TO: NAPO MEMBERS
Members in the CRC will have received an email from Helga Swidenbank on Friday 4th March entitled:
CRC Directive 102 - OASYS Initial Sentence Plan.
(Quote from the directive- Ed)
Rationale – Why Is The Directive Needed:
Rationale – Why Is The Directive Needed:
- There is a contract requirement on the CRC to complete an OASys risk assessment and sentence plan within 10 days of the initial appointment.
- A clear, defensible assessment and Sentence Plan is required to ensure we are managing risk appropriately and delivering the appropriate interventions for those on CO/SSO’s and Licences
- When there is a significant change in circumstances, it is a requirement that the risk is being managed appropriately and that this is reflected in a review of OASys
Below is an email that I have just sent to Helga.
=========================================================
Helga
I am writing in response to the email you sent out to all CRC staff on Friday 4th March advising them that with effect from today "it is a requirement that all Offender Managers must complete a Sentence Plan in OASYS within 10 days of the Service User attending their first appointment on any order or licence".
Members have expressed concerns to me about the content and timing of this directive.
I note your appreciation of what you call "considerable challenges" with the new ICT in some locations. At the JNCC last week we were advised that there are four "stranded" sites (Wandle Road, Orpington, Kingston and Walthamstow) that could not be cabled and would be reliant on WiFi for at least the next four/five months. Reference was also made to three other locations that were referred to as "problematical" (Hounslow, Riverside House and Lewisham). I have reason to believe that this list is not exhaustive and that other offices continue to experience ICT difficulties.
Therefore your suggestion that staff "may have to make the time to work from a cabled office" could present some staff with more difficulties than others. It may also not be possible for them to simply "make time" within their contracted hours of employment.
I wish to bring to your attention that during the “split” of London Probation Trust into the NPS and the CRC performance targets in relation to OASYS were frequently suspended. Staff were told to prioritise offender management i.e. seeing cases, updating Delius and multi-agency working.
We have been advised by Paul Scarborough that in the WMT a full OASYS assessment (layer 3) is timed at 3-4 hours. The rise in average case loads that is likely to result from the decision to “let go” a significant number of temporary staff by the end of this month is also likely to result in unsustainable workloads. Cases are being transferred without any OASYS having been done previously.
Although for approximately the past year members in the NPS have been working towards a target of completing a Sentence Plan in OASYS within 10 days, previously this only applied to Tier 4 cases.
We will be raising issues at the next JNCC about the current WMT which makes no allowances for Office duties, UPW inductions, MARAC meetings and Safeguarding Children matters.
This new directive is being implemented in what is already a very stretched, challenging and stressful time for members
Pat Waterman Chair
Greater London Branch NAPO
=========================================================
Helga
I am writing in response to the email you sent out to all CRC staff on Friday 4th March advising them that with effect from today "it is a requirement that all Offender Managers must complete a Sentence Plan in OASYS within 10 days of the Service User attending their first appointment on any order or licence".
Members have expressed concerns to me about the content and timing of this directive.
I note your appreciation of what you call "considerable challenges" with the new ICT in some locations. At the JNCC last week we were advised that there are four "stranded" sites (Wandle Road, Orpington, Kingston and Walthamstow) that could not be cabled and would be reliant on WiFi for at least the next four/five months. Reference was also made to three other locations that were referred to as "problematical" (Hounslow, Riverside House and Lewisham). I have reason to believe that this list is not exhaustive and that other offices continue to experience ICT difficulties.
Therefore your suggestion that staff "may have to make the time to work from a cabled office" could present some staff with more difficulties than others. It may also not be possible for them to simply "make time" within their contracted hours of employment.
I wish to bring to your attention that during the “split” of London Probation Trust into the NPS and the CRC performance targets in relation to OASYS were frequently suspended. Staff were told to prioritise offender management i.e. seeing cases, updating Delius and multi-agency working.
