I notice that the London Probation Trust has teamed up with UserVoice in order to set up four pilot Service User Councils as part of the Offender Engagement Project. On the face of it, a good idea worth trying, but I can't help thinking they've slightly over-egged the concept - 'amazing and unique' - especially as funding only seems to be in place till the end of the current financial year. I think there are a couple of dead giveaway signs of a degree of panic amongst senior managers. The blurb talks about 'issue-based groups' and the need for responses to be 'solution-focussed.' If I'm not mistaken code for 'the last thing we want to hear is a lot of carping about how crap the Service is.' But I am an old cynic.
In a funny way it reminds me of my confirmation year having gained my qualifications at University. In those days you served an appropriately labelled 'probationary year' during which support was provided in the form of a First Year Officers group. A great idea that worked well from the new practitioners point of view, but quietly dropped by management when they became suspicious of the potential problems caused by an organised element within the workforce. A familiar story eh?
This initiative by London gives me cause for another wry grin and that's to do with the seemingly interminable internal discussions about exactly what to call people. It would seem that the term 'offender' is well and truely buried, in favour of 'service-user.' At least this is preferable to being called a 'case' but I understand officers who stick resolutely to the traditional term 'client' will not be penalised. Thankfully it looks like the Service nationally is set to drop 'offender manager' in favour of - yes you guessed it - Probation Officer! Well I for one never used it so I can be slightly smug and say 'I told you so.' At least we will now be able to once more differentiate between Probation Services Officers and Probation Officers, although this will not be universally welcome I suspect.
Bless. "The Client Speaks" returns. After a 41 year absence. Hands up all those still with a dog-eared copy.
ReplyDeleteThanks for that! - 'The Client Speaks - Working Class Impressions of Casework' John Eric Meyer and Noel Timms pub 1970. I notice ABE list quite a few copies starting from a very reasonable 67p.
ReplyDeletePatricia Daniel of the Family Welfare Association writes in the introduction:-
"The practice of social work requires the application of knowledge derived from a variety of sources and academic disciplines. It is frequently difficult to relate conflicting evidence and diverse theories about human behaviour for use in day-to-day work with acutely troubled and deprived people. But the opinion of clients about what they think we do - or fail to do - with, to, or for them must surely be of significance and the importance of this preliminary study lies in the fact that it demonstrates the wealth of material that can be obtained from clients themselves, and that they can be approached with suitable safeguards."
Sounds about right to me!