Wednesday 20 January 2016

Latest From Napo 93

Job Cuts announced by Purple Futures today

Here is the Joint communique issued by Napo and Unison this afternoon in response to the announcements of intended staff reductions across the Purple Futures CRC's.

As you would expect Napo has incorporated this depressing news into a comprehensive briefing ahead of next Wednesday's Oppositiion day debate on Prisons and Probation in Parliament.

PURPLE FUTURES JOINT NEWSLETTER 1: 20 January 2016

CRC RESTRUCTURING AND JOB LOSSES

Napo and UNISON are working together to protect the interests of our members working for the five Purple Futures CRCs. We understand that members will be very worried about the plans announced today by Purple Futures to restructure their five CRCs and the potential for redundancies in the process.

Our aim is to protect as many jobs as we can and ensure that the restructuring process is carried out fairly, but we recognise that some job losses are likely to happen in the end. Staff who are eventually made redundant must be offered the enhanced voluntary redundancy (EVR) terms agreed in the National Negotiating Council (NNC) Staff Transfer and Protections Agreement.

NAPO AND UNISON PROTECTING YOUR INTERESTS

In order to protect your interests we have:


  • Agreed to work with Purple Futures at national level to ensure consistency of approach to the restructuring and the redundancy programme
  • Set up a Cross CRC Forum at which national union reps come together with senior Purple Futures management to agree:
Are working at the Forum to agree:

  • An Organisational Change Policy and Procedure
  • Trade Union Facilities to allow us to properly represent members in the restructuring/redundancy process
  • That redundancy pay is in line with the enhanced voluntary redundancy (EVR) terms from the national Agreement on Staff Transfers and Protections
  • Set up good communications with Purple Futures at national level to enable us to feedback any problems or issues that arise in the restructuring/redundancy process
  • Sat on job evaluation panels to set the pay for new jobs to be introduced by Purple Futures
Napo and UNISON know that you and your colleagues are already extremely busy. We are concerned about the impact of the restructure and redundancies on workloads in the new organisation and will be raising this with Purple Futures at future meetings.

WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS?

Here is what we think will happen next:

  • Purple Futures and the unions to agree the Organisational Change Policy and Procedure which will govern the restructuring/redundancy process. We still have a few issues to clarify, but we are pleased that Purple Futures has worked positively with us to agree a fair and transparent policy which all staff can read and understand.
  • Purple Futures to open consultation with the unions and staff on the restructuring/redundancy process. This is your opportunity to tell your union what you think about the proposals and how we should respond. If you feel that the proposals are unworkable, or unsafe, in your CRC please speak up.
  • Unions to formally respond to the proposals, with ideas/suggestions from members in each CRC
  • Unions to support members through the mapping and matching process which will allocate staff to jobs in the new structures. You will have a chance to appeal your outcome if you are not happy.
  • Unions to formally agree the terms of the voluntary exit scheme which Purple Futures has said it will set up for staff who are redundant at the end of the process. Purple Futures has said that, ‘...subject to the actual cost of final leavers...’, it will ‘...offer an enhancement to statutory redundancy terms – equivalent to the enhanced voluntary redundancy scheme offered by the MOJ last year.’ Both unions are very clear that this means that the terms of the National Negotiating Council (NNC) enhanced voluntary redundancy (EVR)scheme should apply to all staff facing redundancy
HLNY AND WEST YORKSHIRE

Both unions recognise that members in HLNY and West Yorkshire CRCs will be angry and concerned at the apparent disproportionate impact of the proposed job cuts in your CRCs. Clearly this is an issue which will be discussed in a lot more detail once formal consultation opens on the restructuring and the redundancy programme, but Napo and UNISON give you our commitment to work with you to challenge disproportionate cuts and mitigate their impact in your CRCs.

STAFF ON FIXED TERM CONTRACTS

The unions are in discussion with Purple Futures over the company’s approach to members on fixed term contracts, because the company has suggested that this might be different from the approach to permanent staff. The unions are taking legal advice on this.

Until we have had further talks with Purple Futures on this issue, members who are on fixed term contracts are advised to make themselves known to their local union representative and await further information from their union. Members on fixed term contracts should not enter into discussion with their CRC on any matters relating to the restructuring/redundancy process until you have received further advice from your union.

FINALLY

We know that the next few weeks and months are going to be extremely stressful for you and your colleagues, but please remember you are not alone. If you have any questions, please contact your local Napo or UNISON representative. At national level we will continue to work with Purple Futures to get the best possible outcomes for all our membersMore to follow on this and other developments elsewhere later this week as preparations are made to engage with our members in the CRC's.

