Wednesday 2 September 2015

The Place to Be

Good Afternoon,
Hope you are well,

I am emailing you today because I require an experienced Probation Officer to work in Skegness.

Skegness is a beautiful part of the country based in the wondrous lands of Lincolnshire. Attached is the beaches of Skegness where accommodation is available and you can enjoy the luxuries of working in such a beautiful part of the country. The land is so glorious that you will almost forget you are working as you will feel like you are on holiday relaxing on the coasts of the most beautiful part of Britain.

The town is popularly known as Skeg, Skeggy, Costa del Skeg or Skegvegas and has a famous mascot, the Jolly Fisherman. At the end of Lumley Road is the town's clock tower, built in 1898-99 to mark Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1897. The luxurious gardens beyond the clock tower known as the pleasure gardens. Overall Skeggy or Skegness is the place to be.

The job is even better, you will be working within a team who will be responsible for the rehabilitation of the offenders.

Your day to day role will involve the following:
  • Arrange re-categorisation reviews in line with statutory requirements and timescales
  • Complete required SPR-L reports within the timescales indicated in the parole process or categorisation.
  • Undertake individual work to address offending behaviour, risk of re-offending and risk of serious harm needs in appropriate cases
  • Maintain records to a satisfactory standard
  • Contribute to arranging transfers from prison in liaison with Case Administrator, OCA and ISP Manager in appropriate cases
  • Represent Prisons in Oral hearings as required.
  • Represent Prisons at external MAPPA meetings as required
To be eligible for this role you will need the following:

- Qualified Probation Officer
- Up to date DBS (not essential)
- Recent Experience within 3 years

Are you ready to experience a challenge of a life time and the rewards that come with it?

You will be among the many to join the fastest growing recruitment agency in the country where everything is made easy. Timesheets done online, Compliance documents is a breeze which can be done in a matter of moments, a dedicated payroll team and lastly but not least your own personal consultant who works around the clock to make sure you get the best opportunities possible and to make work something you finally enjoy.

Get in touch and you will realise the potential you could have with Seven Criminal Justice

--oo00oo--

Good luck to whomever decides to sample the delights of 'Skeggy'. As the old saying goes, 'there are other agencies available' and it's probably as good a time as any to talk about the issue. 

In the current shitty climate, many colleagues just want to get out and find other career paths, but for some that might not be an option. As illogical as it may seem, just as CRC's appear only too keen to wave off experienced staff, they are desperately seeking experienced officers through specialist recruitment agencies. I was approached by one a couple of weeks ago and here is what was said. Oh, and before anyone asks, I'm not getting a 'cut' and don't do advertising:- 

I'm sorry not to have got back to you, but since our first exchange it's becoming clear to me that the mood amongst many readers has changed to that of anger, hostility, resignation and depression. I'm not at all sure how an upbeat piece about agency work would go down in the current climate given that many people are deciding to get out completely - they've had enough and are saying probation is finished - a view I certainly have a great deal of sympathy with. Are you aware of this and how would you address it?

Jim,

I appreciate the current climate as I am an avid reader of your blog, plus I am currently speaking to my contacts within the privately run CRC’s which help me to get a picture of what is happening.

I can say that we have had people mention this to us when we contact them to register them with our agency. I would always say that change is a difficult thing, but that there are other CRC’s who they could work for that would help them through this and possibly change their point of view. I recently placed a temporary PSO in to a CRC, they are extremely happy because they are desperately needed.

I feel that with the control of becoming a contract worker, the flexibility to work and retrain, the comfort of knowing that they can leave when they want to or move offices if needed, this would provide someone with more confidence about going back in probation work.

I will end by saying that I know the probation staff do care about their job, they genuinely care about the people they are trying to help. If we can help them by meeting the criteria they require in a contract role, then we can help them get back in to a job where they can help people whilst staying in control of their working situation.


Jim,

I have put together something to be posted if you can. I appreciate any help you can give us to keep good probation staff in employment.

During the changes which have been happening across the Probation sector, affecting both CRCs and the NPS across England and Wales, Servoca have been working with Probation skilled staff to help them find employment whilst transitioning into new roles and careers.

We work closely with CRC’s and in some areas, the NPS, to help balance the workload whilst moving in to the new delivery model by providing experienced probation staff. We aim to help people who are choosing/facing redundancy gain temporary or permanent employment whilst re-training or deciding on their next career move.

