Thursday, 16 October 2025

It's Niche Jim!

As Napo members set off for Eastbourne and the AGM, I thought I'd reflect upon two recent conversations with friends, one a former colleague and another via an entirely different route. The subject of this blog came up with the former saying "I don't read it - I used to, but it's niche" and the other saying "Way too niche!" 

Yes, I get that. I've always felt it's been a useful platform for recusants to gather and lets be honest, they are 'moving on' and not being replaced. I recall a few years ago chatting to an academic who had persuaded some of his students to attend the annual Bill McWilliams lecture in Cambridge. I asked him if he'd ever come across the blog, or if students had? No was the answer and that sort of surprised me because any idle google search of 'probation' will bring the blog up near the top. What does that say about curiosity generally, not to mention 'professional curiosity', or lack of as frequently highlighted in HMI inspection reports?. 

In recent years I've had occasion to chat with several academics delivering probation training at the three contracted universities and it sounded pretty dismal to me. The feeling was that for many students it was viewed as a very cost-effective route to employment other than probation with more than a suspicion that what might be termed serious 'study' not being really required. It was surprising to hear that significant numbers hardly ever attend lectures and are almost unkown to tutors. Essays can often show scant evidence of research, sources are routinely 'surprising' and many therefore achieve dismal marks. When challenged regarding the recording actual probation work, there was a strong suspicion of students being 'creative' in what was actually being undertaken. I can fully understand how a wide-ranging and discursive probation blog wouldn't feature much on the radar.

Interestingly, I notice that the contract for training, value £93million, is currently being tendered:-

"This requirement is for the delivery of the Community Justice graduate diploma as part of the PQiP programme. The PQiP is the mandatory training route for all Probation Officers that are employed by the Probation Service. The Offender Management Act 2007 s10 sets out the Secretary of State for Justice's right to publish guidelines about qualifications, experience or training required to be a Probation Officer, with effect from 1 April 2016 and as set out in statutory guidelines, all Trainee Probation Officers (Learners) must undertake the Professional Qualification in Probation to qualify and perform the work of a Probation Officer. HMPPS are the only employer of Probation Officers, and the PQiP programme is the only route for training Probation Officers in England and Wales. The PQiP programme consists of a BA Hons degree or graduate diploma in Community Justice and a Level 5 vocational qualification in Probation Practice.

The academic components of the PQIP that will be delivered by the Contractor will comprise of a Level 6 academic qualification, with Level 4 and Level 5 academic components used to give advance standing onto the core programme (Level 6). The PQiP learning will be delivered through cohorts of learners on a 6 monthly intake cycle, through 4 entry routes; Probation Services Officer Progression (PSOP), Standard PQiP full-time (post-graduate), Standard PQiP (post-graduate) part-time; and a full-time PQiP non-graduate route. The part-time routes can take between 21-30 months and full-time routes can take between 15-27 months depending on learners' prior learning levels.

The service commencement is estimated to start in March 2027, following the mobilisation phase which will include developing and finalising the curriculum and ensuring the course is appropriately accredited."    
   

I understand that in addition to the current providers Sheffield Hallam, DeMontfort and Plymouth, several others have expressed interest and there's a rumour applicants might even include the likes of Sodexo!  It's always struck me as somewhat alarming that all the current academic institutions happily agreed to bind their staff from making any public statement deemed critical of HMPPS, MoJ or government policy! So much for academic freedom and no wonder much of the criminal justice system is in such a mess if one chunk of academia with detailed inside knowledge that might be deemed critical is prohibited from speaking up. It also got me thinking about academic papers generally. I've often wondered who they are written for and who indeed will ever read them? 

In running this 'niche' blog for a long time, I've necessarily had reason to sift through many papers and journals and boy are most pretty impenetrable. Those that might be viewed as consise and make a strong case in plainish language are rare in my experience. I would say however that the blog has served to bring much academic endeavour to a wider audience, but sadly there's growing evidence that the job no longer requires it. Maybe it never did, but however it happened, there was at least a shared probation ethos, but I'm not so sure any more. I guess it may have just become irrelevant and a  'niche' concept, but at least I can say we tried to keep the flame alive and the blog continues for as long as recusants want it to.       

40 comments:

  1. "The Offender Management Act 2007 s10 sets out the Secretary of State for Justice's right to publish guidelines about qualifications, experience or training required to be a Probation Officer" - jack fucking straw does it again.

