Napo at Work in the South West 15

We must briefly move away from the General Secretary election debate as other important matters need covering, such as the ongoing Working Links dispute. As usual thanks to the reader for sending me the latest news and watch out for another response from Mike Rolfe which I intend publishing later today.  

NAPO SSW Branch report update June 2018 

Dear Napo members and Unison,

Firstly a quick thanks to all those members attending this years very successful and enjoyable AGM. The brief annual report from AGM is attached although I will not be circulating the Branch Chairs opening address. You can draw your own conclusions.

In the news and attached is a document submitted to Companies House by an undisclosed name on behalf of Aurelius. Using their full name for the first time Sigma and the usual Limited. What is interesting about the notification registration is that it was lodged on the 8th of June. We all know it has been reported that ongoing talks with MOJ and Working Links are due to settle in June according to the chief financial officer incidentally named on the final declarations pages. The fact the document has been lodged is a clear signal (some might call it a bonfire) in the middle of the Working Links way arrangements.

This debenture is loaded with legal jargon and what looks like a classic “Yes Minister" mouthful but it lays out a clear ownership entitlement and money claiming legality that effectively reads like the shirts and probably all the rest of the clothing of Working Links could be coming off. The only debtors protected in the process or I should say given priority is those on wages. The rest is fully controlled by the Aurelius clutch on the remaining monies and everything else. Working Links way is to drag out some spokesperson and may well offer it is usual practice nothing to worry about and customary for these sorts of things. We wait to see. However the terms Chargors being Working Links places them as :-

A company or person who grants a charge or right in security in favour of some other person or company known as a chargee

The charge is effectively the Lender and that is Aurelius. They are a long way from being described as the helpful profit investing supporting friend that has helped reshape the Working Links Way portfolio. In fact it looks more the prediction of the end of the line will fast approach as the investors relentless drive for their cash driven profiteering end will drive any small limping company under sooner or later. We hope for the sooner and that scenario is well catered for in the document termed the Debenture. There are many interesting sections and in particular my old favourite the ARSA has a place in the Service Agreement top of page 4.

The implications to my mind at least is the MOJ will most likely have to be asking along with the Parliamentary accounts committee where did the excess of 4 Million disappear to last summer? We all know not 1 penny found its way to any section of the services. We know this as we were officially told that all that monies was to sustain the spending already made. It was a different story when we read the 2017 accounts of Working Links hiding under clauses to not declare actual profits. Whatever the issues become which are starting to unfold none of this paints a happy picture for Working Links. I know many of our members will be reaching out extending their sympathies for the Company and the Working Links way wont we all?

Anyway for this brief publication and the debenture report let me have your views. My thanks go to our usual sources for citing us early on this development.

The one reassurance I can give is that wages are at the top of any list as debtors before the Aurelius creditors earmark everything else.

On the NAPO General Secretary Elections the ballot is out and you have your chance to make a difference to providing a mandate please ensure your vote is not left in the office as leave approaches fill them in now.

Dino Peros Napo SSw branch Chair. 

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Chairs AGM Report SSW Branch June 2018

Welcome Members, 

To your AGM South South West Branch with what continues to be the most intransigent of employers Working Links and Aurelius. 

⦁ Backward in all staff related matters.
⦁ Backward in terms and conditions
⦁ Backwards in fair to staff practices
⦁ Backwards in policies procedures and justice.
⦁ Backwards in delivering best services. 

We can tell you what they are not backwards at, looking constantly for more money seeking to reduce any costs irrespective of the damage to anyone else. Clamouring for more cash from the MOJ. Being secretive about their real profits and most of all great at misinformation, blaming everyone else for the delays in your entitlements to a percentage pay increase and while claiming the unions hold up your rewards. This is simply just another Working Links lie we have endured this year. Not the first time and certainly it won’t be the last. 

A few years back 2016 we talked of their desire to make more money from crime than any bank robbers in history. Sadly the government agenda has facilitated public funds for Working Links to cash in on. Inferior services calculated targets and real loss of genuine quality public services has seen the growth in a false market place that has the contractors now crying foul as they realise the public monies gravy train is stalling as the Parliamentary accounts committee has said this free flow of cash has to end. 

The recent cuts to travel overheads bill paying has seen this years Working Links claims of being a progressive company into a local contract of farce and crisis. 

