Readership and contributors have been declining over recent years, but here's a funny thing - if I don't publish anything, we tick over with about a thousand to fifteen hundred 'hits' daily, but it rockets to between three and five thousand if anything kicks off. It still seems to fill a need and is possibly some kind of comfort blanket, especially during troubled times.
Certainly this appeared to be the case during the early days of lockdown and sadly is proving to be the case as we inevitably head into a new period of 'shafting' brought about by TR2:-
"The NPS will not match all CRC job roles, as some jobs do not exist in the NPS and some CRC qualification criteria are insufficient."
"My reading is that "Employment protections" apply for those transferring to NPS only. HMPPS cannot possibly offer a guarantee for those poor souls cast adrift who are deemed unsuitable, unworthy, not in the clique, unable to pass vetting, etc. Back to 2015/6 & throwing staff under the privateer bus."
"Stories of staff being marched out of offices. Others unable to apply for other jobs like OM, AP and OMiC. All unions will do is ask for transfer into a non-frontline role. Usually it’s due to past convictions (both major and minor) already on DBS, links to family members with criminal records (or under investigation) and bad credit. Can’t believe unions didn’t oppose vetting."This was always likely to happen as a result of vetting and civil service command and control and was certainly flagged-up and discussed on here ages ago. We all know CRCs made use of volunteers, many of whom were former or even current clients and a significant number were put on the payroll. HMPPS and NPS don't believe in volunteers and vetting makes it almost impossible for any employee with 'lived experience' to transfer over. In essence a disgrace going against as it does the very essence of probation's ethos.
People who know me are aware I often say 'it's all been said'. Nobody likes repetition and surely there's nothing new to cover? Especially when contributions dry up, I've considered packing it in many times, but I've come to appreciate it's actually quite hard to do when something has become such a significant part of your life for so long. Each time I tend to think I'll just see us through this crisis and then stop.
Thing is, we seem to have those fairly regularly and deep down I still want to see probation regain its identity and independence. I guess whist ever I'm speaking to like-minded refuseniks, dissidents, contrarians and remaining 'old-timers', we carry on.
In the very early days I offered a bottle of a favourite tipple to any person providing screenshot evidence of significant milestones and I have fond memories of hand-delivering a litre of gin to a very keen reader in Newcastle several times! They may still be reading, but the offer remains open to all, Covid-19 and appropriate social-distancing permitting.
Thanks for being part of the journey and making the blog what it is. Take care, stay safe look out for each other and cheers!
Me too keep us posted Jim. The unions don't as they collude for themselves.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-54135575
ReplyDelete"Teenagers convicted of terrorism in England and Wales could receive whole-life terms under sentencing reforms described by the government as the most radical in almost 20 years.
Currently, a life tariff can only be given to those over the age of 21, but ministers plan to reduce this to 18 for exceptional cases, such as terrorism.
A White Paper outlining further details will be published this week."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-54131030
ReplyDelete(includes a handy cut-out-&-keep guide to meeting up)
"A man has been fined £10,000 for hosting a large house party in Nottingham.
The 19-year-old was issued with the fixed penalty notice after he allowed more than 50 people into his home on Harlaxton Drive, in Lenton, on Friday."
The whole country I feel is now in a far greater mess then probation ever has been, even with TR.
ReplyDeleteAnd its going to get worse as the furlough scheme ends, and the outdoor spaces created by many businesses in response to Covid19 become places no longer viable as the cold winter winds and rain set in.
For most now I think, leaving the office after a shite day at work just means exchanging one set of problems and worries for another set of problems and worries.
Some are OK though. Philip Green (still a Sir) for example has drawn down tens of £millions of Government furlough money whilst announcing mass redundancies.
I think it becomes difficult in the current climate to seperate the problems of probation from all of the many other problems the country is experiencing.
However, next week sees an announcement on sentencing guidelines. Lowering the age for whole life tariffs has made the news this morning, but the Telegraph also reports changes to community sentences to be announced.
Criminals given community sentences will have to spend up to 23 hours a day at home
Move expected to be unveiled in White Paper setting out major shake-up of sentencing guidelines next week.
Not sure how it will work, or how it will be policed (all community sentences on tag?). It must however have some impact on probation work?
And just an aside, but I hope this comment dosen't hit the 7m
mark, because I think gin is just the most god awful drink that's ever been invented!
'Getafix
How very weirdly similar this is to Cummings/Johnson v. the Civil Service. So how much of the information released in the UK has been 'amended' to support the govt's position, e.g. adjusting data, changing counting methods, or plain & simple lying?
ReplyDelete"The “deep state” conspiracy theory, enthusiastically propounded by the president and senior aides, holds that a permanent government of bureaucrats and intelligence officials exists to thwart Trump’s agenda... Steve Bannon, a former Trump campaign manager and White House strategist now under indictment for fraud, was a key early proponent of the “deep state” theory."
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/sep/12/donald-trump-michael-caputo-cdc-covid-reports-politico-deep-state
Well, as someone with lived experience of the CJS, come June, after 20 + years service it's likely that I'll be deemed unfit and shown the door!
ReplyDeleteIt's been fun ride with many memories.
At best expect a role in a court and everyone will know why. At worst expect a letter in the post explaining why you cannot work in the NPS.
DeleteVetting failure can be overridden. Many ex-offenders work in prisons and the MoJ which have a higher security clearance. Napo and Unions have failed to require the NPS centrally and divisionally to have procedures for over-riding vetting failures.
Vetting should not penalise those with past convictions that are already working in probation with valid DBS.
@11.26
DeleteI did hear a rumour that someone in NE NPS threatened Court action after "failing" vetting. I'm not sure if this was with NAPO/Unison help. I'm unsure what the outcome was though as it's possible that his dismissal was legal (if bot ethical!).