    That 2007 Act contained all the necessary implements of torture, gleefully used by every government since, to reduce Probation to a gibbering compliant wreck. From trusts to privatisation, that Act was the dungeon in which Probation had every ounce of life squeezed out, its bare bones twisted & broken, its once spirited body reduced to a grovelling heap of offal.

    "Flies all green and buzzin',
    in this dungeon of despair.
    Prisoners grumble and piss their clothes,
    and scratch their matted hair.
    A tiny light, from a window hole,
    a hundred yards away,
    is all they ever gets to know
    about the regular light in the day...
    ...Slime and rot, rats and snot,
    and vomit on the floor.
    Fifty yoogly soldiers, man,
    holdin' spears by the iron door.
    Knives and spikes, and guns and the likes
    of every tool of pain.
    And a sinister midget, with a bucket and a mop,
    where the blood goes down the drain."
    (Frank Zappa, the torture never stops)

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  2. https://www-bbc-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c04g94xldxqo.amp?amp_gsa=1&amp_js_v=a9&usqp=mq331AQIUAKwASCAAgM%3D#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=17605974644581&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com

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    1. There it is, His Majesty's Victim Service:

      "A review by His Majesty's Inspectorate of Probation found the service's risk of harm assessments were largely insufficient, but the region was rated "outstanding" for its work with victims"

      Delete
    2. The probation service for the north-east of England "requires improvement", according to inspectors who raised concern over the quality of information sharing and its work to protect to the public.

      A review by His Majesty's Inspectorate of Probation found the service's risk of harm assessments were largely insufficient, but the region was rated "outstanding" for its work with victims.

      Chief probation inspector Martin Jones also said work to "engage people on probation and promote desistance" was "amongst the best seen across probation regions so far".

      A spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said the government will be increasing funding for probation by 45%.

      The inspection found staff were highly motivated and had a drive to achieve an inclusive and safe working culture.

      It also concluded the North East's approach to improving delivery and ensuring staff were able to prioritise most critical aspects of their role had been recognised nationally.

      But it found the quality of checks and processes relating to the safeguarding of children was a concern.

      The inspection report also said identification of actual and potential victims needed improvement and the delivery of services was not sufficient to keep people safe due to gaps in the sharing of information between police and children's services.

      Mr Jones said: "As is so often the case in our inspections, work to protect the public and keep people safe was a concern."

      The inspectorate made seven recommendations which included working with all three police forces in the region to improve the quality of information sharing.

      Inspectors also recommended improving the quality of court reports to inform sentencing and to ensure domestic abuse and safeguarding information is used effectively.

      The MoJ said it is planning to recruit 1,300 probation officers nationally by March.

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    3. Can someone in Eastbourne please ask napo and jones if they think this is a healthy place for probation to be, i.e. "the delivery of services was not sufficient to keep people safe" BUT the work done with the victims, i.e. the people *not* kept safe, was "outstanding" ?

      NE England, the victims' champions, scored 8/21 (38%) despite two of its core tasks being rated "inadequate", namely public protection & court work.

      How long can the country tolerate £8billion a year being spent on inadequate service provision while the 'leaders' are feted, handed large bonuses & promoted?

      The moj's response? "it is planning to recruit 1,300 probation officers nationally by March."

      Cannon fodder for an accidental but very expensive victim support service.

      Delete
  3. Well yes, the Napo AGM is getting underway but it’s striking how neither the probation unions nor the Probation ever mention this blog, when they should be embracing it. Silly given it’s one of the few spaces with a media presence about probation.

    Pick up the Probation Journal and, like most related publications, it’s largely filled with irrelevant material. Occasionally something worth reading from a current or former practitioner, but only if written independently of probation. The same could be said of the qualification system, too many fragmented pathways and too little interest or wider application.It would make far more sense to return to a single, degree-based route, ideally tied to social work. Ultimately, the issue goes back to identity: what exactly is probation trying to be? That’s a worrying question, especially if Sodexo is now in the mix for training provision.

    As this blog said recently, we’re an outlier in Europe and no one seems to care. So perhaps Napo can put that in its AGM pipe and puff deeply.

