Thanks go to the reader for alerting me to this from the Probation Institute:-
Sent: Tuesday, August 23, 2022 12:33:47 PM
Subject:
One HMPPS Programme
Everyone working in probation, prisons, youth custody, headquarters, and regional services is working to deliver the same mission: public protection, including safe prison regimes, and reducing the risk that people will reoffend. That is at the heart of what we mean by “One HMPPS”. The One HMPPS programme has been launched by the HMPPS Leadership Team to consider how closer regional working and a greater focus on the frontline can help us better deliver that mission.
The programme aims to refocus the agency on our core operational business, making sure that the whole organisation is structured to ensure the frontline has the right support and supporting improved outcomes. A key aim of the programme is to protect investment in operational delivery and avoid structural change in how we run prisons, deliver probation services and run the youth custody service, but our work will also need to identify cashable efficiency savings in a way that will still enable us to deliver effective operational services that help change lives.
This is a long-term programme of change, which is currently in the design stage. No decisions have been made yet, but our design will be shaped by the following principles:
The One HMPPS Programme also allows respond positively and appropriately to cost reduction asks, arising both from our 2021 Spending Review settlement, and more recently from Civil Service 2025. It is important we do this in the right way, by understanding how HMPPS can operate to deliver better outcomes in a manner that ensure the agency is both more effective and more efficient.
At this stage there is no confirmed timeline for implementation, but we anticipate that you will start to see changes in how we operate by 2025, the end of the current Spending Review period.
We know that many of you have gone through a lot of change over the past few years, and it may be unsettling to hear plans of further changes to the way we operate. The programme is committed to meaningfully engaging and working with all parts of HMPPS and our recognised Trade Unions to understand business needs and develop and refine our future design and implementation plans, and whilst we are currently at the beginning of the change journey, as more concrete proposals are developed the programme is committed to formal consultation with our recognised trade unions throughout.
After engagement with HMPPS recognised trade unions we will begin to reach out in Autumn 2022 to let you know how you can help shape this work. We encourage you to feed in your views to make sure that the proposed changes are designed in a way that best delivers for you and the wider agency.
Sent: Tuesday, August 23, 2022 12:33:47 PM
Subject:
One-HMPPS Programme
Dear all,
We hope this find finds you well and enjoying the Summer.
You may have been reading reports of possible changes to the structures of HMPPS. These proposals are becoming more apparent, and we now understand that it is clearly intended to integrate the management and leadership of the probation and prison services. It is intended that this restructure should give greater autonomy to regional management of HMPPS; also to achieve the anticipated efficiency savings in the civil service.
We attach a note circulated to all staff last week. It is rather bland. A couple of days later this was followed by a note from Antonio Romeo Permanent Secretary MOJ including the text below. It seems that events are moving quickly.
Napo is firmly opposed. With the benefit of experience, it is difficult to see this as other than the loss of professional identity and autonomy for the probation service with all that this will entail.
As the current political environment is rather fluid, we believe that it is worth mounting a campaign to change this decision. It may be that Dominic Raab will not remain in his role but time is short.
We are drafting a short public statement which we will share in the next few days. We are meeting with Napo and others to plan.
You might think it appropriate to write to your MP, or the Minister of State for Prisons and Probation Stuart Andrew, or Dominic Raab - or all three! Any information about the model in Wales would be helpful - the recent Review Letter from HMIP includes a mix of strengths and significant areas for improvement.
We will arrange a Fellows meeting very soon.
With best wishes,
Helen and Mary Anne
Helen Schofield
Acting Chief Executive
Probation Institute
Dear all,
We hope this find finds you well and enjoying the Summer.
You may have been reading reports of possible changes to the structures of HMPPS. These proposals are becoming more apparent, and we now understand that it is clearly intended to integrate the management and leadership of the probation and prison services. It is intended that this restructure should give greater autonomy to regional management of HMPPS; also to achieve the anticipated efficiency savings in the civil service.
We attach a note circulated to all staff last week. It is rather bland. A couple of days later this was followed by a note from Antonio Romeo Permanent Secretary MOJ including the text below. It seems that events are moving quickly.
I have now agreed with the Deputy Prime Minister to move to a new top-level structure in the agency with a Director General Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Director General Operations.We anticipate that you will be as concerned as we are, particularly regarding the proposed date for leadership changes.
The CEO post will be a full-time Accounting Officer for the agency, no longer combined with Second Permanent Secretary responsibilities. The two new Director General (DG) posts will replace the existing DG Prisons and DG Probation, Wales & Youth posts. These changes will support the move to a regional model which the new CEO and DG Ops will oversee.
Jo will continue to oversee HMPPS alongside her wider Second Permanent Secretary responsibilities overseeing CICA, LAA, OPG and the service delivery transformation portfolios including digital and programme delivery.
We will fill the two DG roles via an internal HMPPS process, with the changes taking effect from 1st September. These changes will help strengthen HMPPS’s work towards our shared mission of protecting the public, delivering safe prison regimes and reducing the risk that people will reoffend.
