The response to yesterday's blog post, submitted by a Probation Officer, continues to grow having been viewed 1,152 times already and this site 3,351 times in total over 24 hours. There is unprecedented concern and alarm building amongst staff demanding that probation cannot carry on with 'business as usual' given the current situation and at variance with government policy regarding the urgent need for 'social distancing' in order to protect the NHS. The question essentially boils down to this - is anyone listening and has enough been done?
Given the mailout from Napo late on Friday, a number of readers have noted the incongruity of the situation:-
It was another reader who drew our attention to this from Friday morning:-Given the mailout from Napo late on Friday, a number of readers have noted the incongruity of the situation:-
“Napo is urgently raising issues relating to lack of handwashing/drying facilities, hand sanitiser, etc. in workplaces.” But Napo have all cancelled face to face meetings and are working remotely. This so they don’t catch the virus. Why are they not demanding the same for probation workers?
Received on 20/03/2020, 11:19 from Napo HQ
SUBJECT: - Urgent help needed with info about workplace hygiene standards at this time
Let Napo HQ know about problems with hygiene standards in your workplace
Napo is urgently raising issues relating to lack of handwashing/drying facilities, hand sanitiser, etc. in workplaces. We have been asked to complile a list for HMPPS and we will also take up problems with individual CRCs.
We URGENTLY need your help to gather this info quickly. Please send details of the situation in your office/workplace. We need the name and location of your workplace (that includes prisons and courts). Also if reporting a CRC office please specify that this is the case.
Send this info urgently to XXXXXXX at Napo HQ
--oo00oo--
Given the strident tone of Friday's mailout, I think many staff are hoping that there might be similar demands for 'emergency measures to protect your employees' to be directed towards HMPPS by a Trade Union:-
Given the strident tone of Friday's mailout, I think many staff are hoping that there might be similar demands for 'emergency measures to protect your employees' to be directed towards HMPPS by a Trade Union:-
Our work, and the considerable achievements over the space of a few days to try and reduce risk to staff and service users would not have been anywhere near as effective without the support of our members, who have been providing important real time information that has enabled us to engage early with senior leaders and, where needs be, to take a robust approach where we believe that action has been slow to happen. Much has been done, but there remains a lot more still to do.
In a week that has seen unprecedented partnership between the Government, the Official Opposition, TUC and Employers representatives, it’s only right that I express appreciation to senior HMPPS leaders for their willingness to listen and respond to your concerns as best they can especially following our demands that prioritisation be given to the suspension of Interventions and Programmes across the CRCs. Things are tough enough as it is, and the climate is not helped by endless media speculation about possible further initiatives by the Government. That said, we can be pretty confident that next week will see the announcement of major steps across the Criminal Justice and Family Court systems that will fundamentally change the way in which the majority of our members undertake their work. If and when that happens the Napo Officers and myself will issue further news to you as early as we possibly can.
The Officer Group have moved swiftly to authorise me to enact emergency measures to protect your employees at Falcon Road in respect of risk mitigation and business continuity."
--oo00oo--
So, any indication that Senior Managers are listening? This seen on Twitter from "Director NPS South West South Central, HMPPS. National lead for NPS work in prisons, with the Parole Board & ExArmed Service Personnel"
I know there’s been a lot about negative behaviour here and elsewhere but ... I can honestly say I’ve only seen & experienced acts of kindness & care today #GoodNewsSaturday
People don't care about front line staff safely. It's as simple as that.
ReplyDeleteAs the cartoon in the current Private Eye shows, its hard to imagine how NPS/HMPPS carry on functioning when they the monkey-see-monkey-do crew are not allowed to place their hands over their ears, eyes & mouth.
ReplyDeleteI know there's been a lot on here about dishonest, disingenuous, dysfunctional management bullies across Probation but I can honestly say I've only seen & experienced acts of ... mendacity, duplicity & cowardly oppression #PackOfScumWeasels
Whilst people lost livelihoods - jobs, careers, vocations & redundancy payments - as a consequence of TR the MoJ/HMPPS/NPS/CRC/Napo 'top tier' sat back pocketing comfortable payouts, taking new jobs, screwing over remaining staff, denying culpability for anything & everything as they rose up that greasy pole enjoying bigger & bigger salaries.
ReplyDeleteWhy would they change their behaviour just because peoples' lives are at risk?
Who has engaged with them to help them effect change in their behaviour?
