tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post2834552680470068082..comments2024-03-28T19:11:47.821+00:00Comments on On Probation Blog: Bleak Futures Week 7 Jim Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00258147767051200157noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post-42077002190110855812015-02-16T09:34:13.865+00:002015-02-16T09:34:13.865+00:00And NAPO's press releases to counter these are...And NAPO's press releases to counter these are....(?)<br />Does the professional committee have a view?<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post-85020296659602515252015-02-16T09:25:40.203+00:002015-02-16T09:25:40.203+00:00short sentenced shoplifters may also be deemed hig...short sentenced shoplifters may also be deemed high risk due to previous histories or current circumstances (eg DV propensity) and so will not need to be sex offenders to be NPS. Some violent offences may attract short sentences for all sorts of reasons also and so NPs will have them to deal with. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post-37023839067482038642015-02-16T05:55:02.248+00:002015-02-16T05:55:02.248+00:00Many thanks all esp AndrewMany thanks all esp AndrewAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post-78468550734794577412015-02-16T01:58:27.014+00:002015-02-16T01:58:27.014+00:00... a flying squirrel, wearing an orange t-shirt w...... a flying squirrel, wearing an orange t-shirt with a target on it?!?!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post-73395731367611925932015-02-16T01:53:48.411+00:002015-02-16T01:53:48.411+00:00Squirrel!!!Squirrel!!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post-68440182832201925562015-02-16T01:52:22.124+00:002015-02-16T01:52:22.124+00:00BT is expected to land a much-criticised Ministry ...BT is expected to land a much-criticised Ministry of Justice semi-privatisation deal that would see the telephony giant turn bailiff.<br /><br />Chris Grayling, the Justice Secretary, believes that big business would be more effective than the courts at reducing the level of outstanding fines, which was around £2bn when the competition to find a private-sector provider was launched two years ago.<br /><br />At a time when the Coalition has been trying to balance the UK’s books, ministers have also ended up writing off hundreds of millions of pounds in fines in recent years.<br /><br />The process of selecting a winner has been heavily delayed and might not be completed before the general election, but it is thought that BT is close to being confirmed as the preferred bidder. Initially valued at around £675m, the deal was lucrative enough to attract a host of big names: the FTSE-100 outsourcing empire Capita, the computing giant IBM and the French IT group Atos are thought to have been in the running at various points.<br /><br />Critics fear that sensitive information held by the courts, such as addresses, will have to be passed to the private sector in order for their bailiffs to do their jobs properly. Victims of crime who are owed compensation could also see their personal information passed to debt collectors.<br /><br />There are also concerns that the industry is too lightly regulated; in 2013, the Citizens Advice Bureaux reported that it had received 25,000 complaints about bailiffs’ behaviour. However, the Government did introduce some tough rules last year, such as stopping bailiffs from entering homes when only children are present.<br /><br />Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the Public and Commercial Services union, told The Independent: “We do not believe private bailiffs will have the best interests of victims at heart when they’re chasing payments. History shows that trying to bolt the profit motive on to very sensitive areas of the public sector, like the justice system with electronic tagging, is a recipe for disaster.”<br /><br />An industry source suggested that the contract award might have been delayed as this might be seen as “one privatisation too far” ahead of what is shaping up to be a tight general election. The MoJ recently handed control of about 70 per cent of the probation service to the private sector, which has angered campaigners who believe justice should not be “for sale”.<br /><br />A spokesman for HM Courts & Tribunals Service said: “The commercial process to seek an external provider for compliance and enforcement services formally commenced in July 2013. The final bids were submitted in January 2015. It is anticipated that the contract will be awarded later in the year.”<br /><br />BT declined to comment.