Napo is firmly opposed. With the benefit of experience, it is difficult to see this as other than the loss of professional identity and autonomy for the probation service with all that this will entail.
As the current political environment is rather fluid, we believe that it is worth mounting a campaign to change this decision. It may be that Dominic Raab will not remain in his role but time is short.
We are drafting a short public statement which we will share in the next few days. We are meeting with Napo and others to plan.
You might think it appropriate to write to your MP, or the Minister of State for Prisons and Probation Stuart Andrew, or Dominic Raab - or all three! Any information about the model in Wales would be helpful - the recent Review Letter from HMIP includes a mix of strengths and significant areas for improvement.
We will arrange a Fellows meeting very soon.
With best wishes,
Helen and Mary Anne
Helen Schofield
Acting Chief Executive
Probation Institute
--oo00oo--
One HMPPS Programme
Everyone working in probation, prisons, youth custody, headquarters, and regional services is working to deliver the same mission: public protection, including safe prison regimes, and reducing the risk that people will reoffend. That is at the heart of what we mean by “One HMPPS”. The One HMPPS programme has been launched by the HMPPS Leadership Team to consider how closer regional working and a greater focus on the frontline can help us better deliver that mission.
The programme aims to refocus the agency on our core operational business, making sure that the whole organisation is structured to ensure the frontline has the right support and supporting improved outcomes. A key aim of the programme is to protect investment in operational delivery and avoid structural change in how we run prisons, deliver probation services and run the youth custody service, but our work will also need to identify cashable efficiency savings in a way that will still enable us to deliver effective operational services that help change lives.
This is a long-term programme of change, which is currently in the design stage. No decisions have been made yet, but our design will be shaped by the following principles:
- A focus on the front-line services that we deliver, improving services and outcomes for all offender groups, including women and young people
- Deeper collaboration across the agency both within HQ and closer to the point of delivery, particularly between prisons and probation, in the development and implementation of the One HMPPS vision;
- Strengthening HMPPS’s regional impact through devolved decision making and by building, and delivering through, stronger relationships with our partners
- Identifying and designing out duplication in the system, and identifying how the agency can operate in a more efficient way and
- Using evidence and data in how change is designed and the decisions we make.
The One HMPPS Programme also allows respond positively and appropriately to cost reduction asks, arising both from our 2021 Spending Review settlement, and more recently from Civil Service 2025. It is important we do this in the right way, by understanding how HMPPS can operate to deliver better outcomes in a manner that ensure the agency is both more effective and more efficient.
At this stage there is no confirmed timeline for implementation, but we anticipate that you will start to see changes in how we operate by 2025, the end of the current Spending Review period.
We know that many of you have gone through a lot of change over the past few years, and it may be unsettling to hear plans of further changes to the way we operate. The programme is committed to meaningfully engaging and working with all parts of HMPPS and our recognised Trade Unions to understand business needs and develop and refine our future design and implementation plans, and whilst we are currently at the beginning of the change journey, as more concrete proposals are developed the programme is committed to formal consultation with our recognised trade unions throughout.
After engagement with HMPPS recognised trade unions we will begin to reach out in Autumn 2022 to let you know how you can help shape this work. We encourage you to feed in your views to make sure that the proposed changes are designed in a way that best delivers for you and the wider agency.
--oo00oo--
One HMPPS Programme, Q&A
We understand that colleagues will have many questions regarding the commencement of the One HMPPS Programme, we will continue to ensure engagement with all staff throughout and that this document is updated accordingly.
Why are these changes being made now?
The agency has committed to this programme of change in recognition of the need to make sustainable changes to ensure that the agency is operating at its best, protecting the public and reducing reoffending.
Since unification of the Probation services, for the first time all services are operating entirely under the HMPPS umbrella. This presents us with a timely opportunity to reconsider how we operate as an organisation to deliver the best possible outcomes in the most efficient and effective way.
The programme is committed to ongoing engagement with staff from across the business to ensure that views are fed in and responded to appropriately throughout the process. Whilst we are currently at the beginning of the change journey, as more concrete proposals are developed the programme is committed to formal consultation with our recognised trade unions prior to implementation.
The Programme is also working through the scope of the Civil Service 2025 announcement and assessing how we can meet the efficiency ask of CS2025 whilst protecting and supporting the front line and avoiding detrimental impact on the essential services delivered by the agency. We do not expect structural changes to have an impact below PGD/RPD level; and will work closely with operational leaders to minimise disruption to the front line.
Why more change now particularly as probation has gone through significant changes over the last year?
The agency has committed to this programme of change in recognition of the need to make sustainable changes to ensure that the agency is operating at its best, protecting the public and reducing reoffending. We are also committed to realising efficiencies as part of our Spending Review settlement and in response to Civil Service 2025.
