No, it's got nothing to do with teething problems and delays in implementation of so-called operating models. That sort of mitigation is glib and reeks of denial. The truth is the CRCs are not fit for purpose. The mad experiment, based on a crazy hypothesis, and soundbites about rehabilitation revolutions and £46-pound-in-your-pocket, is an affront to those working in probation, and those who receive its services.
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Is it true that the "rehabilitation revolution" is far from complete? And in what way is it far from complete? I am thinking this is it. What you see now is how it is going to be henceforth. Chaos and poor practice. But what is it the powers that be are expecting to find once the revolution is complete? Companies more adept at covering their tracks to make things look great even though they are not? These stats of performance measures which would enable the companies and the government to sing their mendacious harmonies together without the BBC suspecting a thing? Where are we expecting to be when that revolution is complete? I suspect that the mendacious harmonies is but stage one of the revolution.
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If we ever do go back to public ownership I am hoping we will not go back to how things were before the split in certain respects. I am hoping we would lose some of the less helpful aspects of how we were. There were things that held us back from actually enabling proper rehabilitation of service users coming our way. This does not mean I agreed with the privatisation. CJS should be public not subject to profit.
Our public probation officer persona's tended to be slightly holier than thou, unable to see and admit that there by the grace of God go all of us. This was aided and abetted by the revolting OASys assessment we are still forced to use, with its implied assumption of how a person should be in order for that person to pull themselves away from offending, that the acquisition of middle class souls is what we must judge people on. In a new public world we should do more to campaign for other public services.
Increasingly there is nowhere else for our service users to go. Advocacy should be a much more important and valued part of the job, and we should put much more pressure on our managers to give a strong and positive representation for our service users with other agencies and obviously with NOMS. And when we have proof that they do we should back them up.
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Quote - 'our public probation officer persona's tended to be slightly holier than thou, unable to see and admit that there by grace of God go all of us'.
That is a bit presumptuous. All of them? Yes, there were some pompous PO's, everyone is different, but there were more hardworking, sensitive, understanding PO's who went out of their way to support while challenging; and spending excessive amounts of time to get to know the client to develop their trust, as they explored issues in their background, whatever their character and resistance; to give them space to cry as they offloaded sadness and horror stories; and to share with the client their own personal experiences if relevant.
I and several other colleagues, would consistently work longer hours, and the thank you cards that we would receive at the end of an Order, even from the unexpected 'no-hopers', would demonstrate how much the offender appreciated our support, trust and honesty, firm but fair. Holier than thou? Where was your experience of that with every colleague? But I do agree with you about the mechanical, soulless, time consuming, repetitive OASys! But -'middle class souls'? Maybe we northerners didn't know what 'middle class' was!
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You are right to caution against the halcyon days. The probation culture did not go sour overnight. The impact of managerialism and a competitive culture based on league tables and targets, did much harm to the ethos, job satisfaction and service delivery.
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Just been reading up on the Sonnex case again. Does any of this sound familiar:
'These failings span our courts, the probation service and the Prison Service. Does the noble Lord accept that they are the direct result of an overcrowded prison estate, which has led Ministers to put concerted pressure on the courts and probation staff not to use custody, even when, as here, it was vital to protect the public? That is the primary duty of the Government. Does he accept that the failure to deliver on yet another IT system—namely C-NOMIS, which links the courts, prisons and the probation service—left staff ill-equipped to cope? The failure of IT systems is quite a constant complaint against the Government. Would the £40 million or so squandered on C-NOMIS have been better spent on strengthening front-line officer capacity? Does the Minister accept the independent review’s finding that the local probation service was inadequately staffed, diluting the supervision of such a high-risk offender? Does he also accept its finding that the probation service focused on Sonnex’s employment and accommodation needs, when its number one priority, as I said earlier, should have been public protection? This is yet another symptom of the Government’s confused priorities, paralysis and lack of direction.'
