On Probation Blog

An attempt to help explain the mysteries and magic that are part and parcel of 'probation'.

Wednesday, 28 January 2026

Thought Piece

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We're just a dumping ground for the prison service. The beleaguered cap doffers. The national guidelines only favour the prison especial...
45 comments:
Tuesday, 27 January 2026

Insulting Pay Offer

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This from Napo yesterday:- Probation Pay Offer for 2025-2026 finally received - Napo recommend rejection Over a year has passed since the P...
62 comments:
Monday, 26 January 2026

The Discussion Goes On 5

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If Wales Is the blueprint, God help us when England follows, it’s genuinely head-in-hands stuff. The scale of denial on display needs saying...
68 comments:
Thursday, 22 January 2026

The Ripple Effect

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Thanks go to regular contributor 'Getafix for pointing us in the direstion of this video  as part of the MoJ's recruitment drive:-  ...
57 comments:
Wednesday, 14 January 2026

There Is Another Way

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It's good to see work continues to make the case for a different probation model and it must be hoped that Members of Parliament, the M...
107 comments:
Friday, 9 January 2026

The Testimony Grows

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Both of these comments underline something uncomfortable but unavoidable. What we’re describing here isn’t just burnout or disappointment, i...
99 comments:
Monday, 5 January 2026

Self-preservation

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"No Choice But to Leave” : When Self-Preservation Becomes the Only Option I didn’t leave probation because I stopped caring. In fact, t...
49 comments:
Wednesday, 31 December 2025

The Discussion Goes On 3

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With 207 comments on the last post we need to take a breath. This contribution seems as good a way to start ready for the New Year:- It...
25 comments:
Friday, 12 December 2025

The Discussion Goes On 2

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First off I want to mention another BBC Radio 4 programme I was listening to last night, Radical with Amol Rajan and this episode:  Jamie Ol...
209 comments:
Thursday, 11 December 2025

The Discussion Goes On

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Thanks to everyone for being part of it:- I keep hearing despair from my colleagues. They don't think anyone who can make things better ...
21 comments:
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About Me

Jim Brown
A grumpy, disillusioned, CQSW trained, generic, main grade probation officer based in a small English town. All my contemporaries have either left, retired or been promoted. Newer colleagues simply don't understand the journey I've been on from advise, assist and befriend. (If there is anyone of similar name in the NAPO handbook, it's not me).
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