Friday 15 July 2016

Management the Helga Way

News reaches me that there's trouble brewing in London CRC now that Helga Swidenbank is beginning to flex her management style. Apparently in May this year staff were asked to 'validate' their caseloads and were told this was just an exercise to make sure no one was 'falling through the gaps'. 

However, staff have now been sent emails with an attached pro forma letter that indicates a rather more sinister intention might be involved. I understand Napo were not informed that this letter was going out and there have been a number of complaints from all grades as a result. 

This is apparently the approach Helga Swidenbank wants to take and managers have been left in no doubt that they must take action against staff on the basis of their self reporting. There is no acknowledgement of the large scale reorganisation that has been taking place or the problems with IT systems. Staff have been further irritated that this is part of a supposed performance improvement project called 'Building for best: Building together.'  

Staff are now speculating who Helga will target next as I gather it was announced last week that one of the more reasonable probation-minded directors would be leaving. Equalities and Diversity would seem to have no place in her leaner operation either as apparently staff involved in this area are due for the chop. I'm told a significant number of staff who were on temporary contracts have either gone or are going shortly and about 70% of staff would very much like to go if they had a good deal or a job to go to. 

Staff retention and recruitment have long been challenges in London and the need to now make profit would seem to require that the organisation is run down to the point that some feel it's ability to function adequately will be called into question.

--oo00oo--

London Community Rehabilitation Company
9th Floor, Hannibal House
New Kent Road, Elephant and Castle
London, SE1 6TE

www.londoncrc.org.uk

Caseload Validation: May – July 2016

Name of Offender Manager:
Name of Senior Probation Officer:
Name of Cohort Lead:

As outlined in Directive 104 concerning Building for Best, during May 2016 I undertook a caseload validation exercise. The purpose of this exercise was to validate, prioritize and plan work with my cases through tagging cases as either red, amber, green or blue, utilising a spreadsheet detailing all of my cases. The validation focused on OASys, enforcement, future appointments as well as highlighting cases where there were significant issues and risks. Following the exercise I was issued with guidance detailing the actions to be taken with red, amber and green cases, with the red cases being of most concern and green being up to date.

I confirm that I have undertaken the required actions in relation to my cases that were on the caseload validation spreadsheet (please see attached spreadsheet).

Signature of Offender Manager:

Date:

To be returned to your SPO by 28th July.


(Editor's note - two spelling errors have been corrected because it irritated me)

--oo00oo--

Of course Helga perfectly represents the new breed of top probation management who know nothing about the work and treat it just like any other commercial endeavour. What do we know about the fairly new CEO of the London CRC, by far the largest provider of probation services in England and Wales? This from the corporate website doesn't give much away:-

Helga Swidenbank graduated with a Masters in Criminology and joined HM Prison Service’s graduate scheme at 23 years old.

After working in the public sector for 15 years in a variety of operational roles in London prisons, she joined Sodexo in 2007 as Director of HMPYOI Bronzefield. From 2013 Helga also held various senior corporate roles within Sodexo.

Helga was appointed Director of Probation for the London Community Rehabilitation Company in late 2015.


Here she is speaking at a Sodexo WomenWork conference in 2014:-  

Meet Helga Swidenbank

Following on from the successful Women Work conference in Birmingham last week, we continue with our series of interviews. Helga Swidenbank is our next female colleague who took time to talk to students about her role…

What’s your role at Sodexo and how long have you been doing it?

I’m an account director with the international large accounts team. The client is new so most of my work so far has been to mobilise the account, where I’m working alongside the client to deliver what we promised as part of the winning bid. We’re doing everything for the client from waste management to security to food, across 26 sites in the UK. We have 200 employees working on the account, from cleaners to horticultural workers. At the moment it’s very challenging, because we’re all hands to the deck and trying to ensure a steady transition of the contract to Sodexo.

My current role is new: I’ve been an account director just over three months. Before that I was seconded to Sodexo Education for three months, and before that I was director of HMP Bronzefield for five-and-a-half years.