The programme is committed to ongoing engagement with staff from across the business to ensure that views are fed in and responded to appropriately throughout the process. Whilst we are currently at the beginning of the change journey, as more concrete proposals are developed the programme is committed to formal consultation prior to implementation.
We do not expect structural changes to have an impact below PGD/RPD level; and will work closely with operational leaders to minimise disruption to the front line.
How will this change result in efficiencies?
Moving to a more regional model will enable us to review the purpose, function and structure of HQ, streamlining how we work and reducing duplication to make sure the centre best supports the frontline. We are at the beginning of this process, however, and are committed to engaging properly with staff in order to inform design as plans develop further.
Many of us have experienced restructures before, why will this be any different/successful?
Since unification of the Probation service we are in an unprecedented position whereby all services are operating entirely under the HMPPS umbrella. This has offered us the opportunity to think about how best we should structure the agency to operate most effectively going forward. We are committed to learning from past organisational changes and restructures to ensure that the changes we make are sustainable and meet the future needs of the organisation. We are also committed to meaningful engagement with our staff and formal consultation with our recognised Trade Unions ahead of implementation.
How are we learning from DOM/ROM model/previous organisational change?
The programme is committed to ensuring that lessons from past restructures and models, including from other government departments and agencies, are incorporated throughout the planning of the changes being proposed.
What benefits have we seen from the implementation of this model in Wales?
We have seen significant benefits from the implementation of a more regional way of
working in HMPPS Wales, including better joint planning with partner organisations;
efficiencies from shared use of resources; and a more cohesive approach to end-to-end
offender journey planning and joint commissioning.
We are committed to taking the key learning from how HMPPS operates in Wales and
exploring how a similar approach could be adopted in England, recognising the differences between these two areas.
What will this mean for how we work with the functional model?
The Programme team are currently working closely with leads from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to explore and understand functional requirements within the regions and how we can best work in collaboration with MoJ functions to meet these needs going forward.
What will the relationship be between regions and HQ in future?
We anticipate that HMPPS will move to a more regionally focused operating model which would allow the front-line more opportunity to innovate and be better able to respond to the specific needs of the offender cohort at a regional level. In response to this new way of operating we need to ensure that HMPPS HQ has a renewed focus on our core operational business and can best meet the needs of the newly empowered regional front-line. We are at the beginning of this process, however, and we are committed to engaging meaningfully with staff in order to inform design as plans develop.
Will it be a one size fits all? Areas of the country differ.
We are keen to ensure that in adopting a regionally focussed model, front-line services can be tailored to best meet local and regional needs. No decisions have been taken about what this will look like at this stage, and we are committed to engaging meaningfully with staff to inform design as plans develop
Are you increasing/decreasing the number of regions?
No decisions have been made about what a regional structure would look like. The programme is committed to engaging across the business to ensure the new regional
structure supports and enhances how we deliver our services.
How much autonomy and flexibility will regions have? How will we ensure consistency in delivery across England and Wales?
We are still exploring options for what more empowered regions would look like. The programme will ensure that there are appropriate governance and accountability measures that will enable consistency in the outcomes that will be achieved at a regional level whilst encouraging and enabling innovation.
What will this mean for specialist estates like LTHSE, women, YCS?
We recognise and appreciate that some functions may have to remain under national management, and will engage fully with colleagues across these areas to understand how best they will derive benefit from the advantages that greater alignment will offer and operate alongside our future regional structures.
How will we involve everyone from Directors to frontline staff?
The Programme will undertake engagement activity with all grades of staff across the agency to help design, develop and deliver the new operating model for HMPPS.
How will we take external partners with us?
We want the changes that are being spoken about to build upon and enhance existing relationships with our external partners and will offer greater opportunity for collaboration and partnership working.
How will this help us to manage our population across regional borders?
We recognise and appreciate that some functions may have to remain under national management in order to best support the operational front line. We will work with the Population Management Team to understand how the new structure could best support population management in the future.
How will you ensure that the changes do not impact front-line delivery?
We do not expect structural changes to have an impact below PGD/RPD level; and will engage closely with operational leaders to minimise disruption to the front line. We anticipate that many of the changes that are implemented will have a positive impact on front-line delivery, including an increased ability to tailor services to the needs of local cohorts.
The programme is committed to ongoing engagement with staff from across the business to ensure that views are fed in and responded to appropriately throughout the design and implementation process.
Prisons and probation do have differences – how do we work with that?
We recognise the differences between Prisons and Probation. The services that we deliver as an organisation are jointly responsible for delivering the outcomes of public protection and reducing reoffending; and we can best deliver on these outcomes if we are working in a more aligned way. We want to engage across the business to identify opportunities for working in a more strategically aligned way, and use these to inform design going forward.
What will be the impact on staff members across the agency?
The Programme is guided by the need to be frontline focused, ensuring that HMPPS HQ’s purpose, functions and structure are clear and, where necessary, streamlined so that it provides the best support and appropriate challenge to operational delivery, and regions have better access to its services.
