Relationship Theme Continued

I try to keep up, but am continually finding stuff I've somehow missed and never came across my radar at the time. Here's a case in point, an interview with Sonia Flynn the former probation CPO from 12 months ago. The subject of the relationship between probation officer and client is touched upon and I think it deserves a wider audience than the 503 views indicated on the YouTube post:-  

Usually on The Sit Down, we speak to someone who has been inside themselves or is close to someone who has. This episode is a little bit different, as we sit down with the outgoing Chief Probation Officer Sonia Flynn. The CPO is responsible for 18,000 probation workers across England and Wales – a role that Sonia has held since 2017. Here she reflects on her time on the role, answers questions about recall and MAPPA and tells us what she thinks needs to change.

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I notice the relationship theme was enthusiastically expanded upon by regular contributor 'Getafix yesterday:-  

Everything, and I do mean everything in society is based on relationships. Relationships with family, work, money, food, substance misuse, health, absolutely everything is based on a relationship, and even those that try to withdraw from society are still left with the relationship that exists with themselves.

People are judged, defined, labelled and processed in society on the basis of their relationships with society. We are actually all the same, all that separates us is how society views our relationships with it.

Changing our lives inevitably means changing our relationships with the world, and turning away from the comfort of familiarity. That's as true for someone wanting to walk away from their job in probation as it is for someone wanting to give up drugs or leave a broken relationship.

When someone walks through the doors of probation, it's their relationships with society that's brought them there, and for probation to have any success with that person, they have to focus on how that persons relationship with society needs to change and what society needs to bring to that relationship to enable that change to happen.

I see the role of the probation officer as the arbitrator between the person on probation and society. That has to be a position based on trust and mutual respect. It's a position that requires the arbitrator to be given the autonomy to look for and find the solutions required.
It's a position that at its fundamental basis needs to be based on the relationship.

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Also from yesterday, the following will be instantly recognisable to officers who joined during the period Sonia Flynn referred to in her early days:-

Qualifying in the early 90s my first job as a PO was in a North Midlands city. I worked in a purpose built Probation office built between the two housing estates we served. I regularly worked with the youth club, police, social care, job centre and Drs surgeries, all having their work places in the same estates. I could do home visits and people would occasionally stop for a chat or just say hello, wanting to introduce family or a friend to me. I worked in the local court once a week and had impromptu ‘one to ones’ as I moved around the building. 

As a team we helped organise a funeral for the partner of one of my cases and we would go to funerals when asked by our cases. I remember assisting a colleague get the bride and bridesmaids to the wedding on time when the groom was on the caseload and plans did not work out. We went white water rafting with younger lads on the caseload after facilitating an offending behaviour group with them the 2 months previously. 

One day I drove a case to a Crown Court 80 miles away as he had breached his order and I was the one breaching him! All he had on him was a shoe box with a toothbrush and toiletries in it. The Judge had me in the box for 1/2 an hour and after that said I should take him back to the independent hostel he lived in. The space was still available and back he came with his shoe box to be welcomed warmly by the staff and residents. He completed his sentence. 

My senior agreed to all of the above. My senior was special to me as a young officer and he was highly respected in the county. One day when I was in supervision and expressing my frustration as I could not get over a hurdle for someone, he told me a simple truth “ Your job is to hold the tension between the client and the community” and to keep going. It struck a chord then and makes perfect sense now.

My senior was also someone who walked the talk and I remember he agreed after some persuasion to visit a dentist near where he lived -to pick up a repaired denture belonging to a case who had been sent to prison, the dentures were really important to him, his identity and self confidence. I class that as “going above and beyond”.

As a PO you have to be part of the community, for me it all feels long gone now and the “tension” for me is a politically built impenetrable wall that judges and vilifies those who offend against their community. Today I wear risk management lenses, I put on my defensible decision hat and clatter away endlessly on a key board pretending I am working for the better of the community. Actually I work for HMPpS and that is utterly constraining and blinkered by the civil service model. I sill do spend quality time completing one to one casework as much as I can.

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Finally, the following is taken from former probation officer Mike Guilfoyle's LinkedIn page I found myself reading early this morning having heard of his sad passing at the weekend:- 

"As someone who has always aimed to work in a relationship based way and whose interests have embraced the furtherance of humane and progressive Criminal Justice policies and practices."

I met Mike in the very early days of this blog and he remained a constant source of support, encouragement and information ever since. He was a legend in probation and criminal justice circles, a prolific author of insightful book reviews and practice reflections and he will be sadly missed not least for his enthusiastic contributions to the work of Napo, particularly at Conference and AGMs. I have many fond memories of lively conversations held over a shared interest in both good beer and great pubs.