Another extraordinary evidence-gathering session of the Justice Committee's inquiry into the TR omnishambes can be viewed here. We'll have to wait a few days for the transcript, but in the meantime I'll offer a couple of comments.
Once again the true horror of TR is laid bare for all to see and it beggars belief that supposedly intelligent people thought it was a good idea and had any chance of working. Having said that, I'm afraid the contribution from the Probation Institute was mealy-mouthed as usual and apart from using the platform to argue for them being given the role of regulator and licencing authority, could offer no coherent plan for repairing the damage.
The same cannot be said for Ben Priestley of Unison however, who proved to be on top of his brief, was well-prepared and gave a barnstorming performance, in stark contrast to Ian Lawrence of Napo who even had difficulty knowing the salary range of a PO.
This was the opportunity to really hit the Justice Committee with facts, figures, some blunt, coherent analysis, sound argument and most-importantly of all, a plan B. Ben did all this in spades and made a strong case for a return to local accountability and involvement of Police and Crime Commissioners in future probation provision. The session is well worth watching for his contribution alone.
Ben Priestley is Unison of course, not Unite.
ReplyDeleteOops - thanks and now corrected.
DeleteThanks justice select committee. I feel like I have had my day in Court and the facts largely presented. The conclusions? I say vandalism some say mistakes were made. All agree where we are is a looming crisis without remedial measures being brought forward quickly.
ReplyDelete"it beggars belief that supposedly intelligent people thought it was a good idea and had any chance of working."
ReplyDeleteOne of the key architects was there today. As soon as he had a Chief's role Mike Maiden was instrumental in promoting the rise & rise of what became TR, so much so that he was appointed the Director of Probation - if only for a few hours before "personal reasons" led to his resignation. I look forward to reading the transcript to see how a teflon shapeshifter operates.
Someone else there today that deserves a mention, an advocate of hang em high and flog em hard, and spoke of the wonders that TR would bring.
DeleteTory MP Philip Davies said the probation service already had faults and accused the union chiefs of making a political point “not backed up by the evidence”.
If you're reading Mr. Davies, what evidence did you rely on when arguing for and voting for the introduction of TR?
And personally I find your comments in parliament about all things criminal justice lacking in understanding, nieve and mostly just egotistical sound bites.
Stick to politics would be good advice.
'Getafix
Just been watching the video & what does Maiden say?
Delete"That is now consigned to history... We are where we are."
As 15:50 says above, 'teflon shapeshifter'.
And yes, Unison man was impressive. Napo man seemed lacklustre & somehow unconvincing.
"Napo man seemed lacklustre & somehow unconvincing."
DeleteWhether he is or whether he isn't, this perception of the GS by observers is problematic - for him, for the union & for the members. I haven't watched it yet but if its anything like Russia Today...
Anonymous 28 March 2017 at 11:11
ReplyDeleteCaseloads of 40 for POs and 60 for PSOs in DTV area Does this reflect the actual numbers?
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Anonymous 28 March 2017 at 13:54
No it does not caseloads in Manchester are between 60 to 100 thats for both PSO's and PO.
Copied from the previous thread. These figures are correct for Durham Tees Valley CRC. I work on the frontline there and confirm 40 cases for PO's, 60 for PSO's give or take a few.
Left as a PO from CRC post a year ago when caseload went to 70 plus some. At time some PSO caseloads in 90s. Heard DTV people on select committee and they reiterated your stats in relation to your CRC caseloads.
DeleteThe Probation Institute looked like a couple of carpetbaggers on the make. Schofield floundered a few times and lacks current knowledge of the probation world. They did not impress as would-be regulators.
ReplyDeleteDefenders of probation need to rebut lazy assertions (Davies) about the fact that probation supervision cannot stop all serious further offences. It's a minuscule percentage of the hundreds of thousands under supervision at any one time. Plane travel is generally safe - but planes still fall out of the sky and some carriers are safer than others. The issue is whether post-TR probation is more of less safe.
ReplyDeleteWe got our ticking off from working links today, signed by John Wiseman following the bbc documentary last week. We have been told there is no need to go to the media because there is apparently a very good system in place already to discuss concerns or complaints. The fact that no one has been informed of this previously or given the phone number is irrelevant. We are warned not to speak to media without permission and relevant training! I think working links have failed to take on board that this is what staff do when they feel all else has failed and they need to put public safety and staff safety before an organisation that few of us chose to join. No doubt WL will be happy when the last of the pre TR staff leave and those who remain are robotic mouthpieces for this repugnant self serving organisation.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure working links won't like this. Perhaps it's why they chose today for the ticking off?
Deletehttp://m.plymouthherald.co.uk/local-government-officials-aim-to-raise-case-of-tanis-bhandari-with-home-secretary/story-30234060-detail/story.html
'Getafix
Pleased to see that local councils are noticing the services that probation used to provide, or at least strive to provide, that CRCs can't even be bothered to attempt provide.
DeleteGood on the local councils.
Sadly Phillip Davies MP for Skipton is only there as a direct opponent for whatever Probation is now, or whatever it stood/stands for . He is the archetypical right wing tory. Read any transcript from Hansard from post TR debates or anything of late . He has never, not now or before, throughout his tenure as MP for Skipton
ReplyDeletehad any decent thought for probation and Probation Officers.
