TR Week Twenty Three

Bizarre isn't it? Back then we had caseloads of 50+, wrote 5-6 reports a month and were involved with partnerships, liaison roles with community organisations. We got to together and developed group work, spent time at Court, had time to attend lots of training and more and yes we were in contact with people serving under 12 months imprisonment. Now in a supposedly more efficient world, we can barely manage basic tasks.

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Come to our office in Manchester to see how things are not working, yes we have been working hard but nothing is working right. Its utter chaos and MoJ refuse to acknowledge it. Its been hell and the duty of care to staff does not exist.

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Our CEO sent an email yesterday stating that he would not support any applications for secondment away from the CRC as we don't have enough staff. Yet more of the lies spun by Failing and his crew.

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The irony is that the new companies will look to maximise profits through, amongst other areas, staff cuts. Seems like current CRC chiefs need to give the illusion that they are passing on a going concern. After all this is what MoJ will have briefed the incumbent firms.

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I'm wondering what Grayling will be telling all the preferred bidders that's ringing him up today asking whats going on, because he's obviously assured them that JR could never happen.

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Grayling is sooo predictable - was driving back from prison visit today to hear on BBC radio that re-offending rate for sex offender "supervised in the community" had gone up. Really? How little they understand probation and sex offenders because the stats include a significant number of Registration and SOPO breaches which can be strongly argued to have PREVENTED future victims by successful monitoring....

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The reason managers in the north have not spoken out is because they have been SILENCED. In one large area of the North managers had to sign a written agreement not to talk negatively about TR or face disciplinary/dismissal. Wouldn't want to damage the excellent reputation of Northumbria being damaged...oops. The senior management team hate this blog.

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One of the strengths of this blog is the anonymity it affords user. Despite this tag there is only incidental trolling, as overwhelmingly the contributions are grounded in experience of probation work. So, it is good to know that it is not appreciated by those in positions of senior management; good to know that they cannot control and manipulate the information flow. And this reduces their power and exposes them to having their corporate flaws and operational deficiencies exposed. 

The good thing about social media is that voices normally unheard can start to count and when there are enough such voices can achieve critical mass to make things happen that otherwise would not have happened. It means the Kevin's of this world have to watch their backs, because the dirty washing will be hung out to dry – in public.

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I've never heard mine speak ill of TR either (I'm talking SPO grade NorthWest region) I've often found it strange as both SPOs CRC and NPS are quite straight-forward talking people. Obviously they've been silenced to create an illusion and sadly some if not many of their little sheep have followed them. 

I have heard things going on the office that are dangerous and I've wondered why the incidents have not ended up on this blog. Therein lies another problem for Sodexo/Purple Futures, this blog is not the whole neatly-packaged story of what's happening on the ground and all I can say is that I hope you like surprises because you'll be getting lots of nasty ones when you start digging during due diligence. Welcome to Probation aka the Viper Nest. Enjoy your day!!

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Bristol struggling to get people on TVSOP. Not enough TVSOP tutors to run programmes and some having to travel to Gloucester to do TVSOP (who I've been told are also struggling to run the programme). Unless more tutors found/trained, then the chances are some men won't complete the programme - lets not forget how long this programme is - 70 sesssons. The ridiculous thing is that we managed before but trained tutors sifted into CRC!!!

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At least 3 OMs from the former ASPT are being trained in SOTP to run it on top of day jobs and at considerable expense, while experienced SOTP facilitators sit frustrated on the sidelines until CRC decides to get rid. NPS has at least one PSO it will call on for SOTP delivery. Glos have just one facilitator. Wilts are as bad off. Glos participants will have to travel to Bristol and vice versa.

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Am very confused about grade of SOTP tutors: in my area all are PO grade (Band 4) and "sorted" into NPS. West Yorks recently advertised for Band 3 (PSO) Grade SOTP tutors - how can this be right? Two different grades delivering the same role???

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I had a different role from PSO colleagues when I ran TVSOP as well as the other programmes. Then I was sifted to CRC and now I do the same as PSO grades, so I'm screwed. There are some band 4 roles that don't demand a PO qualification and this is how some POSs can get SOTP trained. By and large, SOTP is, and should remain, a band 4 responsibility.

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It would be helpful if you could give a rough idea of the distance between offices and also indicate if any travel expenses are given to offenders? In my area the main complaint is the time that is taken up travelling rather than the cost. It would be interesting if breaches for these accredited programmes were monitored to see how cost and distance are fast becoming barriers to compliance. Sometimes I feel that whilst probation trusts have had to spread themselves much more thinly they have, in the process, set some offenders up to fail.

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Wow, this is worrying. I used to work delivering SOTP and I know how my practice developed after delivering several groups. Of course there will always need to be new facilitators, but this was normally working alongside experienced facilitators. Without being disrespectful to the POs, the first few programmes they deliver will not be as effective in creating the dissonance with the men as it will later in their programme career (even if they have experience on other programmes).

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Merseyside no longer pay travel expenses regardless of distance or frequency of attendance, and bus fares are set at a standard rate of £2.20 whether your travelling one stop or terminus to terminus. It's a big issue.

