honour.

    I'm sure that will sway the Judge.

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    1. So lets see what Mr McDowell puts in his "ad hoc" report due to be published tomorrow (see Interesting post from yesterday ref announcement on HMIP website). Will he unequivocally endorse TR? Or will he speak the truth about the meltdown & vandalism suffered by the probation service in England & Wales?

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    2. Unfortunately i have a feeling that he will not say anything bad. Compromised and useless

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  13. oh no! I have just put a long comment on y'day's blog - so here we go again!-

    re earlier comments on Andrew Selous, I had a reply yesterday from my MP, responding to a letter I wrote to him about TR, dangers and staff morale. He attached a letter he had received from Selous, 2 pages of tripe and lies, which made me feel sick with rage!- here are a few quotes -(have you got your 'stay calm' app on?)

    "It is inaccurate to state that the transition has not been a success and that the NPS and CRCs are struggling with the new system."

    "Whilst some (staff) have concerns, it is also worth noting that many probation officers have been engaging positively with our reforms and see the positive opportunities these changes will bring for offenders and society as a whole."

    "It is our assessment that these Preferred Bidders have the ability to run CRCs and contribute to building a probation system which combines the best of the public, private and voluntary sectors, and produces more effective and more efficient services for all - reforming offenders, delivering value for the taxpayer and protecting victims and communities.

    "The MoJ also worked closely with probation staff to support them through the transition, and is continuing to provide support to staff in both the NPS and CRCs. - (HE SAID THAT TWICE IN THE LETTER, AT THE BEGINNING AND AGAIN AT THE END.)

    - LIKEWISE - he expressed his 'gratitude to staff for their hard work to implement these reforms', twice again, in the first and last paras. I BET THAT MAKES YOU FEEL BETTER.

    and then- ready? -

    "With regard to your points about staff morale, we recognise that this is a very important issue, and we have sought to engage probation staff in the reforms at every stage" -.

    -AND THE KILLER QUOTE - DELUSION AT HITS FINEST --

    "Probation staff are also routinely provided with professional supervision, combined with access to confidential counselling on request."
    .......................................................................................................
    That's it folks - Is this a parlour game - 'Which is the biggest lie?'

    But, for all of you suffering stress, you should all now request confidential counselling - which will, of course, come at a price, and will take you out of the office..... and cause more chaos -with more suffering stress - and needing counselling, - but - you read it here first, your morale is a very important issue to the MoJ, and the Under -Sec has given it his blessing, and it would be rude to refuse..... Indeed, I suggest that NAPO advises you all to do so.....

    There is a lot more in his letter, including a numbers game of the breakdown of the bidders, and subcontractors who are involved - how many and who are involved , all highly ethical and with experience of working with offenders...of course.

    I have emailed a copy of the whole letter, to Jim, suggesting he puts it on here as a blog, also sent to Tania (who is on leave, due back this week) and to Ian Lawrence.

    I have also added my comments on Andrew's letter, on my email. to Jim etc..

    And now I'm going to get ready to go to see Bryan Adams , for the umpteenth time - with my son. '18 TILL I DIE!'



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    1. What utter utter lies and nonsense, a PR machine gone wild. How dare they suggest any of this. Are they are completely and wholly deluded ? are they so deeply deeply corrupt / corrupted. Assisted by those so called managers,again, self serving, dishonest and for the most part so stupid they don't even know they are stupid.
      The local higher up, as they so like to consider themselves, hasn't even had the courtesy to say hello since she scrambled up into to the high chair.
      We have, and are, not being told anything,kept informed pah..supervised..pah, by whom ? the stupids that's who, they who lie and keep saying they don't know,

      CEO of a hospital just resigned. he notes that he had neglected to take care of and appreciate the staff, had neglected the impact of low morale, had focused too heavily on targets. Increasing mortality and failure all round. They didn't listen to the nurses either did they ?

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  14. I hear Michael Mansfield is willing to chair an enquiry into the the " shenanigans of the the establishment of the late 70s early 80s. The corruption is clear as is the corruption of the current MOJ , its turn is coming. Our enemies are rampant, cocky and cool; they are playing a powerful hand and they will do anything, anything, to get what they want.However, I think times are changing the centre of the political corruption is shrinking and the elite know this, forces on the left and right are filling the gap the centre leaves. There is a pan European left amalgamation ready to fight all future elections and there is the Scottish effect. Can others feel it too?

    papa

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    1. This is off topic, but I think it should be read.

      http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/my-undercover-tour-of-yarls-wood-9863842.html

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