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post-11597239870895671112015-02-16T01:49:04.746+00:002015-02-16T01:49:04.746+00:00Devastating example of impact of LASPO on civil le...Devastating example of impact of LASPO on civil legal aid given by Dave Emerson to Justice Committee:<br /><br />"I was sitting as a judge yesterday in a family case, in a London family court, where a young woman came before me. She was physically disabled. She had to come into court with crutches so it was not easy for her to carry her papers. Attached to her application was her refusal of exceptional funding from the Legal Aid Agency. She had modest learning difficulties and her father with her. She was making an application to see her child who was in care. There was an order that she sees her child three times a year and she was looking to increase that. The special guardian who was in court, who was ironically funded by the local authority, was there with a social worker, and they were seeking to decrease the amount of contact she had. She started by making representations that she had written down, so she was able to explain what her case was. But it was abundantly clear, once the lawyer from the other side had started making representations, that she could not deal with them at all. She did not understand the nuances of the case against her and could not adjust to deal with it. It is absolutely appalling that this woman, who now faces possibly not seeing her child again, should not get representation.<br /><br />The form itself is almost 30 pages long and you need a doctorate in law to complete it. In informal discussions—Resolution and the Legal Aid Agency—they have almost agreed that, if a litigant in person is able to complete that form, they are almost able to show that they are able to represent themselves, so it is self‑defeating. In the statistics, you will see that there is only a handful of applications from people themselves rather than through lawyers. There is no funding to make the application."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post-16717011516635299312015-02-16T01:44:01.183+00:002015-02-16T01:44:01.183+00:00http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/bt...http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/bt-poised-to-land-bailiff-contractto-collect-billions-in-unpaid-fines-10047947.htmlAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post-3002540083036005632015-02-16T01:33:03.972+00:002015-02-16T01:33:03.972+00:00Charity sector are getting restless (from The Guar...Charity sector are getting restless (from The Guardian):<br /><br />"Much of this inevitably happens behind the scenes, but we are now seeing dismissive comments made openly by senior politicians. The chancellor, George Osborne, characterised charities as “anti-business” in a speech last year. And, Chris Grayling, the justice secretary, has questioned the validity of charities’ campaigning and their motives for challenging the Government in the courts.<br /><br />Politicians are out of step with the public, 58% of whom agree that “charities should be able to campaign to change laws and government policies relevant to their work”. But 78% of Conservative MPs, 23% of Labour MPs and 38% of Liberal Democrats said it was a negative thing for a charity “to be political,” , according to an nfpSynergy poll.<br /><br />Why? Under successive governments, the voluntary sector has increasingly been seen as a contractual arm of the state. As the state looks to the sector to deliver public services, feedback is increasingly unwelcome, with gagging clauses becoming more common. Politicians are becoming defensive toward the campaigning voice of the voluntary sector. Perhaps it is because power is shifting: organisations like 38 Degrees can communicate direct with its over 2.5 million members where as membership of the main political parties stands at less than half a million."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post-51102563713891852882015-02-16T01:24:55.714+00:002015-02-16T01:24:55.714+00:00Oh look, a squirrel!!!Oh look, a squirrel!!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post-83061317598085239462015-02-16T01:23:26.695+00:002015-02-16T01:23:26.695+00:00And to keep the CRCs safe:
"Volunteers, comm...And to keep the CRCs safe:<br /><br />"Volunteers, community groups and 'good deed doers' have been given legal reassurance that courts will take account of the fact they have been acting to help society if something goes wrong and they end up having to defend themselves against being sued. New measures in the Social Action, Responsibility and Heroism (SARAH) Bill have received Royal Assent today and have become law.<br /><br />The changes have been designed to help volunteers, community groups, businesses and people who step in heroically to help in dangerous circumstances – following years of concerns that people were being put off from doing simple good deeds for fear of legal action if something went wrong.<br /><br />The act has been welcomed by groups, including St John Ambulance and the National Council for Voluntary Organisations, who have said they believe it will help to reduce the barriers which affect people’s willingness to participate in worthwhile activities and step forward to help.