Tuesday 11 August 2015

Havin a Laugh

If Ian Lawrence is so unpopular, why? He works hard and is on holiday. He is entitled to a break. He works for us and does all we can expect. He is in the middle of difficult credible negotiations and has to be relaxed and appear relaxed. He gets paid for the work at a rate we set in our terms, so what is all the arguing for? 

I like Ian Lawrence, he is a powerful speaker great credit and intelligence for the job. He fights for probation officers whenever I have heard him quoted. If Ian is in a vote I would vote for him again because he is the man taking on a difficult role and with his team who are all professional probation officers. They are all great trade union managers as well so we are in very safe tactical hands I think. Also I reckon Ian is going to surprise us all with a massive secret plan at the AGM. I am hoping to attend, depends on a few home issues but my intention is go and speak up for the top officers we have. If we can support them we can see our way through this because I think Ian has a way through we have yet to see. I am certainly keeping my faith and voting for Ian Lawrence.

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Are you serious? Working hard and working smart are too different things. He may work hard but what has he achieved? Has he worked smart? I will leave that for the forum to decide... As for taking holiday, I've no beef with that. I do have an issue with how we pay a lot and still face redundancy.

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Well I was being supportive to Ian because he must have a plan. He has to have been working inside to understand how to beat them on the outside. I am sure he says a lot of things that he is going to deliver on. I am really keen to see how we won the JR for example. I do not really care about the fact we had to pay the costs for Mr Grayling because Ian says we had victory so I am hoping this is the same as the CRC, despite the threat to lose 600. I think Ian is waiting to tell us only 600 is still a victory and somehow we are all going to be ok? 

Ian has also started to renegotiate our redundancy offer to severance pay and even if we get it in the Sodexo, the other CRCs will not follow suit because they will have to deal with Ian and they wont want to do that. I do not think we have to be critical of Ian I am sure he wants what we want. Great national representatives, relatively good access to legal advice, accurate records on accountability, motions that can be followed up, a full membership and happy working HQ. I think Ian has achieved many of the targets so far. 

We also want to ensure NAPO has a position in future negotiations and for us to be taken seriously and respected for being professional. There has to be the continued delivery of the gentle and passive messaging to ensure one day we will be listened to through Ian our great spokesperson who, as I say, is doing a tremendous job of unifying the memberships in NPS and CRCs, keeping probation at the forefront of the political agenda. Ian is speaking on something at Westminster and we should be proud he is able to diversify and speak on issues he has no experience or qualification for, or genuine legitimacy for such a task. However, because he says he can do that, it is good enough for me, so all our members will agree I hope. So don't lose faith, support Ian Lawrence like he supports all of you.

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Your either on a wind up or IL himself. Thank you though as your recent comments did make me laugh.

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Of course, and an earlier posting is being facetious and clownish and amusing as well.

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Thanks. You are insightful and I am flattered, but I must resist there is any suggestion that I am anything other than sincere in my comments.

Let me have another go at reminding readers exactly what Ian Lawrence has achieved for us all. Why, we should in fact be very grateful, as I am. Blind faith is something none of us practitioners operate on. We form opinions and beliefs based on our sound judgement derived from assessment. We use verbal and non verbal skills. Listening and teasing out through attitudinal questions. I have applied these skills to Ian Lawrence. In the voting for his GS role I read the statements and sounding out colleagues. I realise only a small percentage of members voted at all for Ian Lawrence. I think this is because all of us knew he was safe so did not need to bother. The other candidate was all but blocked and obstructed anyway from campaigning. He actually wanted to go to branch meetings to sell himself. Well that was ring-fenced for Ian only because he was a staff member already. The way the officers interpreted the rules made it clear anyway, but I say we got what we wanted.

Ian has proven all the things many on this blog predicted. It is an ideological government. We have no chance, whatever the leadership. We cannot fund a fight on our own and win. We have to get Unison and the other unions to joins us in a solidarity programme. None of these things actually happened because Ian had rubbish chairs from the membership. That collapsible Rendon fellah. The Mrs Robinson woman who ran away after getting caught up in some other difficulties as extreme as stopping a train. Neither of them having had a proper opportunity to deliver, because they had difficulties.

So Ian was left alone and covering his best for them as they were nothing but pressure for him. One of them was always off sick for long periods and it was not made clear to the members. Ian was blighted. He had to deal with the massive spending the two chairs weighed off the last general secretary with a massive cost to Ians planned budget. Losing this money on top of Court costs and running the case as a legacy from the former chair.