FWIW, you'll probably not be the only one with either lived experience or a family member with similar. I'd recommend speaking to yoir union and seeing what help they can give you.
Napo’s agreed practice is to help those failing vetting into roles that do not access Visor. Mostly for vetting failures for past convictions and family members with convictions. This rules out all OM roles.
DeleteUnions are NOT doing anything else.
“FWIW, you'll probably not be the only one with either lived experience or a family member with similar“
DeleteAsk yourself why we do not hear about them??!!
Nap response is “We have asked”. No demands. No refusal for members to be vetted. Nada.
Delete“The number of roles that can be undertaken without ViSOR vetting has reduced significantly since the original consultation, and it now appears that only Court and Accredited Programmes roles will be suitable for someone who fails. We have asked that the employer considers how staff who fail vetting may be supported to remain in their role, for example by having adjustments made such as colleagues entering data onto ViSOR for them, as happens now for most staff.”
https://www.napomagazine.org.uk/ongoing-concerns-over-visor-vetting/
"by having adjustments made such as colleagues entering data onto ViSOR for them"
DeleteCan't see anything going wrong there then, can you Napo?
Chair of SFO Panel: So why did you enter those comments about X onto the Visor system?
PO: I didn't
Chair: But it says here that you did
PO: No, its all a misunderstanding. You see, I failed the vetting because my great uncle was jailed for non-payment of fines so my colleague was entering the information on my behalf. They clearly misread my notes, I never said what they typed in for me. In fact I said quite the opposite; I said they DID pose a serious risk to women. It was just a simple misunderstanding.
Chair: But now three women are dead.
PO: Not my fault. Here are my handwritten notes which clearly show what should have been entered.
Chair: Can you prove they're contemporaneous?
PO: Err, no. But its what I wrote.
Chair: Guilty as charged. Throw 'em overboard!!
We don’t need or use Visor anyway.
DeleteVisor is being used as an excuse for Vetting. It’s the only way the prison service and civil service could force vetting onto the NPS.
To say Probation Officers can’t do their jobs without access to Visor is utter shite.
Napo do what they think is ok by avoiding any ownership. Meaning they won't take any action in law. However if your appointed to a po post and then fail vetting they have breached your employment terms. Not you.
DeleteAnon 11:26, speak to your HR manager. There’s a HMPPS release saying probation will be employing more people with convictions as probation officers in 2021. Unclear what the criterion is or how it’ll work with vetting.
ReplyDeleteBuckland unwilling to answer Marr's question this morning as to whether he'll resign if the govt breaks the law. "If I see the rule of law being broken in a way I find unacceptable, of course, I will go"
ReplyDeleteSurely the rule of law is the rule of law, NOT what each individual finds acceptable or otherwise?
So this is what they mean by NUANCE?
And Buckland is the Lord Chancellor. He is a qualified lawyer, a judge (Recorder).
It truly is a govt full of clowns, misfits & fuckwits.
FFS!!!!!
Total Pageviews = 7000004
ReplyDeleteWell done that man!!
Forgot what I came here for now... :)
FranK.
We have a claimant! - so well done to them and thanks everyone for reading and contributing - it can only really be worthwhile by collaborative effort.
Deleteuk un/acceptably lawless govt covid-19 data sun 13/9/20
ReplyDeletetesting: still showing 227K from 10 sept
new cases: 3,330
deaths per govt criteria: 5
hospitalisation: still showing 141 from 2/9/20
UK 14-day cumulative no. of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 is now showing as 48.6
France = 151
Spain = 270
Italy = 32
Greece = 28
Portugal = 57
Germany = 21
Cyprus = 4
Finland = 8
Croatia = 86
Malta = 78
BUT... even using the govt's own figures the UK still has by far the highest death toll in Europe. We are 6,000 deaths above the next nearest country, i.e. Italy (35K), with France (31K) & Spain (30K).
This UK govt has plenty of questions to answer about the numbers of UK deaths during the pandemic, along with many other important questions about mishandling of public funds, the delayed response, the shifting of blame, etc etc.
FranK.
Meantime the fuckwittery continues across our nation:
Delete"Police have dispersed illegal gatherings overnight as revellers make the most of the final weekend before “rule of six” coronavirus restrictions come into force.
Greater Manchester police said they closed down illegal gatherings at properties in Altrincham and Flixton on Saturday night, as well as a large gathering of around 70 people in Mottram.
Fixed penalty notices were issued at each of the incidents as current rules only allow groups of up to 30 to meet.
The interventions came a few hours after officers attended a gathering at an address in Stockport that had 45 people in attendance, and another address in north Manchester *** to which they had been called on two previous occasions."
Wetherspoons keep a weather-eye on the virus as Tim Martin scoffs at the covid-19 pandemic & celebrates trading conditions:
Delete"The JD Wetherspoon chairman, Tim Martin, said it was wrong to say pubs were dangerous places, and accused the press of fuelling negative views about pubs with inaccurate headlines. “The situation with regard to pubs has been widely misunderstood” he said.
The company said it had 32m customer visits to its 861 pubs open in the 10 weeks since 4 July. During this period, 66 of its 41,564 staff tested positive for coronavirus.
It said 811 pubs had reported no positive tests. Most of the reported cases have been mild or asymptomatic and 28 of the 66 employees have returned to work, after self-isolating in accordance with medical guidelines."
And this is how easy it is, Tim:
Delete"a 26-year-old woman, who has not been named, visited a number of pubs in the resort of Garmisch-Partenkirchen while awaiting the results of a coronavirus test, according to local reports.
Thirty-seven new cases were recorded at the resort on Friday and Saturday alone, according to local authorities."