Poorest IT still not centrally linked a contract requirement and far too many drives up a Working Links cul-de-sacs none of this was declared in the their 2017 roads map rubbish. Sadly this year has seen the Working Links way cut their own staffing and urgently redefine exactly where the government funds actually go and to start to ensure that the money actually pays for CRC staff. Something NAPO SSW branch has well reported its concerns over the years.

We have continued to see the decline in the published Thematic reports on many CRCs activity and we have now heard of plans to seek to put back into Wales at least public ownership of case management at some point soon we hope. We have the news that all offender based case management is now to return to some period of time whereby cases are actually seen. Face to face, this work will cost time and money. The Working Links stripped back case management model, using just call centres will likely now have to go south. We all hope Working Links and their ways, will subsequently follow. 

SSW Branch remains strong committed to working with Ian Lawrence the national General Secretary of NAPO. Congratulations to him having won the NEC nomination to move forwards on his campaign for re–election this summer. In combination with Ian Lawrence GS we have our support in the region from Wales and BGSW and to Unison all areas in the ongoing dispute for your 

⦁ Workloads weightings employee care
⦁ Terms and Conditions
⦁ Health and Safety
⦁ Pay
⦁ Accommodation
⦁ Seeking negotiations on Work case management model.
⦁ Job security 

Members will have seen the Branch reports that we provide as soon as we can as issues come light and to some point of reporting. However with Working Links constantly changing its senior managerial line up it is difficult not to wonder who they are going to field next as all their people seem to disappear rather quickly. 

Recently being announced that the new leader for all the CRCs has a probation background we see this as a signal that they may have understood the government concerns and placed a better skilled leader than we have experienced so far. Though it is too early to call in truth I suspect they will have their hands tied to the continued rubbish we have experienced to date. 

The continual brain drain of skilled experienced knowledgeable Probation Officers has seen too many exodus Working Links and their way. In 10 months we understood that as many as 10 POs had left the Working Links regime and more recent news, another two have joined in that flight. 

I would have hoped, as many of our members tell us, the Government should have taken hold of these failing contracts well before now, sadly the collusion to keep the CRCs limping home to end of the unlikely to be renewed contract period might be the only way to save their remaining reputation for what is increasingly becoming another government public services negligent farce. By the way has anyone ever seen a real contract manager who knows what that actually means? 

The indication from Working Links themselves this year is worth noting again and their desire to quit before contract time ends is welcome news and we have reported on this, the only difficulty is that WL are not able to quit their toxic contract. Foolish arrangement to be in really and they have to fund the costs to get out should they try. All said I cannot see the government bailing them out this early even though the remainder of the contract is now on a declining curve. NAPO looks forward to assisting in the acceleration of the contract ending should this become a real potential. 

On some positive news Napo has a lot to look forwards to. Plenty going on nationally although I have mixed views on the real state of the union our GS is here to tell us some of the important developments for both CRCs and NPS. On NPS issues the branch NPS Vice Chair will be reporting all progress on those arrangements for the last 12 months. 

The local Branch NAPO SSW has seen our media campaign continue with reports In local newspapers TV and in particular our Local Plymouth campaign to see a council motion passed on Public safety about the Working Links failing Model which is part of our dispute. Gladly we look forwards to the returning face to face case management but have yet to engage Senior management on discussions of a less risky supervision model. Despite the motion being lost by a few votes. 

The branch supporters continue to fight for your terms indeed many of our members have been abused and constantly face the attacks from the management using policy and procedures to bully harass and victimise staff into forms of compliance to new task and more work without adequate agreements or protections. This NAPO branch support all its members who have been strong and resisted this adversarial management doctrine and send this continued message to them. We will defend our member’s terms and conditions despite their inappropriate tactics and not before too long, we’ll be there ready to open the door as they both exit and take their shoddy employment practices with them.

As the Chair of the NAPO SSW branch I remain proud to lead NAPO members. Proud of our members’ ability to remain in post and resist the management pressures. Proud of all those members coming forwards to take part in the branch and I am grateful that our memberships continue to challenge and defend your terms and conditions whatever it takes!

We remain a credible strong branch proud to continue our dispute as long as we continue to receive the fantastic support we have had in our well attended branch meetings over the last year. Members, we thank you for that and long shall we continue to work together to protect our terms our Union and continue to try and save and restore what was once our great service. 

NAPO thanks the executive and activists for their sterling work this year they all know who they are and what they do. In solidarity we look forwards because together we are stronger. If your not in a union and reading this Join Napo now!

Dino Peros NAPO SSW Branch Chair.