More on this depressing news and other developments elsewhere will follow later this week as preparations are made to engage with our members in the CRC's.

33 comments:

  1. Does anybody know if there are going to be losses in Hampshire?

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    1. negligible - apparently about 2%
      Merseyside, Cheshire/greater Manchester also negligible.

      No timescales for implantation of the new system yet.

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    2. Thank you. I am in NPS awaiting communication about what will happen to me upon qualification. Communication was supposed to be weeks ago. Thinking of crc colleagues x

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    3. All academic work, VQ5 was completed in the first week of December.

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    4. Work in west Yorkshire crc, we are all feeling devastated, angry, frustrated and confused. Given our ridiculously high caseloads, cannot see how they can justify staff cuts on ground level, not sure what will bw worse news, told I am staying or going!

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    5. There'll be no justifications, 18:05 - just cuts, cuts & cuts, without paying out. Sorry you're facing the same shit we've already had to endure. It doesn't get better, or easier. Those who left look well, years younger & say they've got their life back.

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    6. caseloads over 100 in some PurpleFutures offices.

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    7. I am in NPS WY. I empathise with my friends and now former colleagues in the CRC. Not sure until I go to work how bad it is. Is it really bad?

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    8. what like the ones in Manchester. We're f*cked.

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  2. The crcs are full of new year cheer,are they not Job losses in dlnr and now purple futures !! What can we do ???!!!!

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    Replies
    1. Post a comment that some sense will help for a start.

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  3. Another collective agreement in the making: let's hope it's better than the Framework Agreement that was designed to protect members' interests and was heralded as making compulsory redundancies unlikely during the term of the ten-year contracts. Napo 93 is the white flag and, to be fair, it represents the balance of power.

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  4. with regards to the Professional Service Centre it says 'our plan is to introduce one PSC operating from 3 locations, a range of criteria was applied: mitigation of staff losses; longer-term cost benefit; ease of implementation; wider strategic purpose - how the PSC could support other Interserve business.
    LIVERPOOL: proposal is that all corporate & some operational admin support are delivered from a building in Liverpool City Centre.
    WAKEFIELD: operational admin support is delivered from this location & allows us to make use of the skills of existing staff & strong working practices around CP administration
    FAREHAM: it's proposed that operational admin support is delivered from here as it builds on the overall performance in Hants.
    Nationally FTE down from 1629 to 1470
    HLNY: reduction of circa 56 FTE = 18.5%
    WEST YORKS: reduction of circa 93 FTE = 23.5%
    CGM reduction negligible - 2%
    Merseyside - reduction less than 1%
    HIOW - reduction less than 1%

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  5. I think the figures for liverpool and Manchester are all lies what about all the admin staff? it only say some admin in Liverpool will be going to the psc were will the rest go and what about the Manchester admin that adds up to a lot more % than what they are saying. why we're they not up front with the figures, admin are the lowest paid and yet if they want to keep their jobs they will be expected to travel far and wide at great expense to themselves.

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    1. there is mention of a 'link officer' whatever that is but also there's a new admin role called 'case co-ordinator officer' this is someone who manages the incoming new orders and despatches amongst other things.

      It is odd how Cheshire & Manchester admin haven't been mentioned but they must be getting kept on as they are only losing 2% of staff. Does anyone know what's happening in Cheshire/Manchester?

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    2. Are there a lot of agency or fixed term contract staff in Merseyside and Cheshire? Is this why those figures are much lower than WY and HLNY?

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    3. This is what we have been told 20:43 in that as Merseyside and CGM have relied recently on agency staff ( not sure what grade/ staff type) their figures are low as of course it means the vacant posts occupied by agency will now disappear

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  6. Anyone up for moving to Guernsey?!

    Department
    Home Department

    Grade: EGIII OR EGIV OR EGV - £39,224 / £41,792 OR £43,075 / £45,506 OR £46,769 / £49,410 per annum

    Full Time


    Probation Officers are the operational staff of the Guernsey Probation Service having the one to one contact with offenders to assess, monitor and provide therapeutic interventions to reduce and manage offending behaviour. The main purpose of the post of Probation Officer is to provide the Courts with quality information and assessment to assist in sentencing decisions, to supervise offenders in the community in order to reduce crime and so protect the public and to prepare prisoners for release and resettlement into the community.

    The successful applicant will also manage high risk potentially dangerous offenders including violent and sexual offenders. Given the nature of the work the post requires flexible working which may include full or part time secondment to the Offender Management Unit at the Prison.