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This is just f*cking priceless. Noms/MoJ fracture a coherent, award-winning national service along artificial lines, impose ideologically driven privatised management structures & E3, then:
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Quote - 'our public probation officer persona's tended to be slightly holier than thou, unable to see and admit that there by grace of God go all of us'.
That is a bit presumptuous. All of them? Yes, there were some pompous PO's, everyone is different, but there were more hardworking, sensitive, understanding PO's who went out of their way to support while challenging; and spending excessive amounts of time to get to know the client to develop their trust, as they explored issues in their background, whatever their character and resistance; to give them space to cry as they offloaded sadness and horror stories; and to share with the client their own personal experiences if relevant.
I and several other colleagues, would consistently work longer hours, and the thank you cards that we would receive at the end of an Order, even from the unexpected 'no-hopers', would demonstrate how much the offender appreciated our support, trust and honesty, firm but fair. Holier than thou? Where was your experience of that with every colleague? But I do agree with you about the mechanical, soulless, time consuming, repetitive OASys! But -'middle class souls'? Maybe we northerners didn't know what 'middle class' was!
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You are right to caution against the halcyon days. The probation culture did not go sour overnight. The impact of managerialism and a competitive culture based on league tables and targets, did much harm to the ethos, job satisfaction and service delivery.
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Just been reading up on the Sonnex case again. Does any of this sound familiar:
'These failings span our courts, the probation service and the Prison Service. Does the noble Lord accept that they are the direct result of an overcrowded prison estate, which has led Ministers to put concerted pressure on the courts and probation staff not to use custody, even when, as here, it was vital to protect the public? That is the primary duty of the Government. Does he accept that the failure to deliver on yet another IT system—namely C-NOMIS, which links the courts, prisons and the probation service—left staff ill-equipped to cope? The failure of IT systems is quite a constant complaint against the Government. Would the £40 million or so squandered on C-NOMIS have been better spent on strengthening front-line officer capacity? Does the Minister accept the independent review’s finding that the local probation service was inadequately staffed, diluting the supervision of such a high-risk offender? Does he also accept its finding that the probation service focused on Sonnex’s employment and accommodation needs, when its number one priority, as I said earlier, should have been public protection? This is yet another symptom of the Government’s confused priorities, paralysis and lack of direction.'
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This is just f*cking priceless. Noms/MoJ fracture a coherent, award-winning national service along artificial lines, impose ideologically driven privatised management structures & E3, then:
"18... The Ministry recognises the importance of getting the NPS and CRCs working together more effectively. It has put in place various governance structures, including ‘service integration groups’ to bring CRCs, NPS and NOMS together to work through operational challenges. The Ministry has also sought to identify and share good joint working practices, such as those existing in Wales, that it feels can be learned from and adapted to the different circumstances across England."What a pack of a*seholes. Want more evidence? Try this corker:
"20. The Ministry has plans to make these savings, which include reviewing the way it carries out contract management and replacing specialist contractors with more affordable civil servants."Grayling, Wright, Brennan, Romeo, Spurr etc etc should be facing charges of negligence in public office.
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"MoJ stance of being deliberately unprescriptive on how services should be delivered"...Well here in London CRC those of us who questioned the wisdom of their cohort model from the outset were told that the cohorts had to be gone through with because it was on the basis of the cohort idea that MTC Novo obtained their contract from MoJ. So I don't know who exactly was being inflexible about that. Now however there are moves afoot to undo aspects of the cohort model since it is unworkable. It is all so predictable it brings tears to my eyes. But why is it so hard for them to see these things coming from afar? It is not as if it was ever going to save them money running cohorts. I don't understand any of it.
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Staff in LondonCRC warned that the cohort model would be a disaster and we're proved right. We have to suffer the indignity of foreign multinational corporations employing random failed ex prison governors who after being placed in charge on large salaries proceed to teach us to suck eggs or else then when they fail again they bring in their mates who are also ex prison governors and/or failed/discredited prison inspectors to tell them what we were saying in the first place. You couldn't make this stuff up. Many offenders in London haven't been seen for over a year due to the chaos. And who the heck wanted to have tea with Helga? Hands up you hiding in the corner .......
