Thursday 17 September 2015

Alarm Bells Ringing

An eerie silence appears to have descended upon the privatised probation world of late, but news reaching me indicates all is not well. Quite recently all the CRC heads had a day out in London with MoJ top brass, basically complaining that the rules of the game were being changed. 

The fact they all went mob-handed is interesting in itself and somewhat indicative not only of a high degree of information-sharing, but also as a warning to the MoJ that they intend to work closely together for their shared mutual interest and benefit. I understand this hasn't gone down well at all with those at the top. 

So, what could possibly have kicked off this bit of co-ordinated action and collective pleading? Why, money of course. For some reason the privateers have somewhat belatedly realised that making money in this line of business is not quite as straight-forward as originally intended and especially if the Weighted Annual Volumes are moving in the wrong direction.

This in turn means less cash and therefore increased business risk. The alarm bells really do seem to be ringing during this period of eerie silence. Why, I'm told expensive lawyers might even be engaged, on both sides and mention is being made of possible breaches of contract rules. The omnishambles that TR is will continue to deliver for some considerable time yet, but clearly not quite in the way the mad architects envisaged.    


46 comments:

  1. Just how good is the blog Jim!!!
    WOW, everything about TR that we, posting as mainly mere practitioners, predicted is coming to pass. CRC's in crisis, charities in trouble, NPS simply not working.
    Yup probation was not broken did not need fixing but thanks to TR it now is and does! Bonus's all round at MOJ and NOMS...
    A PO

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  2. Dear Noms, MoJ & heads of CRCs - perhaps you are starting to realise that the probation world operated in a different sphere from greed, profit & exploitation. By losing, disenfranchising &/or alienating the experienced practitioners you have smashed the engine that kept probation going; an engine that was fuelled by passion, commitment & goodwill, but you threw the baby out with the bathwater & cut off the fuel supply as well.

    If you wake up & realise this, I don't think you should expect anyone to be understanding or eager to return & assist. As someone (at 06:47) has observed, you have broken probation - possibly beyond economic repair?

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  3. I'm told by a senior manager in CRC (purple futures) that they are campaigning for a presence in Courts. Already not happy with the 70% of Probation they have, they now want to chip away at the NPS.

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    1. Too right. All business should come to the CRC. When TR first started only 8% was meant to be NPS so be happy

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    2. I smell a rat, could it be related to the CrC's underhand practise to avoid breaches, read failures, so they can head off any breaches at the pass?

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  4. This is a really interesting topic but i dont understand what the CRC heads are unhappy about. What are the weighted annual volumes? What do they mean in terms of payment?

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    1. Isn't it interesting that the privateers are up in arms when things don't go their way, unifying themselves when they have to to protect the shilling! The irony is not lost when u consider their disregard for EVR agreements to the 600 crying poverty as justification for this action. Is it feasible that they had already calculated the profit margins, particularly when it transpired that some of the directors of Sodexo et all 'were in bed' with ministers and supporters of the conservatives. I am not surprised by the revelations on the blog today, sadly I have come to expect nothing better. Any company that wants to profit from crime cannot be trusted as the penny must come first. David Cameron reiterated his capitalist views quite clearly during an exchange with Jeremy Corbyn at PMQs yesterday.

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    2. It's also interesting that the privateers will take collective action to protect their interests yet NAPO remain complacent. Why didn't the G.S mobilise himself to take cases forward with the same commitment to protect his members interests. The cynic in me thinks Mr Lawrence May have also wished to protect his coffers for a rainy redundancy day...

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    3. weighted annual volumes i think it means how many number of cases will come through probation. Higher volume more people more money, if that goes down then less people less money.

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    4. 08:47.If that's the case then it's even more concerning as the whole thing was supposed to be about reducing crime !!!

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  5. I note that some MPs continue to react to the court closure programme. These were the under sec's closing words to the Suffolk MP about the demise of Lowestoft mags court:

    "Let me be absolutely clear: the service that people receive throughout England and Wales will be uniform. The pilots are carried out in metropolitan areas to ensure that the technology is tested against a whole range of cases, and that is more available in metropolitan areas than in rural areas, where volumes tend to be lower.
    In the limited time remaining, which is about 90 seconds, I hope I can sum up by saying that the consultation is genuine. I welcome alternative proposals, whether they are on the siting of courts, the use of video conferencing or other measures that we may not even have thought of. I reassure my hon. Friend that this is a genuine consultation. I have taken on board all that he and my other hon. Friends have said, and I again commend him for having taken the trouble to secure this debate. I hope that I have given him some comfort that I will reflect carefully on all that he and my hon. Friends have to say."

