Sunday 4 January 2015

Bleak Futures Week 1

It's Sunday, the first of a brand New Year and I've decided a bit of a revamp is in order. Nothing too ambitious you understand, but the 'TR Week' series has been pensioned-off in favour of the brand new 'Bleak Futures' series. I've nicked the idea of course so can't claim much credit for it, but it made me chuckle when I read it in a comment recently. 

It also occurs to me that ever-increasing numbers of people read this blog on mobile devices rather than PC's (yes remember them) and laptops. When out and about I have to resort to a Blackberry in order to watch the comment thread and have been horrified to see how italics gets treated. So, in deference to everyone on mobiles, I've dropped this and hope the presentation is improved as a result. 

So, here we go and welcome to a brand new regular Sunday feature. The future isn't bright, or orange, or purple - it's just bleak!

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All those regular posters, please ensure we document the mayhem and chaos....

The last week has been nothing short of a splitting headache, as I have been trying to produce SDR's via OASys for my local Crown Court - serious cases, that an FDR just cannot do justice to. However, due to the f**king (new years resolution, cut down on the fucking cussing) IT non-negotiable shite support systems, I have been unable to get the OASys, as previous assessments remain open or it's somewhere, who the fuck knows where? 

So, a great start to 2015 - if my local Crown Court want to know why they are getting strange looking self styled SDR's (on A4 word) then they can always ask me. Thankfully, I get a lot of feedback from Judges and Barristers, mostly good about my work, so they just might ask the question. I will be measured in my response, NOT!


I recall many of us resisted the temptation to say, hell scud it into them (doesn't sound right without a Glasgow accent), but we were also aware that as the omnishambles hits the buffers, our clients will be the people who get hurt, but as 1st February 2015 fast approaches, I know it will fail and it is a disaster, and so we must all do what we can to reduce the harm caused, oh, isn't that what we do? And look out for each other. Here's to the fight ahead and 2015!

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I suspect there may be an increase in indirect postings as we see action taken against those who speak out. I foresee NPS taking a hard-line disciplinary route and CPAs arguing business sensitivity, you know, "your job depends on our business continuing to be strong and viable and sometimes we have to take decisions because they are absolutely necessary".

Either way, this is the time for the much vaunted "new ways of working" to emerge and this blog will be a great venue for sharing such information. In particular, I look forward to how those prisoners released from short term sentences "with £46 in their pockets" will be "supported". This is time for delivery of Grayling's TR in action, I suspect we are all waiting anxiously to see what enfolds given this is the main reason for the dismantling of probation. If I were an enterprising journalist, I would see this as a great opportunity to follow up. "They promised me support, but all they did was put me in a B and B". 

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As a life long heroin addict, TR has a yet to be defined significant impact on my life. I think it hugely unfair, and probably challengeable, that my next 14 day vacation for feeding my habit from Tescos supply of gold blend coffee, will attract the same period of supervision as someone who receives a 2 year sentence for a violent or sexual offence.

Having said that (and Grayling may regret his lack of thought on this one), my next short period of imprisonment will see me 'ENTITLED' to 12 months of continued support and assistance, and as a result any breach or reconviction I may incur in that period (and there surely will be), will expose any failures in the support and assistance extended to me by the courts.

For many in my situation, the degree and level of assistance and support given (or lack of), may well form a basis of defence to argue against a further custodial sentence. After all, the SoS for justice has said that I'm in need, and 'ENTITLED' to 12 months 'support and assistance'. That I think may become a very very expensive statement Mr. Grayling! But thankyou for the opportunities you are extending to me.

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At a recent group induction for new clients I was asked by a client who had been round the block a bit why we now did group inductions rather than individual ones and TR was explained to him. I may, somewhat inadvertently, advised him and everyone there that once the ORA is implemented then EVERYONE who gets released from Prison following a custodial sentence from that date will be met at the Prison gates and took to their new house (or whatever they need). This had been promised by Chris Grayling and if they found that this was not the case then to speak to their Solicitor about it.

Whoops!!! I anticipate Solicitors up and down the country are rubbing their hands at this poorly conceived piece of legislation. It will be interesting to see the Courts view of the matter when it continually gets brought up in mitigation!


