It must be every editor's nightmare to publish, only to find you've missed the big story of the day. Well, today's the day because I discover late in the day that the BIG story is this:
In an environment where the government are actively preparing to do battle with the top tier of the civil service over performance, how does Antonia Romeo walk away with plaudits to the top Home Office job,
Home Secretary, the Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP, said:
"I am delighted to announce Antonia Romeo’s appointment as Permanent Secretary at the Home Office. Antonia has huge experience delivering transformation across a range of Government departments, as well as a track record of delivery and strong systems leadership, both of which will be vital to lead the Home Office to deliver its mission on safer streets and border security."
whilst the day after a crock of shite is 'discovered' at the MoJ? Joint statement from the three probation trade unions, including Napo yesterday:-
This Changes EverythingHMPPS has finally admitted that there is a deep and serious crisis in the Probation Service that bears out everything we have been saying in our Operation Protect campaign, launched back in June 2023.
On the basis of information provided to the unions under confidential cover, and which we are not able to disclose at present, HMPPS now accepts that it is thousands of staff short of the workforce it needs to meet existing sentence management demand.
This public acknowledgment of the depth and seriousness of the crisis only relates to sentence management, we expect to receive more information soon about other areas of probation delivery. Until we receive this further information, we don’t know whether the situation is going to be very different outside of sentence management. What we do know is that our members in other areas of probation delivery are struggling with their own workload pressures.
TOTALLY UNMANAGEABLE WORKLOADS
So now it’s official - sentence management staff have been expected to work for years to deliver totally unmanageable workloads. This obviously did not start yesterday.
It is no wonder that staff are suffering burn-out, work related stress and ill-health. And no surprise that successive HMIP reports have identified weakness in the Probation Service’s ability to provide its statutory services.
We note that HMPPS has listened to our Operation Protect Campaign and now accepts what our members and the unions have been saying for years – that there is a workload crisis in Probation and something needs to be done about it!
WHAT WE ARE CALLING FOR
Given just how extreme the workload crisis really is, the unions are now calling for the following:
- An immediate and complete end of Post Sentence Supervision, via emergency legislation if necessary
- A preview of the business case being made by HMPPS to the Spending Review to reassure our members that serious new money is being sought as part of a probation rescue package
- That employer acknowledges that the WMT is no longer an accurate reflection of workloads as it does not count the full extent of work undertaken and should not be used as such.
- Agreement on the total number of cases that can be held at any given time by a practitioner - to be jointly reviewed on a quarterly basis
- The suspension of capability proceedings against staff where excessive workload is a factor
- The suspension of all Sickness Absence Management proceedings against staff and the application of total management discretion
- An immediate review of the current nationally agreed overtime arrangements with a view to an indefinite extension.
- An immediate review of the Prioritisation Framework with all Probation Regions moving to ‘Red’ status
- Urgent agreement between HMPPS and the trade unions on a new Demand Management Strategy to support all staff in making decisions on prioritising work on individual caseloads.
- A moratorium on the introduction of any new work anywhere in the Probation Service pending agreement to a rescue package for the service
- Performance targets to take second place to staff welfare
- Negotiation on the role of AI in contributing to the easement of the capacity crisis and the need for a collective agreement to cover the same
HMPPS, and before it NOMS, has been responsible for running probation ever since Chris Grayling first centralised delivery with the creation of the National Probation Service in 2014. Nearly 11 years on, and the probation workloads crisis is the worst that it has ever been. We therefore call on the Government to deliver on its manifesto promise to review the governance of probation as a matter of urgency.
MEMBER BRIEFINGS
As part of the joint unions’ on-going Operation Protect Campaign we are planning urgent on-line meetings for members to come together to discuss the deepening workloads crisis and what we want doing about it. Please look out for details of these meetings.
Napo/UNISO/GMB/SCOOP
"Antonia has huge experience delivering transformation across a range of Government departments":
ReplyDeleteFrom the transcript of evidence given to the Public Accounts Committee on 12 March 2014:
Margaret Hodge: But the Peterborough model, as I understand it, is voluntary.
Antonia Romeo: That is correct.
Margaret Hodge: And the model that you are designing is not voluntary.
Antonia Romeo: That is correct.
Margaret Hodge: Is there any international evidence on this payment by results stuff?
Antonia Romeo: Very little actually...
romeo later told Civil Service World: "NOMS has a business assurance board designed to give me, the senior responsible officer, the assurance that this is going to work and isn’t taking on any unnecessary risk.”
