I’m an Approved Premises Manager and I ensure that all of my team follow the advise, assist and befriend motto. Of course fundamentally we are a risk management facility but if you are responsive to the needs of the resident the risk management element often supports itself. For example- When a resident lapses, rather than immediately withdraw a bed, I meet with the resident and we collaboratively put a plan of action in place. My team then work with resident to implement the plan, adding extra support in place like going with them to drug/alcohol appointments, CA/AA meetings in the community and putting on additional 121 relapse prevention sessions in the AP.
It still blows my mind however that there are a pool of POs who as soon as they find out a resident is struggling want to recall them straight away without even giving them a chance to get back on track.
Now as I said earlier, of course if situations like this mean that risk is entirely unmanageable then recall needs to happen, but I find in 9/10 of situations it really doesn’t. I’ve noticed we get a far better response from residents if they can see we are trying to help them succeed. It saddens me that for some this approach seems to be diminishing.
It still blows my mind however that there are a pool of POs who as soon as they find out a resident is struggling want to recall them straight away without even giving them a chance to get back on track.
Now as I said earlier, of course if situations like this mean that risk is entirely unmanageable then recall needs to happen, but I find in 9/10 of situations it really doesn’t. I’ve noticed we get a far better response from residents if they can see we are trying to help them succeed. It saddens me that for some this approach seems to be diminishing.
"It saddens me that for some this approach seems to be diminishing."
ReplyDeleteIt saddens me that most (not all) have adopted a punitive sanction-first approach for a variety of reasons, primarily as a strategy to keep a job (i.e. do as they're told) but also because there has been a definite shift in staff's personal attitudes within probation post-TR.
But its not terribly surprising I guess when from 2017 onwards many (not all) new staff will have still been at school when tories took power in 2010; so all they've known in their formative adult lives is austerity, greed & utter dishonesty in every aspect of life modelled by MPs, Peers & the media & others holding more senior /influential roles in society.
We always have 'an alternative to custody' interview and recall is the last resort. Its one of the few things that work in our office.
ReplyDeleteIn my new office I have never had an alternative to recall chat - I am a long serving PSO but i feel that the 'new' generation of SPO's are risk averse. The struggle is real, but that is the culture we are in.
DeleteI'm interested to know the date of the original article. Having worked in an AP, my experience was to let the AP staff sort things out, with little help from the AP Manager/OM.
ReplyDeleteAs an AP manager of a women’s AP, I follow the same approach as the original poster. I have had women lapse 2,3,4 times during their stay- my staff and I help pick them back up, assist them to remember their reasons for working towards abstinence and support them to engage with other agencies etc. We sometimes have residents who are too scared to leave the AP as they do not feel strong enough to say no if they are approached by someone who offers drugs/alcohol, so as staff we will go out with them as they slowly rebuild their confidence. To me, small gestures like this help to show our women that we care and are as invested in their success as they are.
ReplyDeleteOf course, there are situations which can occur that mean placements can become unviable, and remaining in the community cannot be managed effectively- for example I do not tolerate violent, threatening or abusive behaviour towards staff or other residents (and would likely withdraw their bed if we could not identify a way to move forward). The safety of my staff and residents will always remain paramount. However, I have to say these situations for the majority of women I work with are few and far between.
There has definitely been an increase (from my observations) of Probation Officers who seem reluctant to afford more chances to my residents before opting to recall, and I wonder if this is due to the constant fear of SFOs that is drilled into everyone’s head. I speak to many PO’s who seem to have lost their confidence in using professional judgement, probably because they are forced to do things like recall decision trees that dictate to them what they ‘should’ do, rather than what they feel is the right thing to do.
Oh gosh I just realised I was the original poster!! Oops : D
ReplyDeleteIt still blows my mind however that there are a pool of AP MANAGERS who as soon as they find out a resident is struggling want to EVICT them straight away without even giving them a chance to get back on track. Add to that declining AP referrals because cases are “too risky” and withdrawing AP bed spaces because residents didn’t pay service charges or breached minor rules.
ReplyDeletePeople who were attracted to probation work were generally on the left ..now the opposite it really is a policing job and people love that
ReplyDeleteI find that AP SPOs live on a different planet and seem to believe it's their personal fiefdom. Referrals that mysteriously go bump in the night and disappear from Delius. More likely to want the POP sanctioned for a minimum of transgression.All wrapped up in an officious package that is absent of empathy for the PO AND POP. Too busy jumping to conclusions rather than bouncing with compromise. Let's not forget that POs don't recall. It's ultimately the Head of Service and in-between is their SPO and the behaviour of the POP that triggers it.
ReplyDeleteYes PO’s do recall.
DeletePO: I think I need to recall
SPO: Ok
Head of Service: I think we need to recall.
SPO: Ok
PO to POP: I’m recalling you.
