Saturday 3 December 2016

Crunch Time

Since this blog went into campaign mode in response to Chris Grayling's utterly flawed TR plans, the initial contacts from TV script writers and authors dried up, only to be replaced by those from journalists. The following is the latest:- 

"I make investigative films for TV, all my research is completely confidential and for background initially at this stage so I can get an insight into what is really going on. I'm trying to find out more about allegations of gaming PbR.

Here are some questions:-

1. The Inspector of Probation in a report in May this year referred to CRC officers being encouraged by management to not recommend that offenders be resentenced or licences revoked if they breached their probation terms. Have you also heard these type of allegations? If so can you tell me about them? Do you know anyone who would discuss them with me, off the record?

2. I have also been told anecdotally that some CRC's are cherry picking cases, not dealing with ones that involve more complex interventions as it is not worth the 3% contract bonus for reducing reoffending. Have you heard that this is the case, if so can you tell me more details?

3. Do you think that Transforming Rehabilitation is having an impact on SFO's?

I would really appreciate your help with these issues and any suggestions of people I could speak to off the record. From my viewpoint I find it much easier to speak to people directly because I can react to their answers with further questions and particularly in a complex area like probation I can check that I am understanding the issues properly. I will completely guarantee their confidentiality.

I have a company who is interested in making a film on this area, although of course that is no guarantee that it will happen, but I would be really grateful if you would come back to me as soon as possible."

--oo00oo--

Having been supplied with an impressive list of credits, I have every reason to believe that this journalist could make a damned good programme, but obviously requires material

For all those who love this profession and have high regard for what we attempt to do, I would venture to suggest that the time has come for colleagues to have a long think about what they know is happening and the responsibility we all share to act in the interests of the public good. It's a very hard call because probation staff have a long and proud history of maintaining confidentiality - a shared professional ethos of giving the highest priority to this aspect of our work and in the best interests of our clients, no matter who they are or what they've done. Sadly we know the same cannot be said of some police officers or prison officers. 

Of course the government were fully aware of our ability to keep our mouths shut when they cynically introduced TR, knowing full well that there would be the greatest reticence on the part of anyone to speak out, a situation strengthened with gagging clauses in contracts agreed with departing senior managers. In terms of further down the ranks, fear and threats have generally been successful in stifling public criticism and comment, this blog being a notable exception of course because it's all anonymous. But that makes it very easy to officially ignore and all the major players, Napo, Noms, CRC's, NPS, HMI, PI, MP's do just that on a regular basis.

For a long time the media were ignoring us too, but there are signs they are beginning to show an interest with journalists wanting to understand both the complexities and nuances of the work we do, its importance to society, that it's an essential part of any prison and sentencing reforms and that it's being systematically destroyed.  There's been the recent BBC File on Four radio documentary, the current Guardian request for information and now this serious approach by a TV documentary film maker. 

The recent dismissive response from Bob Neill MP to suggestions for an inquiry into the probation crisis, together with reluctance from the PI to cause offence by examining TR in any detail and Napo HQ's ineffectiveness, all lead me to believe that in the continued absence of a high-profile and authoritative probation champion, our only chance of saving anything lies with the media and what in effect is 'whistleblowing'.

Lets have a discussion about it. My contact details are on the profile page, write anonymously if you wish, but share information privately first and lets see if we have the evidence to take to this journalist. I'm convinced there is a public duty to do so.            

23 comments:

  1. In Kent we were encouraged not to breach and not to revoke orders although the CEO later said of course we should breach if we need to. All this is wrapped up in a desistance approach. Not sure there would be any evidence. SFO's probably have increased but again how do we evidence this. Needs someone to work undercover to really understand what is happening.

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    1. Wasn't Kent told they were the best crc in England by noms last month?

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    2. Yes and certainly we have been treated far better than many areas so far. As with all crcs we are target focused and it looks like they are beginning to change some contracts.

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    3. Lol I assure you Kent are not the best.even in the trust days

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  2. Jim I have just sent an email but please don't keep my name on it if reproduced thank you

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    1. Thanks - I have responded. Just to clarify, I will only be forwarding to the journalist edited content with all personal details removed. Depending on the journalist's thoughts, I will get back in touch with each correspondent.

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  3. Why doesn't he/she just rock up to one if the hubs where offenders are being interviewed in public arena? Wouldbe able to overhear and even record conversations with the right equipment. Just pose as a general member of the public! Can't understand why someone hasn't done this already. You could collar some offenders and interview them too if they agree..Easy peasy! Job done.

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  4. Jim, can you list which hubs are interviewing offenders in open public dual purpose arena? I have heard of a hub in a town hall library used by housing and social services and another one that working links use for employment stuff. Would be good to name and shame all unsuitable buildings. What do napo think about this?