Think - How many people change their behaviour just because someone tells them they are harming others? Zip. Zero. None.
How many people become entrenched, belligerent, defensive & petulant when someone tells them they are harming others? How many ramp up their harmful behaviours when their short-comings are pointed out? Many. Most.
And as the scale of damage escalates, so the denial becomes louder & more shrill.
Dare any of the lying shit-weasels break rank...?
And when staff are lying in ITU gasping for breath, dying as a direct result of management inaction, what will management say?
Delete"We were just doing what we were told to do."
That Napo document is incredible. The general secretary is remedial character and should self isolate for the benefit of the members. We need leaders who understand staff come first not the job or their personal desire to sick up to senior management . Napo act independently you sound and behave like a management support tier. It is too late now members will stop subsidising your keystone cops approach to the most serious threat to health. No protective kit and centralised office with a TV interview room via remote then no work spell it out what minimal means instead doing less than that.
ReplyDeleteI am making the decision not to go in - I will do what I can from a safe distance. The impact on my other half is too much a risk to take if I bring the virus home. In a situation like this there comes a point where I need to risk assess and manage the situation as Senior Management are clearly not going too.
ReplyDeletehttps://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/22/uk/coronavirus-homeless-intl-gbr/index.html
ReplyDelete09.27 I too am coming to that conclusion. The CNN article indicates a n awful scenario for the most vulnerable in the UK
ReplyDeleteBut fuckwittery is everywhere; its in our nation's DNA:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-51988877
Thousands of people have been heading to seaside attractions in the sunshine despite government advice to avoid social gatherings due to coronavirus... There are also reports of large crowds along the East Yorkshire coast... Other resorts, including Brighton and Hove, were also reported to be busy...
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-51994504
Car parks and trails could be shut to stop people from visiting Snowdonia National Park after "unprecedented scenes" on Saturday, according to bosses... There were so many people on mountain summits it was "impossible to maintain effective social distancing"... Pen y Fan in the Brecon Beacons was also busy with visitors on Saturday.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-51990534
In a tweet posted on Friday evening, Ms Forbes, who represents Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, said: "If you live elsewhere, please don't use the Highlands as your means of self-isolation. People live here who are trying to follow government guidance and the continuing flow of campervans and other traffic who appear to be escaping the cities is not helping."
The virus is “accelerating” in the UK. Will probation ‘leaders’ now listen and stop making things worse - stop dragging probation staff and offenders across towns to probation buildings, start testing and quarantining prisoners released from infected prisons?
ReplyDelete“The PM called on the public to join a "heroic and collective national effort" and follow social distancing advice.
The number of people who have died in the UK with coronavirus rose to 233 on Saturday, as cases topped 5,000.”
“In a message to the country on Saturday evening, Mr Johnson said: "The numbers are very stark, and they are accelerating.” - BBC News
If people refuse to go in on mass what can they do. They flex their muscles to keep us in their view of order and control. We should collectively show them we have collective power to refuse being exposed to these risks. Those who have phones and laptops can work remotely. Otherwise management can determine what needs to enable others to work from home.
ReplyDeleteI think anyone who watched the Andrew Marr show this morning, and heard in particular the interviews with medical professionals, would realise that the present situation in probation simply cannot safely continue.
DeleteSomeone message piers Morgan.
Deletehttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/health-51995297/coronavirus-doctors-feel-like-lambs-to-the-slaughter
DeleteCoronavirus: Doctors 'feel like lambs to the slaughter'
The chair of the Doctor's Association UK has called on the government to urgently provide frontline NHS workers with more protective equipment to help in the fight against coronavirus.
Dr Rinesh Parmar, who spoke to the Andrew Marr show after finishing a night shift, also warned people that the virus does not only affect older people.
Never heard of this group before and interesting to look at where the Doctors Association sprang from - only as recent as 2018 - unhappy with BMA?
DeleteDoctors hold a vocation for the work they do. We spend our lives caring for patients, leading teams within the National Health Service and promoting the best, safest and most effective healthcare.
It makes sense that frontline doctors should be instrumental in shaping UK healthcare policy.
We should be cultivating the forward direction for our profession within the institutions which govern us. We should be ensuring that our collective voice speaks to the government and demands to be heard when it is developing policy. We should be engaged with the media outlets whose opinions inform the public about the state of the NHS.
None of this is happening, and doctors consequently feel unheard, powerless and disenfranchised.
Things need to change, and The Doctors' Association UK seeks to bring about that change.
