Saturday 22 April 2017

What Do Charities Think of TR?

Regular readers will be aware that our insightful predictions as to TR being nothing more than an all-mighty train crash of epic, omnishamble proportions, have been proved correct in every detail. An award-winning service has been smashed; careers wrecked; most staff royally-shafted in one way or another; services dramatically deteriorated and released prisoners getting '£48 and a leaflet' - why, even the CRCs are crying foul! 

But what of the much-vaunted, bright as buttons, innovating, voluntary sector? Here is a fascinating insight provided in research conducted by NPC, the New Philanthropy Capital:- 
At NPC we are interested in how the public sector and voluntary sector work alongside one another. We have previously published reports on the role of the voluntary sector in health and education. This research into the criminal justice sector is our most recent exploration of the boundaries between the state and the voluntary sector.
BEYOND BARS: MAXIMISING THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR’S CONTRIBUTION IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE

'I’m not sure if TR is the Titanic or the iceberg, but it is one of the two.’ 

There has been very little transparency around Transforming Rehabilitation (TR), and there is uncertainty about its future.  Some established providers are finding it hard to continue. Both general and specialist sectors—such as women’s services—have found contract design to be at odds with their practice.

Interviewees identified four main challenges posed to the voluntary sector by TR:

1. Independent funders are now cautious 
2. Small, local charities are at risk 
3. Contract management has been confusing 
4. PbR has discouraged helping the hardest to rehabilitate 

1. 2. Affecting the whole sector  3.4. Affecting charities in TR contracts 

The four main challenges posed to the voluntary sector by TR 


1. Independent funders are more cautious Some grant making trusts and foundations have withdrawn funding from criminal justice out of concern about subsidising the state or contributing to private profits. Other funders have ‘redirected their lens’ to other areas like homelessness or employment.

2. Small charities are at risk Grass roots organisations feel they are ‘being exploited’ by some TR providers. With services provided through TR thin on the ground and demand increasing, providers refer to local charities outside of the supply chain, who are not only not being paid for their services, but also risk losing other funding sources by engaging. 

3. Contract management has been confusing: ‘Chaotic doesn’t cover it.’ Many charity providers have pulled out over lack of clarity, which has cost them significant resource. ‘It has been two years and some are only just signing contracts now.’ Others encountered the longstanding problem of being ‘bid candy.’ One charity we spoke to was named in 9 of 11 winning contracts bids but has never been approached to deliver a day’s work. 

4. PbR has discouraged helping the hardest to rehabilitate:TR’s payment by results approach risks disincentivising organisations from working with the hardest to rehabilitate. Though ‘PbR should help innovate…in reality it creates a risk averse culture where charities stick to tried and tested work.’ One result of this is that TR does not adequately address disproportionate outcomes for BME communities.

Charities risk drifting from their mission

Many charities’ missions are about being person-centred, holistic and long-term but it is often a challenge to live up to this: 


  • Some charities will ‘bid for anything to stay afloat’, moving away from their stated mission in order to receive funding. 
  • Funding is reducing while demand is increasing. As a result, ‘charities are having to raise the criteria to turn people away, which sits uncomfortably with trustee boards.’ 
  • Arrangement under TR contracts could mean having to deliver a ‘penal function’ by recording when service users do not show up for probation. This is at odds with the central relationship built on trust that is the focus of so much charitable work. Many charities have decided not to get involved in TR for this reason.
'Traditionally charities have stood apart because they don’t deliver punishment. This is increasingly a real point of contention.’

Mission drift is troubling, and puts charities’ service users at risk. Though the funding environment has made it difficult for some charities to resist, good governance should prevent mission drift.

Fewer charities appear to be campaigning

Though ‘numerous’ charities say they do policy related work, it seems that only a handful of voices dominate the debate. This is ‘helping government to say, “we’re not hearing that from anyone else”’ and allows them to not listen to concerns. It should be remembered that the first principle of the 2010 Compact between government and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) is ‘to respect and uphold the independence of CSOs, to deliver their mission, including their right to campaign, regardless of any relationship, financial or otherwise, which might exist.’

So why aren’t as many charities campaigning at what could be a crucial time for reform? 


  • The effect of government lobbying laws may have made organisations wary. 
  • Some funders are resistant to advocacy work: ‘It is deeply troubling to have heard funders not wanting to see anything with the word “campaigning” in it’. 
  • Campaigning has been ‘the first thing cut in many organisations’, where demand for service delivery outweighs potential long term change. 
  • Campaigning voices should come from service users, or ‘experts by experience,’ so at least some of the charities campaigning need to have frontline experience.
Charities could collaborate on their campaigning to limit the expense. Frontline charities could share their expert understanding with larger campaigning charities (bearing in mind sensitivities involved.)