When I was doing my undergraduate course I didn’t know that I would work for Sodexo. After 20 years of working in prisons I wondered if there was anything else I could do. Sodexo took a leap of faith and it’s allowed me to do more.

What qualifications or experience have been most useful in your career?

When I was working in Sodexo Justice Services my most useful qualification was the Master’s degree in Criminology. It helped me to understand the theory behind prisons and imprisonment, and also allowed me to adopt a functional view.

The experience of working in highly complex prison establishments, which are very good examples of an integrated facilities management model, prepared me for the role I’m doing now.

What are you like outside of work, compared to how you are inside of work?

What I’ve learned is that I need to be authentic and need to be who you are. It’s really important to be true and be yourself in the workplace.

Do you get the work life balance right? And if so how do you do that?

Outside of work I’m a mum. I work really hard so the time outside is precious to me: my children are growing up very quickly so I try to spend as much time with them as possible. When they have holidays we go away so we spend more quality time together. We have a Volkswagen camper van so we go away camping.

Who is your inspiration when it comes to your career?

There are an awful lot of women who are great role models at Sodexo. Janine McDowell, who was director of HMP Bronzefield before me, is very good at what she does, but she’s still compassionate, behaves with integrity and is a good ambassador for Sodexo internally and externally. It was a tough job to follow her at Bronzefield.

Jane Bristow (managing director of Sodexo Education) has been very helpful. Having gone to the managers’ conference last week it’s great to see senior women in the organisation, and good to see a female finance director on the stage giving a confident performance.

How have you seen women’s work roles change in your career?

I started in the public sector prison service in the early 90s at Wormwood Scrubs as one of only four women employed. It was really tough and there were lots of stereotypes. During the course of my career I’ve witnessed the gender balance change, particularly within the justice sector. Flexible working and maternity leave, which were frowned upon in the early 90s, are now accepted practice. Even paternity leave is becoming more accepted now.

What advice would you give to a sixteen year old now?

Be yourself and be authentic. Find something that you care about and that you’re passionate about, because we work too hard to do jobs that we’re miserable in.

It’s really difficult for young people now to make a choice about higher education. When I was younger it was seen as going to university for experience. I see my 13-year-old under pressure to make vocational choices. It’s a bit sad that a 16-year-old can’t be that free anymore.

What did you want to do for a job when you were a child/teenager?

I wanted to be an airline pilot. But they said I had to study maths and physics, and I didn’t want to.

If you’re not doing that, why not?

I worked out what I was good at, which wasn’t maths or physics, and I went into arts. I went to university and studied sociology and anthropology.

61 comments:

  1. Her answers to these questions are weak, vague, unexciting and say absolutely nothing a good teacher would be highlighting to youngsters in schools. She sounds like a bit of a drone!

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  2. I spent over a year at HMP Bronzefield during Helga's reign there. Met the woman on several occasions and can safely say she is THE worst prison governor I have come across: lazy, arrogant, venal, cruel, deluded, incompetent and stupid are just some of the choice terms I would use to describe her. Mind you she's not as bad as Julia Killick who ran Holloway till it closed recently which is faint praise.

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    1. She has no interest in probation. She thinks that what she learned from Sodexo can help MTCnovo with their ambitions to gain a foothold in private prisons and then run probation down and ditch it to some other corporation as as a write off. Maybe any half decent group of managers in London need to be working on a mutual to try to salvage whats left. I heard she is planning 50% staff cuts

