Thanks go to the reader for sending me a copy of the latest Napo newsletter aimed specifically at members working for the Sodexo CRC's. I have no idea if these newsletters reside somewhere on the Napo website, so I'm extremely grateful if stuff like this is forwarded to me so as to enable more general publication.
Napo News (Sodexo) Newsletter for Napo members in the Sodexo CRCs
Napo News (Sodexo) Newsletter for Napo members in the Sodexo CRCs
This issue of Napo News (Sodexo) will focus on the findings of the workloads survey carried out earlier this year, and will look at the following:
- Findings of the survey
- Work-related stress and the law
- Napo advice on what to do if you are suffering from work-related stress
- Other news.
A previous edition of this newsletter included the headline figures from Napo’s workload survey carried out in March this year. The findings themselves are stark and they provide a reality check for CRC employers on the actual working conditions staff must endure while working in the Sodexo CRCs. Napo will use these findings to exert pressure on Sodexo (both nationally and at CRC level) to encourage them to work in partnership with the unions and to take the necessary measures to mitigate the inevitable fallout from this ticking time bomb of excessive workloads.
The findings clearly indicate that excessive workloads are endemic across the six CRCs and furthermore causing work related-stress. It is no wonder then, just over 80% of respondents indicated that they are actively looking to leave the CRC or would leave if they could. Moreover, the working environment has drastically deteriorated as 85% of respondents indicated that their workload has increased since September 2015 and worryingly 95% of respondents indicated that their workload was causing them stress.
OUT OF CONTROL
Other findings from the survey provide for further depressing reading: We asked members if they feel in control of managing their workload: 64 % of respondents replied saying they only rarely felt in control and 22% of respondents replied saying they never feel in control of their workload. One respondent commented ‘we have increased workloads, uncertainty, no stable location from which to work and health and safety concerns are ignored. Senior management don’t care and ignore what is happening. We tell them but they blame Sodexo’
The survey went on to ask if members felt they had been given effective guidance on how to manage their workload and prioritise their work: Not one respondent replied by saying ‘yes’ they had received effective guidance; instead, 71% answered ‘no’ [they have not been given any effective guidance] and 29% indicated that they had been provided with some effective guidance ‘in part’.
It has been 15 months since Sodexo took control of its six CRCs but we still have not seen the Sodexo operational model fully implemented as it is still a work in progress.
Sodexo argue that once the new operating model is implemented this will help address workload issues. However when we asked members what impact they thought the new operational model would have on their work, 75% responded saying that they thought the new operational model would lead to an increase in workload and only 3% thought that it would lead to a decreased workload and 10% believed it would have no impact at all. In addition there are still some who are not even aware a new Sodexo operating model exists, as 12% of respondents reported that they were not aware of the new model.
Changes not helpful
Staff in the six CRCs have been subjected to a period of constant change. Over three quarters of respondents (77%) stated that their role has changed over the past few months and only 1% of respondents believed these changes had been helpful regards workload management whereas nearly 70% of respondents stated changes to their role had not been helpful.
A major cause of stress in the workplace relates to how organisational change has been managed and communicated. It is evident from the findings of the survey that insufficient consultation is taking place in the CRCs. Since the share sale in February 2015 change has been constant but consultation has been sadly lacking. This is evidenced from the findings of the survey, as only 1% of respondents agreed there has been a good level of consultation about changes in the workplace, whereas over a third (37%) said that there had been no consultation and 62% reported that there had been only some consultation on changes introduced.
It is clear to Napo that the demands being placed on staff are now reaching breaking point. A good employer should provide employees with adequate and achievable demands in relation to the agreed hours of work.
Measuring Workload is part of the solution
A manageable workload is only possible if there is an effective workload management tool in place. Currently only 16% of respondents in the survey worked in a workplace where their workloads were measured, this indicates that the vast majority are working in workplaces where no monitoring takes place. Despite repeated requests to speed up the roll-out of an effective workload measurement tool we appear to be no closer to getting a firm date for when this will be done. We have been told a workload measurement tool is in development and it is being tested in Essex and BeNCH CRCs. However, Napo has not been given the opportunity to help assist in the development of this tool and furthermore we have not been consulted on it, and we therefore doubt it will be fit for purpose.