    Outlier England
    https://probationmatters.blogspot.com/2025/07/outlier-england.html?m=1

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    1. I beg your pardon this blog is well known to the Napo secretary. On many occasions he has threatened the blogs author with law suit . Criticised the blog and it's anonymous published articles. He claims to refuse to read the blog but we know it's led him through tactics which he abandons when too difficult. The place for the pulse of probation Napo look a different way. Under the current situation Napo is lost. Look at the motions pathetic from membership just what Napo need to exist and do deliver nowt.

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    2. My sincerest apologies to the great visionary at the helm of Napo. How could I have failed to recognise such sterling leadership and their unwavering engagement with this blog.

      Delete
    3. I think this sarcasm is wasted on me what do you actually mean. Have you made a point or is this more benign attempt at being clever it's just not. It is this naval gazing attitude that runs rife in probation which is why it got axed. It's current existence is not what it was and the crap we read on her it is little wonder at the level of understanding of probations position.

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    4. Lots of words, little meaning. Care to try again with a point? On second thought, don’t bother, it’s so off topic won’t be read.

      Delete
  4. Guardian today:-

    The Ministry of Justice, the Whitehall department in charge of a £13bn annual budget for prisons, probation and courts across England and Wales, has failed to file spending receipts of nearly £11bn, a report has said.

    Tussell, the public spending analyst firm, said the government department was more than two years behind on publishing receipts for multimillion pound contracts, weakening scrutiny around public money.

    The last time the government department filed receipts from its suppliers was May 2023, Tussell said. The industry standard is to allow leeway of two months to publish receipts.

    A spokesperson for Tussell said: “This gap in publication is deeply concerning and highlights that the government is failing to meet its own transparency standards.

    “Such delays undermine visibility over public spending at a time when accountability and scrutiny are more critical than ever.”

    Between June 2022 and May 2023 – the most recent 12-month period for which the MoJ has published its receipts – the department’s spending receipts amounted to £5bn.

    Tussell has calculated the missing spending by dividing this figure by 12 and multiplying it by the number of months when the department has failed to file receipts, which is 26. The estimated total came to £10.8bn, Tussell said.

    This calculation includes all Ministry of Justice arm’s length bodies, except for the family court advisers Cafcass and the Legal Services Board, which are both more up to date in their publishing.

    Tom Brake, the director of the transparency organisation Unlock Democracy, condemned the MoJ’s failure to publish.

    “With government finances painfully tight, spending receipts must be published promptly,” he said. “They help detect and prevent the misuse and waste of precious resources. Delaying their publication damages the government’s ability to control its expenditure.”

    According to government-wide calculations, the Ministry of Justice is by far the worst performing department when it comes to missing spending data.

    The MoJ received a real-term 1.8% spending increase in June, according to the spending review announced by the chancellor.

    Day-to-day MoJ spending is set to reach £13.2bn by 2028-29, while capital spending will rise to £2.3bn annually for 2026-27 and 2028-29, before returning to £2bn in 2029-30. This will support the initiative to create 14,000 new prison places by 2031.

    The Institute for Fiscal Studies noted in February that MoJ spending was cut by 70% over the early 2010s and, within this, capital funding for HM Courts and Tribunals Service and HM Prison and Probation Service was cut by more than 90%.

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    1. They're still trawling the bins outside waitrose looking for enough receipts to hide what they've spent.

      Delete
  5. This is what niche & privileged entitlement looks like:

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2nlye8dxyo

    "A man was caught by police getting back behind the wheel of his car just moments after he was sentenced for drug driving.

    Joshua Michael Carey, 37, of Portinscale Village, Cumbria, admitted being over the limit for cocaine while driving on 19 March.

    On Tuesday, Workington Magistrates' Court disqualified him from driving for 17 months and ordered him to undertake 40 hours of unpaid work.

    But Carey left court and immediately got into his yellow BMW before he was once again pulled over by Cumbria Police officers.

    Carey was charged with driving whilst disqualified and appeared before the same court the following day.

    He was sentenced to eight weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months.

    His disqualification was extended to 29 months and he must undertake further unpaid work."

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    1. No that's not what it means. This guy is a selfish narcissist . Entitlement perhaps. The lords is niche they think they are special and entitled to more. Mp who claimed for a duck house while we can't home released people. The last Tory chancellor idiot who claimed fill on central heating for horses when people died in the cold. That's it there .

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  6. From InsideTime:-

    Probation experts criticised the low number of experienced staff, the pressure under which they work, and the high number of people being recalled to prison, in a panel webinar run by the Howard League for Penal Reform.