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  3. I am sitting at my desk in the HQ of London CRC today and those around me are whispering about this post trying to cheer each other up but its like trying to crack jokes at a funeral. They all agree it is spot on and whoever tipped you the wink Jim knows whats what. It feels like being back at school not wanting a sadistic teacher to overhear our naughty conversation about a school scandal we’ve been told not to mention. Realistically I think one of the only things that has kept a lid on things in London CRC has been the fact that the unions have largely been left alone with facility time arrangements largely intact and that staff have worked bloody hard to try to make completely crap plans that were completely unrealistic sort of appear to work. The fact is that they have not worked and cannot possibly work as no one with a modicum of good sense and in their right mind believes that they can. However, rumours are circulating that Helga does not give a toss what anyone thinks and does not like unions at all because like all know it all autocratic managers used to getting what they want without question she does not like anyone questioning her authority or competence and pointing out that she is wrong even though it is obvious. The POA discovered this and apparently roll their eyes at the mention of her name. She is of course starting to surround herself with a highly toxic and obnoxious group of highly ambitious corporate climbers some of whom I'm ashamed to say once called themselves probation officers but long ago sold their souls to commercialism gleefully embracing the worst excesses of managerialism and greed and now see fit to trample on traditional probation values (if they can remember what they were) and talk about legacy issues as if they were something nasty they have stepped in. Helga’s idea of consultation is 'This is what we are going to do and if I want your opinion I'll give it to you so I'll talk you listen' preferring to act and then pretending she consulted to staff no redundancies in her personal PR team. The upshot is that as soon as London Napo Chair Pat Waterman's term of office ends in July then she intends to pull the plug on Napo undermining its activities on behalf of its members and playing hardball with employee representatives.

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    1. Sounds like a stich up. She thinks she’s got it all planned and post July she will no longer worry about what the unions think or do.

      It is very worrying that she apparently wants to target disabled and vulnerable workers who she seems to regard as unproductive and who should not be treated any differently even if their new IT system has never worked properly with the equipment they were forced to accept to do their work.

      She also seems to feel there has been too much political correctness in London and she'd rather there was no mention of any of that equalities rubbish. At the same time she intends to start serious reorganisation to undermine any protections hapless staff thought had been placed on terms and conditions following privatisation and this will mean people being forced into ways of working they know won’t work or made redundant across the board and finding that they will have to reapply for a less well paid job with minimal benefits.

      Staff who delude themselves into thinking that working harder and longer are kidding themselves. Helga has a spreadsheet and if your employee number is on it you’re a gonner – simples and so long sucker.
      She apparently thinks there are too many poor quality managers and that probation staff are inherently lazy and not pulling their weight - so she wants to squeeze until the pips squeak.

      Meanwhile there seem to be ever increasing numbers of MTCnovo people appearing like corporate clones with no idea about probation but keen to make some money off the dying carcass who are presumably drawing salaries from the probation pot. Many of these are actually working on expanding their prison operation rather than probation which is the main business they wanted not probation at all otherwise why would they employ someone with a prison background who knows sod all about probation to head up the loss making probation business?

      'Building for best: Building together' is an insult to staff as this is almost certainly the precursor to the final demolition of the probation service in London where staff are going to be blamed for the failures of the private sector and many hardworking and professional probation staff will be unemployed by Xmas or early in 2017. So better start polishing those CV's and readying the life rafts because Helga is sharpening her axe and it'll be anyone for chop except her and her team of fawning cronies who will no doubt get big pay offs when the time comes and move on to their next cash cow. 'Building to line the pockets of our corporate masters'

      So wake up and rise up probation staff of London before it’s finally too late. What have you got left to lose?

      Delete
  4. It is impossible to do this job with this kind of management culture. My advice to all is walk away. Let it fail. It will anyway so don't collude and certainly don't put up with that kind of shit from an employer. Tell them how they make you feel. The fact that they don't give a shit is of no concern. It means that they can never say they weren't told, can never say that their staff are happy and can never say that they were competent managers. Another Prison Governor failing at managing a Probation service? No shit, Sherlock.

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    1. Totally agree. Walk away and let it fail. Lifes too short to waste it helping corporations make more dosh out of the misery of others.

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  5. "We're all in it together" - so said Dodgy Dave...