After trashing probation, romeo was rewarded with a plum job in New York:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8537319/Woman-tipped-No10-job-bullying-row-Claims-diplomat-loved-mix-stars.html
"Antonia Romeo (pictured left with Harvey Weinstein) is a leading contender to replace ousted Cabinet Secretary Sir Mark Sedwill as Head of the Civil Service, but was investigated for bullying staff and misusing expenses... junior staff members in the UK's New York consulate claimed to have felt pressured to submit expenses on behalf of Mrs Romeo that they did not believe were fully justified... more than £120,000 in fees for her three children at an upmarket New York school which had not been approved by the Foreign Office, expensive taxis and more than a dozen flights, some business class... Those involved in the complaints were told on March 17, 2017, that the claims against Mrs Romeo had been dismissed..."
Ten days later she took up her role as Permanent Secretary at the Department for International Trade.
As someone perceptively pointed out, 'Dame' Romeo was promoted out of the situation because she now doesn't have to face the music and neither does Amy Rees. it's also why so many individuals in industries get promoted because of politics rather than on merit. Clearly there is a squeaky bum issue with prison overcrowding, which should have been indicated by singular squeaky cheek. Community Probation will be the dumping ground suppository for all these pre-warned failings. Meanwhile, we'll get told how much our work is valued by the newly promoted CEO, Phil Copple. It's time community probation pushed back and said enough is enough. Because Probation Reset does not offset what's coming down the pipe and the WMT percentages are being more fudged than a chocolate factory at Easter.
ReplyDeleteCan someone explain where, when and how HMPPS have admitted all the above that the Unions say they have please, have they released as statement or have I missed something due to not working last Friday?
ReplyDelete‘Negotiation on the role of AI in contributing to the easement of the capacity crisis and the need for a collective agreement to cover the same’. Napo Operation Protect
ReplyDelete‘Embrace appropriate technology. Developments in remote supervision and different types of electronic tagging can help to keep supervisors informed and in some cases can help to keep potential victims safer, for example by prohibiting access by perpetrators of domestic violence to their former victims. Cases, where victims are re-attacked by released perpetrators, have rightly led to public concern about early release and parole. There will be little public support for reductions in imprisonment unless public safety can be shown to be a very high priority. Technological solutions can help increase compliance by supervised people where the motivation to cooperate is limited or variable. The Confederation of European Probation has recently produced a report summarising developments and making recommendations about principles (Confederation of European Probation 2024). These issues cannot be ignored, or left to private sector suppliers who provide little personal supervision. Technology is there to strengthen personal supervision and needs to be part of a package of supervision and help which will improve the chances of willing cooperation. We can also hope that improvements in technology might eventually reduce the need for probation staff to spend so much of their time in front of computers instead of dealing with people.‘ Peter Raynor
I think Napo needs to call for HMPPS to invest in equipping the workforce with better and more efficient IT systems and of course the latest AI as a matter of urgency to free them up to do the job they were trained to do. There has been gross under investment in new technologies and probation always lags behind and is last in the line. We should insist on getting AI so that probation do not miss out and end up with crappy make do and mend systems and no AI. The government says they are putting their best people on to AI. Shouldn’t probation benefit from these people and all the money and investment? Napo should not be afraid and demand that we get the best tech cutting edge tech now and negotiate an agreement on AI as a priority for the benefit of the workforce.
Napo negotiate hahaha that is brilliant.
Delete07:37 Not a trade unionist then I think this is a good opportunity as 04:54 (blimey!!) notes Probably the best chance we have had in ages that we must ensure does not slip away due to complacency I hope that all union members take the time to contact their reps etc and ask them for regular updates They work for you We cannot afford to miss out as probation and prisons are in serious crisis and that is no laughing matter Every little helps
Deletehttps://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/mar/16/alarm-over-early-re-release-of-recalled-prisoners-as-jail-overcrowding-crisis-deepens
ReplyDeleteIf they really wanted to reduce the prison population they reduce the amount of people they remand and imprison. It’s that easy.
Deleteeven the grauniad is now favouring provocative language to demonise the justice system and those who have committed offences:
Delete"Criminals who have reoffended or broken probation restrictions are being re-released from prisons early on the government’s direction under new measures to ease overcrowding.
Justice sources say jails are *hurtling* towards another *capacity crisis* despite Labour’s ongoing early release scheme and attempts to shift more offenders into open prisons.
