Have you left probation in the last few years?
We are conducting a thematic inspection of the recruitment, retention, and training of frontline probation practitioners. As part of this work, we would like to speak to staff who have recently left these roles to understand their experiences. This is an essential element of this inspection and will help inform our findings and recommendations for improvement.
If you have left a frontline practice role since June 2021 and are willing to talk about your experiences in confidence, please get in touch with Senior Research Officer Kevin.Ball@hmiprobation.gov.uk to arrange a convenient time for a telephone or online interview.
Interviews will take place throughout August, September, and October.
Compendium from Twitter:-
ReplyDelete"That’s my sense . The key role is not truly understood or valued and the organisational changes have been such a distraction and drain on talent and energy . Never give up ! Let’s find listening ears."
"How would a workload management tool ever be 100% accurate? Let alone be accurate whilst ALSO numerically balancing total number of cases as suggested by the second part of that statement. (Genuine questions; I don’t understand the logic)"
"It’s not. It’s defo not reflective of working with women. So much more complex then most males and yet rated the same? For me and the rest of the PDU who dot. Want to work with women, 1 women = 3 men."
"I wonder if staff seeing the WMT is helpful. It’s just a number that goes ⬆️⬇️ based on a load of pretty dodgy assumptions that certain types of cases require more time, than others. Everyone now compares with peers, critiques its accuracy, gets backs up. It solves nothing."
"It doesn’t, but those with “years in” know. It’s never going to change. It should, but it won’t. They don’t listen to staff. We all work hard, in prison and community there’s lots of work needed to make it fair and, manageable."
"Changed recently no? Various ‘needs’ given additional weight to account in particular for complexity of W? However my point was it’s not poss to make it 100% accurate and/or have equal total number of cases because not all cases are the same and work input required fluctuates."
"Nope. Not changed at all (well mine hasn’t) female cases are weighted exactly the same as males. We’ve fought for a reduction but have been told it’s not possible. They are as, if not more, complex the PPO/IOM who attract a reduction. But agree, it’s defo impossible for accurate."
"We are building prisons at £250m a pop. and £50k a head to run in order to incarcerate peaceful protesters ??? Remanded in custody? WTAF? This is one part of the actual chaos of mass release."
"I had spent 18 years in probation, 15 years in a homeless charity, 7 years is SSD working with young people, had two degrees, CQSW but as a PO temp couldn't make a decision on the risk level of an offender, SPO would tell me they were high risk, everyone can't be high risk."
"I remember when we went to a meeting about OMIC in the female estate and the promise of thousands of probation officers that would be recruited…. Oh how we laughed!!!"
"In 1979 I was sponsored by ILPS to undertake my MA/ qualification in Social Work to become a Probation Officer - the emphasis was on risk assessment, working WITH, planning and review. Has Probation suffered from unbending politics and lost its professional status?"
From Twitter:-
Delete"Just read the blog piece. Still serving but actively seeking alternative employment-why? Because with 20 years in nothing has changed. I’m out of optimism and motivation. I’m now too cynical to believe anything is going to help. Battered into submission."
That's why I went and got away early with a sensible arrangement. Hated managers as they only do as their told nasty bunch this is how things went in 43 mid Europe.
DeleteI know Probation HR is pretty non-existent but surely they have details of everyone who has left and can send letters inviting them to give their views? I know leaving interviews are meant to take place but I have never seen any reports on any patterns emerging that they actually take notice of. I'm not on X or Linkedin and I can't be the only one....
ReplyDeleteI did not have an exit interview deliberately IMO, I had evidence of poor behaviour by PDU Head.
DeleteHR non existent because it is lost into ss shared services. They are a quasi legal team of advisors who tell managers how to manage sackings and they help fiddle against staff interest a really rotten core group.
DeleteMakes me laugh. These HR advisors have a qualification to be in post and all they do is direct you to SSCL. Lack of support for managers and paid to do sweet FA
DeleteIt's important to understand why so many are leaving the service.
ReplyDeleteHowever, and I feel just as importantly , the question should be asked,
So, What Made You Join?
'Getafix
Rubbish pay
ReplyDeleteBullying
High stress
No respect
No career development
High workload
No autonomy
Process driven work
No discretion
That’s why leaving !
Exactly this for me as a former PO!