    "One of David Cameron's final acts as Prime Minister was to overrule strongly worded civil service advice so that his advisers would get an extra £282,000 – or, an additional six months’ salary – in severance pay because of his resignation."

    But Iggle Piggle did fuck all to prevent Sodexo stealing 60% of severance pay for probation staff. Doncha just love the "one nation" tories?

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    1. OK, clearly CRCs are driven by profit. Maybe we should join them. Let us all resign on masse. Then Register the next day to an agency and let the market fight for your services. They need you, the experienced PSOs/POs to make this work. So they fully except to be driven by market forces and market values so let them pay market prices for your services. Mass resignation by all and then wait for the call from your agency!!! We would need huge gonads to do this but as a collective action it would get the medias attention, the ministers attention and ; well ...... Just a thought!!

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  6. The pressure on staff in London is beyond a joke- the micro management and lack of tools to actually do the job make every day a misery day. We have lost pride, hope and any sense of achievement in what we do.

    God help us all!

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  7. All of the above equates to bullying. Ask for the policy within areas on bullying and then start whacking it on a few desks along with the Equality Act 2010. We will not be pushed and threatened anymore by this bloody mess by the creeps and whittle arses who think fit to bully others beneath them.
    There is no way I am going to loose my dignity in all of this and if you don't arm yourselves with your rights you are going to get walked all over!!!
    What do we have a HR team for, its their duty to support staff so start reporting your issues and take copies of these complaints. If your not in a Union there are organisations like Acas ect who can advice you. Lets get it stopped by recording and empowering yourselves.

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  8. Merseyside & Cheshire Greater Manchester is already doing this, a couple of weeks back they released the Interim Service Delivery Quality Assurance Framework. Essentially it goes like this:
    1. ad hoc audits for providing assurances of caseload audits
    2. Interchange Manager (aka SPO) audit a minimum of one casefile per Case Manager per quarter to ensure risk assessment; risk management including RMR adherence, sentence planning, contact recording, frequency of contacts, 3rd party information sharing, acting on new information, flagging and management oversight. Any case audit resulting in an unsatisfactory result, must be followed with a mandatory further 5 case audits to ascertain whether this was an isolated incident of unsatisfactory practice or an example of general poor practice from the Case Manager. Further evidence of unsatisfactory audits for the additional 5 case audits much result in commencement of capability/disciplinary procedures, in discussion with local Community Directors. This begins as an informal action plan but evidence of consistent/continued poor practice must result in action. The audits are recorded in a central folder to ensure that a swift collation can occur. Audit results will be checked by the central leads to ensure consistency and benchmarking. The head of performance and information will collate results and present them to the Service Delivery & Ops on a quarterly basis to identify areas of improvement & good practice.

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    1. So its happening over in Merseyside & Cheshire Greater Manchester. I seem to remember someone saying that Yvonne Thomas was praising the MoJ at the Probation journal TR2 event in Liverpool last week for giving them parity of funding with London for the first time. She was pulled up by Ian Lawrence who accused her of 'leading the charge' towards privatisation. So they have the cash and are recruiting cheaper staff but now they want to make things leaner by getting rid of experienced higher paid staff.

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  9. why has the comment regarding another area been removed -it was relevant?

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    1. The 15:55 comment was caught in the spam filter - nothing deleted today.

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  10. Would be good to get union advice in how to handle this situation coming up now

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  11. Refuse to sign the letter until they produce detailed daily information regarding all the IT system outages, staff shortage, re-organisation chaos and communication problems with the NPS and a statement that guarantees exemption for all staff from any form of capability or disciplinary action arising from the information given.

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    1. They come from the US and create chaos. They insist on implementing a cohort operating model against practitioners advice that simply makes no sense when applied to London. When their own senior managers are shaking their heads and telling them the games up and it wont work then they try to blame the already down trodden staff for the mess they created and foisted onto them.

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  12. Helga is actually lovely and she is making things better because she does care.