    Please click on the link below to view a full job description for this role.

    Job Description

    Contact: Issy Richmond, Senior Probation Officer, on tel. 01481 724337 or email: issy.Richmond@gov.gg

    We strongly advise that applicants speak to the contact named above before applying for this post.

    Closing Date: 26 January 2016.

    Candidates should upload supporting information to demonstrate how they meet the key criteria for the role. This should be in addition to any CV or cover letter supplied and should have clear examples of how each is met. The key criteria can be found within the job description which is available by clicking the job description link above. The information provided by candidates will be used by the shortlisting panel when selecting candidates for interview.

    Appointment to this role will be subject to the following pre-employment checks which will be completed following an offer of employment:

    Satisfactory references which must include one from the candidate's current line manager
    Occupational Health Clearance
    Satisfactory, Enhanced, Disclosure and Barring Service Check with Barred Listing Check. Convictions likely to be considered relevant to this post include crimes involving, but not limited to, theft violence, dishonesty, fraud, vulnerable individuals and children
    Confirmation of required qualifications / registrations
    Possession of a valid Right to Work document

    Should the successful applicant not meet the requirements sufficiently he/she may be appointed at a lower grade than stated. The successful applicant would then have the opportunity to progress to the grade advertised once the necessary skills and knowledge have been developed and the postholder has demonstrated the ability to undertake the duties at the higher level.

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  7. "... we recognise that some job losses are likely to happen in the end. Staff who are eventually made redundant must be offered the enhanced voluntary redundancy (EVR) terms agreed in the National Negotiating Council (NNC) Staff Transfer and Protections Agreement."

    Just like in the Sodexo CRCs, eh? Grab your ankles & brace yourself, its Groundhog Day people!

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    Replies
    1. that's exactly right 21-04. EVR was not in the agreement because of the incompetence of NAPO abd UNISON negotiators who failed to ensure it was set in stone. that's why the CRC's who have shafted their staff so far have been able to get away without paying it. Not only are DLNR and SWM making the redundancies compulsory they are also only offering statutory minimum which is capped at £14,250. staff poorly represented by supposedly professional union negotiators and royally fucked over by greedy owners and duplicitous managers. a double whammy.

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    2. Members voted incompetent representatives through election. Stop blaming on what they failed to deliver on when there was clear choices its all membership not just the foolish ambition of a failed chair and silly band following.

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  8. All the posts I have seen so far have been worried about their futures, Safety of the public and service users. Not one person has commented about cabinet ministers who's share prices could be affected if things are not streamlined. There are a number of people who should be hanging their heads in shame. As soon as I figure out who I'll let you know.

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  9. Sad and Disillusioned20 January 2016 at 22:09

    further comment from NAPO SWM.
    Hi all. As promised an update for members about the meeting held yesterday. You will not be surprised to learn that the majority of the meeting was taken up with the proposed redundancies. The unions received information about the 'pooling system' that is being proposed for SWM CRC and we were told that the total number of proposed redundancies in the DLNR is 58. (97.3 for SWM).
    Your local napo Executive at the Emergency Meeting held on Wednesday of this week had tasked me with registering a dispute with the SWM CRC about their decision not to ask for volunteers before moving into compulsory redundancies. This I attempted to do. To register a dispute I would normally have had to send the dispute document to the Secretary of the company and he would arrange a JNCC Meeting where napo would register the dispute. Unfortunately that person is on sick leave, therefore, explaining this I attempted to present the dispute document to the Head of HR David Knott, who chairs the HR/TU meeting. I was told by Mr Knott that I was not following policy and I could not register the dispute and the document was returned to me. I find it very frustrating that I am told I am not following policy by someone who at every 'at risk' meeting was told by staff and the unions that he was not following the agreed redundancy policy (something I think I clearly demonstrated in a previous e mail) and argued that he was. I believe that at this most serious of times napo would have been able to register a dispute to allow us to present our objections on behalf of members in a formal manner and not with a microphone in my hand at a 'at risk' meeting. I think it is shameful that some leeway was not given to napo to register the dispute so that there would be no delay in arranging the JNCC before the one to one meetings commence. However, all is not lost. I approached the chair of the JNCC a fellow union colleague who agreed to call an emergency JNCC meeting and that has been arranged for Thursday 21st January when napo will register a local dispute.
    With the above in mind I would ask all members who are approached, not to agree to attend a one to one 'at risk meeting' to discuss possible redundancy until the dispute has been registered and heard.
    A further piece of news is that Napo's General Secretary Ian Lawrence and Mike McClelland National SWM CRC Link Officer and myself with reps from the DLNR will be meeting with Catherine Holland on Friday 22nd January to discuss the redundancy proposals.

