Wednesday 24 December 2014

Happy Christmas!

That's me almost done for another year and my contribution towards keeping capitalism afloat for a bit longer. Just one more sleep before we find out what all the frenzy was about and hopefully peace descends for at least 24 hours.

It's been quite a journey we've been on together, but I'll save the reflections until next week and after a chance to recharge the batteries over the festive period. 

Happy Christmas everyone!

Cheers,  

Jim


58 comments:

  1. Have a peaceful time Jim. I wish you, your blog widow (!) and all your family well. Thank you does not cover it for the sterling work you have done and continue to do for us all.

    Let's see what's around the corner for us all - I will be waiting patiently for your very welcome return. The Blog Addict - Nadolig Llawen from Wales

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  2. You deserve a rest!!! Thanks Jim, for keeping it all together, and to your family too - I sometimes wonder if you ever sleep.

    and as you won't be typing, you will be able to keep your fingers crossed for better news next year...

    Regards ML

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  3. Have a good one, Jim

    Rob Palmer

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  4. Many thanks Jim to you and family for the time and energy you've devoted to the blog. All the best for a good Christmas break and the year ahead.

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  5. Thanks to Jim & his team of elves for a busy but difficult year, and also to everyone who has posted - regardless of content. What a blog!

    ... I'm now enjoying breakfast sandwich with home cured bacon, homemade picallili, home baked bread - then off to Aldi on my trike for couple of gallons of cheap wine.

    Merry Xmas.

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    Replies
    1. To clarify, tricycle not 3 wheeled biker transport.

      When I said I was not a robot the clarification text asked me to type "Sell. Sell". Is this an omen?

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  6. And just what am I going to do on xmas morning with no blog to read?
    Humbug!

    Hope its a peaceful one for you Jim.

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  7. Happy Christmas to the go-to probation blog.

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  8. Seasons greetings. Take a well deserved break mate. Thanks for your sterling work, Jim.

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  9. Thank you Jim for the years blogging, of being a light in a dark world of lies and deception from the MOJ. Here is to a better year in 2015

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  10. I wonder what Grayling would have to say about this??

    http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/dec/23/man-prison-job-too-early-morning

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  11. Fantastic effort Jim, now have a good rest the fight goes on.

    papa

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  12. Merry Christmas Jim and thank you.

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  13. Thank you - Greetings to all who do not seek their personal advancement from Probation above that of the clients.

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  14. Thanks Jim, NAPO have disappointed, you haven't..........Bobbyjoe

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  15. Have a great break
    Anon ex SPO No 2

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  16. Jim, many thanks for your wonderful blog which continues to shine a light despite the TR darkness. Enjoy your well deserved break.

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  17. Thank you , blog widow and everyone else who has contributed. Thank you..Thank you..Thank You..

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  18. Just to say I hope all who read or contribute to the blog have a very merry Christmas.

    TR delenda est.

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  19. Wishing everyone a happy and merry Christmas, especially Jim who has been a great support through this very difficult time. Wishing you all the very best Jim.

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  20. Check out the astonishing words, thoughts & mindset of Dr David Nott on the "pm" R4 link. And HMG don't want to listen to him!??!??

    We don't know we're born, let alone alive.

    Makes me want to eat my own shit for breakfast by way of penance. Not what the doctor ordered, but how do I make a difference???

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  21. Thanks Jim you have done a fantastic job and deserve an outstanding Christmas

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  22. Merry Christmas jim and thanks for everything.
    Merry Christmas to all who read the blog.
    Let's keep on fighting and continue to highlight the flaws and risks of TR. I know I will.

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  23. cheers Jim, you and the blog have kept me going this year, relax then keep up the good work !

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  24. Happy Christmas, Jim and thank you. Your blog is not a comfortable read at times but it has helped me retain some semblance of "professional sanity" when just about everything has turned to... turned upside down, sideways and back to front!

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  25. Happy Christmas Jim Great stuff It's not over yet. We'll keep on keeping on fighting this shambles.