    Speakers at the event (pictured) included Martin Jones, HM Chief Inspector of Probation; Helen Schofield, Chief Executive of the Probation Institute; Tania Bassett, National Official for the National Association of Probation Officers; and Gaie Delap, retired teacher and climate activist.

    Ms Delap, at 75, had been imprisoned for her part in a non-violent climate change protest, but on release Serco had failed to find an electronic tag which fitted her wrist, and so just before Christmas she was returned to prison. Critics said her case highlighted the flaws in future plans to rely even more on technology within probation work.

    Discussion at the event, chaired by the Howard League’s Director of Campaigns Andrew Neilson, was wide ranging. All participants expressed concern at the current state of probation and likely future developments. Panellists agreed that the high number of recalls was due largely to political pressure, and that investment was needed in people, not just in technology.

    Participants all expressed unhappiness at the Government’s proposal to have photographs and personal details of those carrying out unpaid work in the community published in local newspapers. There was also concern over the idea of major companies in retail and other industries being able to use those on unpaid work within their establishments, with views expressed that this would be exploitative and unacceptable.

    There was a need, all panellists agreed, for staff to receive better training and more support when there were mistakes made, as happens in all organisations, so that probation officers did not take the blame. They felt that technology had an important role in cutting back paperwork, but not in dealing with people, and probation work is all about people, not processes.

    This was the latest in a series of ‘Spotlights’ events, held by the Howard League, that cover key themes across criminal justice, and which can all be viewed on their website.

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  7. I wanted to say thanks to all those who I met yesterday at Wetherspoons - some for the first time and some I've had the pleasure of knowing through the blog for years. I enjoyed the chat and banter very much indeed and I'm happy to say there's every chance I'll be making my train back home this morning. I hope the day goes well and I look forward to hearing about it through various channels. Cheers, Jim

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  8. “I can fully understand how a wide-ranging and discursive probation blog wouldn't feature much on the radar.”

    An “All staff” email would easily fix that.

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  9. Is risk to the public "niche"?

    Nope. Its clearly bound to any political decision in the hands of the world's greatest authorities on 'risk', namely the uk givt's elected ministers.

    Privatise probation, disempower the judiciary, undermine the police, dilute health & safety, defund the NHS, etc etc

    "West Midlands Police cites 'current intelligence and previous incidents' as reason to support the ban"

    versus

    "Culture secretary to meet officials to 'find way through' ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans"
    _________________________

    https://www.bbc.com › news › articles
    16 Sept 2025 — A United Nations commission of inquiry says Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza..."

    versus

    "The Prime Minister met the President of Israel Isaac Herzog in Downing Street this afternoon...The Prime Minister finished by saying that the UK and Israel are longstanding allies"
    ___________________________________

    "the delivery of services was not sufficient to keep people safe"

    versus

    "the work done with the victims "outstanding"
    _______________________

    "risk" : a versatile political truncheon, a malleable concept, a moveable feast - and, for some, a lucrative source of income & approbation.

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    1. Surprised there hasn't been an abusive shouty response along the lines of "Risk is dynamic
      because it is constantly changing due to unpredictable factors, requiring a continuous and real-time evaluation called dynamic risk assessment."

      Journalists aren't allowed into Gaza because of the risk to their safety, despite the current ceasefire that the israeli regime is supposed to be signed up to.

      Russia & Belarus aren't allowed to participate in the majority of international sport competitions because of their invasion of Ukraine - although their athletes can now compete under their own flag at the Paralympics and World Para-sport events after their partial suspensions by the International Paralympic Committee were lifted recently.

      As for football...

      https://www.gov.uk/government/news/disruptive-fans-banned-from-world-cup-in-qatar


      Six international matches have been prevented from taking place by UEFA and FIFA. Despite what some of the most passionate football fans tell you, some things in life are bigger than the beautiful game. The sport is designed to be no more than a friendly but competitive competition which can lend itself to sporting rivalries and narratives that enhance the viewing when two teams meet.
      However, when outside interference or a shift in the political landscape threatens to completely cloud a footballing spectacle, it is sometimes sensible and safer to cancel a fixture altogether. That very reason is why these six fixtures have been banned from taking place by both UEFA and FIFA.

