Friday 8 March 2019

London NPS - Respect!

I've recently had sight of what I can only describe as the very worst 'designed' staff newsletter I've ever seen, stretching as it does to an impenetrable 58 pages, including 3 with illustrations on 'Guidance for printer resets'. Sent to all London NPS staff, it contains the following message from the London Divisional Director. All I can say is, London, you have my respect and sympathy - treat yourself this coming weekend if you can

London Update 5th of March 2019

About every quarter, I meet with the London NPS management group. Last week's management event was a game of two halves, with very distinct agenda items in the morning and afternoon. 

It started with very emotional and indeed distressing talks from victims, whom we had let down. We let them down by missing their cases, being careless with our letter writing, getting important dates mixed up, being unprofessional in the way we spoke, often unprepared. We have a long way to go to improve our service to victims; to ensure that they can expect to receive a consistently high standard, irrespective of who is responsible for the case. This includes both sides of the business, offender management, and victim contact. Every offender manager should always be asking, who is the victim(s) in this case and have we offered them a service. 

As a contrast, in the afternoon, I invited colleagues from across grades and duties to join the event to present them with Divisional awards. Some of these colleagues have gone on to be nominated for national awards. These groups of staff represent the very best of probation, working under pressure to deliver excellent services. Their names will be published in the next London Calling Spring Edition. 

The day highlighted the very difficult balance I have to achieve, in promoting the good work people do (in very difficult circumstances) and yet being very firm and decisive about poor practice. Often people hear just one or the other. The reality is both good and poor practice exists in London NPS. I would prefer to be highlighting the good practice and using it to promote best practice. My reality is that when bad practice is discovered I must act, recognising that such practice may put victims and the community at risk. Poor performance and misconduct can occur at all grades and roles and is not necessarily just related to front line activities. 

If a manager discovers poor practice, I expect them to complete a dip sample to see if the poor practice is evident in other work. If practice is poor, a performance improvement plan is required, however, if the manager discovers really bad practice, the manager must consider a discipline investigation. It is important to always get advice from an HR caseworker. Each investigation is completed without prejudice and should never predict an outcome. The investigation must consider mitigating circumstances, including workloads, access to training, personal circumstances etc. An option for the author is ‘no case to answer'. 

In cases, when a serious further offence is alleged, the first thing I expect is for a manager to carry out an early look at the case. If the offender is charged, a Serious Further Offence Review will be carried out. The early look is used to examine if there are any significant gaps in practice that need addressing immediately. If it is clear that core tasks were not completed and reasonable steps were not being taken, it is very likely that a disciplinary investigation will be undertaken. Such investigation will consider whether it is a case of misconduct or gross misconduct, including failing to follow instructions from managers. 

We have had occasions when managers are overly optimistic, not wanting to share aspects of poor practice. Independent reviews have later highlighted serious derelictions in duty. As a result, managers who fail to report the full facts leave themselves open to investigation.

When there is an investigation, I want to: 

1) Ensure victims and the public have confidence in us, trusting that we are open and honest about poor practice. 
2) Ensure that those under investigation are supported through the process. 
3) Ensure that investigations and outcomes are fair and proportionate. 

Having shared my views, I want to speak with as many staff as possible about theirs. I am planning a number of staff engagement events shortly. In addition, I am arranging to meet with union representatives to discuss this topic further. I am hoping that they will be able to join me at some events. 

I want people's thoughts on poor performance, poor judgment, lack of oversight, misconduct and gross misconduct, thresholds and how to evidence mitigation. 

This is a difficult message I know, but part of being a top performing division is setting our expectations clearly, helping people achieve them and addressing gaps in practice and behaviour, whether that be poor performance or misconduct. As I stated earlier, the other side to this, is that I will keep giving out local awards to colleagues who represent the best of probation, which I believe to be the majority. 

Kilvinder Vigurs 
London Divisional Director

24 comments:

  1. "We let them down by missing their cases, being careless with our letter writing, getting important dates mixed up, being unprofessional in the way we spoke, often unprepared."

    Grayling, Bradley, Rudd, Leadsom... its like some kind of plague. Behave appallingly, be totally unprofessional, talk shyte, make excuses, don't resign, just carry on...

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    1. i think there is a disconnect with upper managers and front line staff. it surely cant be our fault with low resources, staff, case loads over 100. the inspectors say we are great, its the staff fault.

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    2. When Rudd calls uses racist terms for minority politicians it demonstrates the leadership incompetence. When this guy writes this sort of scandal it follows that stupidity of the way things are today. More whip anybody.

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  2. When Kilvindur Vigurs says
    I want people's thoughts on poor performance, poor judgment, lack of oversight, misconduct and gross misconduct, thresholds and how to evidence mitigation.
    Perhaps he should speak to his colleagues in other NPS areas.
    Our managers have been getting away for years with poor performance dressed up as leadership, poor judgement in deploying resources and bullying staff, poor judgement in being part of TR, lack of oversight in not providing supervision and team meetings, let’s not mention misconduct and gross misconduct, too many skeletons in cupboards, and have turned it all to their advantage.
    Pay rises galore, gongs by the bucketful and a systematic routine of passing stress and lack of resources down the line so the poor bloody infantry can be blamed.
    Judge not lest he be judged!