Napo believes the current situation regarding workloads is a consequence of a massively reduced workforce. One respondent commented ‘In our CRC, it is quite clear that there are simply not enough staff to do the work, and so people are being directed to fill the gaps in various areas, at some point there will be nobody left to move’. Indeed this position was supported with first-hand testimonies from staff when Napo visited a number of workplace offices recently in Essex, South Yorkshire and Northumbria CRCs.
Staff Leaving
We asked in our survey what happens to the work of colleagues who are away from work (for example on long-term sickness or maternity) 97% of respondents stated that the work either isn’t done or it gets distributed amongst other members of the team adding to workload pressures and stress. It is no wonder that staff are voting with their feet and choosing to resign rather than continue to work in the CRC and we know that when staff leave they are not replaced; thus exacerbating the situation for those that remain.
Finally, we finish with a comment left by a member. We believe it accurately reflects and sums up the general feeling across the six CRCs regards the current situation:
“We have currently been asked to audit our own cases on top of our daily work which is impossible to do and feels overwhelming. For some of us our travel to work has increased significantly and impacting negatively. We are constantly bombarded with new directives which results in more work, more forms to fill, more targets, more stress. We feel the stress and panic of senior management and there is a sense of constant chaos. New working practices have resulted in isolation and time consuming visits out of the office. The office itself is an impossible environment to do any significant work, there is no alternative, yet we are being almost hounded to evidence offence focus[ed] work. Wanting a 5 [star] service in a 1[star]environment/context. All adding to stress. Personally the only way I cope is to work way over my hours using my laptop at home”
Work-related stress and the law
Work is one of the main causes of stress. It is generally accepted that there is a clear link between poor work organisation and subsequent ill health; therefore an employer must take seriously its responsibility to tackle work-related stress. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) defines stress as ‘the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demands placed on them.’
In law, work-related stress is deemed to be a psychiatric illness. Symptoms of stress on the body can be divided up into two categories:
1) Short Term; examples include anxiety, boredom, headaches, fatigue, indigestion, heartburn, depression, muscular tension, difficulty sleeping.
2) Long Term; examples include neurosis, insomnia, hypertension and chest pains, cough and asthma, gastrointestinal disorders and ulcers.
The Common law states employers are responsible for the general safety of their employees while they are at work. In addition employers have to comply with a number of statutes such as the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.
To pursue a successful claim against the employer an employee must first show that they suffer from work-related stress and then additionally must prove two things 1) that their employer breached their duty of care and 2) that their working environment posed a real risk of causing the illness and the employer knew (or ought to have known) that their employee was exposed to that risk.
Foreseeability: proving a work-related stress claim depends on what the employer knew, or ought to have known, about the pressures on the individual at the time. This is called ‘foreseeability’. Once an employer becomes aware that an employee is suffering from work-related issues, they must investigate the problem and find out what they can do to resolve it.
Napo advice on what to do if you are suffering from work-related stress
Stress affects different people in different ways. A level of pressure which one person may find stimulating may cause a serious problem for another. Although it is normal for most people to experience a certain amount of stress in daily life, this can be damaging if it continues in the long term.
Therefore the impact of stress on employees must be properly managed by the minimisation or elimination of work-related stress and its causes. It is the employers’ responsibility to match resources to demands and ensure that staff do not carry excessive workloads.
If you believe that you are suffering from work-related stress due to excessive workloads. Napo recommends you take the following course of action:
Other News
The Common law states employers are responsible for the general safety of their employees while they are at work. In addition employers have to comply with a number of statutes such as the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.
To pursue a successful claim against the employer an employee must first show that they suffer from work-related stress and then additionally must prove two things 1) that their employer breached their duty of care and 2) that their working environment posed a real risk of causing the illness and the employer knew (or ought to have known) that their employee was exposed to that risk.
Foreseeability: proving a work-related stress claim depends on what the employer knew, or ought to have known, about the pressures on the individual at the time. This is called ‘foreseeability’. Once an employer becomes aware that an employee is suffering from work-related issues, they must investigate the problem and find out what they can do to resolve it.