We have been advised by Paul Scarborough that in the WMT a full OASYS assessment (layer 3) is timed at 3-4 hours. The rise in average case loads that is likely to result from the decision to “let go” a significant number of temporary staff by the end of this month is also likely to result in unsustainable workloads. Cases are being transferred without any OASYS having been done previously.
Although for approximately the past year members in the NPS have been working towards a target of completing a Sentence Plan in OASYS within 10 days, previously this only applied to Tier 4 cases.
We will be raising issues at the next JNCC about the current WMT which makes no allowances for Office duties, UPW inductions, MARAC meetings and Safeguarding Children matters.
This new directive is being implemented in what is already a very stretched, challenging and stressful time for members
Pat Waterman Chair
Greater London Branch NAPO
The directive is being implemented and apart from expressing concerns there is an acceptance the directive is being implemented. Unless the workforce resist the directive will be implemented.
ReplyDeleteBy way of contrast: ''I want to pay tribute to RMT's members across London Underground who have stood rock solid throughout the long campaign of industrial pressure to secure a fair deal from the company over pay and night Tube operation," Mick Cash, the General Secretary, said.
RMT members were solid because the RMT leadership was solid. Is Napo's leadership solid?, credible even?
Delete"A clear, defensible assessment and Sentence Plan is required to ensure we are managing risk appropriately".
ReplyDeleteDoes Helen think anyone actually believes this nonsense any more? We can't provide employment and accommodation, and most of our partnerships, programmes and resources are no longer available because of the TR split.
"When there is a significant change in circumstances, it is a requirement that the risk is being managed appropriately and that this is reflected in a review of OASys"
Has Helen actually met anyone with the time to update OASys for every case every time there's a change. Unlikely to have ever happened consistently with caseloads of 50+!, and in some places 100+!
"And I wouldn't want a high risk service user running around in the community for any longer without a robust risk management plan in place."
This is from the first OASys post. What's does "robust risk management plan" even mean, especially in these dire times when probation is being ripped apart?
"...there are four "stranded" sites (Wandle Road, Orpington, Kingston and Walthamstow) that could not be cabled and would be reliant on WiFi for at least the next four/five months." If the world's most important city can't cope with the IT requirements of probation, how the hell does the banking industry cope? Or the police? Or the drug dealers? And what about those poor ole hicks in the sticks? Unbe-fucking-lievable!!! The bids were from well-heeled global corps, not Orpington Community Choir.
ReplyDeleteMost CRC owners are watching with interest how things pan out in London as the real proof that CRCs work. It stands to reason. I dont seriously think the media cares much what happens in Scunthorpe. If TR fails in the capital then its confirmed dead if it limps along but somehow survives then TR lives. It is a reality that National Napo seem incapable of grasping as they rack up travel expenses going wherever to meet with CRC owners to discuss contracts they have not even seen. They are spreading scarce resources ever thinner with decreasing support and hitting power. What they need is a decisive victory somewhere that counts such as in London.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I've seen first hand the Napo people in London rival anything National Napo can field in terms of expertise and clout. However if National Napo were to actually lend a hand and give London 100% support and its money back then things might be a bit different. I'm still annoyed when I heard that they took all London's money and kept it because some bright spark thought it was fairer to those that couldnt manage their finances very well unlike London. I think London Napo were actually doing some good things with it and increasing their membership where everywhere else people seem to be talking about leaving Napo.
London CRCs Helga is a nice person when I met her. I thought she was the new cleaner but it turns out she wasnt. She said she had a lot of experience in the prison service but lets not kid ourselves she is in charge as the real bosses are the new owners from America and if a directive has to be done then if she doesn't do it then she will be removed and they'll appoint someone who knows who is calling the tune.
I can see that our Pat Waterman is as ever boxing clever here and doing her best for the Napo members in London whose numbers have remained pretty steady despite TR. I think this is largely due to Napo members in London getting a good service from local reps. What must be really frustrating for her and her team is how many people must now be involved in any negotiation. Union people might reasonably ask if they are talking to the performing primate or the organ grinder. More often than not those who can make decisions are now reluctant to do so because they are scared.