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I hope the released prisoners don't expect accommodation and a job on release. Councils in England have no duty to house released prisoners and this stops in Wales from April. They will need a bond and at least a months rent in advance. If they are dangerous and with NPS this may be different. I guess all unemployed released prisoners will be referred to the Work Programme. At the moment it's all those with over 12 mth sentences. Win win for Working Links who are running some CRCs and Work Programme in the same areas. At the moment there are Partner agencies working in Probation offices with both NPS and CRCs who are experts in Housing and ETE but their contracts stop at end of March.

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I have a good friend who is a senior housing officer. She regularly attends MAPPA Level 3 meetings and has worked hard to promote a good level of training with her staff. They really had a great relationship with former probation. Former probation and this housing group (the main one in this area) forged great professional relationships and there was a good understanding of balancing the need for stable accommodation to actually manage risk. It is one thing to recognise risk but a very different matter to successfully manage risk and reduce it by doing so. They were a major partner for former probation in this area. She told me that there is much disquiet about post TR dealings having experienced "demanding meetings" with several charities and the planned Through The Gate team. She said "no-one understands what probation is any more". It appears that the new way of working has many teething troubles...

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Does any area have a running TTG team and if so what is their brief? They asked for volunteers in my area but I think everyone politely declined.

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TTG-Transforming Tragedy Group

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I like this :) How about Total Tragedy Group? 

In my office ALL staff have indicated that they will not apply for anything which serves to promote TR and I would presume that this depth of negativity is replicated in other offices. Pandora's box has very much been opened but I fear that hope will not be found at the bottom, no matter how deep our masters rummage.

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St Giles, according to their post since removed on Twitter, will be working with 30% of CRCs. I understand they are running a TTG pilot in Cardiff, not that you'd know, and ran the Peterborough pilot. Since 28 Oct have been advertising for staff across the board in 'the hope they are awarded the contracts'.

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I am a Probation Officer and have been for 7 years. I can tell you that St Giles has a terrible reputation amongst those in this line of work. Most of my colleagues fear more for probation being out sourced to the likes of Nacro and St Giles who have such a poor understanding and amateurish approach to this work than we do the big management companies like Serco et al. Either would be disaster. St Giles and others are presently like vultures over a not yet dead animal trying to pick off something for their own gain. They provide a poor service and use amateurish, poorly paid staff as opposed to highly trained and skilled professionals.

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

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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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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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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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The one thing I find hard in this process is that I passionately believe in a public sector probation service. Not split and not contracted out. But from an employee perspective, let's face it, we are rightly dubious of the private sector, but our public masters treat us with absolute contempt in every possible way. Thankfully, I have found my escape route and 2015 will end my career as a probation officer. What a shame.

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I got my p45 yesterday after 20 plus years and come next Wed, there will not be a single person left in my office who was there 12 months ago. 

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Sometimes tho', there is a place for, if not bitterness, at least the timely reminder that all is not good and some decisions may require further scrutiny and reflection, and sometimes people should be held to account. How many times have you heard it said in your office 'we are where we are', as if yesterdays decision (however poor, misguided or downright dangerous) must just be sucked up and accepted without comment as the 'change machine' rolls relentlessly on. You may believe it prudent to just go with the flow, but some of us are either unwilling or unable to just 'let it be', so we keep banging that drum, even if we sound out of step with the status quo and bitter. 

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The fact is there is no reasonable debate and no fair process for members to be part of. Those in positions of power have disregarded, shut down, isolated alternative voices. The approach from my experience has been 'we know better' and NAPO have chosen to shake the hand with the devil for reasons of self interest. I can think of a number of examples to evidence this. When a victim in DV starts to resist and fights back the perpetrator criticises her for complaining i.e "there you go complaining again and having a go". This is what we are witnessing here. 

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NPS is not just high risk, like Grayling claims, but all MAPPA nominals, regardless of risk. There are large numbers of MAPPA cases which are low or medium risk, but have been in prison for 12+ months for a violent offence or are on the sex offenders register. My CRC caseload contains individuals that are much dodgier than many of those I used to work with before the split, but because they're not living with a partner (i.e. their next victim), they count as medium risk. For the moment.

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Grayling doesn't know the difference between PO's and PSO's and it may be that they will simply be called Offender Managers. Those warning of a Tsunami of bullshit coming our way are right. In London Staff in the London CRC MTCnovo received a letter stating 'between now and February, the MTCnovo team will be working hand in hand with the CRC senior team to ensure a seamless transition' It's the same old 'business as usual' bullshit that has been used to hoodwink staff from the outset. Don't fall for it.