The programme is committed to ongoing engagement with staff from across the business throughout the programme’s lifecycle to ensure that views are fed in and responded to meaningfully. Whilst we are currently at the beginning of the change journey, as more concrete proposals are developed the programme is committed to formal consultation prior to implementation.
When will these changes start to be implemented?
Whilst our implementation timeline is yet to be determined, we anticipate this will be a phased approach during the last year of the current Spending Review period, by 2025.
Has this programme emerged in response to Civil Service 2025?
The One HMPPS Programme was commissioned by the HMPPS Leadership Team (HLT) before the announcement of CS2025. The ambition of HLT to deliver the tenets of the One HMPPS programme – a regionally focused model with a renewed emphasis on the operational line, supporting more local partnership working, and with a smaller, more efficient HQ – still stand whether or not we are responding to Civil Service 2025.
Will there be job losses? Will there be a voluntary redundancy option?
We will explore a variety of options as part of our design work. Any options that would result in staff reductions would only be implemented after engagement, consultation and - where appropriate - negotiation with our recognised Trade Unions, and we are committed to ensuring that changes are managed fairly and appropriately.
Will pay/terms and conditions be impacted by these changes?
At this stage, we do not have any plans to change terms and conditions. Any option that would result in changes to T&Cs would be subject to engagement, consultation and - where appropriate - negotiation with our recognised Trade Unions.
We understand that colleagues will have many questions regarding the commencement of the One HMPPS Programme, we will continue to ensure engagement with all staff throughout and that this document is updated accordingly.
Why are these changes being made now?
The agency has committed to this programme of change in recognition of the need to make sustainable changes to ensure that the agency is operating at its best, protecting the public and reducing reoffending.
Since unification of the Probation services, for the first time all services are operating entirely under the HMPPS umbrella. This presents us with a timely opportunity to reconsider how we operate as an organisation to deliver the best possible outcomes in the most efficient and effective way.
The programme is committed to ongoing engagement with staff from across the business to ensure that views are fed in and responded to appropriately throughout the process. Whilst we are currently at the beginning of the change journey, as more concrete proposals are developed the programme is committed to formal consultation with our recognised trade unions prior to implementation.
The Programme is also working through the scope of the Civil Service 2025 announcement and assessing how we can meet the efficiency ask of CS2025 whilst protecting and supporting the front line and avoiding detrimental impact on the essential services delivered by the agency. We do not expect structural changes to have an impact below PGD/RPD level; and will work closely with operational leaders to minimise disruption to the front line.
Why more change now particularly as probation has gone through significant changes over the last year?
The agency has committed to this programme of change in recognition of the need to make sustainable changes to ensure that the agency is operating at its best, protecting the public and reducing reoffending. We are also committed to realising efficiencies as part of our Spending Review settlement and in response to Civil Service 2025.
The programme is committed to ongoing engagement with staff from across the business to ensure that views are fed in and responded to appropriately throughout the process. Whilst we are currently at the beginning of the change journey, as more concrete proposals are developed the programme is committed to formal consultation prior to implementation.
We do not expect structural changes to have an impact below PGD/RPD level; and will work closely with operational leaders to minimise disruption to the front line.
How will this change result in efficiencies?
Moving to a more regional model will enable us to review the purpose, function and structure of HQ, streamlining how we work and reducing duplication to make sure the centre best supports the frontline. We are at the beginning of this process, however, and are committed to engaging properly with staff in order to inform design as plans develop further.
Many of us have experienced restructures before, why will this be any different/successful?
Since unification of the Probation service we are in an unprecedented position whereby all services are operating entirely under the HMPPS umbrella. This has offered us the opportunity to think about how best we should structure the agency to operate most effectively going forward. We are committed to learning from past organisational changes and restructures to ensure that the changes we make are sustainable and meet the future needs of the organisation. We are also committed to meaningful engagement with our staff and formal consultation with our recognised Trade Unions ahead of implementation.
How are we learning from DOM/ROM model/previous organisational change?
The programme is committed to ensuring that lessons from past restructures and models, including from other government departments and agencies, are incorporated throughout the planning of the changes being proposed.
What benefits have we seen from the implementation of this model in Wales?
We have seen significant benefits from the implementation of a more regional way of
working in HMPPS Wales, including better joint planning with partner organisations;
efficiencies from shared use of resources; and a more cohesive approach to end-to-end
offender journey planning and joint commissioning.
We are committed to taking the key learning from how HMPPS operates in Wales and
exploring how a similar approach could be adopted in England, recognising the differences between these two areas.
What will this mean for how we work with the functional model?
The Programme team are currently working closely with leads from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to explore and understand functional requirements within the regions and how we can best work in collaboration with MoJ functions to meet these needs going forward.
What will the relationship be between regions and HQ in future?
We anticipate that HMPPS will move to a more regionally focused operating model which would allow the front-line more opportunity to innovate and be better able to respond to the specific needs of the offender cohort at a regional level. In response to this new way of operating we need to ensure that HMPPS HQ has a renewed focus on our core operational business and can best meet the needs of the newly empowered regional front-line. We are at the beginning of this process, however, and we are committed to engaging meaningfully with staff in order to inform design as plans develop.