Napo advice on what to do if you are suffering from work-related stress
Stress affects different people in different ways. A level of pressure which one person may find stimulating may cause a serious problem for another. Although it is normal for most people to experience a certain amount of stress in daily life, this can be damaging if it continues in the long term.
Therefore the impact of stress on employees must be properly managed by the minimisation or elimination of work-related stress and its causes. It is the employers’ responsibility to match resources to demands and ensure that staff do not carry excessive workloads.
If you believe that you are suffering from work-related stress due to excessive workloads. Napo recommends you take the following course of action:
- Raise and record instances of stress and stress-related health symptoms (including on fit notes (sick certificate).
- Ensure you have had the training/instruction on local area stress arrangements.
- Don’t suffer on your own – use local support services and seek the help of your local health and safety reps.
- Put workloads on team meetings agenda and register your concerns.
- In individual supervision sessions raise workload concerns and ask for prioritisation of work and what should be left undone.
- Record hours in excess of your contractual hours on your timesheet.
- If your workload is causing you stress and exceeding manageable levels submit a “foreseeability notice” (see attached appendix 1).
Other News
Sodexo failings
In the last edition of Napo News (Sodexo) we listed a number of failings across the CRCs. The newsletter mentioned that Norfolk and Suffolk CRC were experiencing difficulties with their unpaid work teams. Norfolk and Suffolk CRC has been in touch with NapoNews (Sodexo) and told us that although they are currently suffering from a staff shortage they have assured us that all their unpaid work teams are on site for at least 5 hours work, so we are happy to report this to members and correct our previous report.
Working in partnership
With the appointment of the two new regional CEOs: Nick Hall in the North and Nick Leader in the South, we hope we can make swift progress addressing the issues. Progress on setting up a pan CRC consultation forum is making slow but steady progress. Sodexo have now accepted the idea in principle. However there is still further work to be done to ensure that all local CRC Napo reps are involved in the decision making process and that this new pan forum respects the legal position of CRC JNCCs.
Napo re-engagement strategy and Workplace visits
Napo News has now visited workplaces in Essex, South Yorkshire and Northumbria. Plans are in progress to visit workplaces in the remaining CRCs (Norfolk and Suffolk, BeNCH and Cumbria and Lancashire). Look out for notices when NapoNews will be visiting a workplace near you so that we can listen to your views on what Napo should be doing.
In the last edition of Napo News (Sodexo) we listed a number of failings across the CRCs. The newsletter mentioned that Norfolk and Suffolk CRC were experiencing difficulties with their unpaid work teams. Norfolk and Suffolk CRC has been in touch with NapoNews (Sodexo) and told us that although they are currently suffering from a staff shortage they have assured us that all their unpaid work teams are on site for at least 5 hours work, so we are happy to report this to members and correct our previous report.
Working in partnership
With the appointment of the two new regional CEOs: Nick Hall in the North and Nick Leader in the South, we hope we can make swift progress addressing the issues. Progress on setting up a pan CRC consultation forum is making slow but steady progress. Sodexo have now accepted the idea in principle. However there is still further work to be done to ensure that all local CRC Napo reps are involved in the decision making process and that this new pan forum respects the legal position of CRC JNCCs.
Napo re-engagement strategy and Workplace visits
Napo News has now visited workplaces in Essex, South Yorkshire and Northumbria. Plans are in progress to visit workplaces in the remaining CRCs (Norfolk and Suffolk, BeNCH and Cumbria and Lancashire). Look out for notices when NapoNews will be visiting a workplace near you so that we can listen to your views on what Napo should be doing.
I received an 'oral warning' for 2 weeks sick with work related stress. Is anyone able to advise whether this is appropriate use of NPS sickness policy?
ReplyDeleteRepellent behaviour. Shameless and inadequate management. I'd get on to your Union straight away.
DeleteDeplorable! The cowardly manager who issued this oral warning should be ashamed of themselves but it will be one of those corporate "team leaders" not an individual who has a clue aboutit people management
DeleteFollowing any absence there must be a return to work interview. In your scenario there should have been a referral to occupational health before any consideration of an oral warning. By the way, all 'oral' warnings are recorded and are essentially 'written' warnings.
DeleteWhy would anyone consider an oral warning for work related stress mindless B........