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  13. 18:52 Really. Hope you enjoy unemployment cos being "lovely and making things better aint gonna save you

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  14. No I know that this is going to be an unpopular view, but.

    Anybody with eyes and an ounce of intelligence could see that this was going to happen. At some point a hatchetman (or in this case woman) was going to be appointed to do the "necessary". The groundwork was set with a couple of years of advice, then instruction, then competency procedures to drive home the message that the CASH LINKED TARGET was what mattered.

    Round my way there were three reactions.

    Group A got the hell out. Off to NPS or off out of the whole sector. A portion of these re-appeared as NPS sessional workers.

    Group B smelt the roses. (round my way this is a small group). They did what was asked of them, given the choice between a target and a non target task, they did the target task.

    Group C agitated or ignored. They carried on NOT doing oasys, NOT doing supervision plans, NOT making entries using the approved format. This is a big group.

    Then they got asked/instructed to do a caseload validation and when given the results, group A were not about anyway. Group B were in an OK place and did what needed to be done. Group C stood about saying how unreasonable it all is and how it cannot be done. Having put their heads in the noose while hiding them in the sand they then drew attention to their "incompetence/awkwardness" by waving their arms in the air and creating.

    MTC Novo now have the chance to sack a whole lot of experienced and expensive staff on the basis of incompetency procedures, thereby avoiding expensive redundancy packages. I hope they send you all a little note of thanks.

    Now I am not for a minute saying that this is right/fair/just/OK, but it IS and it has been for a LONG TIME.

    They are sharks, they look like sharks, they move like sharks and they are hungry like sharks, the response is to get out of the water or make sure that you have your shark repellant bat spray with you, not to go for a quick paddle.

    Pina Colada

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  15. I totally agree Anon 20:06. I have been pulled in and told to get my caseload up to date as there are issues that a finance linked. I have a caseload of 85 and 'expected' to be on top of them all. I have been told that my situation will be reviewed in a few weeks, I fear that if progress has not been made I will be put in capability. Stressed PSO 25 years in.

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    1. Look at them, do the cash linked ones first, check the agencies, go sick!

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    2. Interserve have emailed staff a list of their terminated service users who had Unpaid Work outstanding at point of termination, we have been told, despite the Order having expired, to phone and/or write - even to those with ONE hour left although they would be able to have an exit interview in place of working an hour.

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    3. re 21 07 - that was not uncommon way back when in the good old days. I inherited a case right at the end of their Order. They had completed the supervision side but had not been able to do UPW. When the Order ended, which he had otherwise complied with, I still had to try to get this person in to complete 5 hours and it took weeks to complete, for genuine reasons. I recollect that he had been working in a charity shop and he completed it by doing an hour at a time!

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  16. I don't really like the whole character assasination thing! It makes me feel very uncomfortable. What is the problem with the letter? At my crc we have been doing the brag thing for a while now. It is straightforward so why not just do it? Ok, it has to work both ways and caseloads sound very high to me but being obstructive is not going to help anyone and neither is bullying a member of staff, whether they are bottom of pile or top of pile.

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    1. Nobody likes character assassination however there are certain individuals who have cashed in or who are cashing in on the catastrophe that is TR and we should give them little credit as they drive the TR agenda and make privatisation and the new landscape in the new reality for probation staff. What they are creating will serve as the blue print for the imminent privatisation of the NPS. People like Swidenbank are not interested in probation values and simply talk about business and profits. They may well appear to be people like us and wish to portray that in their corporate blogs but that will be little comfort to those seeking new jobs in the months to come. People like her are the the product of years of NOMS being dominated by prison service managers with probation and rehabilitation being regarded as a footnote offering little or no alternative narrative to policy makers. The impression that most people who work in NOMS is that probation is the Cinderella service that never made it to the Grand Ball and will be forever forced to play second fiddle to her uglier private and public sector siblings managing the prison service. And now we have a new Justice Secretary Elizabeth Truss who used to head up Reform who advocated privatisation of the entire probation service.