‘While we focused on surviving, campaigning has been neglected. Now is an important time for us to move onto the campaigning on which we were set up to do.’

It is unclear how charities can innovate

We should be careful not to fetishise innovation 


There is already a lot of evidence of ‘what works’ in the sector and a demand for innovation by funders can be damaging: ‘It is well known what works in criminal justice, what changes is the political environment. Funders and charities still have an important role in putting forward the case time and time again for what works.’ And innovation may not be encouraged by PbR funding models: ‘If you design the wrong type of PbR model you don’t drive innovation, because innovation means you might go out of business.’ 

…but there is a distinction between innovative programmes, and delivering programmes in an innovative way. Charities could do more of the latter. 

When delivering programmes in prison, charities could be involved more fundamentally in co-designing interventions with prison residents and prison officers. Rather than delivering a programme and leaving, charities could incubate the skills and knowledge needed, shifting ownership into the hands of prison staff and residents. This would be an innovative and more sustainable way of building trust between prison officers and residents.

Devolution could encourage innovation 

Crime is local and its solutions often are too. Devolution offers great opportunities for collaboration between PCCs and charities. Charities should be clear with PCCs and governors about shared priorities and ways of collaborating to deliver better outcomes for those involved in crime and in the communities alike. Rather than waiting for a public consultation, they should proactively approach PCCs with ideas for collaboration while their ideas are in development.

--oo00oo--

Your editor is off on another short sojourn abroad and with internet access unreliable, I'm afraid the blog may have to run on autopilot until Friday. I know you can manage perfectly well without me and in my absence will keep monitoring developments for our mutual benefit and enlightenment. Thanks.  

55 comments:

  1. Have a lovely break Jim :)

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    1. Steady with the disclosure Jim or you might compromise your identity. Can't be all that many " grumpy, disillusioned, CQSW trained, generic, main grade probation officer based in a small English town" officers of the court taking a short sojourn abroad this week. MoJ's black ops department no doubt on the case.

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  2. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/family-fun-day-charitysafer-living-foundation-paedophiles-work-raise-money-parents-nottinghamshire-a7694466.html

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  3. The Aurelius questions:
    Who are they?
    Taken from their website.
    'We seek to control equity investment opportunities in underperforming businesses with development potential requiring operational improvement and turnaround'.
    'We offer anti-embarassment protections'.
    Our investments include:
    Office depot, calachem, briar chemicals, transform and the hospital group ( ( cosmetic surgery including weight loss surgery/ breast implants) getronics and working links.
    From their website:
    'Working links were founded in 2000 and is a leading provider of specialist services in the UK and internationally to help those in society with delivering key government programmes such as the UK's flagship work programmes and transforming rehabilitation scheme' ( no mention of probation or CRC's!)
    They are publicly listed in Germany and a list of managers shows that most have banking background with smattering of lawyers.
    Aurelius U.K office is:
    3rd floor,
    Saville Row
    London
    Wls 3jr
    Info@aureliusinvest.co.uk

    Feel free to contact them anytime regarding WL's success stories.

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  4. I'm pointing out this recent comment on an earlier post. It's this type of underhanded activity that help nail the lid shut on the Probation coffin! The CRC's are failing because they were designed to fail, but the NPS is not much better and is set to get worse with E3. The NPS strategy of not providing adequate resources, increased use of PSO's, and community probation officers only becoming involved with prisoners 6 months before release is a recipe for further failure.

    Anonymous20 April 2017 at 20:31
    All the CRC's are failing. The man down the pub told me the BeNCH area was always rubbish. This is Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire. The 'e' remains small because Essex smartly refused to join the group pre-TR when the egotistical former Chief Officer of Hertfordshire tried to merge all into a 'super-trust' and was having secret meetings with Sodexo long before Chris Grayling was involved. She (Tessa Webb FPInst / OBE) is now a HMI Probation inspector so Dame Glenys Stacey shouldn't have to go far for somebody to blame

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    1. I work(ed) there. This is very true.

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  5. You could ask what do probation officers think of the charities involved in justice currently? Answer: they are awful. The moment revenue became a priority they really stopped providing decent services.

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    1. The moment revenue became a priority they really stopped being a charity.

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    2. The moment performance became a revenue priority they just stopped.