      Spain vs Gibraltar - Disputes over who owns Gibraltar

      Armenia vz Azerbaijan - Ethical and territorial conflict

      Kosovo vs Serbia - Historical and ethical conflict - Kosovo independence

      Kosovo vs Bosnia & Herzegovina - Bosnia support of Serbia against Kosovo

      Kosovo vs Russia - Russia support of Serbia against Kosovo

      Russia vs Ukraine - Ongoing conflict

      But a country deemed to have committed a very recent (& ongoing) genocide by the United Nations is (a) allowed to compete & (b) allowed to allege every criticism of or sanction for their behaviour is "anti-semitic".

      Its an uncomfortable situation for many, especially as the majority of Israelis/Jewish people do not support netanyahu or his regime.

      The FA, FIFA & UEFA have questions to answer as they are banning people from entering football grounds for wearing Palestine's national football shirts (but the BBC won't tell you that).

      The police are experts at managing risks associated with football & should be listened to.

      Delete
    2. For what its worth, it seems the police intel was provided by eurocops & was specifically about known maccabi hooligans (not necessarily israelis) who were provocateurs in the serious disturbances in the Netherlands last year. The likelihood of their attendance at & linked disruption surrounding the Villa match was the basis of the police ban. It seems the uk govt has swallowed a whole porky pie & is now waving a false-flag. Sounds like TR? Or anything else in recent years, i.e. shout an outrageous lie as loud as you can, get the media to repeat it... and make it real. Then those who supported the outrageous lie are too embarassed to rwo back & the lie becomes fact.

      See also: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002kq2h

      One one hand, the world is going to hell, on the other, the age of terror and death has ended, so which is it? Stewart Lee joins Armando to take a look at this maximal approach to political language.

      How do you do moderate politics with caps lock on? What's the smart way to diffuse complex arguments about politics? And given the details still to be worked out in the Isreal Gaza peace process, is this week's Peace Summit Trump's 'Mission Accomplished' moment?

      Delete
  10. https://www.unison.org.uk/news/2025/10/government-must-end-police-officer-uplift-say-unison-members/

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    1. UNISON’s police, probation and CAFCASS members voted on a number of key issues that are affecting their jobs and services, at the sector’s national conference in Brighton last week.

      Chief amongst these was a call to end the government’s so-called ‘uplift programme’, aimed at increasing police officer numbers but in fact resulting in the loss of hundreds of skilled staff, who are being “sidelined, displaced, or made redundant”.

      Other topics included the urgent need to improve both police force and probation service budgets, the erosion of the police community support officer (PCSO) role, and the physical threat to probation officers from far-right activists.

      No less than three motions in Brighton addressed the crisis caused by the uplift programme. Introduced by the Conservatives in 2019, the aim was to add an additional 20,000 police officers in England and Wales by the end of 2023 – at the same time as Whitehall was cutting police budgets. Chief constables, who risked financial penalties if they didn’t meet the officer targets, had no choice but to cut their police staff to balance the books.

      Since the programme began, the five forces in the North West alone for example, have disestablished over 1,350 police staff vacancies, over 200 police staff are a risk of redundancy, and over 170 fully fit police officers have been placed into police staff roles.

      In January 2024 the National Police Chiefs’ Council revealed that 6,000 police officers were backfilling police staff roles due to underfunding and the officer uplift targets.

      But in his 2023 annual state of policing report, Andy Cooke, chief inspector of His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services, stated: “The police staff… are on the frontline of the fight against crime. No arbitrary target should prevent chief constables from having the right people in their forces.”

      Nevertheless, the current Labour government has decided to continue what one conference motion in Brighton called “a failed programme”.

      Conference delegates called for the end of the uplift programme and a return to workforce modernisation. The service group executive (SGE) will continue to prioritise and grow the We are Police Staff campaign, maximising its exposure internally, to politicians and the public.