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As a manager I must say London have at times been shocking. No one returns calls. Case transfer updates are never received. No enforcement seems to occur. Sincere lack of national process awareness. The buck must stop with their managers.
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Staff in LondonCRC warned that the cohort model would be a disaster and we're proved right. We have to suffer the indignity of foreign multinational corporations employing random failed ex prison governors who after being placed in charge on large salaries proceed to teach us to suck eggs or else then when they fail again they bring in their mates who are also ex prison governors and/or failed/discredited prison inspectors to tell them what we were saying in the first place. You couldn't make this stuff up. Many offenders in London haven't been seen for over a year due to the chaos. And who the heck wanted to have tea with Helga? Hands up you hiding in the corner .......
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As a manager I must say London have at times been shocking. No one returns calls. Case transfer updates are never received. No enforcement seems to occur. Sincere lack of national process awareness. The buck must stop with their managers.
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No one returns calls? They don't even pick up their phones or respond to emails!!
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MTCnovo and their biggest company LondonCRC are a bad joke. The phones don't work, the laptops don't work and weigh a ton so everyone is going to sue their asses for shoulder and back injury, SPOs are nowhere to be seen (agile working means sitting on your sofa catching up on daytime TV) and some boast they have only contacted their staff via Skype. The offices are deserted. Records are being fabricated because there is no local oversight and some people are taking advantage because they know the idiots at the top haven't got a clue and are in it for the money. They talk big but to be honest they won't last until 2017 let alone 2020
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Through the Gate, one of the flagships of TR. Improving services for those serving less than 12 months. Providing services and support for these individuals was a winning argument, as it made such good sense. But two years on MPs report that 'two-thirds of offenders released from prison have not received enough help pre-release in relation to accommodation, employment or finances'. TR is a confidence trick!
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Far from being met at the gate by a mentor 'remember them?' and a wrap around service that would provide stability and support, I'm seeing a growing number of under 12 month prisoners being released to rough sleeping where the only support then can draw upon is from homeless charities. It's a disgrace, and it doesn't look like it's going to get better anytime soon. Someone should be held to account, not just Grayling and the Tories, but also the catering and cleaning companies paid for the delivery of services. Rehabilitation Revolution? It's just poppycock!
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We had an emergency team meeting - told not to discuss private things in public and forbidden to talk about Jim Brown at work. Also 50% of cases don't have an OASys. That means 50% of offenders don't have a risk assessment or sentence plan. Why is this not in the national news? Helga cut facility time for Napo - let's cut her metaphorically speaking.
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Nice to see Mr McDowell has found a role for himself in the private sector since his fall from grace. With Mrs McDowell running Sodexo & Mr McD leading the 'London CRC Change Plan', does this give the McDowell household the most significant influence in CRCs? It must surely eclipse that other CRC power couple, Nigel & Andrea Bennett?
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I heard a number of people have already been suspended and managers are flapping around pretending they have only just discovered what a huge mess all the cases are in.
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If they had their time again I wonder how many of the CRC owners would have bid? I have little sympathy for them, but they they have put themselves in an impossible position. I don't think it will be long before more of them have to admit it openly or find a face saving way of ducking out. Having taken on these contracts they find themselves as central to the problem - unworkable contracts in a sector which should never have been privatised on ethical grounds.
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Yawn! why do we do this? The armchair mood hoovers are just empty vessels as all of it's just speculation until the report has been published. I come back to the question time and time again. If people are so unhappy why not leave?
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Well lots don't stay. Others do cos they have mortgages. Or inertia or loyalty to an idea that is dead. Or hope it will improve. Nobody l know has stayed because they embrace TR.
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One or two appear to embrace TR but privately believe it's a bottomless crock of guano that only serves to pay the bills until they can hop on another failing cash cow. Having long battled with prison staff the owners of CRCs regard probation staff as a softer target. They are part of the problem and just an extension of the states apparatus of suppression.