DeleteLeft 2 years ago and have never looked back.
The role took away every piece of my confidence & left me on the brink of a mental breakdown.
There was absolutely no support when you’re struggling with your mental health.
Plus management attempted to block every possible chance of moving (out of the field/community team).
Became fed up with the lies & constant gaslighting. There is definitely life on the other side of probation.
Staying is a constant negotiation with your head and your health. The anxiety of that email that demands another task be performed which fills you with dread. Constantly being instructed or 'gently reminded' by prisons, parole board, managers, colleagues, case admin and having no real say in any of it. Do as we say not as we do. Being the only so called risk management in a sea of supposed risk managers is very strange- yep, we can get on with it, only when it suits them. Form after form after form or NSI after NSI until my soul leaves my body. You do tend to lose the will to live and then somehow you stay. But this can't be sustained forever. Platitudes about how much good work you're doing by the 'senior leadership team' isn't going to help you when your health starts failing. No price your health.
ReplyDeleteKilvinder Vigurs
ReplyDeleteOver promoted incompetent . Accelerated equalities agenda places the wrong people in high level has destroyed the service competency.
DeleteShe is useless. Clearly riding out her days in what she sees as an easy job in Yorkshire. Her incompetence shines through and it’s why HMIP are following her.
DeleteFrom Twitter:-
Delete"Not quite like that though is it. In fact there is too much unaccountable discretionary power with the recall system. You have alluded to that yourself."
What is making us leave. I’m absolutely sick of napo fighting for non case management roles to be graded the same as field team OM’s/SPO’s. We’re left carrying all the risk and if the shit hits the fan we’re blamed and crucified in the media or at reviews. There are jobs like VLO, treatment managers, people seconded to jobs in HMPPS, who whilst deserving of a pay rise, in no way hold the responsibility or stress field team OM’s have. PSO’s are paid a bloody pittance compared to what they’re now saying that role deserves, no wonder they’re walking.
ReplyDeleteCannot criticise any pay gradings on job evaluation as people get rated on tasks and the levels award pay. The problem is a po role goes not warrant some grading because the tasks are all set in a defined outcome parameter. Simply put po role id so restricted today it's lost value.
DeleteTrained as Job Evaluator, I could not grasp how little was understood about the PO role, so what the employer measured was always talked down to fit their criteria I believed. I refused to continue doing it. They always cited that POs acted with defined processes so had little autonomy, given oversight of SPO was always available ( I know….) Now, contrast that with the SFO process where the argument is always focused upon PO decision making. To me, that sums up why the PO job is simply not worth it anymore. Yes I’ve recently resigned.
DeleteFrom Twitter:-
Delete"Interesting read from the inside jimbrownblog. I have lots of personal experience from the other side of the table which continues today. Most of which is baffling to say the least regarding lack of communication, no appointments booked, and two missed Automatic yearly reviews."
From Twitter:-
ReplyDelete"Leaving interviews. Don’t make me laugh. Mine was an email reminding me to hand in my phone, laptop and security pass on my way out."
"I left nearly 4 years ago. I always think it's telling I've never received a letter inviting me back - you'd think they might think it worth a try."
From Twitter:-
ReplyDelete"In the longer term there needs to be a review of OMIC with the weight of sentencing falling to community disposals and increased licence lengths. And the TUs need to up their game in ensuring that there is a clear understanding of staff feelings.
Reflecting on the national call yesterday, I don’t think anyone can disagree this needs to happen but the operational mitigations are inadequate IMO. The volume of work this will generate, whilst still operating ECSL in the interim, is going to impact significantly on staff."
OMIC is a concept that creates an illusion for the general public that the needs of prisoners being released are being met.
DeleteThey are not, nor can they be met as a consequence of broader socioeconomic problems.
In truth, the issues OMIC is designed to deal with too often get discharged with the prisoner when they walk through the gate back into the community transferring the problem to community based probation.
The OMIC narrative serves the prison service well, but does very little to alleviate the pressures being experienced by probation.
https://www.thejusticegap.com/offender-management-in-custody-model-omic-is-simply-not-working/
'Getafix
From Twitter:-
ReplyDelete"The new Govt. & Criminal Justice Management must get to work on attractive recruitment & retention strategies. Early release demands a larger role for Probation! Pay them more, treat them properly and we save money on prisons."