DeleteThe NPS absence management policy states that a manager must issue an oral warning if an employee has 10 or more days sickness in a 12 month period, unless there are very exceptional reasons for not doing so. I don't think work related stress would constitute an exceptional reason. In fact, if illness is work related stress then would that suggest it's time to get a new job?
DeleteYou all need to move on as none of you have management credence
DeleteAnd what, pray tell, is "management credence"?
DeleteIf you mean "management credentials", it may have escaped your notice that many people are very happy not being managers, despite being perfectly capable of the role. And without people to actually do the bloody work in the first place, managers would be nowhere at all!
Managers steer the ship. Plus whatever you say collectively soon changes in supervision. Managers are managers because they have put thr bloody work in the first place
DeleteThe opinion at 15:30 is wrong. This is what the policy says: 'if a serious underlying medical condition is considered by the employee or line manager to be the cause of the sick leave then before a decision is made to issue the warning an Occupational Health referral must be made'.
DeleteThere does not need to be anything exceptional to trigger a OH referral. If someone has symptoms which they belive are associated with work-related stress, then these symptoms need to be investigated and not ignored by managers.
The warning is entirely at the manager's discretion, please read the policy.
Delete"Managers steer the ship" well that explains a lot. The most talented people we have choose not to be managers, remember that.
DeleteAnon 17:49 must be a manager, because his/her comment is garbled and makes no sense at all!
DeleteManagers might steer the ship (although in my office a better analogy would be that they're frantically trying to bail it out to prevent the whole thing sinking) but without the staff in the engine room, that ship is just steering in a circle and going nowhere fast!
Anon 8:09 - Unfortunately, it is merely an extension of current political ideology - usually directed at the feckless poor who have only themselves to blame for their predicament - but now being used to blame and bully workers Should you become ill, It is ALL YOUR FAULT for not managing your stress levels properly, for not attending the stress management training day we thoughtfully provided. You are no good to us if you aren't a finely tuned unit of production running at 120% and staying late at least once a week to show 'commitment'. Is it anything to do with dysfunctional Management or unrealistic work targets - of course not. It's all about personal responsibility, never ever corporate responsibility.
DeleteI missed the debate on 28 Oct 2015 secured by Stephen Kinnock. A sample from Hansard:
ReplyDelete"The contracts allow the CRCs to pass back tough cases and still get paid on a fee-for-service basis. A further problem concerns the additional redundancy costs. The probation unions have recently had cause to lodge formal disputes with the national negotiating council on account of one of the CRC owners—in this case Sodexo—refusing to honour the terms of voluntary redundancy under the national staff transfer and protections agreement. Staff terms and conditions should be honoured, and the MOJ should police this as part of its contract management.
I now want to turn to the report by Her Majesty’s inspectorate of probation. It is expected that Ministers will cite the latest report from Paul Wilson as evidence that it is too early to form a judgment about TR and that it will be another two to three years before the public can see evidence of the effectiveness of the reforms. Although not disputing the valuable work of HMIP, we believe this is a wholly unsatisfactory analysis that will assist the Government in their attempts to gloss over the reality that is the failure of TR. I do not believe we can afford to wait two to three years for the situation to resolve itself when the consequences of a failing probation service are so critical to public safety.
A further vital point is about transparency. In a letter written to the Select Committee on Justice, the Minister claimed he was putting measures in place to improve transparency. We fully support the need for the performance of the probation services and the CRCs to be properly monitored and for the results of that monitoring to be made public. As such, we strongly recommend that private probation providers are made to comply with freedom of information requests so that they, too, can be openly scrutinised by hon. Members and the public. We also call on the Government to place the details of the 21 private contracts in the public domain so that they are open to scrutiny.
Finally, I want to raise serious concerns about service delivery. The MOJ is proposing a reduction in the number of full reports delivered to courts and a greater reliance on oral reports. Oral reports by their very nature do not allow for a full risk assessment to be carried out by probation staff, nor for any information that is held by other agencies to be collected. As such, they should be used on low-level first-time offences only. However, the push to use these types of reports in the majority of cases will see them being used for wholly inappropriate offences.