Now would probably be a good time to try to put to one side National Napos general incompetence (noone really disputes they have failed to achieve anything tangible and that the General Secretary and Assistant General Secretarys have about as much probation experience between them as the new owners of CRCs) and instead show support for your locally elected representatives (who you can get rid of much easier than the odd bods in National who someone said werent even probation officers)and if you left in disgust then rejoin Napo insist that your money goes to your branch according to how many members they have and get involved in the fight to hold onto jobs in an increasingly nasty environment. This could be the last chance we have to make a stand for probation.
No doubt I'll get lots of negative comments but I'm a couple of years from retirement so I'm only thinking of the next generation now who I feel sorry for because everything is really bad. I get in early and sit in my hot desk next to the radiator and listen to everyone moan all day about how they cant do the job I used to love instead of talking about the work like we used to in between doing it. Its all gone down the pan now but I got a new laptop though noone has shown me how to use it or where the key goes or whatever. I'm counting the days until I'm either retired or retire.
Helga nice? For an idiot maybe. The woman was a disaster running Bronzefield and now they've let her loose on probation??? The only ray of sunshine may be that if she fucks up this time no one will give her a job anywhere near prison/probation ever again
DeleteDon't count on it. If you mess up you get a nice package and an OBE whilst us mugs get put on capability or disciplined and have to pick up the pieces and carry on. Why appoint someone with no probation experience? I mean they're hardly going to appoint an ex-chief as a prison governor proving that probation really is the poor relation in the criminal justice system.
DeleteI've never understood what the hell has been going on between Napo HQ and London Branch. There seems to have been trouble long before the more recent grab of their funds with stories of HQ not helping London in their efforts to fight the introduction of TR. It's all so sad, and as you say, not least because London is by far the largest of the CRC contracts. Can it all just be about personalities and ego's?
ReplyDeleteLondon NAPO runs a tight ship under strong leadership and have some brilliant people in their team who are 100% probation and focus on members interests whilst HQ seems to flail from one disaster to another bickering with each other about things of little or no concern to NAPO members. They feel threatened by London who in turn regard them as insincere and motivated to pursue their own agendas and their own interests as career trade unionist mercenaries rather than having any real interest in or passion for probation as a profession. Once NAPO collapses they will move on and offer their dubious 'skills' to other hapless organisations.
DeleteWandering off piste, a couple of interesting snippets highlighting democratic, caring Tory practices whizzed past my lugs. Dispatches (Ch.4) revealed that Charles Gow, the son of Ian Gow - one of Thatchers henchmen who helped launch right to buy - owns shitloads of ex-council houses in central London. They suggest he owns 40 ex-council flats or houses; surely not exactly what 'right to buy' was intended for? Bodes well for Cameron's plans to sell off all housing association properties... Who's children are queuing up for this next inheritance scheme?
ReplyDeleteAnd Boris has allegedly told staff employed in the mayoral office to keep their traps shut if they disagree with his views about abandoning the EU. He's a card, that Boris!!
Meanwhile this Tory govt continue to crash quantities of vile, unfair, unjust policy through parliament.
The Gow story is old hat. Credit where its due back in 2013:
Delete"The Mirror's Nick Sommerlad has a great piece of investigative journalism today, looking at who now owns the council houses sold off under Thatcher.
Sommerlad writes:
A third of ex-council homes sold in the 1980s under Margaret Thatcher were now owned by private landlords. In one London borough almost half of ex-council properties are now sub-let to tenants.
Tycoon Charles Gow and his wife own at least 40 ex-council flats on one South London estate. His father Ian Gow was one of Mrs Thatcher’s top aides and was Housing Minister during the peak years of right-to-buy."
Written answer by Selous from Hansard yesterday:
ReplyDelete"Between 1 May 2010 and 30 September 2015 60 prison officers left the prison service, received severance payments and have subsequently re-joined the National Offender Management Service as prison officers."