This massive failure to understand what he was taking Napo into virtually made Ians early tenure impossible. He set the trend to destroy our work. Ian in role with the old chair from the North in collaboration with the new pair. Poor Ian had to plot his way through. Despite the money spending bonanza, Ian had to spend a bit more. Lucky enough, his long time old friend from the PCS was the best candidate on the day for the role of Assistant General Secretary. I do not know who else was in the running, but it is a testament to equal opportunities that Ian gets his old best friend in. The process run by the officers would certainly have applied PO based analysis skills and there can be no suggestion of cronyism or nepotism because POs would not act in this way.

Losing Harry was a further set back, not Ian's fault or decision, how could it be? Still it worked out well because they appointed a PO and the former chairs old best friend as the replacement using those anti crony anti nepotism skills to ensure we got the best candidate for our PR. I am amazed at the skills that must have been displayed for such a role in the interview. The Panel would have to have had some idea of the scale of the task when considering the candidates calibre and ability. I have to say the silence tactic that she has employed since being in role has really confused the TR Grayling agenda and I think has frightened them and slowed down their pace because they are waiting to see what she will do and might say.

The other officers and officials are all silent too. They must be running similar tactics and this has been accepted by the membership, so we wait and see. I am confident though that Ian has now shaken all the issues off and is set poised from his holidays to take the battle on with Sodexo and win our anti redundancy position, sort the protections of jobs as the primary argument, Secondary Reinstatements of the EVR and management of change protocol and the collective bargaining mechanism as an honourable position for the employer. That's what he will do and tertiary aims are to re invest in recruitment and bring all the members back and see NAPO financial reserves that dropped from 1.5 million to 750k climb back up as he negotiates a 5% pay increase across the board. 

Ian will do all this in his stride because he has the team he chose to do all that we would expect of him and would want him to be doing on his watch. Ian is the leader I follow because I voted for him. Now in reply to you point of being facetious? You decide!

36 comments:

  1. Any news on 10.8 severance cut off for Sodexo ? Any other CRCS got updates ?

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  2. We have no chance, whatever the leadership.

    Hi, I know I have not been a PO for over a year now but I disagree with the above comment, and think we could have won with better leadership. My experience of NAPO was of a top-down organisation, with a lack of transparency and lack of urgency to combat Grayling. Ian Lawrence spent the first 9 months after TR was announced enjoying hobnobbing with government officials without really considering a strategy of defeating it. Look what we could have achieved with John McDonnel if we had made a platform for ourselves and had real purpose and vision, as Jeremy Corbyn has proved. We ended up having rallies in parliament for the converted and a lot of back-slapping for organising them.

    My experience of the NEC was very limited, but my impression was of a collection of people who did very much what management told them to, and any digression was stamped upon. When I dared to criticise Ian Lawrence and his staff, he was verbally aggressive and yet nobody defended me at the time, only afterwards did people express their sympathy and outrage, and I received a verbal and written apology. I did not get the feeling that the union was inclusive or tolerated well any dissent.

    I feel on looking back that we were subject to a perfect storm with TR – Chris Grayling and a union that resisted fighting effectively, as I found out when we forced the issue of JR at the AGM and then NAPO pulled out and pretended to have won something. Unions needs to change, union leaders need to stop getting paid so much, and they need to start listening to the grassroots, like Labour is now being forced to. The best chance for Probation is if Jeremy Corbyn becomes leader, so register as a supporter before tomorrow and vote for him. Hopefully, there will be a knock-on effect on unions, and we will see real leadership which puts the members first.

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    1. Good to read that your back Joanna. You took a leading role in the challenge to the misdirection of the leadership. And while the "Avin a Larrff "commentary is a great comedic and paradoxical approach to the situation that befell NAPO. It is clear to most now that had we have had the right leadership we defiantly \ definitely would not be in the slaughter house now. Too many smart suits and not enough talent perhaps ! It may appear a perfect storm Joanna and that is possibly the only analogy left on reflection.

      I for one would rather have dealt with many of the issues in vicious and aggressive series of Court actions. You are so correct in saying

      "Ian Lawrence spent the first 9 months after TR was announced enjoying hobnobbing with government officials without really considering a strategy of defeating it"

      Because he was so foolishly awe struck. (an unbelievable slot into a general secretary post) It was clear to many that he had no idea how to organise. The very nature of his integration with those officials (contrary to liaising more effectively with unionists) meant he was unable to mount any legitimate legal opposition.