We are already aware that, because of pressures on staff and staff shortages, oral reports are being used for sexual and domestic violence offences. Such cases are complex, and there are underlying risk issues that must be investigated fully prior to sentencing. Children’s services and the police should be contacted to see whether there are ongoing risks to children and victims. Without that information, it is impossible to manage the case effectively or safely, or to propose to the court the most appropriate sentence."
I refused to complete an on the day oral report on a very complex case with serious mental health problems. It was just impossible to assess risk without input from mental health and I could not get a response from them. Court were not happy as the case has been delayed already by staff sickness. Manager asked why I couldn't propose a community order and sort the rest out after sentence. I explained why in one syllable words and went to look at the jobs pages. I remember a time when Managers would support a member of staff whose assessments were challenged by defence solicitors or magistrates. Now it's jfdi- whatever it is they ask of you.
DeleteThe credence and authority of surveys like the Sodexo one is that there is never any turnout number - 75% of how many? The employer simply says the survey only represents the views of a minority of staff. As a source of information and as leverage, they are useless - without knowing how many actually took part in the survey.
ReplyDeleteWhere is the Sodexo leadership? Will it just be more prison people brought in to take over and tell us how to do probation? BeNCH, S Yorks and Northumbria to lose their CEOs to prison people.
ReplyDeleteThe ex probation leadership are all jumping ship if SYCRC is anything to go by ?
DeleteLets try and get a good blog discussion going here ... on a completely unrelated topic - can I ask has anyone been having problems with Interventions Manager Programme? I am literally at my wits end!!!! Is anyone else having problems in Accredited Programmes with the tool? It seems to cut out and freeze, I am not sure the link with N-delius works properly (we have to double check everything) and all I seem to get is grief! Somebody somewhere needs to have a word with themselves!!! Anyone else having bother????
ReplyDeleteI use IM and it's awful, not fit for purpose!! Took me hours to enter two lots of session notes! Kept on freezing and losing the information. Not user friendly and even changing the password is a pain. I hate it with a passion! We also have to check if the notes have gone through to delius! Bring back IAPS!!!
DeleteI don't use Interventions Manager, but I can tell you it makes a terrible mess of the Delius records for my cases, and makes it almost impossible to see if any given client is actually attending or engaging!
DeleteWhat, are you saying that something is wrong with Delius? Our IT?
ReplyDeleteWe should maybe try to list days where it is actually working!
NPS PSO rejects a breach recommendation to allow order to continue demanding i change it to revoke and re-sentence! CPS spo not happy and tells them so. PO caught in the middle of the crc/nps farce. What a bloody joke this is!
ReplyDeleteGot told by an NPS court PSO recently that they'd looked at my breach report and 'would be accepting it', to which I replied, 'Course you will, love. It is a shit hot piece of report writing, with all the reasoning fully supported by the attached evidence and a measured and appropriate conclusion'. And I didn't need a PSO to tell me this. And if this comment appears harsh, it is merely a reflection of how bad things are at the coalface, and what we have become.
DeleteA CRC PO.
Overheard a pso colleague today saying over the phone " i'm in crc and nps are the more professional side of things' had to bite my tongue! Talk about selling us all down the river or is that an offensive term? Haven't got the energy to argue any more.
ReplyDeleteI have to bite my tongue in my office,listening to PSO' s introduce themselves as PO's on the phone, but then have to smile when in the next breathe they are complaining bitterly about a tricksy case they're been given causing problems. 'Why have I got this case it's not PSO suitable!!' Can't have it both ways, IMO.
DeleteFrom the pso perspective absolutly right. Crc is not a professional organisation its a private have a go firm. Pos need to realise. It is over this will get deleted again I guess.
ReplyDeleteWhilst I don't agree with a profit making culture being any part of offending behaviour/rehabilitation, it is plain ignorance to make a blanket comment that private company = unprofessional!
DeleteBut the practices of probation CRC's are unprofessional. Not the fault of the staff on the frontline.
DeleteRight. And we know civil servants are only good at following orders and not thinking for themselves. But me saying that is no reflection on NPS staff, yeah...?
Delete811 your wrong they order staff to use judgement in order not to breach. Just to make target and profit. Your not in touch.
Delete7:53 Your right. As more POs leave in the CRC they will be replaced with staff who haven't got any level of qualification or experience to work with the people we do. PSO are in the main highly skilled, experienced and trained staff. They will also see an erosion in their professional standards.