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    3. That's not been my experience I have seen excellent service from Shelter Mind and other local charities in my area South Yorks

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  6. Pre TR local and national charities were working in partnership with Probation Services and had been on a long term, stable and mutually beneficial basis. Examples are plenty. It is shocking that charities have been misused and then cast aside in the TR process. Decades of carefully developed relationships with the sector and others have been damaged. TR has left a trail of destruction in its wake and the landscape is evidently littered with its mangled wreckage.

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  7. I'll eventually get the hang of this FOI thing...

    Q1. Please can you tell me how many Probation Officers were sifted into & employed within the Probation CRC 'estate' as at 28 February 2015, i.e. immediately prior to handover to the new owners?
    A1. The information is exempt from disclosure under section 21 of the FOIA because it is reasonably accessible to you.

    Q2. Please can you tell me how many Probation Officers have left the employ of the 21 CRC probation service providers between 1 March 2015 & 31 December 2016 - regardless of how or why they left?
    A2. I can confirm that the MoJ does not hold the information that you have requested on the number of probation officers who left the employment of the 21 CRC probation service providers between 1 March 2015 and 31 December 2016. This is because CRCs are privately owned companies offering offender management services to the MoJ when the former Probation Trusts ceased to exist. Data on staff leaving the CRCs was not collected by MoJ from 01 February 2015 as staffing become the responsibility for each of the CRCs. As such you will need to directly contact each of the CRCs to obtain this information.

    Q3. Can you please confirm how many Probation Officers are employed within the National Probation Service at this time, i.e. March 2017?
    A3. The information requested is intended for future publication. It is therefore exempt from disclosure.

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    1. Relevant article:-http://www.newstatesman.com/2016/06/shadow-state-how-stop-outsourcing-scandals?amp

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    2. Very interesting read! Can it be uploaded here?

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    3. postscript to yesterday's 21:31 post - I was so engrossed in the reasons for exemption that I failed to notice the FOI reply arrived on MoJ headed documentation clearly marked with Gove's name as SoS.

      23/4 07:58... why don't you post/upload/paste that document?

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    4. 22/4 21.31

      Why not try this organisation? they are very helpful.

      https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/?gclid=Cj0KEQjwofHHBRDS0Pnhpef89ucBEiQASEp6LEbcejIWLvkb5CEqrVsjLQezww4qvePg3FKsvj29tFkaAlY08P8HAQ

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  8. That such nonsense goes on at all, shows just how the nation has been let down by parliament. Vote for a Corbyn led Labour Party and do not get taken in by the guff in the main stream media.

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  9. "Women’s Equality party leader seeks backing for a clear run to beat ‘misogynist’ MP"

    Could also add "ignorant windbag" to the headline about Philip Davies.

    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/apr/23/sophie-walker-shipley-election-2017-yorkshire-tory-philip-davies

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  10. http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/15241329.Victims_and_criminals_scheme_wins_top_award/

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    1. A SCHEME in which offenders hear from their victims about the impact of their crime has been given national recognition.

      The Sussex Restorative Justice Partnership won the investment strategy of the year category at the inaugural Public Finance Innovation Awards.

      The scheme was recognised for its range of successes in the two-and-half years it has been running.

      Restorative justice has been proven to have a greater impact on an offender than a prison sentence or a court punishment alone.

      Under the system the offender has to face the consequences of their actions and in most cases this contributes to changes in their behaviour.

      Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne said she was delighted the partnership had been recognised for its use of funding provided by the Ministry of Justice.

      She said: “Before our partnership was formed restorative justice was inconsistent across Sussex.

      “Two-and-a-half years later we have a dedicated group of practitioners, criminal justice agencies and voluntary organisations, all working together to ensure both victims and offenders are offered the chance to access a restorative service.”

      The award judges praised the partnership’s results, saying: “We were impressed by the diversity of the social outcomes, ranging from victims to homeowners to whole community regeneration.”

      The partnership was formed in September 2014 to pull together more than 20 agencies that have an interest and commitment to deliver services to victims and offenders of crime.

      These include Sussex Police, Victim Support, the prison service and the probation service.

      Three restorative justice co-ordinators now work across the county from three hubs in Brighton, Bexhill and Bognor with back-up from 45 trained support workers.

      More than 590 referrals were dealt with between April 2015 and March 2016.

      During this period the system received a 100 per cent victim satisfaction score.

      The scheme also recorded significant reductions in reoffending.

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  11. https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/03943678/filing-history

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    1. So Aurelius Sigma own 75% of shares in working links, have the right to fire or appoint majority of directors as they wish, Aurelius have 75% of voting rights in working links.Basically they control working links! Working links are stuffed!