We are a campaigning and lobbying organisation, comprised solely of UK doctors. We are a trade association for doctors but advocate for both the medical profession and patients, and we're fighting for a better NHS for everyone. Formed in January 2018 we grew from online community of 29,000 UK doctors, but have become an independent force for change. DAUK has been responsible for national campaigns such as #ScraptheCap and #LearnNotBlame. We are a strictly non-profit organisation, made up of a committee of volunteers who receive no remuneration for their time, and are fully accountable to our membership. DAUK is Limited by Guarantee, meaning none of our committee have any shares, and therefore every penny raised through membership or donations is used towards advocating for doctors. This is enshrined in our constitution.
We energise and empower doctors to speak out about the issues that matter to them. To the government in Westminster and the devolved administrations. To our governing institutions. To MPs and other elected members. To the media. We are acutely aware of the current state of the NHS and want to ensure our profession is heard. Read about the results of our advocacy here.
UK doctors' voices have not been heard collectively, until now. We stand for a better NHS. Stand with us.
“Lambs to the slaughter” - that’s the same for probation workers and all keyworkers. Funny though, retail workers, bus drivers, etc, many seem to have gloves and masks. Whereas we’re given pens and paper, and expected to sit in closed rooms with potentially sick offenders.
DeleteDavid Gauke in today's Guardian talking about releasing prisoners early suggests that one of the biggest concerns facing prisons is the "churn".
ReplyDelete"Churn" is defined by him as the number of people entering and leaving prisons that come from and go to who knows where.
I think it's a good word to use, and "churn" is exactly what happens in probation offices all day every day.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/mar/21/prisons-could-see-800-deaths-from-coronavirus-without-protective-measures
'Getafix
Prisons have the virus. If these were instead passengers leaving cruise ships they’d test and quarantine them first. No mention of the probation workers expected to be put at risk by meeting them on release.
DeleteYes I was struck by this article from yesterday and will be using it in a forthcoming blog post. In the present circumstances, I'm conscious of the danger in dividing the message and demands. There must be urgent phased release of prisoners AND acceptance that probation operation must change urgently as well.
DeleteSorry Jim. I didn't intend to conflate two issues. My intent was solely to highlight that if "churning" is a serious concern in prisons, then "churning" in probation offices must be of equal concern? Perhaps even more of a concern because its actually double churning.
DeleteI've also been thinking this week how in normal times the probation service makes assessments of risk about the people they supervise, and take appropriate action where needed to mitigate that risk for public protection.
Why should the risk of the possibility of spreading a deadly virus by conducting face to face interviews not be seen as a public protection issue and probation staff given the autonomy to take the appropriate action seen as necessary to mitigate that risk?
'Getafix
Getafix, it’s a valid point. They will be “churned” straight towards probation offices. This is a huge mistake. Yes those that can be released should, but there has to be measure in place to ensure they and others are not put at risk.
DeleteNo apology necessary! This is all highly political and very much new territory for us all eg - never heard of the Doctors' Association before - surely BMA speak for doctors? This new group set up in 2018 so yet another fascinating split I wasn't aware of.
DeleteWhilst I do appreciate the particular risks to Probation staff, the aforementioned 'churn'. I think some form of compromise is needed. Perhaps those SU's that are low /medium risk, and have appropriate protective factors in place ought to have telephone contact.
ReplyDeleteHowever, what about those DA perps who may even be self isolating with their families? Surely there is a need to appropriately manage the riskier cohort at a time when the support services in the community are also battening down the hatches.
This isnt to say staff in the vulnerable categories or staff that are carers for those in the vulnerable categories should be forced to go in.
A further thought / question. Do you think guidance is needed as to recall thresholds in order to slow the revolving door?
Clearly your one of those managers putting staff at risk. No probation workers should be forced to work in probation offices and see staff and offenders face to face. This is a huge risk to staff, their families and also to the offenders. The ‘show’ cannot go on. Yes there are risks in offenders not receiving their weekly dose of probation rehabilitation, but we must see sense. It is not necessary for anyone to attend face to face appointments if that contact is putting all involved at risk.
Delete12:53 absolutely agree - there is a less riskier solution of telephone contact so beggars belief it is not being followed. The offices are not fit for purpose, no protective measures in place at all.
DeleteI think it important to atleast discuss the issues of the risk to known adults, children and the public with people not being effectively supervised. What if service users dont have phones to check in with?