Will it be a one size fits all? Areas of the country differ.
We are keen to ensure that in adopting a regionally focussed model, front-line services can be tailored to best meet local and regional needs. No decisions have been taken about what this will look like at this stage, and we are committed to engaging meaningfully with staff to inform design as plans develop
Are you increasing/decreasing the number of regions?
No decisions have been made about what a regional structure would look like. The programme is committed to engaging across the business to ensure the new regional
structure supports and enhances how we deliver our services.
How much autonomy and flexibility will regions have? How will we ensure consistency in delivery across England and Wales?
We are still exploring options for what more empowered regions would look like. The programme will ensure that there are appropriate governance and accountability measures that will enable consistency in the outcomes that will be achieved at a regional level whilst encouraging and enabling innovation.
What will this mean for specialist estates like LTHSE, women, YCS?
We recognise and appreciate that some functions may have to remain under national management, and will engage fully with colleagues across these areas to understand how best they will derive benefit from the advantages that greater alignment will offer and operate alongside our future regional structures.
How will we involve everyone from Directors to frontline staff?
The Programme will undertake engagement activity with all grades of staff across the agency to help design, develop and deliver the new operating model for HMPPS.
How will we take external partners with us?
We want the changes that are being spoken about to build upon and enhance existing relationships with our external partners and will offer greater opportunity for collaboration and partnership working.
How will this help us to manage our population across regional borders?
We recognise and appreciate that some functions may have to remain under national management in order to best support the operational front line. We will work with the Population Management Team to understand how the new structure could best support population management in the future.
How will you ensure that the changes do not impact front-line delivery?
We do not expect structural changes to have an impact below PGD/RPD level; and will engage closely with operational leaders to minimise disruption to the front line. We anticipate that many of the changes that are implemented will have a positive impact on front-line delivery, including an increased ability to tailor services to the needs of local cohorts.
The programme is committed to ongoing engagement with staff from across the business to ensure that views are fed in and responded to appropriately throughout the design and implementation process.
Prisons and probation do have differences – how do we work with that?
We recognise the differences between Prisons and Probation. The services that we deliver as an organisation are jointly responsible for delivering the outcomes of public protection and reducing reoffending; and we can best deliver on these outcomes if we are working in a more aligned way. We want to engage across the business to identify opportunities for working in a more strategically aligned way, and use these to inform design going forward.
What will be the impact on staff members across the agency?
The Programme is guided by the need to be frontline focused, ensuring that HMPPS HQ’s purpose, functions and structure are clear and, where necessary, streamlined so that it provides the best support and appropriate challenge to operational delivery, and regions have better access to its services.
The programme is committed to ongoing engagement with staff from across the business throughout the programme’s lifecycle to ensure that views are fed in and responded to meaningfully. Whilst we are currently at the beginning of the change journey, as more concrete proposals are developed the programme is committed to formal consultation prior to implementation.
When will these changes start to be implemented?
Whilst our implementation timeline is yet to be determined, we anticipate this will be a phased approach during the last year of the current Spending Review period, by 2025.
Has this programme emerged in response to Civil Service 2025?
The One HMPPS Programme was commissioned by the HMPPS Leadership Team (HLT) before the announcement of CS2025. The ambition of HLT to deliver the tenets of the One HMPPS programme – a regionally focused model with a renewed emphasis on the operational line, supporting more local partnership working, and with a smaller, more efficient HQ – still stand whether or not we are responding to Civil Service 2025.
Will there be job losses? Will there be a voluntary redundancy option?
We will explore a variety of options as part of our design work. Any options that would result in staff reductions would only be implemented after engagement, consultation and - where appropriate - negotiation with our recognised Trade Unions, and we are committed to ensuring that changes are managed fairly and appropriately.
Will pay/terms and conditions be impacted by these changes?
At this stage, we do not have any plans to change terms and conditions. Any option that would result in changes to T&Cs would be subject to engagement, consultation and - where appropriate - negotiation with our recognised Trade Unions.
Two excerpts
ReplyDelete"... but our work will also need to identify cashable efficiencey savings"
and
"Everyone working in probation, prisons, youth custody, HQ, and regional services (whatever TF that is) is working to deliver the same mission."
The first is the actual agenda
The second is a lie, in that it suggests that this "one HMPPS" is place of shared culture and values. So not. But obviously in danger of becoming.
I cant believe that just this morning I sipped coffee and whittered on about "nudging" leadership for a change of direction. Its just going to have to be head on confrontation and I hope we have the angst and pride to
go for it, there is clearly nothing to lose
Pearly Gates
RIP Probation
ReplyDeleteNapo, of course, anticipated this hence they've held back on pay talks until the new DG's are in situ so they can send them some very frank & forthright letters.