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  26. Whether you celebrate Christmas or not may this time be peaceful and joyous for all our probation colleagues and clients , blessings to JB for a brilliant blog effort this year and now for a few days rest and reflection before we all enter a new chapter in this (still) fantastic profession.

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  27. HAPPY CHRISTMAS to all
    To Jim, a great big THANK YOU for providing this place of testament

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  28. for those for whom Christmas is a sad reminder of happier times - thinking of you and hope that the bad days will eventually pass. x

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  29. To all in AP, keep smiling!. Your unseen work is appreciated.

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  30. We could all learn a lot about political machinations by watching The Wire, series three in particular. I adore The Wire as there are so many parallels around dishonesty in politics, abuse of power, adherence to illogical ideologies featured in the series that can be seen in what's going on with TR and the state of politics today. Hard to switch off but seasons greetings to all at this time of goodwill to all.

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  31. May Peace, Joy and Common Sense prevail in 2015. Well done JB and to all those who contribute to the blog, and who find solace here!

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  32. London Corporate Services Restructure – Staff Consultation

    Email received from Greater London Branch on 19th December: -

    " TO CRC NAPO MEMBERS: "

    http://tinyurl.com/nktagdn

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  33. corporate services in Merseyside have already been identified, offered and accepted their voluntary redundancy packages and quite a few are leaving on 31st March.

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    Replies
    1. Did all coporate services get offered this package?

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    2. Sorry i meant did everyone in merseyside coporate services!

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    3. I think they all got offered but only a proportion got it so that they retained a skeleton service for the incoming buyers.

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    4. Corporate services in DLNR start leaving on Wed. Skeleton service left is totally inadequate but I expect Ingeus have their own plans to cover the 'back room' services and decades of experience will be easily replaced by whoever.

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  34. Just an interesting article given that performance measures are part of the PbR model for TR.

    http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/evaluation-caroline-fiennes-contends-charities/management/article/1326548

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  35. Missing the blog. I must have accessed this 100 times over Xmas. It makes me realise how important this blog has been to me as a key support system. Thank you Jim x

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  36. " I only wish my son's probation ofiicer was a balanced as those posting. My son was made homeless 2 days before Christmas as the result of the new DVPN/O available to the police. A one-off never before incident in which his partner did not want to take any further action. (He has no history of violence). Ejected from his home, he was immediately in breach of his licence conditions, he has no family in the UK and no services were available to help him over Christmas. "

    http://prisonuk.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/harder-time-recall-to-prison.html?showComment=1419769193029#c1866118101890408197

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    1. Doesn't sound like being ejected from his own home and breaching his licence by default is because of an 'unbalanced' officer. If someone is on licence, they are beholden to the conditions. If the house blew down or was flooded and the whole family was made homeless, fair enough. Imagine though, if some other, unprecedented, incident were to occur, a so-called 'balanced' officer would get slaughtered.

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  37. Is this blog now obsolete given that Judicial Review is dead in the water and CRC contracts have been duly signed?

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    1. sadly for Purple Futures et al no it isn't we will continue to unearth the truth about TR, the poor practices / models introduced by the incoming companies and highlight any flaws that put staff and the public at risk.

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    2. I hope Jim carries it on regardless. It is about Probation. TR just happens to be the whirlwind that is sweeping through our professional world and creating chaos, anger and bewilderment.

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    3. This blog is a LOT bigger than TR. It existed before TR and will exist long after Grayling, Spurr, Allars and the rest of them have taken up their posts in Interserve, Sodexo and Seetec. It was set up as a means of exploring the realities of work in Probation. It will continue to do so, be that good for 'The 21 and the NPS' or not. The sale of Probation is now a done deal but TR has yet to begin to show it's true evils.

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    4. Please keep the blog going Jim, this is the only testament to what happened and is happening..the only truthful element to the whole TR.
      IMO the need for this element of your blog is only just beginning...

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    5. i for one will be posting as much information as i can before they boot me out the door.