DeleteAs above, im not saying the show must go on, there are a majority of service users who do not need to be seen and can be kept in contact with remotely. However, I am arguing there will be a relatively small number that do. This is compromise.
How many people do Tescos staff serve on a daily basis? Shall supermarkets be closed also?
I say this not to be antagonistic but as I believe Probation is a vital public service.
Anon 13:24 I'm going to chip in and say with respect that it's easy to pronounce when it's not you on the front line. If probation is a vital public service, it does not absolve the employer from statutory responsibility towards the safety of staff and clients. Either PPE is provided or face to face contact must cease. Your Tesco analogy is a whole different issue and not at all helpful with this discussion.
DeleteThen give them phones! Surely this is better than sending them home to other adults and children after attending probation offices for a what will be a very short appointment. The call is for social distancing, and not to travel to probation and sit in a busy reception and see a probation officer that has already met numerous other offenders. I do not know what “not being effectively supervised” means if the alternative is to put them, the staff and the public at risk by attending probation offices.
Delete—————
Probation is an essential but not an emergency service.
There’s too much risk involved in face to face appointments.
There’s too much risk involved in face to face contact between probation staff.
Telephone and Skype reporting is a safe alternative which observes social distancing and protects all involved.
Probation offices are unclean and unsafe environments where proper sanitisation and social distancing cannot be observed.
Prisoners should neither be sent, returned to or released from prison unless testing and quarantine facilities are available first.
Courts duty should be conducted by phone, and courts should be informed community supervision will be by telephone.
Unpaid work, programmes and other interventions must all remain closed.
‘Public protection’ means to stop spreading the virus and stop sending offenders, probation workers and their families to their deaths just to meet probation targets.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/health-51995297/coronavirus-doctors-feel-like-lambs-to-the-slaughter
/ Probation Officer
And where contact is absolutely necessary full protective gear should be provided. This should be for all keyworkers. I wouldn’t be surprised if very soon all public and retail services are delivered remotely or from a single worker behind glass. Let’s be leaders in protecting staff now followers.
DeleteSorry Jim, I said I didn't want to be antagonistic but can see how the Tesco analogy could be viewed as such.
DeleteI do work 'on the front line' of case management and my overarching point is still the same. That even now offices should still be open on a skeletal basis to serve the most vulnerable SU's and the riskiest.
With this being said certain mitigations be put in place to protect staff and SU's as much as possible.
I suppose this is a forum to express opinions - by the responses mine isnt a very popular one.
How else do we protect the public in this strange situation?
Anon 14:33 And I apologise for being a bit arsey, but I'm hearing such alarming stuff, some privately, that I feel strongly something has got to be done and quickly. The trouble is this is becoming a life or death issue and the silence/ineptitude/bollocks that's forthcoming from management is astonishing. Someone has got to get a grip and fast and if that means shaking the tree in order to get attention, then so be it. Doctors did that on the Andrew Marr show this morning - both said the NHS front line is not getting the proper kit and both getting infected and spreading it FFS - and probation staff are seeing people with no kit.
DeleteWell said, maybe a top probation or MOJ boss or two will write a guest blog or are they communicating directly with all staff and those commenting here are unlucky to be left out?
DeleteAndrew, you cheeky monkey, I sincerely hope you had your fingers crossed & tongue firmly in your cheek when you wrote that.
DeleteResponse to Anon 22 mar 16.00
DeleteIn one tweet I wrote as a reply
"Replying to
@MoJGovUK
Tell us what they are and do not forget you are also responsible for #probation in #England & #Wales please share the info with @jimbrownblog
https://probationmatters.blogspot.com/2020/03/is-anyone-listening.html
4:02 PM · Mar 22, 2020"
https://twitter.com/Andrew_S_Hatton/status/1241757201410260992?s=20
And in another - a comment added to a retweet
"Andrew_S_Hatton
@Andrew_S_Hatton
·
4h
Really #pride does not save #probation lives - you may not personally be responsible but there is a timely need for some responsible public relations from @MoJGovUK
& @hmpps
about their employees who seem unheard https://probationmatters.blogspot.com/2020/03/is-anyone-listening.html"
https://twitter.com/Andrew_S_Hatton/status/1241711354630868994?s=20
I am sorry neither has (so far) attracted a response from either MOJ or HMPPS
It wasn't a slight, dear chap. I applaud your efforts to poke the sleeping bears.
DeleteThe lack of any response - from those who undoubtedly know what's posted here - is woeful, lamentable, shameful.
