Probation Realities 2

I left my post because of targets. I could see that meeting the target and getting the payment was the only goal. Innovative ways of working and helping clients to change was not even considered. Examples of fraudulent behaviour included; 

• a programme was deleted from Delius towards end of the Order, as it had not been completed, and would have been a 'failure', (it had been taken back to court for amendment but the magistrates had refused to remove it), it was not uncommon to have 20 or more acceptable absences as breaching the order may have led to a resentence: another failure,
• clients not recalled on licence when they commit new offences as this would be a failure! 
• pretending clients stayed with 'family or friends' on first night of release in order to meet TTG target. 

Working like this became too stressful, and combined with the other pressures of a high case load; 

• staff sickness, 
• the threat of what would happen when it became apparent that some of my clients would not complete their programme or UPW (resulting in more failures, and less payment), 
• the frustration there were no agencies to send them to, to complete their RAR days,
• the fear of an SFO and the guilt of knowing there was a seriously injured or worse victim, but also knowing that I would have my work scrutinised, and it would be found wanting, as I didn't have enough time to get to know my clients properly, and knowing that management would not back me, 
• completing OASys in 10 days, 
• breaches within 8 days,

all became to much. It became a choice of my health and integrity v a monthly pay cheque, my health and integrity won and I now feel like a burden has been lifted from me.

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Agree. It's ludicrous. We have case loads in excess of 115% no time to see offenders and do what we should be doing. Simply too much work. Yet they want us to fanny about with yet another stupid system that probably is unfit for purpose. These people are just so distanced from the coal face. Don't even get me talking about the ARMS training. 3 hours to complete the assessment. Get real people. Who dreams this shite up?

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Does it really matter as it won't make any difference! I will still be struggling just to get to the end of the working week, feeling increasingly under pressure and impossible to do all the tasks required to manage a caseload of DV. Worrying about what I'll find they have been up to when I get in on the morning and whether my contacts and OASys will bear scrutiny because everything so rushed. Who will be off sick and how many of their cases I will need to see. Sounds familiar?

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In a CRC someone who has zero experience of carrying a caseload and who is not PO trained has become a manager. How is this possible? What qualifies them to manage and give advice to PO/PSOs when they've never done the job? Spent warnings (that were questionable in the first place) being used to deny someone a post. Admin all having to apply for posts and then finding out they've not been successful despite doing the job for years. All leaves a bad taste.