      Delete
  11. "The feeling was that for many students it was viewed as a very cost-effective route to employment other than probation with more than a suspicion that what might be termed serious 'study' not being really required. "

    Just maybe that is an explanation for the continuous dismal reports from the inspectorate on probation services?
    Maybe too, a little more life experience is required alongside the academia for those seeking employment in the CJS?
    The following article is about a female prison worker convicted and jailed for an inappropriate relationship whilst in public office who is calling for a change in the law. Whatever her personal reasons might be for doing so, I find her arguments entirely sensible.
    Just maybe there is too many young, academically aware, enthusiastic people joining the CJS that really need a little more life experience, not only for what it bring to the job, but also for their own wellbeing and protection.

    https://www.ladbible.com/news/uk-news/uk-prison-officer-morgan-farr-varney-law-change-minimum-age-work-jail-249484-20251017

    'Getafix

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  12. I think its more a case that a balanced work force is needed in terms of age and as always gender. I've been in the service for 20plus years and even my cohort of 70 trainees back then was predominantly female, white and under the age of 23 (i was a 30yr old minority man) and its still the same. I don't think I was better due to my age and certainly the younger staff were much better at completing Oasys etc but I know for certain I was able to handle angry, depressed, grumpy, violent offenders as I was and still am often asked to see them even if they're not my cases. I think much of that is due to working a variety of jobs in my 20s, from brickie, to barman, gardener, call centres etc, I met and worked with people from all walks of life. My main concern now is how soon a 23 Yr old qualified for less than a few years can be an SPO and Dep, it just feels wrong.

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  13. Will there be any reports from the conference posted here?

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    1. This was last year's speech by jones:

      https://hmiprobation.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/news/speech-to-national-association-of-probation-officers-agm/

      "The probation officer’s work can be thankless, and it often doesn’t get the attention and applause it deserves."

      "with a new Government comes new opportunities...there is opportunity if the right choices are made."

      I thought this was a bit fucking offensive though:

      "If we get probation right, we could see:

      Better support to strike at the underlying causes of offending (drugs/alcohol/mental health/unemployment)
      Less reoffending and less recall (which costs us c£600m per annum)
      More changed lives
      Safer communities."

      Really?

      "IF we get probation right..."

      Er, marty, it WAS 'right'... until a pack of self-important egomaniacs started to mess with it.

      Same old shyte, revision after the fact to blame the current service for the incompetence of others.

      Wonder what he brings to the party this year with not a single inspection finding a range of services operating somewhere between "bleedin' abysmal" & "utterly crap".

      Delete
    2. Anon 12:30 Unlikely I'm afraid. I can't attend and so far I've not seen and not been sent any reports or reflections.

      Delete
    3. We will see the AGM report as motions passed. I doubt anything will raise an eyebrow as it is so benign window dressing Napo.

      Delete
    4. Thanks Jim. Given all of your efforts over the years let's hope someone does the right thing & posts a report.

      Delete
    5. found this by someone called "Gordie Jackson" on 'Medium':

      "Napo Probation conference 2025 Day 2

      Conference kicked off this morning with Martin Jones CBE, HM Chief Inspector of Probation.

      He gave a very sympathetic speech to the assembled, encouraging us in our work and recognising the shortfalls that exist within the Probation Service.

      I searched for his speech, but it has not yet been posted (last year’s is there). He did speak about his decision to pause inspections of core adult programmes and undertake ‘dynamic inspections’. I understand this could mean unannounced visits to the Probation regions.

      There was then the accountability session during which any member can ask a question of any national officer or official. It was good to hear that Napo has clawed back £170,000 from a company that failed to set up a database.

      The Probation Journal, owned by Napo, is doing so well that it is paying for itself and even adding to Napo’s coffers.

      There then followed a panel discussion on Violence against Women and Girls. The questions were largely directed to Kim Thornden-Edwards, critiquing Probation Service in dealing with domestic abuse programmes and being sympathetic to staff who experience it."

      It seems conference passed an emergency motion regarding foreign national staff, concluding with this little gem of a statement:

      "Napo stands for justice, fairness and unity. No worker should lose their livelihood because government policy changed over night."

      Oh how they forget their sins... napo signed off on the govt's 'overnight' fast-tracked policy re-TR which included - and executed - planned job losses for hundreds of probation staff.

      Delete
    6. When Napo did that Rendon Lawrence fiasco the delivered us to ruin. I real it well. It's all over this blog record and the truth is Napo officials accepted the awful changes instead of fighting on. They abandoned the blogs direction of advice on the judicial review and Lawrence has kept the Napo proceedings a secret from it's members because the Napo submissions are so poor. The chairs had changed by then Napo in fighting Rendon had run away under a cloud and the two chairs were simply not capable for the tasks of preparing for our defense. The rest is known it on this blog I might do a trawl from blogs archived remind us. Gordon Jackson blows either way on issues depends who is presenting but generally he is sound as I recall

      Delete
    7. Well certainly more cold than hot! All sounds a bit one-sided, or is this meant to be a cryptic “read between the lines” account? Anyone genuinely concerned that Napo ever agreed to a deal that led to having to “claw back £170k” in the first place? If that’s not playing fast and loose with members’ subscriptions, I don’t know what is.