Keep up the pressure.
Sadly none of us will get a reply. Every probation member of staff will have to make their own decision as to what to do tomorrow morning. This blog will aim to continue to offer a platform to share information and mutual support.
DeleteAnonymous22 March 2020 at 14:33. Are you a probation officer / probation services officer holding your own caseload of offenders? You write as if you are an SPO, careful wording! Either way, you are more than welcome to give your view and if you are managing cases in the office at this time then all credit to you.
DeleteHowever, you have a responsibility to yourself, your colleagues, your clients and anyone you come into contact with to understand how easy this virus is spread and how dangerous it really is. Seeing offenders and colleagues face to face in probation offices is not a safe option. At the present time probation managers have not provided a safe environment or protections.
Also Anon 14:33 the problem with having offices open “to serve the most vulnerable SU's and the riskiest” is being interpreted as anyone without a phone, anyone homeless and anyone that is assessed as high risk. This is a significant amount of offenders requiring a significant amount of contact with probation workers. We are not cannon fodder or collateral damage.
DeleteHello anon 18:42, an office based PSO with a caseload. Ha, not sure how to take the SPO comment.
DeleteI suppose the makeup of every office is different, due to the numbers that are already self isolating / in the vulnerable category we are thin on the ground as is, thus limiting contact between staff. Interview rooms are spacious to keep the sacred 2m distance. I appreciate this isnt the case everywhere and there still is the risk of transmission.
It still makes me feel uneasy about a possible 12 weeks or even longer with very limited or no supervision of vulnerable and or risky SU's.
No simple answer to this one!
"I suppose the makeup of every office is different, due to the numbers that are already self isolating / in the vulnerable category"
DeleteWhich is EXACTLY why local managers should manage their locality. Guidance from "The Centre" won't be worth a wank.
"The Centre" haven't got a clue. There isn't any single blueprint guidance/directive for Winchester, Taunton, Norwich, Stalybridge, Hebden Bridge, Whitley Bay...
The team are your 'children'. Cherish them.
So distressing to go round to my in laws and watch my partner talk to her 69 year old mother (and her 70 year old father) as she tried to reassure them from their front garden, silent tears flowed, And tomorrow I am expected to see SUs regardless of the risks I pose to them, or vice versa.
ReplyDeleteThe Law Centres Network said that, rather than waiting to see what happens, it has been helping law centres to meet their duty of care to clients, volunteers and staff, who need clarity over services.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.lawgazette.co.uk/practice/coronavirus-law-centres-limit-face-to-face-advice/5103523.article
Several law centres have shifted advice operations to the phone to ensure access to justice continues as more new cases of Covid-19 are reported.
DeleteLaw centres have been swift to respond to the pandemic even before the prime minister announced stringent measures to stop the coronavirus spreading.
North East Law Centre took the ‘difficult decision’ to suspend its outreach advice clinics and face-to-face advice. Advice sessions will now be provided by phone, email or Skype. The law centre said it will review the decision regularly and provide updates.
South West London Law Centres has closed its pro bono advice clinics and is offering phone advice appointments instead. ‘The wellbeing of our clients, staff and volunteers is really important to us,’ it said.
North Kensington Law Centre has suspended drop-in clinics ‘for the foreseeable future’.
Camden Law Centre has suspended drop-in services and outreach sessions for at least the next fortnight and staff will be working from home. ‘We will assess the situation based on the latest info and hope to reopen asap,’ it said.
Bristol Law Centre has closed its reception for walk-in enquiries and drop-in clinics. ‘We will be in touch if you have an arranged appointment or contact your caseworker if you are unsure,’ it said.
Nottingham Law Centre is limiting face-to-face contact but will continue to provide advice and assistance by phone or email.
Derbyshire Law Centre is only providing telephone advice, and no face-to-face appointments, home visits or county court representation. Paperwork can be left in the centre’s postbox, sent by post or scanned and emailed.
Ealing Law Centre says its team is working from home and aiming to provide 'as full a service as possible but please bear with us if we may not be able to respond as quickly as normal'.
The Law Centres Network said that, rather than waiting to see what happens, it has been helping law centres to meet their duty of care to clients, volunteers and staff, who need clarity over services.
Nimrod Ben-Cnaan, the network's head of policy and profile, said: 'Right now, our greatest hurdle to continuing services is the lack of timely clarity from the Legal Aid Agency and HM Courts & Tribunals Service on adaptations. Covid-19 has been looming for some time. We should have been notified of their plans much earlier and in a more coordinated manner, rather than mostly troubleshooting at local contract manager level.'
