Here we have the latest jont statement from Napo, Unsison and GMB:-
For distribution to all trade union members across the three Working Links owned Community Rehabilitation Companies
No to Job Cuts...yes to fair play for staff… probation trade unions standing up for !
27th October 2016
DISPUTE LATEST - Unions first to engage with ACAS
In last week’s joint unions report we had indicated that following the interim determination by the National Negotiating Council Joint Secretaries, we were pleased to take up the invitation to participate in urgent mediation through the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) to explore whether a resolution of the dispute was possible.
A union team met with ACAS In London last Friday and we had hoped that further communications about the dispute with the Working Links/Aurelius owned CRC's would have awaited some outcomes from the ACAS brokered talks. Unfortunately we feel obliged to clarify our position in light of some misleading information issued by the employers this week.
Our view on the Voluntary Severance scheme
Our request to the employers to pause the processing of the applications that some staff have made to leave under this inferior scheme to the EVR arrangements that have been awarded to other staff, is not about trying to cause uncertainty but is about us taking up a principled position to defend jobs and seeking to secure a fair level of compensation for people who have decided to leave their employment.
That's the role of a trade union, and so is exposing the fact that the Voluntary Severance Scheme on offer from Working Links/Aurelius is a blatant attempt to denude some of their workforce from their just entitlements. The suggestion that this is some kind of favour to staff to avoid compulsory redundancies is a bit rich, since the unions have been consistently urging the employers to invoke the existing NNC agreed redundancy policies (which include a number of steps to avoid redundancies) as far back as last year. The only response from the employers to this request has been to serve notice of their intention to review the best of the three CRC policies. If this is a signal of an intention to water this down then the unions will obviously resist such a move.
Operational model is 'safe' - or is it?
Again we were disappointed to see from recent communications that the inference could be drawn that it is the unions fault that discussion on the efficacy and development of the Operational model have been curtailed because we are not attending at local JNCC Meetings or the previously regular Joint Union Meetings.
The fact is that the introduction of this unproven model, which threatens the livelihoods of hundreds of our member’s has been clouded in controversy and confusion with mixed messages being issued within each of the CRC's about it being the subject of agreement with the unions. We have made it clear any number of times that in the wake of a number of Serious Further Offences across the CRC's owned by Working Links/ Aurelius that have recently attracted the attention of national media outlets, we are not prepared to nod the model through without it being subject to rigorous scrutiny ideally through an independent arbiter.
To put it more plainly, we believe that the Operational Model is costing our members jobs, diminishing the future capacity of the three CRC's to provide even a basic service to clients and, until we see cast iron evidence to the contrary, represents a risk to public safety.
We will be taking our views on the above issues and many more that have been articulated in our previous communications into next week’s talks with ACAS, and we will issue more news as soon as we are able to. The above statement has been issued by the probation trade unions to confirm our position in response to the misleading announcements that have again been issued by senior Working Links management. This is especially unfortunate while both parties have agreed to explore whether we can resolve the dispute through ACAS.
Join a trade union now!
We have no problem in restating that the dispute between the Working Links/Aurelius CRC's and the probation unions is about protecting jobs and public safety and ensuring that if some jobs have to be lost then individuals are entitled to the same compensation as already paid to other staff. This is among the many reasons which illustrate why it is more important than ever that staff across the three CRC's belong to a trade union.
The majority in BGSW Gloucestershire have put their names in the hat to go. Current high case loads will just get worse and without any time to deal with the work we will be landed with if we stay, we will be left vulnerable. Best of a bad lot is to leave with the vs.
ReplyDeleteYes, the numbers simply don't stack up. No amount of new IT can make a caseload double or triple the size it is now workable.
DeleteBut why not stay on and fight against the VS. You deserve the EVR.
DeleteBecause people are tired of the unremitting diet of shite that is life under Wonky Links and their efforts to reinvent the probation wheel. Staff are leaving all over, not even waiting for any kind of payout. We're capable of doing the sums - giving up a career is better than the disaster that awaits next year.