ReplyDeleteNew PSO's in Sodexo CRC's are being trained at VQ Level 4. The training, by Laurus, delivered by trained Probation Officers, is excellent, professional, in-depth.
DeleteI'm a PSO in Sodexo area and I haven't heard of this training. Can you provide more details please?
DeleteThat interesting. Can you confirm which area that is ? how long the training is? Also will they remain PSOs on completion of their training? How many are being trained ? and is it accredited ? Will they be able to call themselves POs on successful completion?
ReplyDelete18:18 I would be really interested to hear more details about this training. I am a PSO in Sodexo CRC and haven't heard of it. Can you provide more information as I would be really interested in applying. Thanks
ReplyDeletePlease note original comment - my understanding is that this is new (CRC) training, for (new, or who haven't completed the NVQ3) PSO's/ case managers/ responsible officers - or whatever that grade are called in your area. I did not imply, nor mean to, that it was a substitute for (next grade up!) PO training, or that once completed people would be calling themselves POs :)
ReplyDeleteI have encountered people on the training from Sodexo's BENCH and Norfolk and Suffolk areas. It is a combination of face to face training days in groups; workbooks exercises; and on-line assessment. You are allocated a tutor for the assessment of work, and observations of your actual practise.
For further information I'd suggest asking your line manager, HR, and looking on the Sodexo Ingenium link maybe.
Thanks. I previously asked my manager and they were not aware of any training being offered by Sodexo. Our IT is not good either so struggle to get online for any period of time. We haven't got many POs leafy in my area. Do you think they will roll it out to all areas and mak it compulsory. To be honest I would welcome some training as I feel out of my depth not having any previous experience in this type of work.
DeleteReally not impressed by the sound of this "training". Sounds more like a low cost way to be able to call PSO's "qualified". Half decent training is better than none at all, but this still doesn't sound to be of much value.
DeleteTR has been a runaway success for some. Remember Ms Romeo, the 'responsible officer' for the TR project?
ReplyDelete"Former Oliver Wyman consultant Antonia Romeo has been appointed Her Majesty’s Consul General in New York and to the newly created role of Director-General Economic and Commercial Affairs USA. Romeo succeeds Danny Lopez as Consul General, who will return to the private sector in London. Antonia Romeo will take up her appointment in July 2016, and will be the first woman to serve in the position.
Antonia Romeo started her career in 1996 with Oliver Wyman, where she worked in the firm’s financial services practice. In 2000 she joined the civil service as an economist. Over the past 15 years she has held several roles with UK Government departments. Romeo currently serves as Her Majesty’s Government’s Special Envoy to US technology companies, a role she has been in since October 2015."
Oliver Wyman is part of the 'route one' from prep school via public school via Oxbridge to a role within the higher echelons, as highlighted by their website:
Delete"Throughout your career here, you will engage with senior clients and Partners, participate in client projects of the highest caliber, become exceptionally adept at solving complex, real-world problems and cultivate a broad and deep knowledge of critical business issues.
CAREER PATHS - There is no single, pre-ordained career path at Oliver Wyman. We value flexibility and the chance to explore both professionally and personally. Your experiences will add value to our clients – and to your career."
Merely a functional extension of the elitist ideology that mummy & daddy buy into when they enrol their children into the private education system, a system designed to instil confidence & self-belief as well as expose the little darlings to the feelings & trappings of being successful at every opportunity. "Success breeds success".
Sadly the system doesn't eradicate or frown upon traits such as contempt, greed, arrogance or incompetence.
In 1996 I had already enjoyed a lengthy, successful career in economic development and for a variety of reasons had retrained & qualified as a PO, working hard to establish myself in a thoroughly engaging & fascinating new career.
DeleteThanks to Ms Romeo's efforts to "'become exceptionally adept at solving complex, real-world problems" in 2016 I have no career after the piss-poor implementation of TR & subsequent Sodexo cull in our area.
Still, she seems to have impressed someone.
Thanks for the line of enquiry. Check out civil service world.
Deletehttp://www.civilserviceworld.com/articles/interview/interview-antonia-romeo-moj
Time for review and evaluation me thinks?