ReplyDeleteAug 2016
ReplyDeletehttp://probationmatters.blogspot.com/2016/08/probation-needs-voice.html
"Thankful that Jim Barton didn't get promoted and that Sonia Crozier got Director - at least she has been a Probation Officer and lets hope she has retained empathy and reasonableness."
"This is very good news. Sonia Crozier replacing Collin Allars as Director of Probation couldn't be a better outcome. This is what we need, probation officers heading the probation service... And from what I know of Sonia Crozier she can stand up to NOMS!"
There was also dissent:
" "Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer." Now she's within the 'circle of trust' Ms Crozier is unlikely to be standing up to the NOMS bullies & has already explicitly stated she'll be completing the E3 task started by Allars & expecting NPS + CRC to play ball."
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1081564/HMPPS_Org_Chart__June_2022_.pdf
Can't wait for next Thursday...
"We will fill the two DG roles via an internal HMPPS process, with the changes taking effect from 1st September 2022"
Would it be fair to say that at £150,000 a year Crozier/Flynn hasn't really been much of a voice for probation, has settled very nicely into NOMS & is eagerly awaiting her coronation as one of the two DGs? Unless, of course, she's handed a jolly decent leaving package.
Let's hope ffs they don't appoint some the current local directors. I can think of one or two awful candidates . Anyone want to some more naff food images and boring bullshit Twitter.
DeleteYou spoke too soon Jim. The farcical #ProbationDay isn’t even a distant memory and already they’re pimping #HiddenHeroesDay 29.09.22. If they want to “pay tribute” give us a pay rise!
ReplyDeleteDrill artist Headie One mentions Recall, Probation and MAPPA on his new single, Illegal. It's a catchy ditty. Currently on YouTube.
ReplyDeleteNapo is firmly opposed but does nothing, or has no power to do anything. The Probation Institute claims to be our “voice” but is silent. Where are the other useless unions, Unison, GMB? The fact HMPPS cannot tell us what the changes will be and whether probation practices and jobs will be hacked and slashed are major issues.
ReplyDeleteNo other public service received a short, back and sides every 2 years. The worst things that ever hit probation is it’s involvement with both prisons and the civil service. They always benefit while probation always loses.
HMPPS could tell us but they won't, because it will be slash and burn. I was going to walk away in disgust at it all, but might hang on to see if there's a round of redundacies
DeleteDoes probation really stand to lose professional identity and autonomy through these changes? If so, I'm amazed, after all these years of relentless changes, that it still has something to lose. This 'call to arms' is likely to go unheeded - you can't revive dead parrot, nor a probation service that once had a distinct character, animated by a rehabilitative philosophy.
ReplyDeleteThe evidence is there, one HMPPS means in reality two tier HMPPS, guess who is second tier? Could that be Probation that wasn’t allowed into the Civil Service pension scheme ( and yes, it is better or why restrict access from the off?). Interesting how many Newly Qualified POs are going straight into prison roles and how the headcount of probation staff working within prisons has increased. Perhaps one positive may be can probation staff join the Prison Officers Association? A credible union that certainly protects its members and has retained a clear identity unlike NAPO which has simply lost its purpose, credibility and voice. Perhaps forming a division of the POA that can strike, remember probation staff can! Also prison staff get paid overtime so I genuinely believe alignment and recognition of the overtime probation staff swallow without recompense could be a positive implication if one HMPPS is genuine. If it’s genuine let’s have parity of the pensions and paid overtime!
ReplyDeleteA New Choreography = dancing to their tune
ReplyDeleteThey've been 'avin a larf at probation's expense for over two decades now:
NOMS, Trusts, TR, HMPPS
Narey, Edwards, Wheatley, Spurr, Farrar
Copple, Allars, Poree, Rees, Barton, Barrow
Brennan, Heaton, Romeo,
Waddington, Baker, Clarke K, Howard, Straw, Blunkett, Clarke C, Reid, Straw, grayling, gove, truss, Lidington, Gauke, Buckland, raab
Plus the collaborators, the facilitators, the liars in chief who enabled it all to happen with ne'er a whimper of dissent (save for a tiny handful who can be counted on the fingers of one hand).
And those within the staff ranks who did nothing, who poured scorn on their colleagues fighting to save the soul of the service, who cashed in while others sacrificed pay on strike, etc.
Shame on you all.
You are all culpable in the Probation Homicide.
08:55 has lined up all the ducks and it’s as I read the last two decades of probation history - which saw many call to arms, and watched the excuses pile up. Ironical that we have a Probation Institute as a legacy from the Trusts, the TR pathfinders. There is no point in harking back to halcyon days that, like old mine shafts, belong in heritage parks. Probation’s recent history is a litany of betrayals and failures to act, and now it’s oven ready for the prison behemoth.
