Wednesday 23 May 2018

General Secretary Election 7

Mike Rolfe's Facebook message posted on Monday:-

To all my colleagues, family and friends,

I write this post to confirm that I am a candidate in the forthcoming election for the General Secretary of Napo, the Trade union and Professional Association that represents the Probation and Family Courts staff.

I have left posting this message until I was 100% sure that this was likely to be happening, however the news has been broken by other sources last week before I was able to make this Facebook post from a definitive position. I apologise if you had heard rumours about this without my confirmation but I wanted to be certain that I had passed each stage of the process to ensure that I would be entered into the final election ballot.

This is an exciting opportunity for me to try and secure a role that will allow me to combine and continue to use in excess of 10 years Trade Union representation experience with nearly 15 years working within the Criminal Justice sector representing Napo members at the highest level.

I realise that this will require me to take a leap into an area where I will need to learn a great deal in a short period of time but also that there will be some disappointment that I am not standing for any current POA vacancies.

I want my colleagues both within the Prison Service and POA to be fully rest assured that if successful and I leave for this new role that you will always have my unwavering support for all of the struggles that we continue to face together. I will always seek to influence and support the causes that have been dear to my heart and I know that our sister Union Napo will continue to speak out in support of our combined struggles regardless of the outcome of this election.

You will see an increase in activity via my social media accounts shortly and I thank you in advance for having continued to place your faith in me. I hope whatever I do in future that I can continue to be a positive voice of reason and for much needed change within the criminal justice sector.

Many thanks

Mike Rolfe


--oo00oo--

With London Napo branch having got the bit between their teeth on Friday by refusing to endorse either candidate and demanding further information, it occurs to me that possibly many members have questions they'd like answers to before being tempted to make any endorsements at up-coming branch meetings. So why not either send them to me via my contact details on the profile page, or alternatively post them here to be combined in a special future blog post?

It seems ridiculous, but I understand the statements from each candidate had to be read out at the London meeting on Friday, so can I remind readers that both can be consulted here as I published them over a week ago.

This is going to be a tough fight with the incumbent being assiduous with his campaigning, even straying from his prepared text at the trainees conference on Monday I understand. Somewhat confusingly, it would appear from the above that the challenger has barely started. I think it behoves Napo members to be equally assiduous in relation to the selection process for what will inevitably be a make-or-break appointment for the union's very survival. Get your questions in now!  

10 comments:

  1. Questions to Mike Rolfe.

    How great a priority to you place in seeking for probation training to again be linked with that of local Authority Social Workers?

    Should Social Work again underpin all of Napo's professional activities and not just with regard to Family Court Workers?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm a Probation Officer of 10 years and have zero interest in social work. Guess what? If I'd wanted to get involved in social work then I'd have trained to be a social worker. Instead, I completed the DipPS training because I wanted to be a Probation Officer. I want absolutely nothing to do with social work or social workers. We're better than that. I'm a Probation Officer and proud of it!

      Delete
    2. what are you serious

      Delete
    3. Also, probation qualifications do not train you to be a probation officer. They train you to enforce orders and assess risk. Both are highly prejudicial and inconsistent practices which means the training itself is useless. The little bit of criminology and psychology thrown into the training doesn’t add much either. Social work qualifications are very different and train you in various areas to deal with vulnerable people and is also relevant to probation work.

      Delete
  2. I would be pleased to see answers from Ian Lawrence to exactly the same questions & should have directed them to him as well.

    I am merely curious as being a life memeber - retired - associate is I think my status of Greater london Branch - I have no vote and am only now active via social Media.

    ReplyDelete
  3. "I realise that this will require me to take a leap into an area where I will need to learn a great deal in a short period of time but also that there will be some disappointment that I am not standing for any current POA vacancies.

    I want my colleagues both within the Prison Service and POA to be fully rest assured that if successful and I leave for this new role that you will always have my unwavering support for all of the struggles that we continue to face together. I will always seek to influence and support the causes that have been dear to my heart and I know that our sister Union Napo will continue to speak out in support of our combined struggles regardless of the outcome of this election."

    I read that as,
    " I wish I was standing for a high ranking position with the POA, but unfortunately I'm forced to take second best. But don't worry my POA friends, I'll be your man on the inside at NAPO."

    ReplyDelete
  4. Mr Stewart Prison and Probation Minister has responded to twitter comments.

    ME in response to his article in Evening Standard:

    "If Mr Stewart is genuine he will realise that prison, probation and criminal justice system staff have had their fill of “new broom” positive speaking ministers - I go back to the 1970s. I am not aware of one who has publicly signified that she or he realises that prison is part of a very complex integrated system. I note, for example probation staff and interpreters, courts and lawyers are not mentioned just some of many staff groups vital to the mix. What about, even, prison administrators and those in health care, and we are just talking about prisons - all human life - in one institution and many tens of similar institutions up and down the land - many poorly located, poorly served by public transport, the wrong size and ill equipped for the task. I am sorry for my cynicism - PLEASE PROVE ME WRONG. "

    -------------------

    HIM

    "I absolutely agree that it is part of a more complex system. But we must get on with concrete practical changes immediately - rather than being paralysed by the breadth and complexity of the problem"

    ------------------------------------------

    ME

    EDITED

    " I go back to 1973 & agree about needing to fix it bit by bit AND not wait a day"

    "To reach CURRENT #Probation workers direct - I suggest you contact

    (via Twitter) @jimbrownblog

    https://probationmatters.blogspot.co.uk/

    & for #prison workers maybe

    https://www.facebook.com/Knowthedangeruk/

    … though that is not as busy recently as in earlier times"

    https://twitter.com/Andrew_S_Hatton/status/999293111506436102

    ReplyDelete
  5. “I want my colleagues both within the Prison Service and POA to be fully rest assured that if successful and I leave for this new role that you will always have my unwavering support for all of the struggles that we continue to face together. ”

    ... and that’s why we don’t want a prison officer leading Napo!

    ReplyDelete
  6. So where are the big picture, nuanced, broadly appealing Probation professionals prepared to assert a confident, evidence based vision for the Probation Service of the future? Maybe we should look further afield, internationally possibly?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Another gift to argue for a comprehensive, coherent and conjoined Probation profession.

    Do offender characteristics affect the impact of short custodial sentences and court orders on reoffending?
    Joseph Hillier and Aidan Mews.
    Analytical Services, Ministry of Justice.

    Come on NAPO, PI et al. Start shouting louder than you are!!!

    ReplyDelete