Some morsels from that article:
Delete- The CRCs and NPS will also be expected to share offices, facilitating joint working and the retention of a strong local branch network. “They will be separate organisations, but there won’t be separate approaches,” Romeo claims.
- PAC (Public Accounts Committee) found that the MoJ “did not have a clear understanding of its requirements under the new system”, and ended up being “driven by bidders’ proposals rather than its actual requirements.” What’s more, it didn’t pilot its scheme before implementing it nationwide. What evidence is there that the new probation system will meet the MoJ’s aim of reducing reoffending? Romeo acknowledges that the ministry hasn’t trialled its final proposals anywhere.
- Romeo is sure that the new system will improve results. “At the moment, we have a very serious and professional group of probation staff working incredibly hard with local partners to reduce reoffending,” she says. “We’re seeking to allow those that move out to the CRCs the freedom and innovation to bring in new and better ways of doing things.” And in that process, she adds, “my job is to make sure that we don’t take any unnecessary risks as we move; that we look very carefully and seek assurance that what we’re doing won’t lead to any reduction in ‘business as usual’ or to any risks.”
- Yet Romeo is clearly aware of the dangers, and determined both to manage the process as carefully as possible, and to watch carefully for emerging problems. “We need to progress this in a really disciplined and controlled way. We don’t take any risks in moving from one phase to the next,” she says. “My job as senior responsible officer is to make sure we deliver the benefits of the programme. We need to really understand what’s going on – and there are no prizes for not listening.”
Oh yes there are... how about a bespoke job in New York?
Chris Grayling, Hansard, 18 March 2014:
Delete"The guarantee I can give the hon. Gentleman’s constituents is that we are not removing the people who are doing the job at the moment. We are freeing them operationally to innovate, and we are bringing new skills to the task of rehabilitating offenders."
One might be forgiven for thinking this ministerial guarantee came from the lips of a pathological liar.
Sodexo are good employers upskilling there staff
ReplyDeleteBut not so good at spelling & punctuation, perhaps?
DeleteOff topic: Mr Ashley delivered an outstanding performance at Govt Committee today, how much might Man Utd have contributed to the Chelsea doctor's payoff so they can keep Mourinho safe from unseemly disclosures, and should police be allowed to use helicopter surveillance cameras to watch people shagging?
Missing targets in crc because we are not being informed when current offenders are being resentenced by the court. It becomes more and more intolerable and we are now 15 months into TR.
ReplyDeleteWhat does that mean for you in terms of managing risk and building effective relationships with the individual sentenced?
DeleteIve just resigned as being a manager so many of you will know who i am. Jfdi was the mantra pushed from our SMT and if THEY failed to jfdi their days are numbered
DeleteIf you're the manager I think you are then we JDI because we knew you had our backs and result not a silly target missed. You were never the 'this is not acceptable type', you were with us and when you rarely needed to use your authority we fully respected it. You know what is happening at the moment is a developing culture of fear at all our costs bar a few. Hope you find success and contentment in whatever is ahead of you.
DeleteSounds abit like my last manager who cared about the welfare of the team and tried to support us through the chaos guess what that manager got shafted and replaced with a JFDI manager there's no place for people management in NPS
DeleteMy manager put in my appraisal that i should embrace JFDI. I didn't know what it meant til this blog. One manager has also taken it upon himself to allocate himself 1 of the 2 toilets in our building meaning 39 others share one loo. His response when raised in confidence. I do because i can
DeleteSome comments have been removed from this blog regarding the toilet issue and I'm not sure why. I looked at it this morning and didn't view anything as offensive. Are you able to explain please Jim?
ReplyDeleteMust be the weather, Jim. I've noticed a general increase in unpleasant behaviour over recent days, e.g. on the roads, in shops, on the 'net.
ReplyDeleteIm at this big probation institute conference in Sheffield this week.really insightful and transparent on where they stand and where they want to go. I encourage you all to join as the PI IS THE WAY FORWARD and the future. Join today
ReplyDeleteNow seems as good a time to have a break as any other and especially when the main topic of conversation becomes lavatorial. I'm leaving comment moderation in place, but should any interesting news suddenly present itself, either email me or leave a comment for when I check in later.
ReplyDeleteLots of missing comments on here.............
ReplyDelete