DeleteThanks for recognising the scorned that was my experience. Attacked from all sides as being alarmist a militant anti authority and change. They won't be enjoying what they were well warned about and it is no worse than was forecast for the end of the poor PO beleaguered role. Napo attacked its own sides who were strong goes onto elect it's foolish weak least able and then allowed them to help sink us all we got what we asked for or deserved. Wait till we what they do under these proposals it will be walk over the complacent.
DeleteContributors on here appear to be summoning the death knell even before the battle has begun. I am not in any position to criticise that approach and indeed would probably amplify it.
ReplyDeleteTo continue to military analogy, you don’t win wars, and this is a war for survival, without winning battles.
There has been no fightback on multiple issues including wages, terms and conditions and not even a voice from the generals in the bunkers ten miles behind the lines.
The unions have been appalling in their neglect of their duties and management at local and regional level have been happy to simply take the money and ensure that everything rolls downhill.
In order to win the big ones, you need to start with the smaller skirmishes. A small victory boosts morale and makes your opponents reflect on any price to be paid.
There are collaborators and ‘enemies within,’ (we all know who they are) but there are some simple tactics that could fire warning shots such as working to contract, no more unpaid overtime, using health and safety legislation to full effect, challenging everything and basically standing up for yourself.
Still no pay rise - you are working for 2010 pay rates in 2022 - and I will put money on any offer being conditional on a further assault upon terms and conditions.
Sometimes, when your back is to the wall you have only two options, fight or bale out!
Well put and I agree with all you say but don't you just think this the sort of sound leadership advice should have been out from Napo months ago.
DeletePrison officers can't take strike action.
ReplyDeleteWondering what these changes might mean for probation workers under the one HMPPS in terms of being able to take industrial action in the future?
'Getafix
https://amp-theguardian-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/amp.theguardian.com/society/2022/aug/26/dominic-raab-made-parole-boards-difficult-job-next-to-impossible?amp_gsa=1&_js_v=a9&usqp=mq331AQIKAGwASCAAgM%3D#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=16615034962936&csi=0&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&share=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fsociety%2F2022%2Faug%2F26%2Fdominic-raab-made-parole-boards-difficult-job-next-to-impossible
ReplyDelete'Getafix
https://www.theguardian.com - The UK’s new official opposition: how powerful union leaders are taking on the Tories
ReplyDeleteNapo are completely absent of course, and the article leaves out any scrutiny towards Starmer.
Of course they do - liberal press like the guardian likely want a Starmer led labour in power, and labour will gladly hijack our discontent to push a 'vote labour' agenda. Labour under Sir Keir offers little to nothing for workers, so dont be fooled.
DeleteName a credible electable alternative? Go on. I’ll wait
DeleteHas anyone else noticed that in the past week, new probation vacancies advertised on civil service jobs state the benefits include a civil service pension, and that there is up to a 27% contribution made by the employer. There are too many in different counties to be a template selection error. I wonder if this could be linked to the new pay offer or One HMPPS, and if correct will current staff be able to change. We may hear more on 1 Sept.
ReplyDelete1 Sept is only next Thurs, but we know they've been working on this for a long time; internal senior civil service appointments don't happen in a matter of days or even weeks - they take months to plan & initiate.
DeleteI'd suggest that what is to be announced next week has been in the making since Jan 2021 when Romeo, the civil service ultra, returned to MoJ as permanent sec'y.
Don't forget: she wasn't afraid to upset Boris when she turned down his publicly announced offer of taking charge at Downing St at the start of 2022; she has plans, she is ambitious & she is in the gaze of & has the ear of many of the ultra-right tories. They've already shielded her from criticism & scandal after she delivered TR for them & was rewarded with a plum job in New York.
Senior probation "leaders" will have known of this. Napo & others might have known, but more likely they're so far behind the curve they're beyond the event horizon - as usual.
IF they *did* know then the Certification Officer ought to strip them of any union credentials for failing yet again to protect their members' interests.
Some interesting observations on how the government make their appointments, dont make them, and how they get who they want in this article from yesterday's Independent.
ReplyDeletehttps://www-independent-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/government-watchdog-victims-commissioner-domestic-abuse-b2152621.html?amp=&_gsa=1&_js_v=a9&usqp=mq331AQKKAFQArABIIACAw%3D%3D#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=16615657174657&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&share=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.independent.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fuk%2Fhome-news%2Fgovernment-watchdog-victims-commissioner-domestic-abuse-b2152621.html
'Getafix
The appointment of the “vital” Victims’ Commissioner for England and Wales has been delayed by several months after the government re-started the process.
DeleteThe original advert said the appointment would be announced in September, but the date has now been pushed back to January - a delay of four months.
It follows a series of other delays and controversies over high-profile public appointments.
The Home Office-led selection of the new director general of the National Crime Agency was stopped at a late stage in May, amid alleged Downing Street interference.
Last year, the government also stopped and restarted the hiring process for a new chair of Ofcom amid speculation that former Daily Mail editor Paul Dacre was the preferred candidate. Conservative peer Lord Michael Grade was appointed in April.
Earlier in 2021, there was controversy over the appointment of the independent reviewer of the Prevent counter-terrorism programme.