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    2. Interswerve Justice own the majority of the so called " Purple Futures " shares ( also 75% if not more after Addaction pulled out !!?) with 3SC ( not sure what the hell they're still employed to provide as they sure as hell haven't yet produced a " directory of local services " we were told they would in order for us to use as RAR days ) P3 and Shelter ( TTG is doing so well NOT ) - funnily enough the drug alcohol and treatment charity Addaction pulled out of this kiss of death affiliation at the last minute - mmmh I wonder why !!!!! they obviously saw the writing on the wall and didn't want to be a part of it.

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  12. Off topic, NPS in Manchester have advertised urgently wanted 30+ PO's, telling staff to tell their mates, agency staff or anyone else to apply. Why the fuck did they shaft us and now have these vacancies makes me sick. They are also only offering only 25 days holidays its not really a good recruitment trick as currently PO's in the CRC are getting 33 days, its a choice between working for the paymasters or returning to the NPS on a contract which is unfair as many of those shafted would loose all their terms and conditions.

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    1. Interesting article here relating to changes to breach procedures. It's something I haven't noticed in the English press, and odd it should appear in a NI paper first.

      http://m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/uk/prison-population-could-rise-due-to-new-court-order-breach-rules-mps-warn-35651675.html

      'Getafix

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    2. It feels like you're stuffed if you stay and stuffed if you leave. Its sad to see how disgracefully those that were shafted continue to be treated. They want qualified and very experienced staff back on the cheap, BASTARDS.

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    3. Where are they advertising?! Damn straight it's a disgrace but i'd sooner be shafted by what's left of the NPS than waste any more of my life being dicked about day in day out by Interserve and the UPW minibus crash that is the Manchester CRC!

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    4. Likewise - at least the Civil Service don't try to pretend to be your friend while fucking you over, unlike Interserve who think they can groom us into believing their abuse is okay like a sex offender grooming a vulnerable child. The 'Interserve Family' indeed!

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    5. If you have mates in Manchester NPS ask them to forward you the email they all got last week. I also believe that interswereve are trying to poach NPS PO's to join them, fat chance of that, they all know how we have been "dicked about".

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    6. https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/appcentre-1/brand-13/candidate/so/pm/1/pl/3/opp/7897-7897-Probation-Officer/en-GB

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    7. I have to say, as a former SPO at the top of the scale, I would NEVER return to a service that expects me to start at the bottom of the scale. They want a market, they can have one and you don't get experienced professionals by offering them shitty deals like that. I will take my skills where they are valued (Child Protection, as it happens).

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    8. Exactly! Expect us to start on the bottom of the pay scale and think we will be grateful for that. 2 words..piss off.

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  13. Just re-read this post from this blog in Sept 2014. I wonder if the audit trails referred to still exist?

    "Let us be clear. All above is symptomatic of the dumbing down of Probation. As an SPO and 24 year practitioner, I am confronted on a daily basis with decisions that are being taken based on Performance Targets, resourcing or TR 'requirements'. Decades of 'best practice', 'good practice' and 'safe practice' are being eroded by the hour and and the only thing 'defensible' about many of these decisions is 'I was acting under orders' - a long established non-defence.

    Grayling and his Prison Service amateurs at the MoJ are taking a common sense/Daily Mail readers approach to concepts of practice that are putting staff, offenders and victims at risk. Senior Managers are, I believe, making representations to the MoJ regarding these indefensible changes not because they believe that the MoJ will listen, but because they have recognised the need for an audit trail, a means by which CRCs and the NPS can point to a series of documents that evidence that the MoJ were warned.

    When the bidders take over and create a crisis in community sentence that mirrors that that exists in the prisons, they will NOT be able to say the fault belongs with the providers. The model is flawed; we all know it and we can all see it every day in the faces of our colleagues. This is worst practice, bad practice and indefensible practice introduced at the insistence of a Justice Secretary with no comprehension of the nuances of rehabilitation and who surrounds himself with Yes men and women with even less idea. Ursula Brennan is as culpable as Grayling and the failure to turn this TR debacle off will remain their biggest mistakes."

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    1. People are leaving in droves now right across the crc's and the new owners will use this as an excuse to employ people on less money and without any qualifications or training.we need to put in a freedom of information request to find out just how bad things are!

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  14. MoJ back in court again.

    https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/apr/25/single-unlock-prison-regime-breached-youths-rights-court-told

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  15. Just horrific. The injustices being carried out under this govt and the shambles of the criminal justice system is now absolutely ridiculous and clear to anyone present in the courtroom. Strong and stable govt? Craven and chaotic more like, operating numerous scams via public sector to steal from the taxpayers and fill the pockets of the corrupt. This country and the hatred it now stirs up - of young people, people on benefits, people with disabilities, public servants treated disgracefully, I really can't stand any more of this evil Tory mob of self centred liars.