<br /><br />Justice Secretary Chris Grayling said:<br />Not only have responsible small businesses been stifled by unnecessary insurance costs and the fear of being sued but volunteers have been deterred from taking part in socially beneficial activities and brave people have been put off from helping someone in trouble.<br /><br />This much needed change to the law will encourage responsible employers to stand up to speculative and opportunistic claims, and will help reassure good deed doers who come to the aid of those in difficulty.<br /><br />This act restores a balance to counter the health and safety culture, and provides valuable reassurance to people that courts will take full account of the context of their actions if someone is sued after acting in a socially beneficial way.<br /><br />The act, which received Royal Assent today, also provides greater protection to small business owners and others who face speculative or spurious claims in negligence, even if they have taken a responsible approach to safety training and procedures.<br /><br />The new law means that judges must consider three additional factors when assessing liability in a negligence claim:<br />* If the person being sued was doing something for ‘the benefit of society’ – to take account of the fact people were doing a good deed like volunteering, running an event or trip, or helping out by clearing snow.<br />* If they had been acting in a ‘predominantly responsible way’ – to make sure the court will give consideration to the fact that people may have taken care when organising an activity but, in spite of their best efforts, an accident has happened.<br />* If they were ‘intervening in an emergency’ – if they stepped in to help someone in danger but something went wrong.<br />The government is now putting in arrangements for commencing the act."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post-38876889329943142582015-02-16T01:18:06.371+00:002015-02-16T01:18:06.371+00:00"Child rapists and terrorists will no longer ..."Child rapists and terrorists will no longer be automatically released half-way through their sentence, as part of a range of tough new laws that have received Royal Assent today (12 Feb).<br /><br />The measures in the Criminal Justice and Courts Act will mean these serious criminals can only be released before the end of their prison term under strict conditions at the discretion of the independent Parole Board. Offenders will have to show they no longer pose a threat to the public.<br /><br />Under previous laws, these serious offenders would have been released at the half-way point of their sentence, regardless of whether or not they had taken steps to change their behaviour.<br /><br />In addition, the maximum sentence for three terrorist offences – weapons training for terrorist purposes, other training for terrorism and making or possessing of explosives - will be increased to a life sentence by the Act. Terrorists convicted of a second very serious offence could face the “two strikes” automatic life sentence.<br /><br />The Act contains a number of other changes to toughen sentencing, including stopping offenders who receive an Extended Determinate Sentence from being automatically released two-thirds of the way into their prison term – they will also need to be assessed by the independent Parole Board, meaning many of them could spend significantly more time in prison.<br /><br />Justice Secretary Chris Grayling said:<br />It is not right that people who commit such disgraceful crimes against this country have been able to walk out of prison half-way through their sentence without having to show they are no longer a danger to the public.<br /><br />This is why we are ensuring that child rapists and terrorists spend longer behind bars, and they know being released early is not an automatic right.<br /><br />Our tough reforms will better protect victims and the public, while ensuring that serious offenders are properly punished."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post-78180597895446493202015-02-16T01:13:55.947+00:002015-02-16T01:13:55.947+00:00Grayling's been busy:
"The service level...Grayling's been busy:<br /><br />"The service level agreement (SLA) will see prisoners making sandbags, fence posts and other support products for Britain’s armed forces.<br /><br />It is set to extend a 6-month trial that has already produced savings of nearly £500,000 and will see offenders learn valuable employment skills as the work is brought back to British shores.<br /><br />Taxpayers are set to benefit from further savings after a 10-year SLA."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post-54883944776026300782015-02-15T23:47:13.253+00:002015-02-15T23:47:13.253+00:00For information: - I have put it on Napo Forum als...For information: - I have put it on Napo Forum also - <br /><br />I believe it to be a public document.