      Why? Because being that he had been in full on \off record consultative talks and he had agreed structure of the TR positioning. So no court actions would work when that would be the defence of the Grayling gang. His reluctance to take any JR matters in proper time gives a clear indication. Finally action on the wrong issues going forward because he was forced by Joanna etal at the AGM to do something. The poor work and badly hurried scratch card case left NAPO with NO case. Still no records have been produced to members of the meetings and his activities. No printed accounted of the JR ruling or the so called confidentiality clause.
      You are right on the NEC weak and foolish followers who seem disinterested in real truth of the officials account for their time and workload. Perhaps too many offers to travel around the country than actually plot a strategic offensive would have been better than the passive defensive reaction which was all they could muster. Shameful now.

      It is time for us to call time on the NAPO failings after all it is where the buck stops. Losing the 600 our staff colleagues on his watch is what we have ensure he is to be judged . If we do not take action as an AGM then we endorse his failings and we slam a door on those under this abusive regime.
      If Ian Lawrence was able to recognise anything in conscience, moral or decent he should go this AGM either by resignation (save us the trouble) or at least be pushed via an emergency motion of confidence.

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    2. The rot set in when Harry Fletcher was elected.

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    3. ?????????????????

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  3. I, for one, rejected the shit offer of severance and will wait it out. I will not be signing any settlement agreement preventing me from speaking out against the disgraceful treatment of staff or pursuing further action to get what I am entitled to

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    1. Have you actually rejected it or is it that you just have'nt applied? In any event, you wont therefore need to sign anything and can say what you like.

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    2. I didn't apply and voted to reject through the union vote. Screw them

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    3. I don't understand what the Union was rejecting. A window dressing exercise on the part of the Union.The employer issued an offer for staff to express an interest in or not. What effect will the"rejection" vote have? I am not criticising you but there was not actually anything to reject...you either interested in the offer or not.

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  4. Stay on topic here guys. Who is going to put in the vote of no confidence for this failing GS? This needs to happen before AGM. This can't continue

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  5. If you are going down this road you need a vision and a long term plan for the union. If the GS goes what next, are there enough of us to organise a plan of action?

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    1. Maybe Ranjit will make a power play as it was mooted he wanted the top seat having done an excellent job I the TR business but I'm not personally sure if he wants a shot at the big time

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    2. Ranjit weak we need an external same as before but look what happened.

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    3. These sort of comments on needing a plan are the sort of defence mechanism of the support Ian Lawrence stuff. It is always healthy to have some limited debate but this is a much more fundamental issue. It seems the membership are rightly angry at what has been a capitulation of issues at the decisions of the general secretary as figure head. No doubt the rest of the team have been either misled or mistaken in their analysis. Not labour the point we do have to have some debate on whether in front of the AGM Ian Lawrence can actually command respect based on his performance. In ordinary times we could wait his tenure and de select him. The fact this debate is happening is a mark of a lack of respect for him as the general secretary. It is a junction that has to be met on behalf of those staff in NPS who have to set up similar reps and the same in CRC a dual napo. Ian Lawrence must have realised this when he agreed away the rights for cross representation. This has left many of our members angry and they resigned the union weakening us further financially and membership. Ian Lawrence has seen 600 exposed to sacking because there is no legal process or advise that appears anywhere that meant the transfer arrangements were properly watertight. For these reasons alone he should carefully think on his position. To put it formally it might be time to draft a Motion that calls for inquiry because the 600 at risk staff are just the start . Members are appalled at the failure of the General secretary to secure the transfer arrangement without adequate legal protections this failure has diminished trust and respect for his capacity to lead the union. I think many might second ballot in AGM to count how many a majority he will need to look credible or really decide it is time to pay the price.

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    4. Plan of action for 1746
      1 get rid of Ian Lawrence
      2 Get rid of Ian Lawrence.
      3 Election process begins .

      It has been done before lets make it happen.

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  6. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-33861811?ocid=socialflow_twitter%3FSThisFB

    Probation changes causing significant problems, says report

    No fucking surprise

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    1. Changes to the way offenders in England and Wales are supervised are causing "significant operational" problems, the chief probation inspector has warned. In his report, Paul Wilson said risk assessments were not being done and there was nowhere to record offenders' deportation status on new paperwork.
      IT problems had been "exacerbated" by the new arrangements, he added.