    Again, use of a pilot which is incompatible with reality. The Peterborough Effect - "it didn't fall down & kill people when I built it with lego".

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  6. Maybe Bonuss all round at MOJ and NOMS but severance , redundancies and being managed out for us underlings

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  7. I'm top brass and this is news to me.

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    1. What do you know then brass.? Also have you learnt anything about being in the wrong game if moj are reducing your contract totals to reduce the profits.

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    2. 10.22 do you really think top brass read this blog? That made me laugh hahaha

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    3. Yes they do that's how they keep up and watch how to outwit Napo which has not been hard for a few years now.

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    4. I was at an all events day recently and top brass sat at the top table. Someone referenced probation blog and they all laughed shortly followed by "next"...

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    5. This blog lacks credibility and the tone on here and poor topic discussion and blogging is the cause - probably. This blog needs to be undertaken new management?

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    6. Credibility is not lacking on this blog. In fact, the only thing that seems to have changed in recent months is the quality of the comments section and I have a hunch that's a deliberate ploy to undermine it because it is so good.

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    7. Maybe NOMS should privatise Jim Brown!!!
      Jim, what the going price for morality, honesty and integrity?

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  8. shouldn't this info be fast-tracked to Jeremy to mobilise his relevant forces????

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    Replies
    1. Why harry fletcher tweeted this story last week and he works in the corbyn camp. They know.

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  9. Don't forget, as well as probation, all other sectors are cooking the books and so the downsized police will find ways of trimming the supply of offenders to courts - something uncovered by magistrates, several years ago, when their FOI request revealed the 'scandal' of serious offences being weighed off by cautions. The CRCs will be hit in the pocket, obviously. What concerns me much more than that, is that my great neice (16yrs old) was indecently assaulted on a bus a few weeks ago. The police made no effort whatsoever. My neice was on the same bus the following week and the same guy got on. Terrified, she rang her dad who intercepted and got on the bus, made a citizens arrest and waited for the police. Their attitude was 'it's your word against his' - even though they admitted he was a known offender with mental health issues. They were more interested in whether her dad may have assaulted him. So, no crime was committed. Mind how you go. CRCs, like the rest of us, are going to find that, unless it's an aged disc jockey, or journalist, or something kinky, like a girl pretending to be a boy, then crime will be redefined by Austerity as only that which is newsworthy. So long as they don't feel it in the boardroom, everything will be hunky dory.

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  10. 13.44 stay away from the lunchtime shandy. There making you slur....

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    1. I find your story hard to believe 13 44 as i doubt an offence of that magnitude would not have been investigated. Plus, don't all buses have cameras? Arn't citizens arrest now illegal?

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    2. It happened. I used to work for LRPT and I'm not making it up. Same as a growing list of crimes that have happened to friends, families and colleagues, that are paid scant attention. Wait till it happens to you or someone close and you'll lose that smug attitude. You must be really new to the CJS.

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    3. Please check our facts before posting17 September 2015 at 16:24

      Citizens arrest now illegal? No. Even the most idle use of Google would show this to be wrong.

      In England and Wales, the power to detain a person suspected of involvement in criminal activity is a statutory power laid down in section 24A of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1974. A person “other than a constable” may arrest without a warrant anyone: “who is in the act of committing an indictable offence; or whom the person has reasonable grounds to suspect is committing an indictable offence.”
      An indictable offence is one that is heard in a Crown Court and tried by a jury.

      The law does not publish an exhaustive list of indictable offences. However, examples that are most likely to be encountered by the general public include:

      theft
      burglary
      criminal damage
      assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

      A citizen’s arrest can only be effected in circumstances where it does not appear reasonably practicable for a police constable to make the arrest and the person making the arrest has reasonable grounds to believe that such an arrest is necessary to prevent the person being arrested from:

      a) causing physical injury to himself or another person

      b) causing loss of (or damage) to property

      c) fleeing before a constable can take charge of them.

      How should a citizen’s arrest be done?

      A person performing a citizen’s arrest should advise the suspect what is happening as soon as reasonably practicable, explaining:

      that they are being arrested
      the reason(s) for their arrest
      the offence the suspect is believed to have committed.