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I work in Merseyside and our office gives £2 contribution in bus tokens - that's if they live more than 2 miles away from the office. Like you said it's £2.20 one way but if you get an Arriva dayrider it is a flat £4 and you can use the bus as many times you want on that day.

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The probation office I work in is in a borough that is 60 square miles. Unfortunately, the office is not located neatly in the middle, but more towards the outer end meaning a home visit can take up the best part of half a day and be a 50 mile round trip - can anyone tell me where I am to find the time to do these when I have a caseload of 80+ ?

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Perhaps NAPO should seek 'critically endangered' status for the species of the 'tireless probation officer' as we will soon be extinct. I will be awaiting the VR offer and will join the ever decreasing numbers of the species. After the dust has long settled there will no doubt be an urge to protect and reintroduce the species as governments are excellent in reinventing the wheel over and over again and spinning it along!! Good Luck to all my colleagues, and to everyone currently embroiled in this mess... take care of yourselves.

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Duplicated offender files are created when an operator fails to find the offender on nDelius or eoasys based on the details they have been given and wrongly create a new offender record to hold details of their current offence(s). The reasons for not finding an offender are many and various but the point is that every time it happens somebody has to try and make a judgement about the risks an individual poses based on a fraction of the information that should be available to them. 

Even worse is the fact that in most duplicate cases the information they have about the offender’s history will be solely derived from what that offender chooses to reveal – told from their own perspective – instead of from the hard evidence of the court records and CPS files. There are thousands of Duplicate Offender Files – and that is just the ones we know about

Is it worth an FOI to the MOJ asking how many Duplicated Records have been flagged before merger as this will give an indication of how often officers are having to make decisions about risks based on partial or incomplete information? 

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Our CEO sent an email yesterday stating that he would not support any applications for secondment away from the CRC as we don't have enough staff. Yet more of the lies spun by Failing and his crew.

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The irony is that the new companies will look to maximise profits through, amongst other areas, staff cuts. Seems like current CRC chiefs need to give the illusion that they are passing on a going concern. After all, this is what MoJ will have briefed the incumbent firms.

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The leadership of the Inspectorate is in sympathetic TR hands - ideologically in tune with agenda which has a political consensus. There will be need for retuning, etc, but nothing that rocks the cradle. All hopes pinned on JR - but that has yet to pass its first hurdle. Wages are going to plummet. The talented will either leave or not join. There will be more zero-hours contracts, high staff turnover, while those up the hierarchy will be amply rewarded.

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PO’s working in NPS are under extreme pressure with caseloads in their 60’s – take Greater Manchester for example. A very dangerous number when you think they are all high risk cases. Now if you measure this against other areas who have 30. There is clearly something drastically wrong.

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We had a young woman who worked for 2 months as a PSO in our CRC team before starting the one year PO training at NPS on the back of a degree in Criminology. She has now been at NPS for 3 weeks and when she is Duty Officer, she has to decide whether to accept our Risk Escalation requests or not.

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In North West the Risk Escalation is delegated to a Risk and Audit team - more likely to achieve consistent decisions. This situation looks like both misuse of Duty system and role of PSO/PQF staff. Talk about being dropped in it!

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Just heard a prison officer saying the staff all got letters asking them if they would take a five grand pay cut. Said no thanks but knows jobs are at risk. This was not in a privately run jail either, but HMP Leeds. 

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I'm happy to resign my ACO position if someone pays my mortgage and feeds my children. No sign here of any hush money just the dismantling of a job I love and being disrespected by people who don't know me. At the end of the day we all just comply with the requirements of our job. If I could make it all go away I would. I can't. I wish you well in your fight. I hope you win.

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Ah the old I was just following orders line.

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It is a fact we are all wage slaves! I am doing a job that I am not happy about but cannot get out of it without leaving. I would rather fight from within than lose my livelihood. Sorry if that is offensive.

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No one is offering the Nuremberg defence. It's true people need jobs and livelihoods and it's unfair to suggest otherwise. Being part of the struggle against TR is more important than pay grades. The senior managers we should save our contempt for are those who achieved high position in public probation and then prostituted themselves to the private sector.

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I don't blame our ACO/CEO whatever for the split but this particular chief has fiddled whilst our Rome burns and you gotta take the rough with the smooth. Any attempt to stop staff sickness levels rising and expecting the penny with the bun from her workforce by threatening middle managers with their jobs, does not command respect. 

Luckily in our area we are taking a collective stance and have passed a vote of no confidence on our chief in the hope she will pass this up mainly and get something done. Chiefs could have been a lot cleverer about reducing stress levels in the first place. They are paying a fortune out to staff on long term sickness and had they acted with compassion and understanding those staff would be still at their desks. 

The idiocy and inadequacy of our seniors has been frankly staggering so let's not dress it up and pretend it's acceptable eh? I urge all frontline staff to collectively apply the pressure upwards as they have been applying downwards. They can't sack us as they need us!! Viva la revolution.

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Our SPO has put a bright and breezy spin on TR and lulled many of the team into a false sense of security. We don't think she's been as open about things as she could have been. There have been lots of meetings but we never get to hear about any of what has/is going on. Many of us feel left in the dark. Much of our information is gained from reading Twitter and this blog.

