Monday 30 May 2016

Guest Blog 57

After a near 15 years in the Probation Service, my decision to resign
from the Community Rehabilitation Company (CRC) that I work for as a
Probation Officer may on the surface have appeared sudden but it has
been in the making for several years. However, more recently the sense
that I need to move on has increased.

The Transforming Rehabilitation (TR) revolution that fractured the
Probation Services has played a significant part in my thinking but not
the whole of it. Like many, given the seat I was sat in at the time, I
had no option but to accept that I would be working in the CRC. I
consoled myself with the idea that being in either the National
Probation Service (NPS) or CRC was at the outset of their creations an
unknown and with my own preference for working with people maybe the
CRC might turn out to be the better of the two for me. It has to be
said that before TR that the ability to work with people was
diminishing, ever increasing workloads then lessening our ability to
actually work with people but ever more so now. I remember nearly two
years ago expressing to a line manager that it was bizarre to see
everybody sat feverishly feeding their computers for the vast part of
their working day and that it made no sense. Ever more I have found
that the volume of work I am expected to complete and the fear of
falling behind or missing a target has driven more frenzied work such
that I can tell my work and life balance is plainly out of kilter and
my well – being as a result adversely effected.

I have enjoyed a good career overall, moving to different assignments
every 3 – 4 years. I now find that my career possibilities are vastly
diminished. The thought of being desk bound in front of a computer
trying to manage in excess of 70 cases (a nod here to my Probation
Service Officer (PSO) colleagues some of whom have over 90 cases) is
not only unappealing but a cause of considerable angst for me. I am
grateful to my managers for doing their best to work as sensitively as
they can with us given this back drop. For me personally though I
cannot condone the idea that I might aspire to be a manager in this
untenable climate, I am witnessing too many of my colleagues including
managers being made to suffer with the burden that is placed upon them
and often in a way from which they are struggling to recover; yet this
seems to be my only option for a variation in my career where once they
were plentiful. I once heard a senior type education figure say of
teachers, in a TV interview, we need people who can do volume and get
results with the inference that if they could not deliver then maybe
they should think about moving on. I fear that given the circumstances
that I am presented with that is exactly what I have decided to do
which is a shame because I have developed a great skill set for working
with people around their learning and with that change.

TR has undoubtedly been a huge cataclysm for the Probation Services and
the people who work within it. On a daily basis I can see examples of
the way my work is being made more difficult in a way that often
beggars belief. What of the people we are primarily tasked to work
with? Indeed, what of them, with such high case numbers for individual
workers and a very limited scope to get to know those cases in a
meaningful way, what of them?

I think that sets out the main reasons why have decided to leave. It
is not a very positive valediction, times have been better I would say
and it is these times, experiences and the people I have met that makes
leaving harder. In all the frenzy and further changes to come, I hope
you all remember to be kind to yourselves and each other.

Anon

43 comments:

  1. Well said, good luck with what lies ahead for you, and for having the courage of your convictions!

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  2. Probation atrophy: It loses its talent and experience. Transformation works two ways: it can take you to a higher level or lower.

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  3. Simple I know but Thank you for this courageous and heartfelt share. All the very best for whatever the future holds. It is tragic to read of the loses of SERVICE at the expense of what precisely? I have recently tweeted @iangould5 when will Academia, Probation Insititue and former CEO's Stand up//by Probation as we quietly watch the decimation of all that was hard won over decades of vocationally driven not for profit practice. Your Guest blog provides today with a New Begining and on any day it is possibly that fresh light will shine into the dark recesses that is TR Best wishes for the future. Thoughts and prayers remain with ALL left behind still trying/ doing there very best Take care everyone

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    1. The Probation Institute and "academia" want public and private contracts so the will not speak against TR, the MoJ or private probation companies

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  4. Good luck.I left nearly 2 years ago for another job elsewhere.Never lost my interest and passion in CJ system but felt I had to go.No handshake either!

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  5. Heartfelt thanks for a courageous share. All the very best for the future too. Our thoughts and prayers are with ALL those left behind too. Thanks for the final sentiment ' I hope you all remember to be kind to yourselves and each other. Take Care everyone Ian Gould

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  6. Spotted this last week on a colleagues post ...
    Handing in my notice last week was my hardest decision but I know it was the right one. I have loved working for Probation Service for the last eleven years. I have met and worked with the most incredible people and made the most amazing friends, and that is my one regret.

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  7. These people leaving are not being sent to death. There getting new jobs having become disillusioned with another. It happens daily. Jeeez talk about drama for no real reaon

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    1. Actually it is very strange when jobs that are considered professions become untenable for the majority of staff doing them.

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    2. Jobs.. new jobs. The way you chuck the words around gives you away-that you think its just a job. That's the issue with your frankly asinine comments. Maybe you need someone with the balls to point out that when people give themselves to a vocation it is not just a job. I left my 17 year vocation as a PO 20 years ago for complex personal reasons. But I still miss it, and I follow this blog-why? Because a vocation isn't a job. Years ago I had a job in supermarket but I don't follow Asda on Facebook. Why? Because it was just a job. Many people are leaving their vocation. which is why your stupid comment misses the point by a country mile. Mind you, from what you wrote I think my comments here are pearls before swine.