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  17. Thanks 20:45. I have a work ethic and integrity that is slowly being eroded. On top of all of this we have been told that we have to leave the legacy building which has been taken over by NPS. As it has been problematic to secure a building for us so we are out on our arses with no-where to go.....meanwhile 'business as usual' TARGETS TARGETS TARGETS. It's diabolical.

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    1. Work ethic and integrity, you need to get rid of them fast, or take em where they will be appreciated.

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  18. Where are the Union......oh aye sorting out the AGM!!!!!!! A colleague said he was told he should consider coming because 'it will be fun and a right laugh' WTF!!!!!

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    1. See 16 July 2016 at 03:46 No messing about from Napo London

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  19. TO CRC MEMBERS

    Many of you have been writing in asking for advice on whether or not you should sign the attached letter. In our opinion such a letter is unnecessary. If you have completed all the tasks identified in the Caseload Validation Exercise that took place in May then there should be no need as the records should reflect this.

    If you have been unable to complete all the tasks (often for very good reasons such as high workloads or staff shortages) then if you sign this letter you could be making yourself liable to Disciplinary Action. So our advice is NOT to sign such a letter.

    We note that you have been asked to return the letter to your SPO by 28th July. We have referred the matter to our National Link Official, Assistant General Secretary Dean Rogers, for further advice.

    Please do not hesitate to contact us if you feel that you need any further guidance or advice at this stage.

    Pat Waterman Branch Chair
    David Masterson Branch Vice Chair (CRC).

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    1. This is clear enough union advice: all members are being advised not to sign. It is rare these days to receive such clear, unambiguous advice and it should be applauded.

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    2. I agree this is sensible advice and every Napo member in London can refer to this in discussion with their managers and managers can also refer to the advice given by the recognised trade union. Issuing such a letter was an arrogant provocative act by employers who show scant regard for the professionals in their employ. We are professionals not sessional labourers on a temporary building project that will be demolished at the end of contract.

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  20. It would help if we could have some basic advice and union action on some basic issues such as offenders right to privacy! How many crc's have been shoved out of buildings once shared with nps and are now having to inetview offenders in public spaces or kiosks? Are these issues getting back to noms/ moj and do they think that is acceptable? Am i covered in terms of litigation if matters get out into public realm or someone is assaulted as a result of being overheard talking about their offence in public space? How many other crc's have this problem?

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    1. Record it on Delius that you were unable to conduct an interview due to sensitive nature of disclosure and inform the individual prior to your meeting that they have a right to complain if unhappy.

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    2. Report the matter to the Information Commissioner

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    3. Who is that and how do i contact them?

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    4. The ICO is the UK's independent body set up to uphold information rights.

      If you have a concern about an organisation's information rights practices, report it to us.

      Need help? Call our helpline on 0303 123 1113.

      Delete
  21. R3- Risk, Risk, Risk. Staff and individuals at risk if conversations during statutory supervision meetings overheard. Individuals may not disclose sensitive information due to risks of being overheard. Risk assessments and RMP's may not accurately reflect risks. Ineffective case management, risks to individuals, staff and members of the public increase. But does it really matter? Less risk of risk escalation, less risk of failures to complete orders as less challenging of thoughts, beliefs, attitudes, behaviour. As long as you turn up or answer the phone and say you're ok, then that's you off the hook til next appointment. Superficial case management? Discrepancies between reported/recorded assessments and actual risks of reoffending? Who really knows until some time in the future.

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  22. 8.46. Yes, i believe this is the situation! The long term effect will be less effective risk management. It will carry on regardless UNTIL there are some serious incidents, life changing injuries or death. Then hey presto ...someone will be all over your records like a rash for serious further offence review. The crc will probably try to get out of it but ultimately as the whole sorry state unfolds heads will roll at the top! Make sure you record your views in contacts ' could not duscuss x yz as we were overheard'. Managers may not like it but tough shit!