Nazi Afzal, the former chief crown prosecutor in the north-west, said media reports named eventual appointee William Shawcross as ministers’ favoured candidate before he was interviewed.
The former Commissioner for Countering Extremism, Sara Khan, was not initially replaced when her term ended in March 2021 and the Home Office created an “interim” post that lasted for 16 months instead.
The holder of that role, Robin Simcox, was then made the full commissioner in July after what the Home Office called a “robust open competition”.
There has been no Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner since Dame Sara Thornton’s set three-year term ended in April.
The slavery watchdog said that in the absence of a commissioner, staff “have no remit to provide views or take on or contribute to new work”.
Did someone mention CS pension pots?
ReplyDeleteAntonio Remero is doing very nicely.
https://www-express-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.express.co.uk/news/politics/1660871/civil-service-pension-pots-whitehall/amp?amp_gsa=1&_js_v=a9&usqp=mq331AQKKAFQArABIIACAw%3D%3D#amp_ct=1661587671040&_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=16615876003302&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&share=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.express.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fpolitics%2F1660871%2Fcivil-service-pension-pots-whitehall
ALMOST 40 Whitehall mandarins enjoy taxpayer-funded pension pots worth more than £1 million, the Daily Express can reveal.
DeleteStaggering new data also shows that in the first year of the covid pandemic, 187 of the most senior civil servants had a cumulative pension pot of £123 million - an average of £657,128 each. This was equivalent to the annual state pension for around 13,464 pensioners.
Campaigners say the eye-watering figures show it’s time to end the “Whitehall retirement racket”.
Research from the TaxPayers’ Alliance (TPA) shows that former Foreign Office mandarin Lord McDonald banked the largest pot valued at a whopping £2.2 million.
Sir Philip Barton, who was castigated over the UK’s chaotic exit from Afghanistan last year, saw the largest increase in the value of his pension pot, growing by £321,000 to £1.7 million.
Cabinet secretary Simon Case had a pension pot of £450,000 in 2020/21, while Treasury boss Tom Scholar had a pot of £1,411,000.
Ministry of Justice permanent secretary Antonia Romeo, who is tipped for a senior role in a new government under Liz Truss, enjoyed a pot valued at £745,000.
Former head of the civil service, Lord Sedwill, had a pension pot equivalent to £102,500 per year in retirement, which was over three times the average UK salary.
A further five mandarins were entitled to annual pensions of between £80,000 and £95,000 per year.
And just to compare and contrast that news with what's happening in the real world...
Deletehttps://www-aljazeera-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2022/8/26/economic-uncertainty-in-the-uk-lead-to-a-watershed-of-strikes?amp_gsa=1&_js_v=a9&usqp=mq331AQKKAFQArABIIACAw%3D%3D#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=16615891473161&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&share=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.aljazeera.com%2Fnews%2F2022%2F8%2F26%2Feconomic-uncertainty-in-the-uk-lead-to-a-watershed-of-strikes
'Getafix
Throughout the British summer, as temperatures rose to record levels, so too has a sense of anger.
DeleteEmployees of several sectors have either gone on strike or voted for industrial action, including public transport staff, postmen and women, teachers, journalists, cargo port workers, and, in Scotland, refuse collectors.
“[The] government has known about poor levels of pay for years because we have taken action on it for years, and yet they failed to address it,” a CBA spokesperson told Al Jazeera.
“We’ve asked for 25 percent well before the inflation issue, because we’ve seen our average earnings decline by 28 percent over a decade. So already, we were behind times.
Dave Ward, general secretary of the Communication Workers Union (CWU), which organised the strike, told Al Jazeera: “Like millions of people in this country, postal workers are being pushed to the edge.
“People are sick of a business elite that is completely out of touch with ordinary people and their lives.
Earlier this month, the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) leader Mick Lynch told Al Jazeera that trade unions were an organic response to what goes on in work and capitalism.
“You don’t have to be a Marxist to understand that,” he said.
“When you suppress [trade unions], you suppress people’s freedom. People have got to wake up to that, and their rights are being corroded.”
From October until the end of December, energy bills for millions of households will increase to an average of 3,549 pounds ($4,198) per year from the current 1,971 pounds ($2,331).
No doubt ALL of those well-remunerated civil servants will take their state pension as well once they reach the relevant age of eligibility.
DeleteAn acquaintance of advancing years who was once a senior civil servant recently revealed something about her income during a discussion around 'cost of living'. She said she "just about gets by" on her civil service pension of £3,000 a month, £5,000 a month from her investments & £800 a month state pension. She has no mortgage ("we got rid of that monstrous irritation years ago"), lives in a property probably worth £750,000 and (with a wink) said she also "has a little set aside in case I start to struggle."
*** "Just about gets by" on £9,000 a month ***
She also said "I very much like that refreshingly cheeky Boris chap. Sad he's going after all he's done for us."
I guess it depends who you define as "us".