<br /><br />http://www.napo2.org.uk/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=938#p3670Andrew_S_Hattonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09115192522317353139noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post-51136922327222364872015-02-15T23:43:46.508+00:002015-02-15T23:43:46.508+00:00http://www.probationassociation.co.uk/media/3140/t...http://www.probationassociation.co.uk/media/3140/tr-national-agreement-19-12-13-final-amended-28114-attachment-to-nnc-and-sccog-circular-2-2014.docAndrew_S_Hattonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09115192522317353139noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post-24588587655081864882015-02-15T22:27:15.370+00:002015-02-15T22:27:15.370+00:00Otherwise yes you can get the same off the Probati...Otherwise yes you can get the same off the Probation Association website as Andrew suggests above.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post-38356652262995050662015-02-15T22:00:02.884+00:002015-02-15T22:00:02.884+00:00To anon 18.58 if you are a Napo member and are reg...To anon 18.58 if you are a Napo member and are registered on the site (easy to do; use box on right of main page) go to members area and put " transfer agreement" in search box and you"ll get the relevant doc.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post-4044320354148134872015-02-15T20:16:52.414+00:002015-02-15T20:16:52.414+00:00It is absolutely clear that the TTG service applie...It is absolutely clear that the TTG service applies to all prisoners being discharged from a designated resettlement prison, irrespective of sentence length. MoJ have been clear about this all along - read the Target Operating Model - and bidders have been awareAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post-34831638289137062212015-02-15T19:57:23.277+00:002015-02-15T19:57:23.277+00:00They maybe here - I recollect stuff was put on PA ...They maybe here - I recollect stuff was put on PA website - there is a lot here - possibly Framework Agreement is amongst it - though that maybe a shorthand title and not what actually appears on documents.<br /><br />http://www.probationassociation.co.uk/employee-relations/national-negotiating-council.aspxAndrew_S_Hattonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09115192522317353139noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post-52076059692112761412015-02-15T19:04:57.332+00:002015-02-15T19:04:57.332+00:00Yeah, but how many benefits fraudster donate to th...Yeah, but how many benefits fraudster donate to the political parties? Makes no sense to bite the hand that feeds you. A similar sense of 'oh look, a squirrel' appears to be going on with the sexual abuse inquiry involving MP's. I hate using the 'C' word but struggle not to when I think of each and every one of the self-serving bastards.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post-45329339691426304762015-02-15T18:58:49.336+00:002015-02-15T18:58:49.336+00:00Does anyone know how I can get a copy/read the Fra...Does anyone know how I can get a copy/read the Framework agreement please?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post-60613284570891942362015-02-15T18:52:33.367+00:002015-02-15T18:52:33.367+00:00what do you expect of a society whose priorities a... what do you expect of a society whose priorities are so self-loathingly out of whack that there are 300 HMRC employees investigating tax evasion of over £70bn, and 3,250 Department of Work and Pensions bods chasing down £1.2bn of benefit fraud." The Guardian.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post-78590453426181479682015-02-15T17:52:20.481+00:002015-02-15T17:52:20.481+00:00It all suddenly makes sense! Sodexo must have thou...It all suddenly makes sense! Sodexo must have thought they were bidding for a chain of coffee shops!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post-5159554683741100952015-02-15T17:44:16.658+00:002015-02-15T17:44:16.658+00:00Re 14) working in the community, I am booking the ...Re 14) working in the community, I am booking the spot in Costa... I got in first colleagues....just seen a picture of a police officer sitting in a Costa as a replacement for an expensive police station ( in newspapers today). Just loving the thought of a latte with a nice piece of SOTP pre work.....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post-18899904579231612642015-02-15T17:43:10.928+00:002015-02-15T17:43:10.928+00:00I'm not sure how happy the CRC's will be p...I'm not sure how happy the CRC's will be providing services for short sentenced Sex Offenders. There's a lot of them and as we all know, people who start off with lower level offending, eg Exposure, Possession of Indecent Images, Sexual Assault by Touching (adult victim) etc, etc, frequently escalate to more serious behaviour. I think NPS are in for a bit of an unexpected workload increase.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com