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  38. just found out we have been offered increment of 1 pay scale with effect from February and backdated until last April, for CRC and NPS staff

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    1. ... unless you are top of scale in which case you get nothing. I read, probably from our area NAPO rep', that the 0% "offer" for those on the top of scale is in real terms a 2% cut.

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    2. this is the circular that was posted on our intranet

      PAYAWARD 2014/2015

      This is a National communication and a further update regarding any additional awards for XxCRC staff will follow in January 2015.

      Following the recent NNC/SCOOG meeting on 15th December and subsequent correspondence the Employer Side has determined that it will proceed to implement the contractual pay progression element of the pay award for 2014/15 for NPS and CRC employees. This includes:

      An increase of 1 pay point to eligible employees BELOW THEIR PAY BAND MAXIMUM in pay bands 1 to 6 and A to D as at 31 March 2014.

      This progression will be paid in February pay roll and back dated to 1 April 2014.

      Ongoing negotiations with the Trade Unions will continue on possible additional awards and further communication will be issued in due course. However, we feel it is important to proceed to implement the contractual element of the pay award as soon as we can.

      BACK DATED PAYMENTS (APRIL2014 - MAY 2014)
      In addition to the main pay award we will make back dated payments to former Trust staff for any excess hours and unsocial hours that they worked during April and May 2014 while they were still employed by their Trust.

      Mary Strong, Head of Reward, NOMS
      ______________________________________

      For those not familiar with pay scales the ones on our Intranet are with effect from 01/04/2011. I assume this is because since 2011 there has been no % increase unless our soon to be defunct Finance dept have not uploaded more recent ones? Can anybody reply with what the scales would look like had we had a yearly cost of living % - I think in bygone years it would have meant almost 2 increments - I certainly seem to remember getting about £400 odd quid around Christmas time in the form of back pay - this current increment i'll be lucky to see about £150 because look at the £difference between increments is just about £200 take off tax etc and we're left with about an £20 per month if that. No wonder morale is at rock bottom as we're being asked to do more and more and not being recompensed.

      Pay points wef 01/04/2011 are as follows:

      Band 3/PSO - 24 increments @ 1increment per year will mean 24 years to get to the top of the scale!!

      21,607; 21,821; 22,041; 22,246; 22,474; 22,697; 22,910; 23,148 23,382; 23,605; 23,842 24,072 24,321; 24,555; 24,795; 25,050; 25,298 25,542; 25,794 26,052; 26,306 26,572; 26,834 top point is 27,102

      Band 4/PO - 24 increments @1 increment per year will mean 24 years to get to the top of the scale!!

      28,468; 28,750; 29,030, 29,316; 29,611; 29,909, 30,201, 30,504; 30,805; 31,110 31,421; 31,737; 32,054; 32,364; 32,685; 33,014; 33,335; 33,667; 34,002; 34,344; 34,677; 35,029; 35,370 top point 35,727

      Band 5/SPO; TM - 14 increments

      34,677; 35,029; 35,370; 35,727; 36,076; 36,435; 36,798; 37,158; 37,531; 37,898; 38,277; 38,659; 39,037; top point 39,424

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    3. this gets my goat - we should not have to wait 10 months for something that forms part of our terms & conditions of service. 1st April every year it should automatically be granted. I'm always a year behind what i'm entitled too.

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    4. Those pay scales are out of date they were uplifted by 1% last year - they are still on the defunct Probation Association website

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  39. I hear that one of the private companies are going to assess offenders' readiness to change by using a new assessment tool. I hope that doesn't mean that they are going to focus their attention on those ready to change and ignore the others.

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    1. Sorry but that is plum in the middle of creaming and parking. Plus it can be deceptive. Sometimes those who could be assessed ready for change but have nasty surprises in the background that can arise.

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  40. New Years Honour's list (extracts)

    I searched for Probation and discovered

    http://tinyurl.com/ojcbcea

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  41. Of the last 4 Leics CPOs, Linda Jones got a CBE, now Heather Munro has been honoured. Neither were better than Tony Raban or Trevor Worsfold. Difference was, they both spent time in London. So, if you're interested in that sort of thing, get a job in the smoke.

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