We are currently working on temporary PO and PSO roles, as well as numerous other roles associated with the potential new and current operating models, and in order to do this we are looking for candidates to help fill these roles.

If you wish to have a confidential chat or wish to see what roles you can apply for in your area, please email probation@servoca.com or call 0203 031 4769. You can also visit our website at www.servocaresourcing.com.

50 comments:

  1. We were told we had a 12% PO and 30% PSO shortgage in London at present and MTCNOVO and the MOJ are wrangling over the figures which at the end of the day did not include MAPPA cases, causing financial loss to the company. We can all see where the savings are to be made!

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  2. Maintaining records to a satisfactory standard-not a strong point JB, I'd give skeggy a wide berth! Ha!

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  3. Skeggy - Leicester by the sea. Well...if the tides in, when it's out, it's that far that Skeggy temporarily loses it's coastal status. Worst fish and chips in the world on the sea front and despite having a sister that lives there (still has a Grammar school) and one with a caravan sited there, I'm convinced it's the inspiration for Morrissey's 'Every day is like a Sunday'. Apart from that...

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    1. If we are now entering into a discussion about the respective merits of our towns and cities could be worse. Rumour has it that since the study of evolution schools have been organising field trips to LEEDS, the supposed hub of learning and civilisation - so i am told.

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  4. I guess you could call it vulture capitalism. You break up a public service, engineer pseudo redundancies and then fill vacancies with contract labour on zero hours contracts. Like carpetbaggers, the recruitment agencies see opportunities to skim off some commission. But they aren't just about making money - they are committed to helping ex-probation staff through the difficult process of change. I know there have always been locum probation staff, but the key differences are that now it's transferring money from the public to the shadow state and in time it will become part of the structure of service delivery and its impact on terms and conditions will be devastating.

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  5. They can polish their flexible contracts as much as they like, they are still turds. And where do turds come from?

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  6. The job description is for a prison based PO, did they mean that?

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    1. Well spotted - not heard of HMP Skegness.....

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    2. 'You've obviously never been to Butlins...

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    3. The fact the employment agency has mixed up a job description for a prison based worker with that for a field based probation worker tells all one needs to know about them.

      Clearly they are looking for gullible people who are desperate to work and have the right qualifications that can enable them to tick some boxes.

      I wonder whether the Human Resources Departments recruitment staff working for the CRCs will ultimately know any better about the different types of work within probation as they are moved further from the frontline workers in their so called 'hubs'.

      Then I suppose the hub of a wheel does not know that it feels like to be the outer edge of a tyre and constantly worn down as it is rotated at speed against the outside world!

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    4. Via Twitter that employment agency are blaming Jim Brown for the error - the description posted is for a job at Lincoln prison

      https://twitter.com/SevenCJLtd/status/639041630759223297

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    5. Remember the old PR maxim - 'no such thing as bad publicity' - bet they get the posts filled though....

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    6. Seven Criminal Justice are not trying to blame Jim Brown for the error. Andrew had claimed that we posted this thread which is not the case, we of course denied this however we did send the email.

      As stated to Andrew on Twitter, Seven Criminal Justice sent an initial email out advertising Skegness but unfortunately our marketing team mixed up the Job Duties with neighbouring HMP Lincoln (We later rectified the error).

      Jim has posted our email without realising the error we had made initially and we do not blame Jim for this. We can see that Jim has posted this thread to help Probation Professionals look for other alternatives and we appreciate Jim highlighting our agency.

      Hope this clears up the issue.

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    7. Christopher Columbus CQSW2 September 2015 at 13:19

      Skeggy? Exact same distance from HMP LIncoln to Nottingham.... Grimsby is nearer.

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    8. Seven Criminal Justice - thanks for clarifying things - we have a reputation for accuracy on this blog.

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    9. PS wouldn't it be great if we could get such a quick response from the likes of Napo; NPS; MoJ; PI; HMI; HMPS; HMCTS; CRCs; etc etc etc?

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    10. Thank You Jim - Yes we are a very keen follower of your blog and find it very beneficial to help us in our efforts to understand the market from the professionals prospective.

      Again we apologise for the error on the advert and can assure each and every one of you we are not aware of any upcoming prisons in Skegness.

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    11. The market is fuxxed if thats any help.