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    3. The colleagues I know are not just leaving a job to try something new they have been forced out of a profession because it's damaging to stay they haven't got jobs to go just lucky enough to be in a position to get out over half the staff in my office are seeking alternative employment surely that indicates something's wrong with the employer

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    4. I can't understand the comments about being disillusioned if only that was the case ! We are destroyed physically and mentally by the rapid unnecessary and enormously costly changes most of us have spent years training and studying to work in the profession so you can expect us to be a little " upset" at being destroyed for political ideology it sickening

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  8. Probation Officer30 May 2016 at 12:33

    This blog post would have been the same if written by me or any probation officer I know. It symbolises what probation has become, a dead end job with no career prospects. Something is very wrong when the entire staff group are more interested in how they can resign or retire.

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  9. People are not leaving because they're slightly fed up and fancy a change. They chose their profession for particular reasons, reasons which were once taken for granted because they were fundamental to the role ie working with people. Time and time again it has been shown that the relationship between officer and individuals is key. The message now is that targets are key - and due to high workloads and fewer staff probation staff are basically being turned into data inputers to ensure targets are met and profit protected. It's warped. It doesn't work in either CRC or NPS. I spend so much time and effort under constant duress battling with clunky, dysfunctional IT in order to meet targets that I haven't time to breathe or complete fundamental tasks in any meaningful way. It's pointless and soul destroying and no wonder people are leaving as and when they can. These are significant losses, however no doubt viewed as a successful reduction in costs in the sick, twisted view of profiteers destroying what was once a functional and well performing joined up service which worked with people to change lives.

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  10. The whole service has been destroyed. You have to just look at NPS recruitment for trainees. How many of the trainees about to qualify in June have any life experience?.. Very Few I Suspect. Probation used to have a proud tradition of employing Ex Offenders, imagine sitting across from someone and telling them you would be good at doing this job? It gives them hope and something to aspire to. I was an ex offender never believed I would ever become a PO but I did. After declaring all my convictions I was given a chance by an ACO to become a Probation Ancillary (later became known as a PSO) I didn't look back. The most crucial aspect of my role was developing a professional relationship with the people I was supervising. It's all gone now, it's not a worthwhile vocation anymore. It's fraud and the individuals we are responsible for see right through it! If I could afford it I'd get out now and not look back. BTW I'm in the NPS.

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    1. I am NPS too and I would leave tomorrow if I could. It is truly awful. Last week 3 days with massive IT problems again. Try writing a parole report when the system keeps stopping /phasing, crashing, ejecting you without warning from delius so work is lost. I actually saw a colleague cry because she had 2 OASys to do, a termination and an ISP so for deadlines. Remember we are all over 100% so no spare time to catch up. It is truly awful. NPS = Firefighting

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    2. @ 17:35. I was the same journey for me, given a chance, then TPO then PO. If we applied now we'd never pass the vetting.

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    3. I know, not sure what will happen to us when we are expected to pass enhanced vetting to input info on Visor. I know at the moment it's Police responsibility but can see it coming our way like ARMS.

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    4. Napo was involved in the issues around vetting. They agreed that any that fail to pass vetting would be transferred to Court teams or similar roles. There was no detail on what happens in cases of refusal to move or lack of vacancies

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    5. I'm not sure if I would pass the vetting, I haven't got any convictions but a close family member has committed a very serious crime. I've also previously been declared bankrupt (due to the fallout from the serious crime)!

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  11. You lot nake me laugh. Like things were okay pre TR. We already know sickness is down by 1.2 days a year post TR. Privatisation has already improved timeleness. In 2016 we predicted improved quality of work and 2017 will result in reduced offending rates.TR is heralded as an out and out success in my eyes and if people want to leave and not be apart of this, they can as we live in a democracy!!!!

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    1. Hear hear. And if people leave, there be replaced. A new PSO in my office does ten times more work than two dinasours who just left

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    2. The words 'we predicted improved quality of work' says it all really. We were an award winning public service before your lot got their hands on us!

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    3. Not the case in our office. People who leave are not replaced. We have to carry the can

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  12. Yup our office too, PO transferred to fill shortfall in another team and now we are all on 120% to 130% so we are managing the cases belonging to the transferred PO. All high risk of course, NPS the employer that just keeps taking....

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    1. Same in ours. PO's move from court team to prison. Staff move from field team to Courts. Field team vacancies are not filled an PO's do double/triple the work. Similar story in CRC, staff leave and those left pick up the extra work. Nobody wants to do it but fear the threat of disciplinary for missing targets. In the meantime managers play little Hitler and take all the credit. Those that can retire and resign already have, those that are left are job hunting.

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  13. What has happened to the NPS managers? They are all stressed off the planet and taking it out on their teams. You want to know why sickness absence is so high? Look at the behaviour of managers to staff. You can put all the action plans / stress management plans in place but a simple trick would be use of good manners and civil behaviour.