POP: Ok
I agree with some comments on here and have had to manage a number of crisis situations when AP managers have withdrawn the bed of residents, leaving me trying to get high risk people accommodated when recall is an option because they person themselves may have placed their bed at risk. I have often worked hard to promote alternatives to recall but we don’t hear about the work we do in this area. Jim, perhaps we need something about the good work we practitioners do, despite the dead hand of the Civil Service and the JFDI management culture. I’m off to work now but will try to get something to you?
ReplyDeleteAnon 07:26 Oh that would be great if you are able to write something - possibly a guest blog piece - contact details are on the profile page. It would be interesting to know if you have noticed a difference between independent or directly-managed APs.
DeleteFrom Twitter:-
ReplyDelete"I'm reliably told that over 80% of AP residents are back in prison within a year of release. I'm also told that many prison leavers are more terrified of being assigned to an AP than they were of entering prison for the first time."
From twitter:-
ReplyDelete"Power is very seductive, especially to people with self-esteem issues. I've seen a few prison guards and probation staff clearly enjoying their power over people in their care. Toying with people's lives is a perk of the job."
Mosy of our cases supervised by the National Security Division have to reside in AP year for 12 months on release. Needless to say most do end up being recalled
ReplyDeleteNSD staff are also paid at band 5 for doing the very same job as the rest of us with a greatly reduced caseload……
DeleteDoes anyone know what PQUIPS earn or potentially earn a year post qualification? I am told potentially 36,000! Is this true as if so it is very demotivating for PO's or PSO's at top of their pay scale which is little more than this! Also for SPO's for that matter. Don't know if it's true, perhaps not but maybe another reason veteran staff are leaving in droves. Presumably the civil service see a better future getting rid of the experienced and bringing in more bright young things or they are panicking and trying to plug the shortages.
ReplyDelete14:18 Probation Pay is a mess. There is no strong desire from the bosses in HQ to sort it out due to the passive nature of probation pay negotiators pitted against the robust militancy of the prison service who let’s face it can cause a national crisis. Amy Rees cannot afford to upset the prison service by awarding the correct levels to a bunch of whingeing anoraks in probation. Unfortunately all the probation unions failed to hold the employers toes to the fire when they had the most leverage. With an increasingly young and feminised workforce and OneHMPPS happening probation is heading in a downward spiral until it blinks out as a separate entity. Almost laughably the real pay increase should be around 40% because of pay freezes and minimal settlements accepted without concerted industrial action. Meanwhile HMPPS have created a new tier of managers that operate outside of negotiating structures without any meaningful consultation. Full steam ahead towards the dismantling of the probation service and assimilation of it into the prison service where ironically staff may finally have a voice.
DeleteFrom MoJ probation bulletin October.
ReplyDeleteAre APs slowly going to be removed from probation and given to independent contractors?
6. Independent Approved Premises (IAPs)
Approved Premises (APs) provide a critical community-based service to accommodate and manage high risk individuals serving community sentences and on release from custody.
Provision of accommodation on release is a key factor in reducing re-offending and supporting transition into the community whilst reducing the need for prison places. There is currently 104 APs across England & Wales. Independent Approved Premises (IAPs) are run by independent contracted organisations. 15 of the current 104 APs in England & Wales are IAPs.
The MoJ intends to run a competition in December 2023 for IAPs located in both London and the North West Probation Service regions, with contracts starting on 1 April 2026. The IAPs will be single sex occupancy. The MoJ intends to run a two-phase procurement with the second competition for IAPs in five other Probation Service regions: North East, South West/South Central, South East, Midlands and Wales.
A Prior Information Notice has been published, detailing market engagement events/information sessions taking place at the end of October for the first phase of the procurement. The Notice includes registration links for each of the sessions: Independent Approved Premises – Phase 1 London and North West Probation Service Regions - Find a Tender (find-tender.service.gov.uk)
Additional market engagement sessions will be held in February 2024 for the second procurement group; further information on this will be posted in early-2024.
'Getafix
From Twitter:-
ReplyDelete"I’m lucky where I am. Our AP Managers and indeed staff are very responsive a realistic and good people. Had an incident recently and both AP manager and staff were superb, it makes a challenging job less challenging when we work together."
Same AP manager here that posted originally and then again- I can’t vouch for all AP managers taking my approach but I do know some very good AP managers who very much do ‘bounce with compromise’. I’ve taken on two alternative to recalls this week alone, one of whom is an IPP and head of service wanted to recall. Had it not been for myself and the PO putting a strong argument for the AP as an alternative she would be back in prison for good knows how long.
ReplyDeleteAs with POs, PSOs, SPOs etc etc there are good examples of practice dotted around the country, yes the probation service is in crisis but it’s unhelpful to tarnish groups with the same brush and assume all within that group are the same.