Meanwhile human rights organisation Liberty said its phone line will be unavailable while its office is closed following government guidance. Lawyers can be contacted by email or via an online form.
Elsewhere, family mediation is also moving online. National Family Mediation, which has accredited mediators in more than 500 locations, said video conferencing is being used as a substitute for in-person meetings.
Jane Robey, chief executive, said: ‘Family mediation is a conversation, which usually involves three people meeting in a room: a mediator and a separating couple. In response to the current context, our mediators are still mediating, but increasingly using video conferencing. It’s now three people in a “virtual” room.
‘Nobody truly knows how long the situation will last, but it is essential that we continue to provide the means for separating and divorcing couples to make arrangements for parenting, property and money. Separating couples can’t let the uncertainty about their new futures linger.’
Fuckwittery Part 2:
ReplyDeleteAs social distancing and self-isolation have altered most countries, industries, and aspects of life, there remain those in the spotlight for flouting the concepts by choice... One new addition is Carmela Hontou, the Uruguayan fashion designer and socialite who, according to The Guardian, could face legal charges for her decision to attend a 500-person wedding in Montevideo on March 7. She had just arrived from Spain, which currently has the world’s fourth-largest COVID-19 outbreak. Of the guests from that wedding, 44 have now tested positive for the virus, making up nearly half of Uruguay’s 79 cases... Hontou also said that she’d been worried about a fever during a previous trip to Madrid in January, but that the doctor she spoke to didn’t pay attention when she mentioned coronavirus. By February, she said, she was wearing a face mask when she landed in Madrid on another trip. She was surprised at the outcry about her wedding attendance, saying, “They are saying I’m a terrorist who brought the virus to kill everyone.”
https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2020/03/society-wedding-uruguay-covid-19-outbreak
There's been little talk of Probation in custody still expected to see people. I don't know what measures are on the wings but given they won't stop visits because of fear of riots, it is possible that they won't lock up on extra time and congregating is the norm in that environment. Wings are unclean places and hard to see how social distancing can be implemented. We can do our jobs without close contact in a situation like this do why are staff left to do business as usual. I'd hope that transferring prisoners has been stopped or strictly reduced, but would not be surprised if not.
ReplyDeleteJim wrote: "I feel strongly something has got to be done and quickly. The trouble is this is becoming a life or death issue and the silence/ineptitude/bollocks that's forthcoming from management is astonishing."
ReplyDeleteThey're simply following the lead of The Great Lummox who's currently talking utter shite in his press conference.
And we're fucked!
What lack of focus by the press with Boza waxing lyrically about being 2 metres apart, whilst being close to touching distance of his wingers. Why are the homeless, mentally ill etc not classed as vulnerable, why no mention of outbreaks in prisons and homeless hostels, food banks in crisis due to reduced food supplies and elderly volunteers. I really don't want to become too cynical but FFS!!!!
ReplyDeleteI'm am going to end up like Victor Meldrew by tomorrow. I won't need to self isolate as my colleagues will likely refuse to work with me as I prowl the office sounding like Chunkymark the artist taxi driver or Dick Dasterly's dog Mutley
ReplyDeleteWe are an island nation.
ReplyDeleteWe have just been conned into spending £Billions leaving the EU listening to wealthy smug wankers telling us it was all about regaining sovereignty, priming us to be increasingly xenophobic & taking back control.
So why oh why oh why did they not simply close the borders in February?
No international travellers; close the tunnel; no ships/boats/ferries; no private flights/yachts/jets/etc to enter.
Anyone who wants to leave can go, but you ain't coming back until COVID19 has been banished/managed.
Why are we in the UK staring at an outbreak of this nasty virus which will far outstrip the dreadful Italian experience. Why? Because there's no leadership, just day after day of stuttering & stammering.
Wouldn't that have been Brexit style?
They were happy enough to bully & lie & cheat & fiddle the books & manipulate the nation for Brexit... why not to save hundreds of thousands of lives?
Presumably there's more profit to be made in the stockmarkets in a calamitous crisis? I don't doubt Boris's chums on the trading floor are making £megaMillions hedging against Sterling.
You would have thought they’d have closed the borders. Instead they shipped and flew the virus home. At the moment Boris Johnson can’t lockdown London properly. He would not have been able to close off the UK. Yes there are bankers out their making a fortune, but this virus reaches beyond wealth and power.
