Napo AGM 2025

It's nearly time for the Napo AGM starting on Thursday afternoon and it's interesting to see what are the most important issues for members as recorded by the ballot results. Coming in at the top scoring 80 is:- 

Get us out of HMPPS

"This AGM notes the Probation Service is being used to mop up the overcrowding situation in our prisons without regard to our own role and probation ethos. Our management has been subsumed by prison staff and prison culture, diluting our professional integrity.

This AGM believes the Probation Service needs to retain its identity and professional standards by being truly independent from HMPPS. This AGM calls on Napo to campaign to remove us from HMPPS control and the wider Civil Service."

Next up with 68 votes is:- 

Labour must urgently deliver on its promise to review Probation Governance 

"Probation is in crisis and has been so for so long now that crisis seems routine. The HMPPS model of a combined prison and probation service is defunct, never having been fit for purpose. To coin a phrase, it is irredeemably flawed. In its manifesto for election, the now Labour Government promised a review of the governance of Probation. Our frustration that this has not been announced alongside the sentencing review cannot be overstated. 

The repeated MoJ excuse for inaction, that probation staff are weary of change, is hollow. Since TR, all changes to probation have been against the expressed wishes and good judgment of experts and practitioners. 

The repeated assertion that staff recruitment and retention will fill the void, is belied by the failure of attempts to secure this. Asking rats to board or remain on a sinking ship is a folly.

The promised review of the governance of Probation is urgently needed. Napo will communicate the urgent need for a review of Probation governance, as promised in the Labour manifesto, to the Minister, and campaign vigorously for it, keeping members and activists informed as to progress."

Then scoring 65 is:-

You can’t punish someone back to health

"There is a wealth of data, research and inspection reporting to demonstrate that Probation is a sick and traumatised organisation, and the toll that this is taking on our members is both unacceptable and unsustainable. 

The sickness absence data reflects this. Individuals are having their health and happiness wrecked. Wellbeing initiatives are laudable and beneficial but should complement, not replace, good Health and Safety practice. 

H&S is often derided, but with a workforce that is neither healthy nor safe, it’s time for the employer to desist from blaming the individual for their lack of resilience/yoga/mindfulness and get real with workloads, staff support and rewards. 

Napo has already won agreement from our employer that absence management policy should be pursued with more humanity and kindness. What is not clear to our members is whether this is percolating down through the organisation. Kind words at the top mean nothing if individuals are still subject to cruel and inflexible sickness management. Managers must be supported in exercising discretion in applying absence policies. 

Napo will demand from HMPPS a regular review of sickness absence management data and other evidence to firmly establish that management discretion in absence management processes is being encouraged and used."

Then scoring 61:-

Toolkits no longer fit for purpose

"With the advent of the ‘one size fits all programme’ and delivery reduced to High and Very High Risk clients, Community Offender Managers are left delivering toolkits on a 1-2-1 basis with increasing numbers of clients. 

Many of the toolkits, such as Maps for Change, are complex and difficult pieces of work that require a lot of time to prepare and deliver and training to deliver these toolkits effectively is inadequate. 

We call on Napo to demand that the employer consults on developing new toolkits and 1-2-1 work that are dynamic and easier to access. We also need better training to be able to deliver these interventions to a high and consistent standard to enable clients to engage with an effective change process."

Then scoring 59:-

Workload Stress should be recorded in RIDDOR

"This AGM notes with concern that workload stress, which can affect staff for more than three days sickness, is not recordable for Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR), which undermines the seriousness of the condition of workload stress and wellbeing. This AGM agrees to raise this issue within the wider TUC movement, which will lead to a campaign to get workload stress with more than three days sickness absence recordable in RIDDOR."

Then scoring 53:-

OMiC Not Fit for Purpose!! 

"This AGM believes the OMiC (Offender Management in Custody) Model is not fit for purpose. Prisoners are commonly being released into the community without resettlement plans due to staff shortages in prison and in sentence management in the community. Probation staff in prisons are also feeling isolated and disenfranchised since their direct line management moved across to the Prison Governors, who may direct to prioritise prison targets, overriding the focus on resettlement planning. 

This AGM notes the introduction of short sentence legislation, such as SDS40 and HDC365, as well as the forthcoming Sentencing Review, namely FTR48, has only increased the pressure due to last minute notification of immediate releases on already limited probation resources, which is unsustainable. 

This AGM urges Napo to work immediately towards the cancellation of OMiC and return Prison Probation management to the Probation Service, helping us to regain our independence and get our voices back."

--oo00oo--

Those familiar with AGM preceedure will be aware that the running order will be slightly different as committee and network motions take precedence and compositing of motions is taken into account. I think we can take some satisfaction from the fact that all the above has been extensively discussed on here at various times, demonstrating the continuing relevance and value of the platform for topical debate and discussion. 

As I have previously mentioned, I'm no longer a member and cannot attend, but hopefully some readers may feel able to share on here thoughts and reflections, particularly in relation to keynote speakers including Liz Saville-Roberts MP, HMI Martin Jones and Chief Probation Officer Kim Thornden-Edwards. I will be in Eastbourne on Thursday at the Cornfield Garage Wetherspoons, certainly from 7pm and hope to meet a few colleagues old and new for a bevvy or two. Cheers.