TR Week Twenty Six 2

I did not want to be privatised at all. But I can't help wondering if it would have been better for us to be sold as a complete entirety rather than the split. Keep strong and care for each other. Blessings to you all.

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One very serious consequence for Grayling that 'may' come from JR, is that he may not have been very honest with the private sector about the true nature of the risks involved. If that was true, then bidders may pull out or want to negotiate contracts again (greater risks = greater wonga), and it's all time consuming. There can be no doubt I think, that JR will reveal information that the bidders will be just as interested in as probation services are. Perhaps being aware of this is part of the reason Graylings been silent of late? However, until such a time as JR is heard, regardless of personal opinions and observations, all we can do is speculate. 

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Bidders are just as aware of the potential risks as Grayling, possibly more so. Most, if not all, of the bidders will have bought in advice from probation professionals who will have no reason not to give honest opinions on the nature of the risk, without political spin. They will have priced for that risk already and the MoJ will be trying to reassure them...

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I have 14 weekly late night reporters. Absolutely bonkers. Most come after 6pm. It's a quick hello, here's your next appointment. Then I receive abuse from them because of their 1 hour bus journey to the office. It's mind boggingly stupid way to manage things!

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I suspect weekend reporting may be one of the innovations being considered.

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I couldn't agree more. I had offered to do this in the past to my manager and instead of seeing this as positive, she actually asked if it meant I could not manage my workload within my working hours! You couldn't make this stuff up could you? Just makes me reflect on how many innovations practitioners have had rubbished by senior management. They really have sold us down the river

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Free speech is one thing, but this is offensive to SPOs in DTV and unnecessary. One of the motions at AGM was to support SPOs as they will be the fall guys in all of this. CRC SPOs cover late nights and that includes NPS staff as they have been told to ring the on call SPO if they have a problem. 

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Someone referenced it would be more expensive to open at weekends - only if you assume your terms and conditions will be intact. If you aren't paid extra to work weekends, then it would cost no more than now.

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Actually it was suggested simply to help the offenders, some of whom had to get trains and were often able to only walk in and sign for their next appointment. Two of my offenders had worked very long hours prior to reporting on the only night made available by the Trust for this purpose. I was able to do this, so suggested it with time off in lieu during the week. Anyway the answer was no. You missed my point about how flexible practitioners have been prepared to be in the past.

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I think there would be very little real demand for weekend reporting, certainly in every office I've worked at. Nearly everyone I've worked with was able to attend at some point between 8am-7pm Monday-Friday. Remember that opening even on a Saturday morning would increase costs quite considerably, with staff wages, building overheads and so on factored in.

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Are these 14 all High risk? This kind of brief mechanistic reporting does no one any good. If possible to re-assess any as Medium? More good likely if can be seen fortnightly, but for longer more meaningful session. If can't reassess to Medium yet, there is surely an argument for a remix/reallocation of some cases to colleagues? I think 3 late-nighters is absolute max to manage and that's still a strain!

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So, TR Week 26 and where are we?

1. The Sell Off: this proceeds at an alarming rate with little reflection or, it seems to me, care. This Government continues to outsource our Criminal Justice Sector to foreign owned companies where the end profit will go outside the UK. British professions are being down graded with reduced terms and conditions and, of course, less tax revenue and NI coming to the UK as a result. Be clear, the simple cost of running probation in the public sector is not the sole financial consideration as Grayling would have you believe. 

2. The buyers: has the Government issued some form of indemnity or guarantee to them? It makes so little sense for them to have expended great financial resources on this project otherwise. Just what is in it for them? Are the profits really going to be so great? Caveat emptor my friends, as your share value can go down remember - never lose sight of reputational damage from lack of public confidence in your organisations. Remember Northern Rock! I believe there is something the public is not being told about Graylings dealings with you - are you so sure he can be trusted?

3. The Day Job: so we are told by the MOJ all is running well. Now we know this is not true and whilst the rush to the sell off continues, we need to ask if the pace of this is dictated by trying to out run the truth catching up with the MOJ? Is NOMS trying to outpace the Tsunami of chaos that is moving ever faster towards the shore of reality?

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On point 2, there is no guarantee or indemnity. These companies bid for government contracts at risk. What is in it for them is a 7 year government contract with a profit margin of probably 4-5%

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Hasn't it all gone quiet about HMIP and his wife and the CONFLICT OF INTERESTS couples in public life eh Mr Grayling? This can not be allowed to continue, we are not stupid and we are watching closely ....

