Probation reunification - talks on transfer arrangements already underway
The announcement last week was a huge step forward in restoring the Probation Service but it is not the end of our campaign. Our demands are that we want a world class service:
- With fully unified service provision
- In the public sector and never for profit but out of the civil service and released from prison
- Built on evidence based practice
- Rooted in the local community and partnering with local specialist providers
- Support the C-19 recovery programme in all employers ensuring that members are protected as services move to new exceptional delivery models in response to the changes to lockdown restrictions.
- Demand a job offer for all CRC staff in the NPS and continue to negotiate the staff transfer and protections agreement which will underpin the transfers in June 2021.
- Reframe our campaign towards achieving a Probation Service in the public sector and never for profit but out of the civil service and released from prison, built on evidence based practice, and rooted in the local community and partnering with local specialist providers.
- Demand that the Government address the outstanding issue of the delay in paying the 2020 NPS pay progression and negotiation of the 2020 pay award.
This is why we have made our negotiating objectives very clear and we hope to publish more news soon about the progress we are making on these.
Why all Probation staff should consider joining Napo
Meanwhile, we hope that our members will take every opportunity to engage with non-member colleagues to explain what Napo are trying to do in support of all Probation staff as we move to rebuild the service after years of Government neglect.
Victim Liaison Officers (VLOs)
It’s a fact that VLOs are not talked about as often as other roles within the probation service, yet their role is vitally important.
E3 caused a lot of anger, stress and anxiety for many of our members especially VLOs, being under resourced and under stress from workloads. Even though there were concerns Napo tried to make sure that the E3 job evaluation was conducted fairly and transparently. Despite our efforts VLOs were downgraded within the confines of E3 and even though members worked hard with us on an appeal it was clear that the employer had amended the job description in order to achieve the band 3 outcome.
We secured a commitment that the job evaluation be reviewed for VLOs, especially as for some they will be coming to a point when their protection of pay has ended or is soon to end. This process will be undertaken by the job evaluation team who will consult practitioners and unions on the job description and job description questionnaire (JDQ) before they are submitted to the panel.
Napo are seeking to find out what are the current issues for you as a VLO and what you want to contribute to influence the job evaluation review. If you’re not a VLO, but know someone who is, please alert them about this communication in case they don’t see it. Any non-members can take part by first joining Napo via https://www.napo.org.uk/content/join-us and then getting in touch once they are a member.
1. VLO work should never have been dumped on probation staff
ReplyDelete2. VLO work is highly stressful, demanding & not the probation-lite role some seem happy to dismiss it as
3. VLO roles should always have been equivalent to the PO role in job description, demands of experience & pay scale
4. Eagerly grasping the inappropriate VLO nettle was yet another example of why Trusts were no better than social enterprise trash cans run by wannabe NOMS execs
5. Seeing as they're not going to offload it, NAPO had best do right by the VLO role this time around, as compared to the previous, disgraceful shambles (wot? another one?)
6. It would be far better re-positioned within the scope of the PCC, just so long as its suitably recognised in every respect.
Napo fiddeked its failure to protect the band 4 vlos and yet none of those at protected levels have been downgraded. While this stuck in band 3 do the same work on less pay. Napo total piss poor performance they agreed it sold us down the river.
DeleteHope its okay to promote these posts to the current page:
ReplyDeleteAnonymous 17 June 2020 at 16:46 - Caught on Camera:
Health Secretary Matt Hancock has been spotted slapping a colleague on the back in the House of Commons, despite social distancing measures in place to curb the spread of coronavirus.
The moment of apparent forgetfulness happened as he arrived for Prime Minister's Questions.
Hancock - who tested positive for the coronavirus in March - has been among the ministers to repeatedly urge the importance of people keeping two metres away from one another.
'They' can do whatever they like. They don't care. That is their special SuperPower.
Anonymous 17 June 2020 at 19:33 - Everyone's sorry after the event, Mr Hancock.
Almost every PSR I've ever written involved people who were deeply sorry afterwards. Its the ***NOT*** doing it in the first place that counts, dickweed. That's what separates those in gaol from everyone else - unless you're of high enough social status (and white) that means it doesn't apply to you (or Dominic Cummings, or Robert Jenrick, or the Johnson family, or you etc etc)
UPDATE: Matt Hancock has apologised for a "human mistake" after he was filmed breaking two-metre social distancing rules in the House of Commons.
Footage taken in Parliament shows the Health Secretary placing his arm around a fellow MP as he arrived for Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday.
Mr Hancock then stood well within two metres of his colleague while waiting to be seated, despite floor markings to guide MPs as they enter the chamber.
A third MP then appears to the pair's right, and the MP Mr Hancock had placed his arm around steps back, appearing to do so to stay socially distant.