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    1. What a pathetic story. I'd like to say to that union person, so you are a Union and tried to register a dispute but it was refused because somebody is off sick. If that's the best you can do then your members literally have no hope. I know you're probably doing your best but its probably better you have the meeting, make the progress and then give us the good news rather than presenting yourself (to those that have really had enough) as the weakest Union in the UK.

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    2. I agree, a pathetic post. Lodge a dispute! Wow! It's activity for the sake of activity, bit like the Keystone Cops.

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  10. Who the hell is this 22.09.thud is exactly why I left napo long ago. No teeth. Poor reps. Terrible leadership. Headless chickens running around. Destroyed

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    1. I was a napo rep years ago, and that was a hard and generally thankless task. It's amazing how many people can do the job better but are never there when it comes to putting themselves forward. Our reps are up against a machine, and whatever you think of NAPO nationally, our local reps are putting a huge of hours. Rather than a statement icompetence this is rather just an example of how frustrating senior management are. I'd advise anyone who can sort this out to sign up to a union and volunteer as a rep asap. We need you!

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    2. From the language and style of his/her comment, 06:04 sounds very much like the poster who makes a series of asinine pro-TR posts to wind people up, and probably isn't actually a probation employee anyway. Either way, I don't think it's worth paying him or her any attention.

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    3. I know local Reps do a good job and I know that when it suits, management will play procedural cards – and they will always win because the JNCC is loaded in their favour. It behaves like a dictatorship when it wishes.

      You only ever stand a chance of any justice in these situations when management is anxious about repercussions – that the workforce will be enraged, that it may actually lead to some collective action.

      Local and national the unions are weak – management know there is no collective standing in support of local branch reps and national leaders. No one can negotiate from weakness – negotiations happen between parties who have bargaining power. It is apparent that the unions have no bargaining power. This is the depressing reality and it's why many have been and why many more members of the workforce will be treated unfairly. If a workforce has not got the nous to recognise that their only strength lies in unity, then they are at the mercy of those with the power to decide their individual fates. And all the lodging of disputes will make not a jot of difference to anything.

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    4. Sad and disillusioned .. You are not filling me with hope with a user name like that! We may be better off saving our subs for an employment lawyer.The PF CRCs could do with joining forces at some level as I believe PF top people will listen to intelligence.

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  11. Have DLNR crc announced redundancies aswel as SWM crc?

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  12. http://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/Criminals-waiting-months-start-community-service/story-28580385-detail/story.html

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    1. Criminals waiting months to start community service projects

      There is currently a three to four-month wait for community payback work to be carried out, despite the number of projects available having trebled in the past three years.

      In 2015, 176 community payback projects were referred or submitted to the Community Rehabilitation Company (CRC) from East Riding Council and parish and town councils, compared with 42 in 2012.

      Within Hull and the East Riding there are up to 80 offenders available each weekend to complete projects, which range from litter picking to planting bulbs and redecorating village halls.

      However, financial restraints, which include getting offenders to project sites, are resulting in long waits for schemes to start.

      Nigel Brignall, East Riding Council's antisocial behaviour manager said: "The Community Rehabilitation Company (CRC) has four minibuses, which can only transport eight offenders at a time therefore, if large numbers of offenders report for work, projects and tasks may need to be rearranged to a local static site in Hull to accommodate larger groups.

      "Within the East Riding, projects can take three to four months before they commence due to the large number of projects submitted and, following discussions with CRC staff, officers are currently considering options to further enhance community payback work in the East Riding, including financial implications.

      "These include consideration to the use of council vehicles on a weekend to transport offenders to sites, supervision of offenders and the use of external funding."

      At a meeting of the safer and stronger overview and scrutiny sub-committee yesterday, Mr Brignall revealed further funding options for community payback are being looked into.

      He said: "These include making an application to the police and crime commissioner's crime reduction fund, use of other funding held by the council such as from the Proceeds of Crime Act and making applications for external funding to, for example, wind farm trusts.

      "Officers are exploring the possibility of making a joint application to a number of different wind farm trusts to maximise the areas of benefit."

      At a previous meeting in March last year, members were informed there were not enough weekend supervisors funded by the CRC.

      The problem has since been addressed.

      Mr Brignall said: "We now have three full-time supervisors, and three part-time supervisors, together with two relief supervisors who are used to cover leave and sickness.

      "There are now no concerns over the availability of supervisors."

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