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Thing is, if the inspection is happening in your office it is quite easy to gain a feeling as to how things are going by what is being said or asked by the Inspectors. The response from Helga is bland go say the least, and unnecessary if this is just mischief making as the truth will out in the final report, and will be available for all to read on the HMIP website.
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I wonder how long Helga has got before the axe falls on her own neck? Maybe some other chancer from the prison service would like a go. The boys with the bionic badges from Utah will not be impressed by incompetence chaos and failure. Believe It Or Not It's Crap.
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MTCnovo and their biggest company LondonCRC are a bad joke. The phones don't work, the laptops don't work and weigh a ton so everyone is going to sue their asses for shoulder and back injury, SPOs are nowhere to be seen (agile working means sitting on your sofa catching up on daytime TV) and some boast they have only contacted their staff via Skype. The offices are deserted. Records are being fabricated because there is no local oversight and some people are taking advantage because they know the idiots at the top haven't got a clue and are in it for the money. They talk big but to be honest they won't last until 2017 let alone 2020
******
Through the Gate, one of the flagships of TR. Improving services for those serving less than 12 months. Providing services and support for these individuals was a winning argument, as it made such good sense. But two years on MPs report that 'two-thirds of offenders released from prison have not received enough help pre-release in relation to accommodation, employment or finances'. TR is a confidence trick!
******
Far from being met at the gate by a mentor 'remember them?' and a wrap around service that would provide stability and support, I'm seeing a growing number of under 12 month prisoners being released to rough sleeping where the only support then can draw upon is from homeless charities. It's a disgrace, and it doesn't look like it's going to get better anytime soon. Someone should be held to account, not just Grayling and the Tories, but also the catering and cleaning companies paid for the delivery of services. Rehabilitation Revolution? It's just poppycock!
******
We had an emergency team meeting - told not to discuss private things in public and forbidden to talk about Jim Brown at work. Also 50% of cases don't have an OASys. That means 50% of offenders don't have a risk assessment or sentence plan. Why is this not in the national news? Helga cut facility time for Napo - let's cut her metaphorically speaking.
******
Nice to see Mr McDowell has found a role for himself in the private sector since his fall from grace. With Mrs McDowell running Sodexo & Mr McD leading the 'London CRC Change Plan', does this give the McDowell household the most significant influence in CRCs? It must surely eclipse that other CRC power couple, Nigel & Andrea Bennett?
******
I heard a number of people have already been suspended and managers are flapping around pretending they have only just discovered what a huge mess all the cases are in.
******
If they had their time again I wonder how many of the CRC owners would have bid? I have little sympathy for them, but they they have put themselves in an impossible position. I don't think it will be long before more of them have to admit it openly or find a face saving way of ducking out. Having taken on these contracts they find themselves as central to the problem - unworkable contracts in a sector which should never have been privatised on ethical grounds.
******
Yawn! why do we do this? The armchair mood hoovers are just empty vessels as all of it's just speculation until the report has been published. I come back to the question time and time again. If people are so unhappy why not leave?
******
Well lots don't stay. Others do cos they have mortgages. Or inertia or loyalty to an idea that is dead. Or hope it will improve. Nobody l know has stayed because they embrace TR.
******
One or two appear to embrace TR but privately believe it's a bottomless crock of guano that only serves to pay the bills until they can hop on another failing cash cow. Having long battled with prison staff the owners of CRCs regard probation staff as a softer target. They are part of the problem and just an extension of the states apparatus of suppression.
******
Thing is, if the inspection is happening in your office it is quite easy to gain a feeling as to how things are going by what is being said or asked by the Inspectors. The response from Helga is bland go say the least, and unnecessary if this is just mischief making as the truth will out in the final report, and will be available for all to read on the HMIP website.
******
I wonder how long Helga has got before the axe falls on her own neck? Maybe some other chancer from the prison service would like a go. The boys with the bionic badges from Utah will not be impressed by incompetence chaos and failure. Believe It Or Not It's Crap.