      The National Association of Probation Officers, which represents staff, demanded a review of the new system. Government changes have seen the probation service split in two, with £450m in contracts offered to private and voluntary sector organisations to run Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs), supervising low and medium-risk offenders.

      A new National Probation Service (NPS) has taken over the supervision of high-risk offenders. In his report, Mr Wilson said that "the nature and pace of these changes will continue to have an unprecedented impact on organisational structures and staff for some time to come".

      The report highlighted "significant operational and information sharing concerns", he added. Areas that struggled to deliver services before the changes are now finding it "hardest to adapt and cope with the reforms", he said. Mr Wilson said problems could be resolved, but warned the "true test" of the changes were whether they could reduce re-offending rates. "The much bigger challenge for 2015 and beyond will be to turn the rhetoric of innovation and the long-advocated extension of services to short term prisoners into hard evidence of effectiveness and reduced rates of reoffending."

      Tania Bassett, from Napo, said the report was a "clear indication that the system is simply not working. Staff morale is at an all time low and its deeply concerning that the inspectorate will have to rely on 'goodwill' for these issues to be resolved," she said.
      Probation staff are working "longer hours with ever increasing workloads" with many also facing redundancy, she added. "Goodwill is in short supply and we call on the government for an independent review," she said.

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    2. Ridiculous IT systems, change upon change, knee jerk solutions, more change, disjointed thinking, disparate project groups. relentless pressure, appalling training, enormous loss of knowledge and expertise, acronym upon acronym;absence of coherent overview, decisions informed by ignorance; statistical corruption; complete disregard for front line staff: rampant sick leave; complete disregard for front line staff; Goodwill !!!! gone gone and gone

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    3. None of this is happening in my CRC and we still have a lot of goodwill

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    4. Which CRC is that? It sounds wonderful, I might apply to transfer.

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  7. Anyone else heard a rumour Prison staff are being offered bonus payments to help clear the backlog of overdue start custody OASys. £480 for 24 assessments spread over 72 hours

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    1. What is the point in having a start custody OASys, there is nothing for them to do in prison! Why not spend the money on a meaningful resource like education instead of a meaningless piece of work?

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    2. Well the BCST does make sure some really important welfare questions are asked, like does the prisoner have dependent children

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    3. It also adds some important analysis, like prisoners being convicted of DV offences being scored "no problems" in the relationship section, with the comment "he tells me he can return to live with his partner on release"

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    4. Isn't Oasys being abandoned ?

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    5. "It also adds some important analysis, like prisoners being convicted of DV offences being scored "no problems" in the relationship section, with the comment "he tells me he can return to live with his partner on release""

      Sounds like what you'll get when you pay 20quid for an assessment. Don't think OASys is going anywhere.

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  8. Goodwill? Hahahahahahahahaha. Pause. Hahahahahahahaha.

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    1. Yes all that experience to state the obvious great PR.

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  9. It's time napo merged with a real union who have the spirit to fight

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  10. Please do tell which real union you speak of, anon 18:40

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    1. PCS Mark Serwotka Man with integrity and a brain he would have fought a more intelligent battle. 2014 it may not be all th eunion but it will be better to have a leader who has the respect of their members. Question to you what is your preference and why?

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    2. Just stop propping up Napo. It is an ex union. It has gone the way of the NUM, except Scargill had a winnable battle and let his own vanity get in the way. It's debatable whether the vote would have gone his way but had it done so, we wouldn't be paying high prices for imported coal. Milk is going the same way, as our farmers get squeezed out of business. Probation needs to ally with the RMT, as do all the other main unions. They are the only union that stop the Westminster bubble going about their daily business. That's why their members get decent conditions. If the unions don't wise up quickly, Feudal conditions are only a couple of decades away. Young people in the office laughed at me when I said that last year. None of them work there any more. Tony.

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  11. And just how much of our money goes to paying Tania's wages for stating the bleedin obvious and looking like she's out to clean the car. If we need to rely on her for our PR strategy its a joke.

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    1. Who is tania and who's car is she cleaning?

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    2. Napo press and parliamentary campaigns organizer. Car cleaning the Gs motor. Keeping the glean on it. In between her own multiple of absences.

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  12. Well I laughed!

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