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I've heard those in the CRC will be called 'Responsible Officers'. As in [held] responsible when your client decides to offend.

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I am a PSO based in a prison, I may not have a degree but to say that that I'm not trained is quite frankly an insult. I have 10 years experience, have done every training course going and hold a caseload of everything from remand prisoners to lifers. I have the same caseload as PO's and Prison Officer Band 4's but will be removed in the near future as I won't be good enough apparently. To add insult to injury, we have 'colleagues' gloating that we will be joining the dole queue. I know everyone is now looking after their own interests but TR really has brought out a very unpleasant side to some people. Being a PO does not automatically make you good at your job. We should make sure we support each other. The work is still the same and the clients are still the same. Surely there should be roles for PSO's and PO's?

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PSOs in prisons were automatically assigned to NPS and must have an employment tribunal case somewhere along the way - I understand when the prison changes come in, PSOs will be offered training to work as prison officers (who would want to do that any time in the near future?) or offered redundancy. 

Here's my point: NOMS knew about these planned changes when they automatically assigned prison PSOs to NPS. Prison PSOs should be offered the enhanced redundancy available at the moment. How can we help support prison PSO colleagues with this? It is the most unfair thing to happen to employees in the whole TR thing.


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An alternative model to TR needs to include getting rid of NOMS. Reduce the prison estate and put more funding into community sentences. Let probation get on with the real job instead of meaningless and time consuming targets. Allow public sector probation to commission third sector and voluntary organisations to do the work they do best. It's not rocket science.

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I agree about NOMS being the problem. They stifled any ability for Trusts to be innovative and efficient. NOMS will be the thorn in the CRCs side as well. I have looked at the contract specifications, and there is a lot which is still to be governed by the Authority's whims. NOMS will still believe they can pull the levers - and if they are right, the CRC providers might as well give up now. I anticipate a power struggle between NOMS and the providers. The first battleground will be OASys, or at least anything that the new providers want to replace OASys with.

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"Once the ORA is in place I'm going to have a hard time convincing them to support a proposal for said sentence if they know that the offender will be getting Probation once released. Over a very rare (as in infrequent rather than uncooked) lunch break today, there was not an Officer there who felt that the Bench would have any confidence in reports recommending community over custody sentence or indeed see any need for them". 

You may well be correct, particularly if it is combined with a loss in confidence in breach procedures; as things stand, I think many magistrates will feel there is little or no incentive for CRCs to breach offenders, and possibly quite the opposite. 

There is now an almost complete divorce between local benches and the probation teams, because the commercial nature of the system rules out contact. Are breach rates and all the other stats that used to be discussed now going to be commercially sensitive and therefore secret? Will NPS really be able to monitor CRC breach rates, let alone communicate it to the local bench?


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There will be an incentive for CRCs to breach troublesome community order cases quickly, to get them off the books and onto curfew-only sentences. There might will be little value (at a corporate level at least) to recommend custody, since they'll just come back again in a few weeks - although I'm hearing that the requirements on managing the ORA cases will be very minimal: see them on release, point them towards a couple of other agencies, and wave goodbye.

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I'm not sure that the 'point them towards a couple of other agencies' is necessary and, unless the CRC's are taking backhanders, will only be deemed a waste of precious time, time that could have been spent completing Delius to make sure targets are hit.

The other two are pretty much guaranteed though, the first being a cash linked target. I just hope that their mentor at the Prison gates brings them in on time. I'll write Spurrs' phone number on their Licence and ask them to call him. Just out of kindness of course.


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Who has time to breach people? I've got clients on their 4th Risk of Breach letter and whilst I'm prioritising breaching them, my time is taken up breaching those on their 6th Risk of Breach letter. To suggest that the Courts now have ANY confidence in Probation being able to do what they propose in PSR's is laughable at best.

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I have an idea that will help with the management of those facing a caseload of 100+. Get them all to report on the same day, tick their name off your list without seeing them or checking if there are any problems then shoo them back out of the door. This will leave you free to concentrate on feeding Delius and making money for our overlords.

If only we had some sort of centre that we could get them to come to at the....oh! Oh dear! It appears that somebody has already thought of this. Back to the drawing board I suppose.


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I have a funny feeling that the next 12 months are going to be very eventful. Hold on tight everyone cos we're in for a bumpy ride!!