Kerching!
In case you haven't seen it:
ReplyDeletehttp://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/SN06894
HoC Library publication reviewing TR 2013-2016.
What’s the verdict so far?
DeleteThere have been concerns about the pace of change, about the danger of fragmentation and about IT systems. The MoJ has emphasised the importance of the voluntary sector in the CRC partnerships; however, there have been concerns about lack of clarity for that sector about what their role will be.
Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation has produced three reports evaluating the reforms as they have gone through. The most recent found improvements in communication between the CRCs and the NPS, and good practice in delivery. However, there were problems with risk assessment and child protection, and enforcement was variable.
Purple Futures planned cuts:
ReplyDeleteStaff Cuts (these figures are based on people numbers rather than full time equivalent posts):
West Yorkshire – 121 posts to be cut from 433 staff -28%
Humberside, Lincolnshire and North Yorkshire - 65 posts to be cut from 328 staff -20% of staff
Hampshire and Isle of Wight – 35 posts to be cut from 260 staff - 13.5%
Merseyside – 20 posts to be cut from 269 staff – 7.5%
Cheshire & Greater Manchester – 35 posts to be cut from 521 staff – 6.7%
Somewhat higher than earlier figures posted in January.
DeleteHLNY: 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%
I hope the Merseyside reductions are the admin managers who due to long service are all at the top of Scale 4. They do sweet fa and rubbing their hands at the thought of redundancy.
DeleteFeel for my colleagues in all the CRC's - cannot begin to think about being in this position, although I also know it's coming the way of the NPS too!How the hell is this government getting away with this?
ReplyDeleteBecause we let it.
DeleteBecause when all's said and done, the only people that care about probation are those who are employees by it (and increasingly, not even all of those) - don't kid yourself that anyone else gives a monkey's!
DeleteGood luck everyone. I've survived two already so think positive and sell yourself. You can do it. Convince them the CRC is your life.
DeleteI'm at the coal face plugging away and it's me facing the chop. I'm going to show them I'm worth it. I won't miss a single target and will be the first through the door and the last one out each day.
Deletenorth-west CRCS have been doing 10 days ISPs for months and with carrying caseloads of up to 100. In addition some officers are working remotely with laptops and mobile phones. People in our office tends to strike one day out per week for OASYS and some weeks we can be given 2 new cases plus have people released from custody which as we all know means another ISP. I don't agree with the system but it does work, OAYS aren't chapter & verse anymore, and full risk of harm are rare as nobody meets the criteria for risk of 'serious' harm.
ReplyDeleteYep 18.32 the above has been standard practice for a year in my CRC. The fact it's only just being done in other areas says to me that there is no financial penalty attached to these metrics. Esp as some are not even measurable such as SL14!!!!!
DeleteWhen are we going to get behind Pat Waterman as only she can save us NAPO. Ranjit as number 2.
ReplyDelete20.06 this is serious. Are you serious? They've never worked together. How about Waterman and Chase?
DeleteOr Stock, Aitken & Waterman? You should be so lucky...
DeleteHow about Laurel and Hardy!
DeleteThey wouldn't want Pat Waterman at Napo HQ as the first thing she'd do would be get rid of all the useless wotsits cluttering up the hallway and recruit people who know what they are doing and actually have an interest in probation as a profession. This might prove difficult as these people know a cushy number when they see one and won't be in any hurry to step aside and let someone else actually do the job. I'm sure she would get Ranjit up to speed as I expect he doesn't get much support from the old boy network who apparently use him as a fall guy. Bit disappointed that those who were elected haven't taken them to task a bit more.
DeleteSocial media at its mischievous best? An online poll from a site known as "CumbriaCrack":
ReplyDelete"Many people have raised concerns regarding the sentences handed out to those convicted of sexual activity with a child, sexual assaults against children and possession, making and sharing of indecent images of children by judges at Carlisle Crown Court compared to the sentences handed out for other 'less serious' crimes. Poll closes midnight Sat 12 March 2016.