Delete"The hedge fund manager Boaz Weinstein, in a note to investors in his $2.7 billion firm, Saba Capital Management, said he had positioned his portfolios to profit from bets on defaults and bankruptcy filings by companies with lots of high-yield, or junk, bonds. According to the note, which was reviewed by The Times, his main fund was up 33 percent this month. [That's almost $1Bn increase in value]
DeleteBut the coronavirus pandemic is uncharted waters. Daniel Ades, managing director of Kawa Capital, a fund with $1 billion under management, said he worried about social disorder — even revolutions — sparked by an outbreak at a time of high wealth inequality: “How we raise our kids, the values we give them, and the tools for success will make a difference the day the upheaval is upon us”"
Source: NY Times
And on the positive side there is not a chance in hell of me bumping into a senior manager as they will no doubt be bunkered down excusively using conference calls, thus reducing my urge to shit on their laps. This is truly a time of lions led by donkeys!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI’m pro volunteering and soldiering-on. I do worry though whether those being compelled onto the frontline realise how much at risk they are. I am a manager and have been very explicit to my staff about the potential risks. The media reports from other countries paint a very dire picture. Many organisations have already stopped face to face contact with co-workers and clients. I encourage all to inform their managers if they are vulnerable or live with someone who is vulnerable. The option to work from home should be available to all staff, which some will take and others will not. This is a very dangerous situation for us all and it is not justified to place anybody at risk.
DeleteWith no risk assessments published and personnel health risk at stake for a real life potential threat none of us have to work. They can't discipline or sack as the government need all in paid jobs and we are all stressed due to the information void. No show work simple go sick self report 4 days. In 5 add stress in a month you'll forget by then . No go no show simple self protection your supposed to be intelligent people .
ReplyDeleteProbation management has always prospered because of the goodwill of staff and the absence of unions. If the union now stepped up and said “probation offices are a threat to life and probation workers are only safe working from home”, then the management would rethink its strategy.
Delete"If the union now stepped up..."
DeleteIan Lawrence 20/3/20: "it’s only right that I express appreciation to senior HMPPS leaders for their willingness to listen and respond to your concerns as best they can especially following our demands"
So you'll all be safe as, er...
Ian Lawrence is as good as on the HMPPS payroll !
DeleteNapo website:
Delete"Workplace Health and Safety is very important to Napo's trade union work
Health and safety is a key part of Napo’s work as no one goes to work to be made ill. Given this H&S crosses over into all aspects of our work."
Napo secretary incompetent and spinless appear to jump off that communication.
DeleteRespect 20.29
ReplyDeleteI'm an SPO in the NPS. We've been given no guidance about what cases should continue to report in or what staff we can send home. We are putting lives at risk.
ReplyDeleteThe guidance will come when it is too late. I am sure they will appreciate you providing all the information and options available. Your staff are worried, some are probably self isolating, some sadly may already have the virus, some caught it in the office, some caught it elsewhere, all are at risk if they continue to work in your office, and worst of all some of may die.
Delete“ Boris Johnson has warned "tougher measures" could be introduced if people do not take the government's coronavirus advice seriously.” - Boris Johnson
In the absence of any direction from someone else, why not just manage your team?
DeleteYou're the manager, right?
So why haven't you already gotten the crew together, made decisions based on local knowledge & needs and managed the situation?
£40,000+ a year and while you wait for 'guidance' the lives of your team & those they supervise at put at risk.
Harsh?
I think not. You're the 'manager', the 'Senior' Probation Officer.
Repost from earlier today might be appropriate:
Delete09:27 - And when staff are lying in ITU gasping for breath, dying as a direct result of management inaction, what will management say?
"We were just doing what we were told to do."
SPO on 40k+? You having a laugh? Haha. I've been an SPO only 4 years but not on 40k and all the POs I manage still earn more than me.
DeleteAlso, we have been instructed it's business as usual. More guidance to come but for now we are instructed to have staff report in and for offenders to be seen, even though this goes againt medical advice.
This is what all managers should be doing. Listen to and make the best decisions for your team. Interpret the guidance as best you can. And use not just your risk assessment skills but also your common sense.
DeleteAnonymous22 March 2020 at 21:59. I know it’s difficult but you need to stand up for yourself and your team.
Deleteok, lets take the ££'s out of this. Its not relevant.