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    1. Ok good idea - can someone please email me details of some suitable locations?

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  5. TR - One big mess!3 December 2016 at 10:43

    This is correct. CRC cases are not being breached, risk escalated, supervised or anything else. RAR's are closed immediately after sentence and unpaid work is allowed to lapse. In my area we have open plan interview areas which are terrible, there's always conflict.

    Also and most importantly, our former chief officer Tessa Webb was trying to sell us off even before TR. Then the BeNCH super-trust she pioneered (to be more attractive to bidders) was sold to Sodexo on her watch. She took her huge "retirement" package and has now popped up as an inspector for HMIP and a fellow of the Probation Institute. So I don't trust the probation inspectorate at all when it employs those that implemented TR to be assessing the impact of TR.

    https://mobile.twitter.com/webbtessa

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  6. Article in today's Guardian wrote by a prison governor.
    There's also the invitation to all public servants to write an article for publication if they wish.

    "This series aims to give a voice to the staff behind the public services that are hit by mounting cuts and rising demand, and so often denigrated by the press, politicians and public. If you would like to write an article for the series, contact kirstie.brewer@theguardian.com

    'Getafix'

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    1. Thanks. Have you a link for the Governor's piece in Guardian please?

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  7. https://www.theguardian.com/public-leaders-network/2016/dec/03/prison-violence-cuts-overcrowding-governors-liz-truss

    'Getafix'

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    1. I thought it was telling. We often malign our Senior Managers / Executive, their silence to the reality of service depletion and intolerable conditions for staff is often confusing and hurtful. Refreshing for someone such as this to speak out publicly and with such clarity.

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    2. My comment below the line in the Guardian: -

      "I have said aimilar before since John Attard became a public commentator. In thirty years in probation and social work up to 2003 in three different parts of England, John Attard stood out as one of my most professional colleagues whose personal integrity was obvious.

      I find it encouraging that he speaks positively about the current Lord Chancellor's attitude but it seems to me she needs to be allowed to do more than the little that has reached the public - I just hope serious disturbances do not escalate.

      I am glad that at last The Guardian seem to be trying to find out with precision what is going on in probation - I just hope it is not too late for the system itself - it is already too late for some whose lives have been wrecked by appalling policies and inadequate media reporting and parliamentary oversight and action."

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  8. The journalist seems to be looking for areas where there have been deliberate attempts on the part of CRC to cut corners and thereby maximise profits at the expense of proper honouring of the contracts. I am probably too far down the food chain to have heard anything particularly juicy. However my experience from working in my CRC is that the contracts are not honoured, but this is not because we as staff are directly told how not to honour them. They are not honoured because we are al given too much work to do. It is for that reason that orders are not breached as consistently as they should be, ditto recalls. For that same reason that complex cases are not being worked with as they should be and RARs are not done properly. By not investing in their companies and not staffing them properly the CRCs are achieving running their business as cheaply as possible and at the expense of what they presumably agreed to do. They don't have to be explicit about it.

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  9. It would be too simplistic to make a documentary which makes the point that private is bad and public is good. NOMS and MOJ and the ministers behind them should be shown as the instigators of the destruction of the service, and also that they continue to be entirely complicit with the destruction of the service. The documentary should also show what the MOJ is doing to ruin the part of probation which is staying in public ownership. The film should be clear that the CJS does not work at all when one of its components is out of order. Probation/ community rehabilitative services is only one of these. Prisons, courts, police, legal aid, all of these are in pieces to a greater or lesser extent.

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    1. You're so right 20:05!
      Everything is target driven now,and the whole process begins with the police. They have their ways of 'hitting targets', which sends particular groups into the penal system, who in turn have their own way of 'hitting targets', and then passed on to probation services who have 'targets to hit', and do so in their own particular way.
      The metric for success must surely be more then an algorithm or a 'target hit' when your working with human beings?

      'Getafix'

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  10. You would think so getafix but this is what we have been reduced to! We are being run by companies who treat human beings like pieces of processed meat!

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  11. Therefore the ideal name for the documentary would surely be the popular "Hit the target, miss the point"

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  12. Perhaps the journalist could find out why so much time & effort has been spent over the last 20 years or so to ensure that the probation service as it previously existed was so comprehensively dismantled.

    Every successive administration, regardless of party, has actively chipped away at the profession, e.g. Howard terminating the DipSW training, Boateng's "enforcement agency", the NPS choreography, the imposition of OASys, NOMS, Trusts, TR, etc, etc, etc. £Billions of public money has been wasted? Why? What is it that the probation profession did to upset The System? Now that would be a good story.

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  13. If you want control by central government of the justice system and thereby reduce it to a mere administrative system that maintains social control, then an independent, professional voice with a bent for social justice needs removing. What does this society actually stand for any more?

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