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    12. Professionals do not see a market, they see a public service that is being destroyed by marketing where there should not be marketing. Just as we should not have a market in children, so we should not seek to profit from through crime and human need.

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  7. Probation staff like many other categories of workers are becoming superfluous human beings. Britain is part of the wider neoliberal project and the Empire building of America. Giant corporations make millions out of wars and then they turn their back when people are drowning in the Mediterranean and refugees are now flooding Europe.

    Isis was created out of this project young men indeed had become superfluous human beings, they were men with no hope in society. Isis offers them a way to fight back. Young Muslin men reject neoliberal personal wealth as the main basis for respect and authority, instead they turn to religion and barbarism Their motto has become " either one must remain terrified or become terrifying".

    The loss of our profession is part of this outrageous project the middle classes will be driven down and perhaps their children will rise up.

    papa

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    1. What on earth are you banging on about? ISIS are a terrorist organisation that we must do out utmost to destroy. The USA is our greatest ally and we must work together to defeat this evil tyrannical group, not make excuses for their vile terrorist behaviour!

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    2. Agree 100% 14:41, what is is pseudo-apologist twaddle he's suddenly spouting? I think papa needs to learn a little about the evils of moral relativism...

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  8. Has anyone heard any more about Ian Lawrence resigning or is it just idle gossip. Any decent man would anyway with that amount of failures to his name. Maybe he could update us ... and put the rumour to bed. Just realised how ridiculous that sounds, he's not allowed to give us information is he.

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  9. Can anybody offer an insight into how the General Secretary is elected? Is it for a fixed term or until they stand down? Is there no mechanism for the members voting to 'remove' him?

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  10. I'm reliably informed that the General Secretary will announce at the AGM that he will be moving on to pastures new.

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  11. Well lucky old Ian. I hope he has pastures new to go to. As a DipPS qualified PO in his fifties with 15 years experience when the Eton boys come for my NPS job next year. I'm fucked. Perhaps the agency people who have to read this blog to understand the "market" they are creaming taxpayers money out of will be able to sort me out. Good luck Ian and thanks for fuck all.

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    1. haha brilliant I was worried you were going to thank him. He got his fingers burned because he did not listen, lost all the support of anyone who could have helped him, attracted the wrong staff and played the big I am . Hurry up and go if its true it would be nice to have the AGM without him. Joining in the SCCOG should have gone then. Come on October lets see the back of him.

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    2. It's a longstanding practice of many. Get into a job that you have convinced people you can do, fail miserably and get paid off with huge amounts to go away . Then go somewhere else, fail to tell the truth, get hold of good references from those that want to keep it all quiet and avoid any possibility of the failures being their fault, then fail miserably again and guess what !!!,

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  12. Wow thanks Jim for the latest update on our gen sec and not before time. After the general election fever the losers stood down. Its know different for Ian, he should have stood down sooner when it was apparent we lost the fight for the sale of Probation. We need an outsider now, there is no one competent in my view inside to do the work that needs to be done to lead our union. I didn't vote for Ian but its a democratic process and you have to get behind your leader but he has seriously let us down with the EVR shambles as the last straw and he must know he needs to go.

    There are jobs for probation officers in CRC's and NPS in a number of areas and that job advert Jim posted missed the unbelievable header.....'Working Holidays' !

    In my area they are desperate to recruit and I am constantly bombarded by recruitment agencies seeking to recruit nationally. The desperation is transparent in this advert that seeks to attract potential recruits by suggesting its so fantastic to work in our industry that its close to paradise and a working holiday when there is the reality that some mercenary employers desperate to discard qualified experienced staff are building a business that couldn't be further from paradise.

    Its hilarious in one way and a cruel reality in another, a real dichotomy but then I can afford to laugh because I am in a privileged position because I am not facing redundancy. This advert really sums up the discord and dysfunctional state of a privatised service and not one that I consider to be a paradise that the agency described but this story isn't about the agency and I don't blame them. Ultimately, all the CRC's will seek to profit from cherry picking service users who will be more profitable, whilst for the rest, manipulating practice to reduce costly penalties will become the new pragmatic approach. We are bound to be faced with further moral dilemmas which will probably drive more staff away.

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    1. Yes I wish now that I'd used the original header 'Working Holidays'. But I'm still learning this publishing game and I'm not running a tabloid.