Last month, officials were instructed to trigger a new policy that aims to shorten the time prisoners spend in jail after being recalled following previous release. The Observer understands that more than 1,000 inmates are under consideration for the new scheme, and once it is fully implemented about *400 more offenders could be at large at any given time*."
"A probation officer has sounded the alarm over the process, which bypasses Parole Board evaluations of whether prisoners can be safely re-released and instead sees them freed by the justice secretary’s representatives.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said it would cause the release of offenders who “cannot be safely managed in the community”.
“It’s putting pressure on probation staff to change their judgment and recommend the re-release of people who shouldn’t be freed,” he added.
“There are no exceptions for terror offenders, sexual offenders, domestic abuse, stalking … you could have people under investigation for new offences being re-released.” ”
The call for moratorium on new work across the whole service. How daft is this . If a charity stream or funding stream was piloting or needing po skills in new activity DV based or gender specialised no way on the horizon would anyone object to getting involved. Any primary legislative duty would immediately have to serviced too. Napo seem a bit thick to call for something they could not argue for. They must think it sounds good. Just wordy tosh.
ReplyDeleteThe all staff briefing last week was those at the top telling us how well they have done to get promoted albeit in Ms Rees,s case temporary and reluctant leaving poor Phil to carry the can…which ls leaking…..has no handle and soon to drop all over the floor, who did he upset I wonder?
ReplyDeleteWith the number of prison spaces about to run out it is only a matter of time before probation staff are crapped on even more.
ReplyDeletejust 800 beds remain available according to news reports today; prison pop at 88,000+... 99.1% full.
DeleteSaw a quote with regards NHS England recently "kiss up, kick down'". Ring any bells with anyone?
ReplyDeletehttps://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/mar/18/probation-service-problems-in-england-and-wales-leaving-public-at-risk-watchdog-finds
ReplyDelete'Getafix
The Probation Service in England and Wales “has too few staff” with “too little experience and training” and leaves members of the public at risk, an official watchdog has found.
DeleteMartin Jones, the chief inspector of probation, said in his annual report that attempts by under-pressure staff to “keep others safe” is “consistently insufficient across all our inspections”.
“My main area of concern is the work to manage risk of harm and keep others safe. We have found this to be consistently insufficient across all our inspections, where work undertaken to protect actual or potential victims needs to improve considerably.”
Those of you who read the blog prior to the last election might remember my paraphrasing of the quote from Tony Benn when he declared of the Labour Party,” we do not seek to destroy capitalism, we seek to inherit it.”
ReplyDeleteI think that today’s announcements about cuts to benefits are a further step along that path.
The Government undoubtedly need to bear in mind the law of unintended consequences when cuts in one area cause drains in others such as the criminal justice system.
I don’t think they will be able to build their way out of this with more prisons.
Yea well that's a maybe what you can all bet on is there won't be any money to help us currently or fund the next step change so get ready no one will stop it. I think unions already know we are collectively already being siloed for cutting .
DeleteAnother all staff briefing scheduled for later today either for Kim to tell us to applaud the promotion for those at the top or to have the audacity to ask staff to bail them out with ideas as to how to reduce our workloads. Poor Phil looked terrified at the prospect of being the one holding the poisoned chalice the other day,someone needs to tell him to smile when delivering bad news……so if they come pleading for ideas today please remember that the salaries at the top are always based on their interviews and them telling whoever how good they are. Time to earn your corn ladies and gents…….
ReplyDeletethey've nowt to fear xecept each other; the FDA (https://www.fda.org.uk/) ensures their kevlar-coated salaries, bonuses & pensions can't be touched; they're all on £100k+ with £multi-million pension pots; a move in any direction & they're not going to lose owt - unlike probation staff who've been screwed over by a decade or more of pay freezes, loss of terms & conditions, theft of EVR, etc etc. If anyone dares to speak truth to power they'll find themselves on the sharp end of a disciplinary.
DeleteI've noticed that with these all staff calls they often turn off comments.
DeleteAnd we turn off our cameras and just carry on thumping cut and pasted regurgitated shite into the system. Its all nonsense, what they say and what we type.