      And the only apparent “success” seems to be the Probation Journal, which, let’s be honest, hardly anyone reads and mostly serves to flatter a small clique of academics who dominate probation discourse despite most never having worked in probation themselves.

      That’s before even mentioning Martin Jones and Kim Thornden-Edwards, one inspects probation workers into the ground while fawning over so-called “probation leaders,” and the other stood by while the government left the service to rot. Frankly, why were they even invited, and surprisingly members didnt walk out?

      No point saying anything about the motions either, they never amount to anything. And the irony of anyone highlighting the plight of foreign national workers, when both probation and Napo remain awash with racism, bullying, and discrimination, shouldn’t be lost on anyone.

      Cheers Gordie

      https://gordiejackson.medium.com/napo-probation-conference-2025-cf9092962ccc

      Delete
    8. Well done for locating that report! I recall several spirited converstaions with 'Gordie' at AGM's over the years. If memory serves me correctly, he usually examines the accounts forensically and asks searching questions. What I find somewhat noteworthy is no mention of any other Emergency Motions, such as on the issue of photographing people placed on Unpaid Work and effectively publishing the photos and hence 'naming and shaming' them. I find that deeply concerning....It would be good to have other people's reflections on the conference, either here, or for contact details DM me on Twitter. Cheers, Jim

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    9. I wonder which branch turned up en mass at Wetherspoon Cornfield Garage at 8.30am Friday morning? The guy behind you in orange and black shirt was Jim Brown I believe.

      Delete
  14. The above account if accurate is pretty sparse. This next one doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in Napo either. It reads more like a bit of a jolly than a serious conference. If there weren’t even enough members present to conduct business, that says a lot about engagement and priorities.

    “Together at Napo Probation conference

    So this morning, when we did not have the number of members present to conduct business, what did we do? We started singing. As we waited, I heard stories from people of matters that concerned them about work, and together we creatively thought about how to deal with them.

    In the end we were a few short so we never got back to business. Once again it shows that every person counts and we need to continue to communicate the benefits of not only being a member but also of attending Conference.”

    https://gordiejackson.medium.com/together-at-napo-probation-conference-9165a2986e5c

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    Replies
    1. "Napo stands for justice, fairness and unity. No worker should lose their livelihood because government policy changed over night."

      "when we did not have the number of members present to conduct business, what did we do? We started singing."

      Put me in mind of a Lonnie Donnegan song:

      "Does your chewing gum lose its flavor
      on the bedpost overnight?
      If your mother says don't chew it,
      Do you swallow it in spite?"

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    2. Oh, is that why there weren’t enough members present the next day, a few too many “hangovers” from the night before? “After Conference finished for the day, most branches went for a meal together. After the meal, those with energy made their way to the evening disco.”

      That probably explains a lot but at least everyone had fun.

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    3. Now you see why I am so frustrated with Napo. The general secretary is clueless. The top table clueless. If I were chair I think this
      1 accountability . Napo conference fails no question despite quoracy being lowered many times it failed. No business no motions no actions. Capability performance measures for the GS
      2 carrying motions over to NEC ok for debate rather than ignore members motions.
      3 reorganise the way we are doing things .
      Premises affordable. What is the 170k refund about how much was lost who authorised GS capability performance serious questions .
      4 members new communications involvement strategy. Review roles conduct performance working activity of national officials. New appraisals .
      5 staffing of Napo number costs reviews of functions . Lean or fat in staff activity needs or no longer required review.
      6 mass member consultation survey immidiatly.

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    4. 1038 probably more likely there were so few members attending conference. When the quoracy was higher many years ago we struggled to get quoracy on-time as there were many a hung over party dude. However still 350 people in the room waiting for 20 or so .
      By 11 the count went to cheers and always 500 before lunch. Today you just need 50 and they cannot make that it's a startling sign to employers who see Napo conference as a joke now. No proper grant support to branches anymore another secretary cut to lifeline the Napo member interests. No wonder Napo has made it a farce.

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  15. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/prisons-crisis-repair-costs-ministry-of-justice-b2824019.html

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