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  23. Bring back probation trusts and cpo's who actually worked their way up through the ranks and understand what the job involves! Would you put a probation officer in charge of mineral speculation, catering or sholl shoes manufacture! Nope! So why are we having to suffer unqualified and inexperienced managers at the crc's!

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  24. Was told magistrates did not think breach was significant as he had completed all rar days prior to disappearing and making no contact. My intel checks showed evidence of dv whilst not in contact. Magistrates gave small fine and said he had done well but i hear he us back in court for new offences! Basically message we are getting is can't enforce attendance once rar days completed and maybe hold some back in case they are needed to breach. Bloody ridiculous! Nps and crc constantly at odds and not working effectively together!

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  25. If he'd completed his RAR days why were you breaching him?

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    1. Because he is still on supervision ..duuur!

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    2. I'm surprised the magistrates even fined him tbh what grounds did you have if someone completed their RAR days. I wonder how it got past the enforcement team?.. All that work for nothing what a shame!

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    3. SSO with supervision is what it says on the order and for what it is worth abusing peoe on this forum is not a very pro social stance. If i get clear intel from police that someone who is subject to an sso with supervision is smashing ex partners windows and other activities and failing to keep appointments then risk management calls for breach action. If you are too busy numbrr crunching to get targets up perhaps you have missed what this job is actually about? Protecting the public!sorry if that offends you!

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    4. Have you stood before magistrates and said Police Intelligence says......it's not fact ! They haven't been convicted or arrested you can't breach on hearsay ! When an SSO is finished its the end of! Police get their intelligence from various sources not always reliable. Just because it's the Police doesn't mean it's the truth! Ps I joined before protecting the public was the mantra.

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    5. Ex-Napo member17 July 2016 at 18:16

      Original post said "evidence of dv whilst not in contact". 18:03 follow-up says "failing to keep appointments".

      Seems grounds enough for breach to me - the intel might help tip the balance from trying to re-engage the client to taking enforcement action.

      Delete
    6. Checked with moms and they agreed with my stance! During no contact serious allegations and due back in court. I can stand by my decision. Could you stand by your decision if no contact once rar days finished? Please be aware before you attack that each crc doing things differently but ultimately you will be tbe one as OM hung out to dry if anythong serious occurs so take heed!

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  26. we're all nervous wrecks in our crc office, we have to dot all our Is and cross our Ts and if we don't the performance team send the manager an email. No-one wants to be here anymore but car finance and mortgages make it difficult to leave.

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  27. Does your manager support you or has he/she been brainwashed by the thought- police?

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  28. Looks like the NPS bully boys are on the rampage! Is this how you treat your colleages or service users! Look in the mirror and see something poking out of your forehead?

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  29. Quote from ORA special 31.1.15 by jim brown.
    The RO ( responsible officer) still has the length of the co or sso supervision period ( following completion of RAR days) to continue to supervise the offender by way of appointments if they so wish.'
    Hope this helps to resolve the disagreement! Plenty of mention of supervision here folks!

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    1. In my CRC getting offenders to report after their rar days have been completed is discouraged. Payment By Results they've successfully completed and we certainly wouldn't breach if they've finished!

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  30. good on yer Tonto. Those 2 critics were very quick to make abusive comments, on the assumption that they knew what was right, when in reality, they were the ones who got it wrong. That is not the way to support colleagues. Do you feel like a couple of d..h's now guys??

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    1. ml ??? Wtf?..

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    2. to 22 24 - 9 58, 13 08, 13 49, 1803 and 18 39.

      all clear now?

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  31. ml Give it a rest how long you retired? You have no idea what it's like now!




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  32. So you are just out of nappies and trying to tell someone who devoted most of their working life to probation that they should be sat knitting 'cause retired people can't have an opinion? Some people should not be let loose on the general population!

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  33. Previous ml post indicate probation was a second career. Hmm not out of nappies joined the service as a probation ancillary!


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