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I had a vision of this nightmare scenario in court a decade ago. I thought it couldn't possibly happen in a 'democratic' 'civilised' society. I said to my then boss, once the criminal justice system becomes a mere administrative process, without the time to consider legislation or interests of justice, then we may as well be under a communist or fascist dictatorship. The courts are becoming farcical, with poor IT, missing evidence and costly delays due to new procedures that due not work. I am so depressed by all of this. The only winners will be the IT contractors and other sharks waiting to feast on the carcass. And it won't be too long before we are sacked for having an opinion.

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If you want to see the shenanigans that really matter, explore how the tripartite game of pass the parcel will be achieved. I hear CRC chiefs are getting cold feet because company law has to be adhered to strictly in the transfer of ownership and since they are now the "directors" they have that responsibility to pass ownership at a certain day to the new providers - trouble is the new owners are having to promise they will take ownership as prescribed and the MoJ is having to promise there are contracts there to hang the business hat upon! 

This merry go round means that any slip ups and CRC chiefs could be pursued - personally through the courts. Highly unlikely but it is creating sleepless nights for the traditionally cautious probation types.....

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The CEO of Interserve says outsourcing frontline services is a must given the state of public finances. Still using the austerity argument. Complete mendacity of course. It's about screwing the workers and all those so-called senior leaders who have jumped ship presumably embrace this lie.

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Just wanted to post the strap line of the company taking over London Probation CRC : BIONIC : stands for ....wait for it....'believe it or not I care'. That is the largest chunk of the privatised probation and they feel like they need to sound like a pre-teen action hero. FFS.

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I have read on here a few times about the new NPS officers being 'young' and 'women'. Why is this important? I really shouldn't have to write this but being young and female does not mean you cannot do your job. I know we don't mean this but it is what is implied when we talk about an officer's age and gender. Perhaps we need to consider this and our own prejudices.

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In my experience younger male clients respond better to younger PO's of either gender. I agree and in my opinion the blog and many of the replies have always (not just post TR) had the underlying view that young females do not do the job as well as older males. I agree the service probably would benefit from being more diverse in terms of gender and background of staff. However this does not equal the view that young female staff can't or don't do a good job, just as all older/experienced (male) staff are not all perfect either.

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I understand the operating model may be commercially sensitive, but they are also crucial for staff worrying about their careers. Sorry if this post focuses on Band 4s, as I know all in CRC may be impacted, but if their model does not include the same, or similar number Band 4 OMs, then why are MoJ recruiting new TPOs? The expense of doing this is not justified when there is likely to be a good number of current POs being made redundant (or managed out without redundancy) and out or work in a few months. 

Put the next cohort of TPO recruitment on hold until after April 2015 and allow CRC POs to transfer into the NPS without the loss of service and on the same pay scales. After all, we did the same job up until June 2014, we have years of experience in risk assessments/public protection and reducing re-offending and are proven in the role.

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Well said, but this makes too much sense for them. Remember they are 'saving money' bullshit. In addition all that rhetoric about the most experienced officers goes out of the window when they are now willing to take on TPO's without any experience. It all stinks and we have been truly SHAFTED.

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VIVE LA NORTH EAST!! So French catering company Sodexo has HMP Northumberland and Northumbria in the bag with all profits destined for France and now this government looks set to sell off the East Coast Mainline to the French National Train Operator. C'est Grim up Nord mes amis....

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It's always been grim up here, the Tories closing pits, shipyards and fishing has not helped. Not entirely surprising given that the Tory vote in this area has traditionally been very low. They're trying their hardest to keep it that way. Bastards!

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Can anyone explain why there are 100's of PO and PSO vacancies being advertised around the country, for both CRC's and NPS, and 100's of graduate trainees taken on, but only 2 jobs advertised in Nbria - at Sunderland mags court. And that is the first I have seen since TR came in.

And there were no adverts in the press for Nbria for several years before I retired in 2011. When people left/retired, staff were just shuffled about - like Musical Chairs. Are they so well organised they don't need more staff? Or is no one leaving??(I know that is not true). Or are staff paddling under the surface faster than anyone elsewhere??!!!!!! Or are they just stepped over, when they die on the job??

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Give me my EVR and there'll be a vacancy at Northumbria :)

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But will you be replaced?! Even a tweet from Nbria, on the government's Twitter site advertising for graduates to train, said they had not recruited in Oct, will not be in Jan, and MAY BE in April. How do they manage without recruiting??

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A pregnant Wales CRC officer was attacked and hit in the stomach today by a female offender. No cameras in interview rooms, no way of alerting anyone that you are in danger. This is NOT acceptable. Who is risk assessing the buildings where CRC staff are/will be working?

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The Officer was working on the women's Pathfinder project supposedly with low risk women supported in the community as an alternative to prison. All offenders have the potential to become high risk and you never know until it happens.