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  16. Yet people continue to vote for them and they are likely to win the next election. JC getting flack for offering to pay nhs staff more. I can't understand why as a country we allow this!

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  17. Don't you just love being part of the Penal Revolution? I can't wait for the next installment! As Truss would say 'if you can't take it get outta the kitchen'. Next stop Macdonalds bid to run CRC empire..CRC's takeover merger..Kraft run U.K CRC empire from call centre in Detroit..offenders being supervised over facebook or skype by students of criminology as part of their work experience!

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    1. Thanks, Anonymous 26 April 2017 at 22:17, I like your thinking. That's the out-of-the-box blue sky thinking we need to make the UK great again. You're in MY kitchen brigade!

      Regards
      Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss
      Sec of State for Justice, Lord Chancellor
      Favourite foods: pork, cheese & waffle

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    2. Recent Telegraph article on Truss

      "Theresa May is being urged by Cabinet Ministers to strip Liz Truss of her role as Lord Chancellor and break up the Ministry of Justice amid concerns the department is "not fit for purpose".

      Senior Government sources have told The Daily Telegraph that a series of embarrassing mistakes have prompted "concerns at the very top that a major overhaul is needed" which could involve removing responsibility from the MoJ.

      In an attack on Ms Truss, colleagues highlighted a number of high-profile errors over the last couple of months including the justice secretary's apparent refusal to defend high court judges after they came under attack over the Brexit court case.

      Her errors have led to criticism from the most senior members of the judiciary."

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    3. As McDonalds are about to trial a delivery service, perhaps they could record a contact every time a client orders a take away, or perhaps the delivery driver could just stop by any clients on route to their destination, for a face to face - call it a home visit.

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    4. Just give all offenders a 'Happy Meal'!!!! A former MOJ official's Conference speech recalled how a prison crisis was averted during a power cut. Said official, who was a prison Governor at the time, explained that a taxi full of 'Happy Meals' were delivered and inmates duly fed. True story.

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  18. Article in The Times today Thurs 27/4 citing report bycriminal justice think tank Crest Advisory. 66% of magistrates lack confidence in community sentences. Less use made of community sentences in 2016 than in anytime in the past 13 years! Eg: Just over 100,000 orders made in 2016 compared to nearly 200,000 in 2006.

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    1. Yes investment in Probation and Community Sentences was the key to cost savings in the criminal justice system but mugwumps Grayling et al had other ideas. As dear old Brucey wouldn't say, 'Didn't they do well!'

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  19. Breaking News just heard that London CRC staff won't be paid tomorrow.

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    1. What is going on, the poor staff. Its bad enough that they fuck us about and expect us to do 3 peoples work, and then not get paid for all that suffering is outrageous. Someone needs to take them to task.

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    2. Just another admin error eh, Ian? Assurances previously received that it wouldn't/couldn't happen again. Gullible or complicit?

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    3. I would say complicit and full of shit. The unions have been the demise of the probation service.

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  20. Isn't that the second time? You need to take legal action and maybe a day off work to demonstrate!

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    1. It has nothing to do with the bloody GS what happens in Crap CRC money robbing companies that are robbing the country blind and you. If you do not get paid raise the grievances required by all and make them pay up as you have debts and interest charges. Don't blame the wrong man and expect him to do what ??? Exactly what should he do?? When you do sod all yourself foolish posts.

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  21. Facts please, if based on rumour and hearsay and fake news then just causing unnecessary anguish.

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    1. Happened once before could happen again only difference is no one will turn up tomorrow. CRC has a reputation for ruining workers bank holidays.

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  22. Has anyone been paid?

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  23. There doesn't appear to be a problem with pay with the people I've checked with

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  24. I work for a Women's Charity that has been supporting women in the CJS since 2010, working closely with Probation, it worked well, with co-located probation staff who held a women only caseload.Since TR and the CRC's took over and we had to tender for a new contract with them it's been chaotic, no clarity on what they want, probation staff demoralised. Now they want to bring in PbR (not confirmed % yet) but they will only be paying for each woman journey no matter how much work we have done with them - where's the incentive to get results??? The sooner TR is binned the better. Wish we could afford to walk away from the contract, but the nature of Charity Sector makes that very difficult.
    Are PbR being introduced in the CRC yet? If not that seems unfair when we have a 3 year contract and there's is 7-10 years.

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