19 comments:

  1. I've just been on the MOJ website and noticed an interesting document that appears to have been updated on 22/12/14 here is the link(I have not noticed it posted here before but if it has been I apologise for duplication), If you scroll down it is Progress on Testgate 4 actions and Testgate 5 Report, the thing that caught my attention is right at the bottom of the document it turns into an 'official sensitive' document called Business & System Readiness published 27/11/14 document owner Martin John. It highlights a couple of areas that are 'amber' in terms of readiness ie not up to speed.

    https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/reducing-reoffending-and-improving-rehabilitation/supporting-pages/transforming-rehabilitation

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  2. I dip into your blog on occasion and always find it an interesting read if somewhat deluded about the reality of being on licence or having any involvement with probation. Everyone I know who is on licence finds their supervising officer/OM a waste of space, unhelpful, unpleasant, intent of simply ticking boxes and covering their own ass. Given that people I know are all over the country and none of them have the same OM this suggests a huge problem in the people that are employed as probation officers. For example my OM should not be a probation officer. It is clear she has major emotional problems and like a number of prison officers I cam across whilst inside, uses her position to "punish" those she supervises by making their lives as difficult as possible and behaving as badly as possible while she does so. She has zero respect for the law (highly ironic in the circumstances) and regularly breaches people's legal rights. People might have more sympathy for the plight of probation officers if you were all decent human beings who actually provided the help and support required for people to go straight instead of going out of your way as a group of people to do your job properly, abide by Probation Instructions and the law and quite doing everything with the sole aim of covering your ass at all times. Just a thought

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    1. Some extracts here from research into the experience of being supervised by probation. Hearing about a sour experience of probation is fair comment, but we all have to be careful about over-extrapolating from our own experiences. This research paints a mixed picture, but I think on the whole the work of probation and the helpfulness of probation staff is evident, though not typical, of course, of your experience.

      'Farrall (2002) followed 199 probationers starting probation orders in late 1997 and early 1998, surveying them about a range of issues relating to their experiences of probation. Amongst these, naturally, were the helpfulness of their officers. At the second sweep of interviews (about 6-7 months into the order) probationers were asked if the experience had been a good one; of the 114 usable responses, 76 were positive (66%) and 33 negative (29%) (eight probationers said that they didn’t know either way). When asked how they felt about being on probation, of the 133 usable responses, 28 (21%) said that they liked it, 56 (42%) that they accepted it and 30 (23%) that they didn’t like (or hated) it. A further 21 had mixed feelings about it or said that they didn’t know. In terms of the helpfulness of probation officers, of the 113 probationers who provided usable answers, 86 (76%) said that their officer had been helpful, whilst only 20 said they that they had not been helpful (15%). In total some 121 (94%) said that they had been treated fairly by their officer.

      Shapland and Bottoms (2010; forthcoming b), however, found that their young adult male and more persistent offenders on probation or on licence had a rather more negative view of probation supervision. They were interviewed in a longitudinal study on up to four occasions between 2003 and 2008, starting when they were aged 19-23. In the second interview, 4% found probation ‘very useful’ and 10% ‘fairly useful’, but 10% found it only a little useful and 20% ‘not at all useful...'

      'https://www.shef.ac.ukpolopoly_fs1.159010!fileQualityofProbationSupervision.pdf













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  3. Good morning Jim, I think Bleak Futures is appropriate. It has a definite Dickensian feel to it (Bleak House) which, under the current political regime, is where we are hurtling towards or in deed backwards to. Blowgun

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  4. Re above 11:40 - apologies - I decided to have a new sign off name for the New Year which is Blogwen - my laptop scrambled it!

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    1. That made me smile. Think you should go with blowgun. It's catchy ☺

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  5. Aon 11:32 - sorry you and those you know feel that way. I have over the last 34 years come accross people, who are clealry in the wrong job, and I think, as I am sure many will agree, the Probation Service have never been very good at tackling these individuals. However, the majority do not fit the description you give, although I acknowledge this is your experience. I have remained in post so long, as I work hard at building a relationship, which will never be perfect, but which is honest. If it is honest, then there will be occasions when antlers lock, and moods swing but there has always been room to resolve the issues in order that the working relationship is salvaged. If nothing else, I have always felt more accountable to my clients than my employer. There have been occasions when a compromise could not be found and individuals sought redress through grievance and compalints, but then those individuals have emerged as serial complainers and there seems to be nothing that can be done to square the circle. It is no comfort to you, but I have lost count of the thank you letters, invites to weddings, bouquets of flowers and boxes of chocolates I have recieved from clients, who have found my enforced introduction to their lives as something they considered helpful, useful and or supportive.