DeleteYou say "I've been an SPO only 4 years".
From Day one in post you were the SPO, the manager, the person leading the team. One week, one year, ten years in post - YOU are it.
Can you live with that decision if any of your team become infected? Or worse?
What would they do if you led by example, instructed everyone to work from home & said YOU plus any volunteer would staff the office until suitable, safe guidance was issued?
In my books THAT would be a leader, a manager, a mark of seniority.
And this isn't about one person. Its not personal. Its not just about @21:59 or @20:50 (same person maybe?).
Its about ALL managers with responsibility for their teams.
Equal respect to 20.29
ReplyDeleteMeant 20.59
ReplyDeleteMacdonalds has closed drive throughs as they think its too risky for their staff and customers
ReplyDeleteSo has starbucks
ReplyDeleteFuckwittery Part 3
ReplyDeletehttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-51995092
Anyone spot any NPS/HMPPS managers in those queues?
Judges always speak out when Probation do not !
ReplyDelete“EXCLUSIVE: Britain's courts are potential hotbeds for coronavirus because staff fail to enforce social distancing and 'woeful' technology means video-link hearings can't go ahead, senior judge warns”
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8140141/Britains-courts-potential-hotbeds-coronavirus-senior-judge-warns.html
The USA is a step ahead of us;
ReplyDelete“Criminal justice advocates have called for an end to all in-person reporting this week for individuals on probation or parole to curb coronavirus.”
I am on office duty tomorrow, to be honest am shit scared, hence not being in bed asleep as I should be. Do I A) look after me and mine and not go in, which effectively means putting a friend/colleague at risk, or B) go in and pray there is an email telling us all to lock up and go home. I haven't been able to think about anything else today, I even measured 2 meters and cut a stick to take in with me to ensure I keep a safe distance from everybody, let me tell you I am actually shocked at how big 2 meters is, don't think reception desk is 2 meters from the front door, our office desks definitely aren't 2 meters apart, and don't get me started on those bloody pods, not even a meter apart when your sat in them. I love my job, but I also love my life. This is just so fucked up, will management please just do the right thing and shut all offices with immediate effect, we can't manage risk in the community when there is a pandemic, not should we be held responsible for the actions of others in such circumstances. Inevitably there will be SFO's, but at the risk of sounding brutal, if unsupervised and left to their own devices, in reality how many deaths will be caused those we are responsible for in 12 weeks compared with how many deaths could result from us staying 'open for business'. It all comes down to calculated risk, isn't this what we are supposed to excellent at...... So how come management haven't worked that out yet. In these unprecedented times, I will take a small number of SFO's over hundreds of potential totally foreseeable and unavoidable deaths caused by lack of direction and action by management.
ReplyDeleteTake care of yourselves and your loved ones.
In the 1970s I went to my NHS GP in Maghull for some relieving medication to enable me to continue working as a Merseyside Probation Officer.
DeleteHe (Dr Brown) issued a 14 day sick note and prohibited my attendance at work. I furiously protested, I have an important job to do.
Not my responsibility said Dr Brown, but your health however is my responsibility. You are prohibited from working by the authority vested in me. Good day.
I learned something that day.
I meant AVOIDABLE not unavoidable, the other mistakes were down to tiredness and auto-correct, long day, tired brain.
ReplyDeleteOk, me again, still can't sleep, feeling realllly stressed now so have done some number crunching. According to the MOM (published 31/10/19), in 2017/2018 the CRC's had 128 convictions for SFO's, NPS had 152, out of that 281, 68 were for murder, 26 for manslaughter and 11 for causing death, a total of 105 deaths. Works out at about 24 deaths in any 12 week period. According to MOJ (published 21/11/19) there were 3310 PO's in post and 2554 PSO's, total of 5864 RO's. So, there is a 0.00409277% chance of any of us having an SFO resulting in a fatality in the next 12 weeks. Compare that with 5683 confirmed Coronavirus Cases in UK on 23/03/20 with 281 deaths, a 0.04944572 mortality rate. So there is more chance of us dying from the virus (if we catch it) then of having a fatal SFO we will be held accountable for. It's strange where the kind strays when you can't sleep and are trying to work out whether to go to work or not!!
ReplyDeleteIt is tough. I have no answer but hope you reflect on my 05.59 post.
DeleteShould be interesting at work today. No doubt this blog will be well used today. At least it doesn't crash like the systems we work with. Stay safe
ReplyDelete