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    2. Netnipper for GS

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    3. Quoting a clever line and a bit of research will not prepare anonymous nipper for the role of GS we need real experienced trade unionist not the show boater that sounds like he has the skids under him. The NEC assisted the slanted electoral process and from what I gather the other candidate at the time was a real prospect in the unions. I do blame the membership for looking the other way as the NEC and a few hangers on used influence to assist him into a role he just could not really manage . We see the insider trading with waffle about on my watch we will appoint minorities and staunch equalities. Liar he then goes and appoints his old best friend Dean Rogers. Well lets not have anymore insider dealing it has to be an outsider and a man of experience lets hope he takes rogers with him and if he stands I will as well so will my mum and dad . Get rid get clear lets have some integrity back in NAPO we were once a great union.

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    4. Apologies my mistake above to irritated to think or a woman we best served by Judy McKnight lets have a woman GS please .

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    5. Hmm, let's have the best person possible - probation is gender skewed enough as it is!

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    6. Harry Fletcher!!!!!!!!

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    7. 2132 probably right the last 3 chairs and the other shop display dummies. A PR officer silence.

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  13. Does anyone know which agencies are on the list that the NPS are allowed to use, it's said to be only a few and that hardly any people, PO's particularly, are registered. Party line for the local staffing crisis anyway !!!

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  14. Does anyone in the NPS think that what is being asked, with all associated expectations, is acceptable, or even possible

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  15. Wherever I look, both sides of the divide, I see exploitation and stupidity. Poor management, bullying and just really dumb s***. The problem remains the fact that NOMS is the Prison Service and Probation, in all it's forms, is not. The wrong people are in charge.

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  16. Anon 21:35 Sanctuary Criminal Justice are specialists in the criminal justice sector, recruiting professionals to Local Authorities, Probation Companies and Private organizations across the UK.

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  17. Hi Jim, may I take this opportunity and use your Blog to thank you for providing this forum for our members to have "the debate"on issues that are not only important in the criminal justice system but very often directly effect members, their families, the Service user and the wider community. Sadly a forum and process not readily available to members outside of the limited NEC.

    We have today received the 1st mail out for the next NEC meeting on 22 September and to demonstrate the point of limited, indeed restrictive practise I bring to members attention the Officers Report item 7 (National reps panel). I encourage members to ask NEC reps the question..... why when the Chair was challenged on a point of Order why was this challenge not supported by the NEC.

    The rights and wrongs of any challenge are frankly irrelevant. If the challenge is supported we have the debate.......however by not supporting this challenge we grant the Chair permission to suppresses the debate. We by default give permission to subvert the democratic process, stifling/restricting the debate and consequently reps fail in our responsibility to hold Officers and Officials to account.

    The result of our Election of new VC will be known tomorrow, irrespective of who is elected, we have had "the debate" and that was important. I wish those who are elected well and hope that they will use the opportunity to bring about much needed change. If the rumour is true we may well be looking to appoint a new GS.

    Finally I thank you again for the providing the forum and opportunity, I thank all those members that contacted me with questions and statements of support. I have over my time with Napo been supported and guided by colleague and friends and to them all and the many others who supported and voted for me, i thank you. I have been encouraged by your generosity of advice, your kind words and of your time taken. Don't ignore necessary order.
    Barry Adams

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    1. Thanks Barry for being so open, willing to challenge and trying to shed some much needed light on things. Take care.

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    2. Barry for GS

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    3. In my experience Barry debates are discouraged at NEC, they are stamped on and NEC advised to move on because there isn't time to get through the business which has been fully determined by the officials and officers doing their biding. NEC are disempowered made easy by the majority of reps who haven't got a clue about whats going on, don't talk to their exec and don't understand the consequences of top table decisions because their given just enough information to bring it to the meetings but not enough for the majority to get what its about.

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    4. We need Dino, he gets it and we need members to get that.

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    5. Once again we hear the name Dino on the blog. Who is this person, can anyone enlighten us please?

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    6. Chair of Napo South South West branch.

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  18. Americans are out for themselves. So are corporations. To think otherwise is deluded.

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  19. He is Chair of Branch, hard working ex Napo vice Chair and an experienced trade unionist, intelligent, with the leadership skills, the knowledge and the ability to unite or members and move Napo forward.

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