DeleteStaff Operation update: what a load of bollocks. Organisational focused rather than service user
ReplyDeletehmpps commit to keeping the prisons as full as possible & to retain every ounce of power in whitehall:
ReplyDeletehttps://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67da9c4d91e6e049230283e0/2025_03_10_-_Power_to_Detain__V2_.pdf
"This Policy Framework sets out duties, rules and general guidance on the new provision set out in section 132 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts (PCSC) Act 2022. This provision enables the Secretary of State for Justice to refer certain Standard Determinate Sentence prisoners to the Parole Board instead of automatically releasing them at their Conditional Release Date. Prisoners must meet both the legal and the policy thresholds to be eligible for consideration under this policy, which includes a dangerousness test and a public interest test."
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67d96df9594182179fe08785/Yorkshire_and_the_Humber_probation_region_action_plan.pdf
"Delegate greater authority to
regional probation directors in
relation to spending, including
on commissioned services and
contract management, and
streamline commercial
processes - NOT AGREED"
Is there any surprise. If they can’t run an adequate service, can’t stamp out bullying and racism, can’t stop cronyism in the senior ranks, then how can they be trusted to be in charge of localism and contracts.
DeleteGood result then directors would never use the spending freedom properly. Look at the mess of the past.
DeleteI attended NAPO's emergency meeting in the West Mids today. The main Union reps leading the Teams talk were very good, some 300 people joined the call and it's at once both heartening to hear other PO's from all areas describing the same issues and concerns over workloads and being threatened to hit unachievable and often pointless targets, as it helps you feel less alone and also so sad that we are still in this position! The fact that it seems those at the very top are finally admitting the true scale of the problem with staffing and caseloads suggests that maybe something positive might (might!) be achieved! The only negative from the meeting were the two representatives from West Mids Senior leadership team who just waffled on, sprouting the usual corporate crap and not answering any actual questions or even taking any responsibility for the mess.
ReplyDeleteYou might not think NAPO does everything right or even achieves that much but let's be honest, they are all we have on our side and we'd be much worse off without them making noise so let's support them!
No we need a proper consolidated trade union . Napo divides us from unite or unison on a pretext but they do not deliver. They have no credible structure no legal victories the employers know Napo is all but broke and financially struggles to pay it's phone bills. How could the blow hard ever take serious legal action. Get yourself a chocolate fire guard or find a unicorn with a bag of pixie dust . Your suggestion is just not realistic. When Napo fold or merge to a proper bigger union we can start to reform our staff protectionist agenda. It can never happen with the current donkeys.
Delete“the two representatives from West Mids Senior leadership team who just waffled on”
DeleteAnd yet they were allowed to continue to speak. Any other half decent union would have thrown them off the call.
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/probation-service-recruitment-high-risk-offenders-london-b1217815.html
ReplyDeleteThis article suggests that savings can be made from cutting ‘back room staff.’ It might be more appropriate to stop the never ending form filling which serves no useful purpose.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, another saving could well come from wrapping up the probation service altogether as it has lost its way, and letting the police take over the role of supervising licences in much the same way as they do with sex offenders whose licences have expired.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14521275/Whitehall-spending-faces-cuts-emergency-budget.html
Exactly well spotted again a true point . Sadly ignored when I was resisting any police cooperative activity they nick them we fix em the two do not merge and I e doesn't exist now. It's police all.
DeleteEspecially when you can be in MAPPA or a 'professionals meeting' and the Jigsaw or other type of police officer declares, "I will recall him" and no one corrects them.
ReplyDelete… and when the IOM police officer says “we want him recalled” and the probation officer says yes sir, three bags full sir !!
DeleteFrom a constable who's professional training in the field is nowt. Which means my training is valueless because a numpty copper decides over and above me. Worse is most of them are tricky dishonest and don't give any concern as to our role. I don't hate this but I don't have any respect for their bullshit chain of command and assertion. Get rid.
DeleteAs an IOM officer, I can NEVER recall a time this has or indeed would happen! IOM is probation led and whilst we work as a team, the final say always lies with the PO!
DeleteAs an IOM officer as well as usual it's more accurate to say some officers do what the Police want at all times, most officers are more than happy to remind the Police that Probation have ownership of the licence and enforcement, but we work together and the Police attached to my team are generally very helpful.
DeleteUnfortunately, the final say on recalls is with the SPO's and Deps, we just 'consider' whether to have one and get harrassed if we haven't. So perhaps the blame for high recall rates should be redirected...
Harassed yes I know what you mean. We have co team case reviews when missed appointments or contact occurs. An example attending late saw an officer jump to recall no option for warning or reprimand in discussion. The rigidity of the suggestion was over the line. In the discussions which thankfully sought some good reasoning for the acceptable absence the police sulked for 2 weeks.
Delete