    If you continue to have a relationship with Probation, especially in a CRC it would be good to hear your ongoing testimony as to the service you receive. If you have severed your association with us, then I wish you all the very best for the future.

    Now.....can NPS colleagues advise me: we have recieved an e-mail telling us to book onto mandatory 'training' event - some engagement shite...but whilst it is mandatory, it also states places on the event are first come first served...does that mean if you don't volunteer, then you won't have to go to the event.? If yes, then it cannot be mandatory?

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    1. I've had engagement with the probation service at various but frequent period since the mid seventies, and am totally opposed to privatisation.
      Having said that, I have seen many changes occur within the service over nearly 40years, that I personally feel are to the detriment of the service, and to the core values that made people want to join the service in the first place.
      I remember when there was an office in almost every area of every city, and because you were known to that office you could knock and ask for help and someone would see you and do their best. Most offices had forged their own links with other local services, and could always call in a 'favour'.
      Now most offices are centralised in one big block, and I think local communities are poorer for it.
      Another big change (as mentioned above) is the need for staff to 'cover their own ass'. I can understand that, but that need also has consequence for the client. I don't think thats probations fault, but a consequence of the introduction of all prisoners being subject to supervision at the halfway mark.
      Personally, where probation used to be my first port of call in a crisis, its now not even on my list anymore.
      Thats not a critisism of probation either, its NOMS and government intervention thats brought it to where it is today.

      Getafix

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    2. What you write chimes with the changes I have seen in probation. No longer 'street level' as offices in localities were centralised, like courts, police stations and job centres. All all this happened while the politicians talked of localism and dismantled the 'big society' that we actually had in place. And it wasn't just the brickwork that was centralised, as the personnel were bureaucratised and micromanaged into spending three-quarters of their working time inputting data ad nauseum - all at the expense of building rehabilitative relationships and getting to know the communities they worked in and being known by their local communities. It is no wonder many feel estranged and that probation is no longer a port of call for those seeking help and assistance in our shrinking state.

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  6. Off topic

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2878145/Criminals-aged-just-2-Children-responsible-hidden-crimewave-including-rape-violence-vandalism-s-police-do.html

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    1. Children barely old enough to walk have been questioned by police over an astonishing range of crimes – including rape, theft, assault and vandalism.
      Official crime statistics reveal how suspects as young as two years old were picked up by police officers.
      Police also quizzed a four-year-old accused of rape in London, a five year-old for the same crime in Surrey, a five-year-old on suspicion of incest in Cheshire and two three-year-olds for sexual offences in Durham.
      The crimes apparently committed by children too young for primary school are among more than 5,000 offences by youngsters aged eight and younger.

      Overall, the figures from 34 of the 45 forces in the United Kingdom collated under the Freedom of Information Act, show that 5,665 crimes were committed by children under eight in the last four years.
      Alarmingly, crimes reached a four-year high in 2014, with 1,713 recorded. Offences included fire-raising, possession of drugs, violence and causing racially or religiously aggravated public fear.
      This also comes in the wake of revelations that a total of 154 children aged 12 and under were arrested for sex crimes, including rape and sexual assault.
      At present, the age of criminal responsibility in England and Wales is 10, which means there is nothing police can do.
      Some campaigners want to raise the age of criminal responsibility from ten to 14 but if that proposal were implemented it would mean children such as Robert Thompson and Jon Venables – who killed toddler James Bulger when they were ten – would not have to face court.
      Laurence Lee, 61, who represented 10-year-old Venables in 1993, has now suggested the age of criminal responsibility be lowered to combat the rising rate of children crime.
      He told MailOnline: 'I think there is a growing case to lower the age of criminal responsibility as children crime is increasing.

      'Teenagers recruit young children to commit crime for them as they know they cannot be prosecuted.
      'The other problem is the rise of social networking means young children are more aware of what is going on in the world.
      'The age rate should be lowered. As a criminal lawyer, I sit in court and see what goes on in society. Youths are much savvier than they have ever been. That is down to parental upbringing and because schools cannot deal with children as they should. It is a problem that is getting worse.'