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I know the 'bright and breezy' SPOs. In my experience they are breezy but not bright in the commonly understood sense of the word. But then the probation service dumbed down in what it sought from middle managers - and managers in general. Some clever ones made it through, but on the whole those who would do anything for a bit of status were the trusted ones. 

At one time managers were a diverse bunch - independent and quirky - just like real people. And then we ended up with Red Guards, amongst the management and the rank and file. A sad cultural shift. And then clients got the corporate response mostly. And real probation work had to go underground. I don't like TR but I did not like the lean and mean probation trusts either, because they put targets before people and did not give a damn about individuals. Some probation officers are courageous, but the probation service is so often spineless and so damn defensive.

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Wow glad to see your diversity training worked.

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I truly hope there's good news, I can't take anymore of this bollocks, I am already bruised and battered from last years shafting. Any more and I will be off the edge. Please let it be good news.

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Just read it. First, glaring anomaly is that the proposal is aimed at "non violent offenders". If this paper has in any way informed the TR agenda then of course no-one convicted of a violent offence is being allocated to the CRCs, are they?

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For the first time in as long as I can remember I took 'toil' today. It felt good. I look forward to each and every one from now on. From this point on, no more unpaid work, extra hours, working through lunch or not having a break. Every single minute I am paid for I will work; every minute not...well, you get the drift. I actually feel very good about myself which is quite a departure from how I normally feel when I arrive home each night.

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Anyone else know about what seems to be a blatant lie told by civil service website about staff being sifted into NPS on the basis of merit? I'm lowly CRC but overheard a conversation yesterday when two NPS colleagues were talking. I know my place so only speak when spoken to these days. Just wondered if it were true?

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No, it was not done on merit. It was done on a random basis. 7 one way, 3 the other. It needed to be quick and establishing who was the best would have resulted in delays. It was a dirty trick perpetrated without concern for those effected. A betrayal, nothing less.

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Yep, one day of how many Mappa cases. A section of teams in a midlands area got pre warned so could adjust their figures and make sure their Mappas were registered. Such a scam.

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Can you say more? I was moved to an automatically assigned CRC post days before 11th November by the then SMT. I always suspected I had been deliberately stitched up.

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I am certain that the sift was utter bollocks, despite various random claims it was carefully planned. My question was intended to be "is it true that the civil service website refers to the sifting process having been meritorious?" And to avoid any further doubt or confusion I have to say my NPS colleagues were clearly unhappy about the situation. So I wanted to check if anyone else had read the comment. 

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No one was picked on merit. All that stuff about "the most experience" was bullshit. If it was true, how come NPS jobs are just given out willy nilly to agency workers and newly qualified officer who have no experience of managing high risk cases? All that talk was demoralising and nonsense. Furthermore, some people were automatically assigned to NPS, like those who worked in courts and hostels. What merit did they require? Then there was talk of names out of a hat. Again no merit required.

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A new topic, but one for the elders or those fleeing the chaos. Anyone tried to get a pension out of Manchester Fund? You may be in for a surprise. They send emails out about dealing with the volume of enquiries etc & that is that. My request of late September still not replied to and a colleague feeling she is likely to retire shortly with no income. Get a projection? Forget it!! Same 'volume of enquiry' emails from shared services HR. This is now quite sickening & speaks volumes for this shattered service that once was functional.

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I should however make you aware that they are currently managing a higher than usual volume of queries and as such are working through all queries in date order and will provide you with an update as soon as possible.

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Would this be acceptable to write as a PO? 'I should however make you aware that I am currently managing a higher than usual volume of reports and as such I am working through all requests in date order and will provide you with a report as soon as possible.' So why are Probation Officers and other employees being given this gobbly gook by MoJ Shared Services???

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The AP manager in my area has been trying to put me on the relief duty rota since July and, despite his sending my forms to Shared Services, they had never heard of me or had any record of my NI number when I chased it up. I was airbrushed out of existence after I left. I was then told that I have to go for vetting in HMP Eastwood Park. I never heard anything again until I chased it up and now I apparently have to go for vetting in HMP Bristol. I still have not received any further forms I have to fill in, apparently, and have lost all hope of ever getting any work, despite the manager desperately needing staff.

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2 Merseyside POs leaving - 1 CRC and 1 NPS plus 1 CRC PO gone off on long term sick leave. Lots of cases to reallocate (110 in CRC) giving managers a real headache. Christmas is also coming and so offices are going to be on skeleton staff again leaving officers frazzled. 

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All the managers in Manchester need sacking. They have purposely led sheep to the slaughter. They have lied to staff and given false hope. They have not been upfront and honest from day one. I’m in CRC and have been advised in the strongest language in recent blog (after the preferred bidders announced) that any communication in the media will result in disciplinary proceedings. What kind of fairness is that? You shaft us, take the piss, give us a load of bullshit crap and then say well don’t tell anyone it’s a fucking nightmare. They all need sacking.

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I am in the CRC in Manchester it has been appalling and I totally agree we have been sold down the river. Utter bullshit.