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MTCnovo's strapline is Believe It Or Not I Care (BIONIC). How much do they care by ending union facility time? I heard in one case a Napo rep was prevented by their manager under threat of disciplinary action not to accompany their member to a capability hearing even though the policy said they had a right to be represented. Surely what they are doing is illegal? I heard Napo may be calling in the HSE due to the state of some of their buildings as NPS staff are refusing to work in them.
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How big is London and Thames Valley's case load? Because MTCnovo haven't risk assessed or initiated sentence plans for 50% of offenders. I heard from a close pal (ACO) they are in special measures losing money. If I had shares I'd dump them before they become toxic.
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Some PSOs in certain Cohorts with 140 cases in London and POs dealing with DV and Child protection cases with caseloads in high 80s-90s.
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Some PSOs in certain Cohorts with 140 cases in London and POs dealing with DV and Child protection cases with caseloads in high 80s-90s.
'We had an emergency team meeting - told not to discuss private things in public and forbidden to talk about Jim Brown at work'
ReplyDeleteIn LondonCRC Helga's attempts at trying to stop us reading this blog have backfired big time. I challenged her censorship at our team meeting - the only time I see my colleagues these days. At first our SPO said that she was only passing on the firms message. We had a really good discussion about how the cohort model and agile working was rubbish. Eventually she told us that her opinion and the opinion on of most other SPOs was that we were now being led by a shady bunch who had no interest in probation. We spent most of the team meeting discussing what was on this blog and even colleagues I would say aren't really computer users make sure they read it. Our team was united in defiance of the ban and for the first time in months we felt a real feeling of solidarity and determination to oppose all the bullshit. Helga 'the axe woman' Swidenbank and her sidekick Mr MaccyD with his Ambition 2020 were pretty much dismissed as irrelevant nonsense. If the inspectors had turned up they'd have got an earful. Keep going Jim you are a thorn in the side of these awful corporate nobody's and their brainless zombie minions. One suggestion at our meeting was to have a whip round to get some BIONIC badges made with Believe It Or Not It's Crap. Best team meeting we've had in months.
Well done 08:11 Resistance is far from dead when there are still those around willing to stand up to the nonsense. They can try but they won't be able to silence us all. I don't think many of these corporate carpet baggers realise how loathed they really are.
DeleteLooking forward to catching up with former colleagues at AGM next week.
I hope you'll be there again Jim this year. Some quite respectable ale in Cardiff these days.
I think the bionic badge idea is great. Who on earth do these bosses think they are telling us what we can and cannot say.
DeleteI work in a WL CRC and see similar situation where SPO's privately shaking their heads in frustration and publicly trying to manage their teams as best as they can. SPO's are struggling (by the way I'm a Band 4 member of staff, and would hate to be in a manager role - pay not worth the stress).
ReplyDeleteThe managers job is hell right now! Yes, not worth the stress for an extra £50 a week!
DeleteGood for you sticking up for freedom of speech and freedom of opinion. It only takes one or two people to voice what we can all see and the floodgates open. The emperor's new clothes and all that. I find another delicious way to rebel is to spend time with our service users, make referrals for them, allow them to ring the dwp to sort out their benefits and all sort of useful things and yes it has to be said frequently at the expense of those other things we have to do to make things look good for the company.
ReplyDeleteAnyone know if probation services will be represented at the Speak Up For Justice meeting at the Labour Conference tomorrow?
ReplyDeletehttps://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/a-163d-The-governments-austerity-measures-have-left-our-prisons-in-meltdown-1-2#.V-e1ncvTXqA
And did anyone know that NOMS are asking prison officers to wear electronic tags to test out their suitability for use? The article is in today's sun. Priceless!!
'Getafix'
PRISON chiefs are asking officers to test electronic tags to check they are comfortable enough for criminals. Eighty volunteers are wanted for the two-week trial in November. Staff from all areas of the jail service are being asked to take part, including guards, whose numbers have been cut.