Rehabilitation is nothing to him ; I have watched this man perform post TR and was surprised how he got on the select committee on this government. He does not attend or question any witness as he is never there , his is the preverbal empty seat. When he is there he is engrossed on his Surface laptop. Yet when a union rep is there he is salivating and likens a very sad death of a constituent of his who suffered at the hands of a prisoner released (not by probation by the way) but lets not allow facts to spoil his intervention, by citing a case where , under his probation Trust watch someone was murdered, not prison or police watch, but only on probation watch. He represents the populist view and you can never fight that by fact or reality, he has pre ordained views which alas can not be shifted . He is the rivers of blood MP for keeping people within jail for total sentence and sod it to rehabilitation as he feels it is nothing other than a liberal sop.
CORRECTION: My apologies to the burghers of Skipton. Mr Philip Davies is the MP for Shipley West Yorkshire,
DeleteMy response to Davies would be to ask him where in the planet is it possible to reduce risk to zero ? he obviously doesn't get it and as readers above mention he is a probation basher
ReplyDeleteHow come Unison was able to provide solid response to select committee on staff views from organised surveys and the most NAPO could do was some chair shifting chin rubbing mumbles about a few anecdotes. I'm considering switching to UNISON
ReplyDeleteThat's what I did. But when you need them they disappear. Keep NAPO for the excellent reps.
DeleteWe are fucked the CRC's aren't going anywhere; Yvonne Interswerved her questions and it looks like she is coming out with a pot of gold. BLOODY LIAR,the cases are not creeping up, THEY ARE FUCKING RIDICUOUSLY HIGH.
ReplyDeleteYou cannot do a proper job with anything over 45 mainly in community. 60-100 is criminal!! We need to cap caseloads as some social services have done. Unless the government is prepared to step in which they are not, then staff will continue to feel the need to go to the press. NAPO need to fight to have caseloads capped at 45..simple. crc's are failing in their duty of care to staff, service usera and offenders alike.
ReplyDeleteThe press should do a road trip of crc offices and see what is really going on! Working links would be in for the high jump for starters! John Wiseman will not silence his staff because they have nothing else lose. If he is so concerned why doesn't he visit the shitty offices he has put staff in instead of hiding under working links skirt!
ReplyDeleteIf JW visited the offices he'd have difficulty finding any staff to talk to - everyone has either left or is snowed under with absurd caseloads
DeleteYes, when have WL's Management spent time at local offices throughout the 3 CRC's?. Don't they realise that staff are too busy to read the Weekly Bulletins, which are deleted without being opened? Ever-widening gap between WL Senior Management and reality - no understanding of the differences between working within the employment sector and criminal justice. Could provide an endless list of concerns, however as no one with the influence or power has listened to frontline staff, we'll have to stand back and suffer further damage to the workforce, 'customers', victims and the wider community.
DeleteAny chance someone can forward the e-mail please? Contact details on profile page. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteJust watched the PI's supine performance and Ian Lawrence's woeful effort at representing Napo members. That's an hour and half of my life I'll never get back! How can he not know how much a Probation Officer gets paid? He's supposed to be negotiating on our behalf for a decent salary scale that's fit for purpose. You really couldn't make it up. That man must do the decent thing eventually and leave our profession. He has achieved nothing positive in all the years he's been associated with Probation and still isn't sharp enough to know his brief. I wish that they had capability. I did like his line about TTG being £46 and a leaflet however, although I suspect it wasn't his. The PI can boast all it wants that it's independent of all external influences but the complete refusal to actively criticise the government or the CRC's is clear evidence that they are beholden to them. Without CRC and HMPPS support they wont ever get the holy grail of regulatory authority status that they seek. Paul Senior was disingenuous when he skirted around whether or not the omnishambles could have been predicted. He spoke in Leicester on a platform with Ben Priestly during the campaign and made all the arguments and predictions everyone else did. Oh what a short memory when one is considering where the butter is located later! Whilst Ben Priestly is clearly sharper and more eloquent than IL (not too difficult a task I'm afraid) he also missed many tricks in his evidence. Where was the argument around the provision (or lack thereof) of RAR's? What was said about the quality of supervision provided by CRC's? What about the radically pisspoor new training arrangements signed off by the PI? There was much more that could and should have been said. Ill informed and ignorant as many of the MP's are, at least they tried to elicit some notion of what could make things better. UNISON have some half arsed notion that we should become an adjunct of the police and IL didn't have a clue. All agreed that we couldn't possible go back to what was before. Why the fuck not? I've never heard a coherent argument against it. Locally accountable organisations managed by a combination of LA, Judiciary and lay appointees that reflect the communities they serve and provide the core statutory functions. Organisations that form partnerships with local bodies from all sectors to deal with individual issues in dynamic and innovative ways. Prison's have got fuck all to do with what happens after someone walks out the gate so why are they always seen as crucial. They have a clear role to play in supporting responsible agencies to get people ready but that's it. I wish that everyone and their dog would actually wake up and see that there is a model that might just help to do the trick and stop constantly messing about with public safety, people's lives and our profession. Grrr. Rant over.
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