      A citizen’s arrest can only be carried out exercising reasonable force (which is a matter of degree).
      Other factors that should be considered when making a citizen’s arrest include:

      the potential for civil litigation: whilst the courts are somewhat sympathetic to upstanding citizens in pursuit of being public-spirited, a citizen’s arrest is not a vigilante’s charter, therefore the incorrect use of the rights and powers associated with a citizen’s arrest could potentially result in an unlawful arrest and/or false imprisonment suit.
      danger: a person contemplating a citizen’s arrest should not proceed to do so if they feel that they would be putting themselves or another person in danger. The preferred option would be to dial 999.

      Souce: http://findlaw.co.uk/law/government/civil_rights/500393.html

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    4. 16.24 must be 16.06. 16.24 you much time on your hands?

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    5. Please check our facts before posting17 September 2015 at 20:17

      No. I am not the same person, Ex PO. Left long ago. The answer is easy. Google phrase. Copy. Paste. Done. 30-40 seconds max.
      And please don't be so rude or make such unwarranted assumptions.

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  11. Concerned that Wales CRC, Lurking Winks, are being told to leave breaching to last resort and try everything not to breach an offender as they are bottom of league table. Phone calls saying they can't make an appt are now being accepted instead of face to face appts. How can you tell if someone is using drugs/alcohol over the phone? More home visits to offenders to be used. The words' health & safety' come to mind!

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  12. Hello Probation. Still not got the hang of your job? Let me "enlighten" you...

    You are paid a huge salary to implement abusive practice.

    There are billions of people who are more than capable of doing what you do for a much cheaper price than you currently do it for.

    How is Mrs Jim? Has he/she got a promotion?

    Is he/she still in the employment of those he/she continually criticises?

    Is he/she clinging onto their position for a couple more years in order to receive a big pension?

    All of these burning questions not to be answered in the next installment of the "Blame your Boss or your Union or your Bosses pet Dog or the Bus driver or anyone so long as I don't have to take a look at myself and change my employment because I see myself as some kinda Gandhi blogger who is only in it for purely altruistic reasons not for my own ends honestly, I don't do anything untoward during my working day look at my superiors blame them if anything is wrong with the way in which I treat people, stay tuned there's plenty more bitching about NOMS, NAPO and everybody inbetween, not a slight report about how my abusive working practices affect those I'm supposed to work for, if you look through the back issues you'll find so very much material on the actual day to day process that Probation Officers undertake (sarcasm), plenty of snidey, smarmey write ups concentrating on things that are out of my control, the things that are inside my sphere of influence I shall deign to ignore as clearly there is zero wrong with the way in which I treat Offenders, my interactions with them only ever produce positive results and if they reoffend it's got zero to do with me and the way I do things, look at NAPO look at NOMS don't look at the individuals who turn up each morning and actually make the place function, no, no look at the huge faceless organisations and moan about them. It's not the individuals fault, the little people only make the wheels go around, there's nothing they can do.

    You are so full of shit it is almost unbelievable. If you see problem in the way in which you do things the it's your own fault not NAPO not NOMS not your manager, yours and yours alone.

    To all those who have resigned as PO's in the recent past I congratulate you. I trust you have chosen an employment route that does not have a harmful impact on your customer.

    To those that stay I pity you, I understand that your death bed will be all the more uncomfortable for it.

    Probation, NPS, CRC, whatever you are, you are all so full to the brim of crap from top to bottom that you constantly fail to see the abuse you inflict.

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    1. Some of what you wrote was sheer brilliance. You must be a god.

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    2. Here we go again. Rant, rant, rant, guest blog, you all want me dead. Yawn.

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    3. Huge salary? Clearly not as much in the know as you think you are

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    4. Come on don't taunt its not professional or appropriate.

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  13. Well thanks for that ! It is well written and I am sure you mean what your saying. I would hope you get some time to reflect on it and try and look to see the good many colleagues manage on a daily basis. I realise some things are wrong and mistakes are made nothing is perfect . However things are set to get worse for the services people need. I respect your energy and burst of commentary but I think you could if you choose to post a series of comments that encourage the debate you have touched on. Good luck to you.

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  14. Not a God just a damaged result of a piss poorly implemented cheapo CBT only we can't call it CBT because the persons we get to facilitate have fuck all in the way of holistic intention or personability or relevant qualification or life experience to do what is being asked of them.