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  3. This is unfortunately the sort of drivel that so called leaders in the NPS spend their time composing. This of course creates a blame culture where instead of focusing on improving the quality of work by creating a learning organisation that aims to support staff she instead wants greater surveillance control and punishment perhaps saying more about how she would prefer to be treated herself for her failings. Unfortunately such dado masochistic tendencies are all to prevalent in those who have done well out of TR and now find themselves in positions of authority where they proceed to use a stick rather than a carrot. We should perhaps treat this as a cry for help and try to ensure that she gets the support and guidance she needs. The sort of toxic environment that makes an individual think that this sort of communication is warranted and necessary is surely as dysfunctional as the individual who has created it. Please fix it.

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  4. Sadomasochistic tendencies are all too prevalent in the NPS. Agreed

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    1. Seriously guys this is not just prevalent in NPS it's rife in CRC's in fact it appears they all surreal the same Blane culture language

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    2. Sorry should've said " speak " and " blame "

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    3. Spot on with it also being rife in CRCs. A colleague been off sick for 3mths+ because of complaint, no factual evidence, which led to "dip-sampling" their work! Other colleagues aware that it could've been them! It's taken 6+ staff to cover the work / area of 1 colleague, bloody joke & the bullying just goes on! An employment solicitor would've ripped their case to shreds..and might still do so!

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    4. I am Spartacus

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    5. A similar generosity of spirit was threatened towards many when it came to our CRC shedding POs; "take what we're offering & be grateful, because if you stay we'll ensure you leave with no entitlement to anything." Napo were made aware, Napo were silent.

      To 00:25's colleague - there IS life beyond CRC. It will feel shit while they hound you, but stay as strong as you can through the worst.
      To 00:25 - don't let the CRC mgmt 'turn you' against your beleaguered colleague. If there's the possibility of union representation, encourage it. Despite NapoHQ inertia, many local reps are fantastic.

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  5. "I want people's thoughts on poor performance, poor judgment, lack of oversight, misconduct and gross misconduct, thresholds and how to evidence mitigation..."

    ... and then we'll systematically ignore it, identify who you are & target you for bringing the service into disrepute.

    You know its YOUR fault. While we, as your leaders, are trying our best in extremely challenging circumstances YOU LOT are undermining us with your whining & complaining & unions & wanting caseload protection & saying there isn't enough staff & posting on social media...

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  6. ‘Sadomasochism is the giving or receiving of pleasure from acts involving the receipt or infliction of pain or humiliation. ‘ You could substitute ‘Sadomasochism’ with the phrase ‘We in the NPS believe that the best way to motivate our staff ........

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  7. Kilvinder's statement soon to be followed by a Bradley-esque clarification:

    "I never intended to give the impression that I believe what I said." Karen Bradley n RTENews last night. Seriously: https://www.rte.ie/news/politics/2019/0307/1034882-northern-ireland/

    But if you haven't seen it, please watch the clearly unprepared, random lack of belief she delivered in HoC:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrJLezi7g0Q

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  8. London is short by 20% of qualified staff. Threatening overworked staff who are desperately spinning plates that you will have their hides if they drop one, is outrageous.

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  9. The floggings will continue until morale is restored.

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  10. Just stumbled on this website whilst reading about the sale of Holloway prison for £82m. Buttons!
    It appears to be a review site much like Trip Avisor for the probation service. Not sure if it's of any use, but it may be of interest to some.

    https://www.indeed.co.uk/cmp/National-Probation-Service/reviews?fjobtitle=Probation+Officer&fcountry=ALL

    'Getafix

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  11. Anyone know when the seemingly modern malaise of 'mis-speaking' was first identified in the UK? It seems to be rife at present.

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  12. https://inews.co.uk/opinion/prisoners-are-being-given-tents-when-they-are-released-shows-how-the-system-is-broken/

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  13. Accelerate course over promoted naïve lacks talent .

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  14. What an apalling letter

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  15. Found it......from the civil service awards site 2015 winners. Read with sick bag at the ready..............The Project and Programme Management Award

    Transforming Rehabilitation, Ministry of Justice

    The Transforming Rehabilitation Programme was one of the most ambitious and complex sets of reforms introduced by the Coalition Government. Focussing on a group of offenders with often deep-rooted and intractable needs in a period of fiscal restraint, the programme needed to find ways to meet those needs for less. As a result, the programme aimed to introduce wholesale structural changes to the way probation and prisons work, to bring together the best of the public, voluntary and private sectors, and facilitate greater innovation in service provision. In a little over two years, the programme designed and delivered a completely new operating model for probation – navigating a challenging policy environment to innovate and allow rehabilitation to be extended to the most prolific offenders. This involved: new primary legislation; new organisational models; new processes spanning courts, prisons and probation; and a complex commercial strategy to build a diverse market for rehabilitation services. Collaborative project and programme management were key for delivery and close working relationships, coupled with strong and transparent governance, were significant to the success of the programme.

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    1. Well done! I think we covered it at the time, but with so much water having passed under the bridge.....

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  16. Since this post, the recent NPS London newsletter has reduced to about 8 pages and sent out in a more restricted format! The boss knows she’s been exposed and her botty has been publicly Jim-smacked. Haha

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