Aps all stuffed with violence or sex offenders . Not what they were opened for. Today ordinary needy get sod all . Aps are a waste of time better off leaving them in jail than monitoring the dangerous 8ntil their time is up. Aps used to home lads in way they could be helped into self support . They used be engaged in activities. Today it's rising add on and police control centre. The value of aps today is zilch. Simple.
DeleteI disagree 22:20 I have seen brilliant practice with AP placements particularly with Lifers upon initial release. Many people I have worked with had very long periods in custody before release where life outside had moved on and changed massively. Gradually being subject to stressors in the community with support of PO and AP really supports such people. Yes there are great challenges for them and yes it is in everyone’s interest to work with this, learning how to manage their lives again is key to successful life licences and in my experience AP’s and particularly the key workers do a great job with little recognition for this.
DeleteSeen on Twitter:-
ReplyDelete"Agreed, culture is fear underpinned by recent SFO media coverage, but also the ability to effect use professional judgement is undermined by ridiculous workloads and processes sadly."
From Twitter:-
ReplyDelete"Probation hasn't been "a separate entity" since it was appropriated by MoJ via NOMS./NPS. All we've witnessed since 2000 are the choreographed tragi-comic death throes of a wriggling worm on a hook accompanied by the last, dying gasps of militant dinosaurs & Canutian optimists."
If the befriend, assist ...model worked so well, how come the probation service changed it to emphasise public protection? It seems pretty straightforward to me: if someone is given license conditions they sign up to, they need to obey them. If they fail, their license is withdrawn and they are recalled.
ReplyDeleteYour approach may work for those with a sudden change in dynamic risks: something prompting a mental instability or a sudden loss of support systems or something of that nature; but for many other offenders - your 'give them a chance' approach is simply a green flag to abuse and manipulate the system to their own ends and to tie up your time with constant neediness without taking any responsibility for their own choices. That is why they are criminals. They aren't honest.
Anon 15:12 "If the befriend, assist ...model worked so well, how come the probation service changed it to emphasise public protection?"
DeleteIt didn't! Our political masters changed it purely for political reasons.
No no no we did we complied the Napo boss was complicit but it was 20 year change as managerialism took in a new set of phrase talk. Offending behaviour. Risk asses. Desistence what works sign posting indicators tariff SFR verbal report you name it dumbed down to a monitoring desk job and no one fought it properly as the broadened new mix of staff did not care as the IT generation it is always going to be like this now . It's nasty place to work and it's not getting well ever. Can't wait to retire.
DeleteA Twitter dialogue:-
ReplyDelete"Probation hasn't been "a separate entity" since it was appropriated by MoJ via NOMS./NPS. All we've witnessed since 2000 are the choreographed tragi-comic death throes of a wriggling worm on a hook accompanied by the last, dying gasps of militant dinosaurs & Canutian optimists."
Jim Brown reply:- "That's about it! However, I suspect you underestimate the ability of the remaining "militant dinosaurs & Canutian optimists" to cause considerable trouble and general spanner-placing in works. Am pretty confident my MoJ/HMPPS file says as much."
Response:- "spot on, Mr Brown. I'm sure that Mr Pink, Ms White, Miss Black, Mr Violet, Ms Blue, Mrs Green, Mr Yellow etc will also have been making similar mischiefs 😉 My heart goes out for the loss of probation-as-was, and for the palest shadow of advise, assist & befriend that remains."
Submitted on an earlier blog post:-
ReplyDeleteBBC News - Ruth Perry: Ofsted inspection 'likely contributed' to headteacher's death
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-67639942
How long before we have similar situation in Probation due to brutal inspections and SFO's? Only a matter of time if it hasn't already happened. So many SFO's at the moment and you are lucky if senior staff even bother to ask how you are feeling let alone provide appropriate debrief or counselling.
An Ofsted inspection "contributed" to the death of head teacher Ruth Perry, an inquest has ruled.
DeleteThe inspection "lacked fairness, respect and sensitivity" and was at times "rude and intimidating", senior coroner Heidi Connor said.
Mrs Perry, 53, took her own life in January while waiting for an Ofsted report to be published. Her sister Julia Waters said "urgent lessons must be learnt from Ruth's death". Ms Connor expressed concern about the system's impact on school leaders.
The coroner's verdict was recorded as "suicide: contributed to by an Ofsted inspection carried out in November 2022."
In her concluding remarks, Ms Connor said: "The evidence is clear in this respect, and I find that Ruth's mental health deterioration and death was likely contributed to by the Ofsted inspection."
This is the first time Ofsted has been listed as a contributing factor in the death of a head teacher.
"Today, the coroner's conclusions validate what our family has known for a long time - that Ruth took her own life as the direct result of the process, outcome and consequences of an Ofsted inspection of the school she led and loved, Caversham Primary School," Prof Waters said.