    Probation Officers are pieces of shit. You are happy to psychologically abuse people, that is very clear.

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    1. oooo have we got sotp man back again.....

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    2. You know, I read this and thought sex case too ;)

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  15. Meanwhile it seems the Probation Institute are invigorated naming a chairman and announcing a guest blog.

    Stay strong JB - the attacks seem to be increasing - hopefully some Corbyn friendly MPs and peers will get some exposure for the disasters in the CJS eventually, the rest of the media seems unlikely to take it on.

    The Know the Danger Facebook Group continues to publish reports of much that is wrong with custodial institutions but is getting no wider exposure.

    There are some glimmers of light - Manchester Evening News are reporting a prisoner protest at Buckley Hall following an untimely death of a prisoner who it seems to be suggested did not get the medical attention he needed.

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    1. It's most unfortunate that this angry poster has seen fit to name individuals. The way this blog works means that as editor, I cannot delete part of a comment, only the whole post including other comments that respond to it. After some thought, I've decided to leave the whole thread and repost the missing comments, but minus the names. Here they are:-

      It's nothing to do with NOMS or any wider problem in the CJS it's these people, whether they still work for Probation or not, who are responsible for my continued damaged mental state, I admit I wasn't in the best of ways when I first attended Probation but during and since I have been suicidal and physically ill due to havig contact with these people. I needed help, I contributed, I was open and honest and spoke at length to them about my life, they did nothing, I offered a hand of friendship they refused. One day they shall pay dearly for the abuses they have inflicted on myself and others.

      Contact the Police if you don't like it, perhaps it'll help blow Mrs. Jim together with his/her blog out of the water.

      Anonymous17 September 2015 at 17:58
      Dude, I can see you have some serious shit going on but here is not the place to air it. Speak to your GP or a MH worker.

      Anonymous17 September 2015 at 18:21
      I am not sure that will help. I can read as we should all be able to, this poster is someone who is angry. Now I know there will be a lot of POs claiming this post is colluding or assisting in some way. The point is people actually believe the service as it was will help. Through managing support and care services. Deal positively with difficult and frustrated people. This poster is making the point they did not could not wont and don't take any responsibility. That's not to say that people do not have good intentions in any role at the beginning. The trouble is all too often the element of the personal gets a grip. People like this poster feel shafted. This is true right across the board. Every authority I have worked for is corrupt. People at all staffing levels especially management. Napo the MOJ Police all as corrupted and hide the truth.

      In your post 1755 try and believe me there are a lot of naïve and plain wrong people in the organisation they do damage and managers are just as bad as they do collude to hide the mess. You will lose all ground by naming people if these posts are not deleted. Also no point in having a go at the JB blogger. he gives the debate room to be discussed. Look on your obviously articulate and well capable of driving your points home in a controlled way . carefully craft your points you can be heard.

      Anonymous17 September 2015 at 19:23
      Failing the above, stay out of the courts, , you seem to have all the answers, but I am not sure you know the questions!

      Oh and naming people publically, and making threats leaves you open to legal challenges, so maybe a lawyer would be a good idea!

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    2. Im sure your bosses would be interested in your ip address also. If theres such a legal problem with naming names and in your opinion threatening them then why delete anything? You are more converned by visits from wooden tops than I am. I'm sure you must have a pension to uphold.

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  16. When someone says ' one day they shall pay dearly for the abuses they have inflicted on myself and others' will obviously make people on here think there is something a bit deeper going on. I hope that the blogger whoever he or she is gets the help and support they need. At the end of the day we all have problems and issues but hopefully problems for all of us improve in time and issues worked out in a controlled way not through hurting those who try along the way.

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  17. Samantha Callan a "Conservative Home" writer from the Centre for Social Justice and former adviser to David Cameron on family policy. - is catching up and telling us what I presume every probation worker learns on their first training placement - but gets worn out repeating it and being ignored by policy makers!

    HEADING " Former prisoners will gain if their family relationships are strengthened – and so will we all "



    http://www.conservativehome.com/platform/2015/09/samantha-callan-former-prisoners-will-gain-if-their-family-relationships-are-strengthened-and-so-will-we-all.html#comments

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  18. More research to prove that which we have known for generations and to justify why, despite this knowledge being widely shared amongst practitioners, the MoJ have done nothing about it.

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