I'm confused, as alwyas...
ReplyDeleteThe Govt say that Free Meals have cost £129m since lockdown 12 weeks ago, which equates to some £10.75m/ week
The Government claim that as a result of Mr Rashford's campaign they have added £120m on top of existing £63m provision such that there's now £183m funding for the summer break of 6 weeks
They say there are 1.3m children eligible and that it costs £15p/w per child, so that's £19.5m/week
And for the 6 week summer break that's £117m
How has the weekly cost suddenly leapt from £10.75m to £19.5m?
Why does 12 weeks' funding of £129m seem to be considerably less than the 6 week funding @ £183m?
__________________________________________________
In tonight's Who Wants To Stay A Billionaire, we ask:
In which accounting line do you think Boris has hidden the cost of painting his aeroplane?
A: Education?
B: NHS?
C: Justice?
D: Foreign Office?
VLO's do a valuable, difficult and stressful job with ridiculous workloads but it's a Band 3 job. It just is. What a daft hill to die on. Any main grade officer still in that role needs to be moved into OM where they are badly needed. Underused PSO's currently in OM could easily fill their posts. The core of their ineffectual campaign should always have been about changing the governance of probation back to the local level in partnership with local prison, police, authorities, health services and not for profit organisations. Everything else including unification and kicking out the private sector would follow from that. The real issue effecting us all is pay. What happened to the bullshit they gave us in March that incremental progression was delayed because SCL couldn't do it in time but would be paid backdated later in the year when they'd bought some new computers? Now it seems they still haven't even started talking to the Treasury about sign off for the money. It was clear in 2018 that incremental progression after the TWO YEAR deal ended would not be automatic for 20/21 unless the Treasury said it was OK. But NarfPo said it's OK our chums at MOJ say they've budgeted for it so it will be paid. You'd better vote for the deal cos it's the best we're ever going to get and if you don't we'll get nothing. Talk about doing the bosses dirty work for them! So now here we are with nearly a thousand PO' with 16 to 18 years service still the best part of three grand a year short of the top of the scale and no prospect of ever seeing it until the also delayed performance related pay system kicks in, whenever that may be. I note a stoney silence on that front. The scale of naive duplicity that they continually exhibit never ceases to amaze me.
ReplyDeleteWhat should amaze is your lack of knowledge or any evidence. Know the factors of the JE scheme the duties the responsibility the learning and the role itself. Too many PO level 4 protectionist attitudes. The fact is all posts are under rated on pay yet no one is trying to down grade a level 4 role. This officer led division is what destroys upward pay campaigning and its subjective naivety. VLO is a band 4 role when the scheme is applied properly and half the country were graded to that level and many well qualified external staff came into the role. I came from the voluntary sector citizens advice and pay is underrated for the duties.
DeleteVLO was evaluated fairly as a band 3 role, it was never band 4.
ReplyDeleteI agree, it never was a band 4 and if it's a band 4, then PO is band 5, as it's obvious that the PO role is more complex and demanding. I think it would be better all round if the VLO role was hived off from probation and developed as a separate and independent entity.
DeleteLaughable po grade 5 for what. Snowberry grade pay elitism . Get real probation rightly is a broad church of skill experience across all sectors of population you presume to know the value of a whole staffing structure based on your selfish own rate for a job that the majority deliver. Formatted form filling administrator level work aka po. Get out and see the real damage caused to victims by those lovely offenders the pos pre scared of and don't manage. We have to clear up and prevent the mess po negligence provides us every day.
DeleteHard to follow your train of thought, 06:19, but the point being made was that there is a differential between VLO and PO. VLOs would be better managed by Victim Support or similar organisation.
DeleteTruthfully, victim support could probably do a better job
DeleteFortunately your types do not set the terms. Shamefully so many like you have the controls so it going to be bad for all.
DeleteI'm sick of people slating POs. Some of us gained years of experience as a PSO before the degree with probation. Others spent years getting a degree to then do another to do the job. The stress and expectations piled on PO with constant reminders you could lose your job if there is an SFO. Yet all I hear is other grades having a go. Other professions get professional respect! All this for lousy money. It's embarrassing when you school friends and old acquaintances with no higher level qualifications or the stress levels earn huge amounts more. We give years to the service then find we are stuck because it's too late and after years of training can't afford to retrain. So please stop having a go at POs as if that's the attitude those that spout jealousy or nastiness wouldn't make a great PO anyhow. Before anyone comes in with comments Im not denying other roles are not important, they are, just drop the comments about ours.
ReplyDeleteTroll comment deleted.
DeleteIf there is one role that should have been privatised but was not it is the VLO one - it simply does not belong with Probation there is a clear conflict of interest. That does not denigrate the important work they do but it does not sit comfortable where it is.
ReplyDelete