Do you think sentences handed down at Carlisle Crown Court for child sex offenders are too lenient?
1. No, the sentences fit the crime
2. Yes, the sentences are too lenient
3. I don't have all the facts so don't know
4. I trust the judge to decide the sentence based on the circumstances of each case"
Next week, an online vote to hang your favourite paedophile - press 1 for Nigel who had indecent images on his smartphone, etc etc etc.
As a registered sex offender, I understand my opinion means absolutely nothing. I have spent time in a prison where decent, upstanding members of the criminal community all feel fit enough to point out where judges have gone wrong in the sentencing process. All the evidence they need is printed in the local papers the day after the trial. One of these self appointed judges that comes to mind was spending his third time inside. All he did was entering old age pensioners homes and hitting them with a golf club until they handed over their pensions. I can think of no better qualification to own the moral high ground.
DeleteI was sentenced to eighteen months for my crime. I have recently served out my license. I am on the register for another nine years. That's not the end of it though. I see things like this. http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/politics/5024086/Sex-offenders-remain-on-the-loose-in-Britain-as-many-are-not-jailed.html
I have not read The Sun since I progressed onto the Beano many decades ago but the papers chilling revelations are mirrored across all sections of the media.
I may have paid my debt to society. But my family, my children?, my victim?. they are the people I have let down the most. That will never go away. It really is a life sentence. I have been told I am lucky. My family have been there all the time. Apparently my family should have turned their back on me according to one member of the nps. They didn't, I have contact with my children. My crime was not against any of these but I did let them down.
The police chillingly revealed that only one in eight sex offences is ever reported. On world women's day yesterday news sources reported that almost two thirds of women face some form of sexual harassment. Are these all by convicted sex offenders? or in some cases, Those shouting the loudest often have the most to hide?. Sorry for the mini rant, i will go and sit back down now.
I think you make some excellent observations, and its sad (but not surprising) to hear someone from nps felt willing and able to express their unprofessional opinion. The media, formal or otherwise, are being encouraged to run such 'campaigns' as it (1) fuels the right wing hang-em-and-flog-em agenda, and (2) it distracts the readership from some of the more venal policies being enacted by a parliament with next to zero opposition.
DeleteMany years ago I was the person at our local HMP allocated to notify serving prisoners of what was then known as schedule one status (generated by a qualifying sexual offence on their precons), a task which never went down well. The vast majority of the most unhappy customers were those with one or more historical usi (unlawful sexual intercourse, i.e. sex with a child in modern parlance) and usually the same prisoners who would make the most noise about and threaten "nonces", so yes I agree when you say "those shouting the loudest often have the most to hide."
I don't see the point of promoting such polls through this blog. These polls do more than 'mischief' - they inflame opinion and platform ignorance and most of all they stereotype, as sexual offences differ in gravity just like all other offences.
DeleteAnon@11:45-I enjoyed reading your comments and I wish you and your family, and you be from well I the future. Nothing is gained by increasing the hype around at specific individual based on the nature of their offence.
Delete...and your victim, sorry about the auto correct, or should I say auto trash!
DeleteDear Helga was an absolutely crap governor of HMP Bronzefield and is proving to be an absolute crap person to head up London CRC. Why am I not surprised?
ReplyDeleteG4S shares drop after 40% slide in profits.
ReplyDeleteShares in G4S, the world’s biggest security company, fell more than 10 per cent on Wednesday after a series of lossmaking contracts helped push pre-tax profits down by 40 per cent.
These contracts included one housing almost half of all the asylum seekers in the UK, where losses rose by a quarter to £31m. G4S, which employs 620,000 staff across 120 countries, said this could increase by a further £57m if Britain’s Home Office insisted on extending the contract to 2019.
Any news on redundancies in the NPS?
ReplyDeleteIf only .....
ReplyDelete