DeleteSounds as if issues are going to build up for BGSW especially if this is mirrored in other areas. No doubt BGSW will get rid of those with least service as more cost effective leaving disgruntled longer term officers who will either retire or decide to leave. Watch the MOJ response when the FSOs roll in and BGSW reputation is in shreds
ReplyDeleteYou would need the skin of a rhino not to personally register majority of your employees applying for voluntary severance as a monumental vote of no confidence in both your leadership skills and adopted business ethos. All integrity is gone. How some people manage therefore to keep on peddling the upbeat spin that 'everything is marvellous' in the face of this and still sleep at night is beyond me.
ReplyDeleteIt's a massive vote of no confidence in the current regime, and in Grayling's TR pipedream. If you can't convince your most experienced staff that it's worth sticking around, then what hope have you got of making your project work?
DeleteWhat a situation they should be ensuring staff have manageable caseloads and reassuring worried staff of this fact
ReplyDeleteMaybe then staff will stay .who wants to leave a job that has reasonable pay and good conditions compared to a lot of other jobs out there
As said above if they don't see this and take steps to ensure staff are reassured they must have skins as thick as rhinos and are heading for commercial suicide
According to a Posting on Facebook recruitment of new entrants to become probation officers is starting again:
ReplyDelete"Train to be a Probation Officer
5 hrs ·
We will be opening applications from next Monday 31 October. You can read about eligibility now on our website"
https://www.facebook.com/TrainToBeAProbationOfficer/posts/1099595853411085?ref=notif¬if_t=notify_me_page¬if_id=1477643789471762
More like train to be shadow of a probation officer, aka a third rate CJS professional. There'll be no degree, job satisfaction or guarantee of a job at the end of the training. In fact there may not even be a probation service by the time you "qualify". If you're lucky enough to secure a probation job after your training it will probably be in a run down prison or at a Court churning out countless reports that are rarely read. So if you're interested in justice and the law then become a solicitor or prosecutor, and if interested in helping people then become a psychologist or social worker. Forget prisons and probation as they're bottom of the CJS spit barrel in that order.
DeleteGiven that the place is about to be awash with "redundant" trained and experienced probation workers, this is either sinister or inept. Probably both
DeleteExactly!
ReplyDelete"Far from trying to rescue the struggling privatised probation companies, the government should let them fail, Richard Garside argues"
https://www.crimeandjustice.org.uk/resources/let-them-fail
A good point about markets failing - though let's remember that in several CPAs there was only one bidder, meaning that there was no 'market' as such at all! TR was predicated on the Tory mantra of 'private good, public bad', and the assumption that the public sector Trusts were bloated and full of non-jobs. Funnily enough they are now discovering that the magic of competition won't suddenly uncover mystical new ways of lean, efficient working that people who had done the job for decades were ignorant of.
ReplyDeleteI am in the CRC but not the one in question here. My managers have informed us that there is no limit to the cases they will pile on our caseloads. If they need allocating they will be allocated no matter what our workload is already. Call me old fashioned but is that not totally unreasonable and grounds for a grievance? Do grievances even count for anything any more?
ReplyDeleteWe are being told similar things - it's not about the number of cases that you hold but the throughput. Get them through their Order as quickly as possible, never mind whether it worked or not, otherwise you'll drown in allocations.
DeleteThis was much the same before TR no? Just feed cases through the system in order to get a succesfull completion? There's zero evidence to suggest that whatever requirements on their order were working or not no?
DeleteNo.
DeleteAt one level, it makes no difference how many cases you hold - be it 50, 100,200.There are still only 7.5 hours in the working day, and you can only do what you can do.Harden your heart, look after yourself and record everything on delius. It is my understanding that the MoJ can access delius independently (whereas previously files had to be requested for inspection) and that they roam around the system checking records. 'Workload issues', 'operational issues' and 'staffing issues' are phrases I use regularly.
DeleteThe important thing to remember is that Voluntary Severance is another term for resignation, and that you are effectively signing away your right to take subsequent action against the employer. They will say, but you resigned, voluntarily. Think about the consequences before you do this! You are entitled to much more. By taking VS all you are doing is saving them a shed load of money, and it's your money.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I gather the offer is well reduced from previous offer. It does not seem fair or just that losing job gives a reduced pay which will not last long should you not get another position quickly . Shameful especially with Christmas coming
ReplyDelete