Left in 2017 and never looked back. Saw the writing on the wall :
ReplyDelete- Poor management
- The decline of the rehabilitative ideal
- Workforce planning- decline of male staff !
- Workload Management Tool
- Bureaucracy
- lack of career progression
- Shit Pay
- Bullying
- Racism and a lack of focus on racial equality in probation service delivery
There is too much micro management
DeleteI haven't left yet but is it just me or are probation officers just so thick? I go into my office and it's like working in tesco 20 years ago again. They don't know anything except what they see on the news, read on daily mail... Not got a clue about anything! Just talk nonsense all day! None of them read any books, know anything about geopolitics or about anything going on in the world... They don't question anything they are told and aren't they just the most obedient people on the planet. Weak and pathetic all of them!!
ReplyDeleteVery true but they will collectively turn in anyone who is different from that description. They do not appreciate union reps or resistant colleagues anymore
DeleteOn dear, someone else who thinks they're a "cut above". What you have to remember is that many of your colleagues are in their first serious role, trying to get their feet on the career and properly ladder and they don't need patronising by you
DeleteThere’s some truth to this
DeleteThere's too many in their first serious role.
DeleteThat's why nobody knows fuck all.
It's more then being presented with an opportunity to get on the property ladder.
This is exactly what this cut above the rest groups experience the narrow gauge bigotry alive and well in today's probation that's what made it a command and control operation you must fit right in then.
DeleteCalling people "thick" is an insult. My point was they're exactly the same grade(?) as you and deserve equal respect whether you like it or not. Most probably have at least 2 degrees, so not "thick" by any standards and they have it significantly harder than previous generations to attain meaningful employment and affordable housing. They're also doing what has become a horrible job and unfortunately because it is often their first role and they have invested so heavily in it, naive enough to believe what they're told by the organisation in terms of protection and"jam tomorrow"
Delete16 July 2024 at 19:27 your comment of PO's being thick lacks any form of credibility, and a high level of self importance.
DeleteJust a reminder that probation is completely broken:-
ReplyDeleteCall for urgent national action to support estate improvements at 'Inadequate' Northamptonshire PDU
Northamptonshire Probation Delivery Unit (PDU) has received an overall rating of ‘Inadequate’ following an inspection by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation.
Martin Jones, Chief Inspector of Probation, said: “Despite leaders’ clear vision for the service at Northamptonshire PDU, the high staff vacancy rates, excessive workloads and poor-quality estates meant delivery of the vision was sadly an ambition rather than a reality at the point of inspection.”
At the time of the inspection, the vacancy rate for Probation Officers (POs) was 40 per cent. Whilst this was an improvement, the issue was exacerbated by sickness absence and vacancies across operational and administrative grades. Workloads at all levels were too high and POs described feeling ‘overwhelmed’ and uncertain about what to prioritise. This resulted in a detrimental effect on staff development, management oversight and overall service delivery and, ultimately, impacted on the quality of service provided locally.
As previously highlighted in a May 2022 inspection of Northamptonshire PDU, the estates across the unit remain unfit for purpose. The Kettering office remains too small, and staff lack privacy to undertake sensitive work. The Wellingborough office has significant pest and maintenance issues and, at the time of inspection, was not accessible for staff or people on probation with mobility considerations. This needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency.
Mr Jones added: “Despite the challenges, practitioners at Northamptonshire PDU spoke positively about their roles, their teams, and the level of support they were receiving. Key to improving service delivery at Northamptonshire will be a renewed focus on the quality of casework, staff development and improving management oversight; together with an urgent, national consideration of how the wider probation estates strategy can better support a modern, responsive and high-quality service.”
The report makes seven recommendations to Northamptonshire PDU, including to ensure work is undertaken with other agencies to manage safeguarding and domestic abuse and to improve the use of interventions and services to manage the risk of harm.
From Twitter:-
Delete"Oh dear, clearly nothing has been done to help facilitate positive change in the 3yrs since I left. It makes me both sad & angry. For goodness sake get Probation out of the civil service, out of HMPpS. It was never perfect, but jeez it was once so much better than this!"
They are thick now that’s the cohort they wanted nodding dogs
ReplyDeleteI left because the job is s_ite
ReplyDelete