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    1. The JFDI management style of SPO's and ACO's has got worse since TR. Managers try to create a "fear me" culture to stop staff challenging them. They'd do better being part of the team and admitting they don't have the answers. They won't though because they won't accept staff don't give a damn about targets and all the crap coming out of the NPS and MoJ, because then they'll have to accept they're obselete.

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  14. Probatiopn was never a vocation. It was a cushy number for many. Now youre being told and managed, you dont like it cos someone is telling you what you are paid to do instead of you thinking what your job should be

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    1. Probation was always a vocation. Learn the history instead of speaking out of your backside.

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    2. Vocation is a word that means different things to different people. It's a profession and a job that some people, by nature, are particularly suited to. It's not a calling. mainly it's a job that you have to be careful about not getting to involved in and not taking it home.

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    3. Anon 21.57 Just keep ticking the boxes.

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    4. probably right 2157 too much status that has ebbed away over the years no po secretaries anymore no gate keeping or professional standards required like they were. Course it is nearly all over a few more to go though.

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    5. Lol, gate keeping and secretaries is not what made probation a vocation. The professional standards remain, I see this every day. These are being eroded though by those at the top wanting to profit and privatise.

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    6. In fact compare probation and probation officers to all those delivering rehabilitation/resettlement services. Probation is still top of the league despite all what's been done to probation.

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    7. No 2355 status regard authority trust support resources all ebbed away nothing to do with why we do the roles on varied ways. Once we lost support and did our own admin it started the end. Professional standards no pso do reports wake up anyone can do them soon enough a special sub contract team from template or they will be automated from data. No standards there.

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  15. Well done, you're out! Very best wishes and good luck

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  16. Thanks to Jim for posting my piece of writing. You can agree, disagree and beg to differ. I did my best to be as honest as I could, even handed and fair and avoid any vitriol. Why would I have wanted to have posted such a piece? It is my take on what is happening and I wanted to express myself and see what resonance it had with a wider audience. Thank you for taking the time to read and / or comment.

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  17. Well done on escaping. I dread going to work these days. I am an NPS PO. Trying to hang on for the long awaited E3 and then redundancy.

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  18. This post was great and it's a pure reflection of what's going on at the moment. I'm currently on annual leave going back to the transforming rehabilitation dungeon tomorrow and I feel like shit about it. It's gone to the point where I just don't care about anything in regards to the work. This post gives motivation and it shows someone who has had enough of being a mug and has done something about it. I think that's a lesson for all including myself most definitely. Enough of the talking and it's time for action. There's only so much can continue in going in circles talking about how crap the service is and how everyone is stressed. I think by now we have more then identified the issues and how we are all feeling and now that we have identified these its time to develop our own personal sentence plan of what we are going to do and achieve for ourselves. We can bang on about the service and how shit we feel or we need to switch up the gears like this person who posted this great piece. Get that laptop, iPad or what ever gadget out and start exploring the world outside probation. There's are things out there and you just need to allocate time to look properly. I know for me personally this isn't living. I understand that there are many who have families, mortgages, rent etc and I appreciate that and sometimes it's not easy but you only need to believe in yourself that there is another world out there. It's a shame because we all have a real passion for this but it's time to smell the coffee and if you are genuinely not happy and you been going on and on then do something. Some people get on with it and have good stress management and that's ok if they are comfortable with what their doing but for others, if your getting that sick feeling on a Sunday that your going to work on Monday, or you genuinely don't give a shit about the job anymore due to all the crap going on and you are just not happy- then the power is in your hands and this is the conclusion that I've come to. And believe me I moan and feel like utter shit hence I feel enough is enough. All you practitioners both nps and crc are great and have amazing skills, don't let it go to waste. There's a big world out there

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    1. You are so right I'm NPS and I can't cope anymore I just feel ill all the time and need to take back done control I'm not in an ideal position to just walk and am struggling to devote the time to find a new job but I realise it has to be done

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    2. Hi (last two posts in particular), My 15 years in Probation has had various peaks and troughs and I think over the course of any professional career these are more likely than not. Deciding to leave is a very personal decision and I have taken a great deal of thinking about it but events also play their part, events that are particular to me. My blog in a part was about trying to communicate an essence of something that I think the ‘powers that be’ need to listen to and I hope they will. That it has resonated with so many should by reason have their attention. I do think the post that someone made stating something along the lines of, ‘people get disillusioned, they move on, what is all the fuss about?’ was a fair enough point although for me it misses an understanding about how you and I and many others have been affected by, what I would say, are an ill thought out set of reforms that have caused a great deal of distress to our profession and professional careers. I had firmly decided to leave several months ago, in the early part of this year, and prior to that I had been mulling ideas and options. Recently an opportunity opened and I have decided to take it. On one level it feels like a risk but ultimately I am happy with my decision. I guess I am suggesting, for fear of sounding patronising, think it through, take your time, consider your options including trying to adapt to the situation with your current employer. Yours with respect and heart felt concern.

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  19. Any good ideas about alternative career? I did take some time out a few years back and struggled with low pay and poor conditions! Other professions seem to be up shit creek too ( i am social work qualified ) YOT, SOCIAL SERVICES would not be an improvement so what is left that doesn't involve working for peanuts?

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