      Of the total 5,665 recorded crimes, the vast majority were criminal damage or vandalism with 2,376, followed by shoplifting, theft and dishonesty with 1,279 and assault or acts of violence with 985.
      There were 35 rapes, of which 24 were in London. Disturbingly, more than half of the rapes took place in the last year with campaigners citing 'degrading and often violent pornography' as a factor for this concerning rise.
      Jon Brown, NSPCC lead for tacking sexual abuse, said; 'It is very worrying that thousands of children are committing crimes, and even more concerning that many of these are sexual offences including serious assaults and rape.
      'Prevention has to be the key and that means recognising warning signs early and taking swift action.
      'Sadly, for many children easy access to degrading and often violent pornography is now part of life, and we are concerned that this may be warping their view of what is normal or acceptable behaviour.
      'When very young children, such as those of primary school age or younger, are committing these crimes, we have to question the environment in which they are growing up that has led to them behaving in this way.
      'It could be that they have seen sexual activity that they are just too young to understand and are copying what they've seen.'


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    2. Lowering the age of criminal responsibility just because more children are committing behaviour regarded as criminal is the wrong way of tackling the issue IMO. The responsibility for children's behaviour sits 100% with the adult population, both generally and specific, and more thought should be given to exactly what we are exposing our children to, or are allowing them to see/do. To attribute to children the required level of cognitive understanding of the right or wrongness of some actions, let alone concepts of consequential thinking is both cruel and and abdication of parental and societal responsiblity. The Jamie Bulger trial at the Old Bailey (an adult court) was nothing more than a shameful display of adults washing their hands of any link to two small boys and the awful thing they had done. I much prefer the Swedish approach to dealing with children who commit crime - it is more humane.
      Deb

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  7. To 30 years in. I'm nps but been off over Christmas and new year. Back to work tomorrow so will find out

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  8. I'll be watching with interest (and a degree of concern) the commitment to house ex prisoners on release as it unfolds under ORA. In my area the local Council operates a very 'robust' hosing policy, to say the least. During yet another recent (and fruitless) attempt to get the Housing dept to consider a 'soon to be released' prisoner as a priority I was informed by a Housing Officer that 'prisoners will need to be more vulnerable and at risk than the most vulnerable and at risk rough sleeper' to stand any chance of getting help. When I first started working as a PO some 15 years ago there were a number of direct access hostels run by charities and housing associations that I could approach directly for beds - not so any more. Under the Supporting People initiative more and more became subject to new admittance criteria, with all bedspaces eventually coming under the control of the local Council. We once had a dedicated Probation housing team (staffed by PSO's) that handled probationers applications for housing - it co-located a number of years back in the Council Housing department with much flag waving and talk of 'partnership working'. However, the Probation staff left/moved on over time and werent replaced - now there is no probation voice, and the the Council no longer even accept Probations say so when a person has a local connection. Yet still probationers come in asking for 'help', which roughly translates as 'find me somewhere to live'. Impossible.
    But I trust CG covered this in all his planning.
    Deb

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  9. I have posted several times about my concerns regarding accommodation and the loss of existing supportive partnership work between providers and probation. There is confusion as accommodation providers are being courted by new organisations which mean little to them. My understanding is there is particular concern about the charities and their expectations. But we must not forget NPS will still be requiring partnership work in this area too. Does NPS and CRC now compete for the same scarce resource ie that oh so valuable tenancy for the person we are working with?

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  10. A New Year Wish. I'm hoping that the Home Sec will expedite the public inquiry into organised, predatory & systematic sexual abuse of children. I'm hoping that one of the terms of reference will be a genuine transparency of the inquiry's progress & that establishment figures & renowned individuals (not just 1970s DJs) will be identified. I would like to see any and all perpetraters identified, taken to trial & prosecuted. Royalty, government, business, entertainment - I don't care, just nail the bastards. They have ruined countless thousands of lives they had NO right to affect. People are dead as a durect & incontravertible result of their actions.

    Please keep your eyes & ears open. Refer any allegations to the police wherever possible. Support your clients. They trust you. Their prolific offending or destructive behaviour can be inducative of past or current abuse.

    Do not let the TR red herring distract you. Its shite, its a means of Diluting the Client's voice & controlling staff.

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  11. Think Offender Rehabilitation Act- the legislation allowing TTG- yes- more letters- thro the gate supervision for under 12 months !

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  12. I guess all current Probation Partnership contracts will end soon. Will PSOs be given the work currently done by Partner staff?

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