DeleteA source said: “You really couldn’t make it up. They want volunteers to wear tags to make sure they work. This includes ensuring the poor inmate isn’t too uncomfortable with it around their ankle. They’ll be asking them what colour they prefer next.”
An internal email from the National Offender Management Service warns: “Volunteers will not be able to enter the secure parts of prisons during the trial period, or travel by plane.” It said the tests will be used to assess “comfort, durability, impact on daily life, ease of fitting and removal.”
The new tags will include GPS monitoring for lags and those on bail. This means a controller can continuously monitor a subject’s location. But Steve Gillan, from the Prison Officers Association, said: “We will be asking our members not to become involved in this nonsense.”
It is estimated that 25,000 people are tagged in England and Wales. The Ministry of Justice said: “GPS tagging will allow us to monitor high risk and persistent offenders so there are fewer victims in future. We will be testing tags from a range of providers to ensure they meet our requirements.”
In North Korea it has been reported that 1,000 officials responsible for failed projects have been shot. I wondered if the plausible but incompetent consultant types would be put off from applying for our top jobs if we had the same policy. Seriously I think the selection process should exclude anyone who has not managed something successfully before, even if it was a shoe shop. We seem to select people who talk the talk, not those that have a track record of successful decision making and planning.
DeleteSo will Noms find 80 turkeys willing to vote for Xmas & join in the tagging game? Yes, of course they will. And it will be deemed to be a roaring success. And the GPS tags will be implemented & fitted in next to no time. And before you know it there'll have been a series of catastrophic failures & some poor victims will wind up seriously or fatally injured. Look how effective OASys has been; or TTG; or bog standard tags; or privatisation & TR in general. The Noms/MOJ record of successfully implementing these ideological notions of nanny-state monitoring, control & restraint is beyond belief, i.e. Its a big fat f****ng ZERO, yet has cost the taxpayer what must now be many £Billions.
DeleteGPS tags, probably a keystone feature of MaccyD's Ambition 20/20 project?
Wouldn't it be great if prison staff say no! What will NOMs do then perhaps they could ask the civil servants who are destroying our profession to partake in this scheme. You couldn't make it up!
DeleteIf GPS tags are to use rechargeable batteries then there are serious health and safety risks. You cannot expect that no one wearing a tag will not get an ankle injury wearing one. The choices are lead acid, who wants sulphuric acid strapped to their leg. Lithium catches on fire in contact with water. Nickel Cadmium is safer, but these batteries can deliver an enormous amount of power if short circuited and get very hot very quickly. The batteries that we use by the millions have a fuse and it almost always blows, so we can consider the standard commercial varieties safe for normal use.
DeleteWhy do we need an ankle tab, Swedish prisons have been giving prisoners mobile phones with GPS for a few years. Enabling the prison to check where the user is whenever they want to using free public domain software. There have been no failures yet. The phone has the added advantage of pictures and speech for extra security and of course its cheap. Why not start with that?
Oh dear... Guardian 2005: "The last inmates have departed and a skeleton staff is left guarding Britain's only prison ship - in case anyone is minded to break in rather than out.
DeleteAfter eight years in which it has gone from being an object of political controversy to something of a tourist attraction, the prison ship Weare closes for business today.
Prison campaigners were pleased, arguing that the Weare never provided suitable facilities, and people who live and work near its berth in Portland Port, Dorset, were relieved that they would not have to deal with prisoners as they left the ship.
But some business leaders and local politicians, including those who originally spoke out against Weare, regretted the loss of jobs and multimillion pound income it brought to the area."
I was thinking of volunteering my teenage daughter. Would be useful to know if she ever gets up off the sofa.
ReplyDeleteLove it!
DeleteHey! How about sending prisoners to the other side of the world? Or putting them on an isolated island? Or using a prison ship moored offshore? Or fitting a ball-and-chain to rheir ankles?
ReplyDeleteNPS staff have also been asked to volunteer for tag trial who would bother !! There's no payment but they will kindly pay for your fare to get it fitted ha ha
ReplyDelete