It's a shame. but understandable, that the amazing government u-turn regarding probation renationalisation and reintegration announced last week has been largely overshadowed by other stories. Nevertheless, all those who care about this vitally important public service must now put all their effort into helping the profession regain it's integrity and distinct identity. In this regard many of us will be pleased by this response from BASW the professional association for social work:-
BASW comments on announcement that probation services to return to public control
Research and experience on the ground showed spectacular failures.
BASW welcomes the announcement from the Westminster government today that the part-privatised probation service in England and Wales would be fully ‘renationalised’ after research and experience on the ground showed spectacular failures.
In 2014, then Justice Secretary Chris Grayling, against much advice from within and outside probation, in haste pushed through the privatisation of unpaid work and behaviour programmes through the Transforming Rehabilitation initiative.
The aim was to reduce costs and increase outcomes through financial incentives and penalties on a US model. It was a spectacular failure with contracted private companies running up huge losses needing government bail outs. Reoffending rates went up 32%. The Public Accounts Committee said the reforms left services “underfunded, fragile, and lacking the confidence of the courts”.
The outsourced workforce was found to be poorly trained and skilled for the difficult tasks of supervising offenders in a range of programmes, underestimating ongoing risks of reoffending and not achieving rehabilitation goals.
The separation of the probation officer role from social work which came in the 1990s remains something BASW seeks to reverse. Probation is still underpinned by social work qualifications, knowledge, skills and values in Northern Ireland and Scotland. While the recent announcement is welcome, we urge the government to talk with BASW and professional leaders in social work to explore again what social work offers.
We will seek to discuss with National Association of Probation Officers and the government the value of re-establishing social work as part of probation service in England and Wales and explore how social workers skills can be effective and humane in supporting change.
In 2014, then Justice Secretary Chris Grayling, against much advice from within and outside probation, in haste pushed through the privatisation of unpaid work and behaviour programmes through the Transforming Rehabilitation initiative.
The aim was to reduce costs and increase outcomes through financial incentives and penalties on a US model. It was a spectacular failure with contracted private companies running up huge losses needing government bail outs. Reoffending rates went up 32%. The Public Accounts Committee said the reforms left services “underfunded, fragile, and lacking the confidence of the courts”.
The outsourced workforce was found to be poorly trained and skilled for the difficult tasks of supervising offenders in a range of programmes, underestimating ongoing risks of reoffending and not achieving rehabilitation goals.
The separation of the probation officer role from social work which came in the 1990s remains something BASW seeks to reverse. Probation is still underpinned by social work qualifications, knowledge, skills and values in Northern Ireland and Scotland. While the recent announcement is welcome, we urge the government to talk with BASW and professional leaders in social work to explore again what social work offers.
We will seek to discuss with National Association of Probation Officers and the government the value of re-establishing social work as part of probation service in England and Wales and explore how social workers skills can be effective and humane in supporting change.
--oo00oo--
This from letters to the Guardian:-
Probation has been handled disgracefully
It was obvious that operational failure, massive expense and complex bureaucratic fragmentation awaited a part-privatised system, say professors Lol Burke and Steve Collett
As welcome as the announcement of the justice secretary is that the probation service is to be renationalised (Probation services to return to public control after Grayling disasters, 11 June), the treatment of this relatively small but extremely important public service has been nothing short of disgraceful.
Chris Grayling was simply the last in a long line of ideologically driven home and justice secretaries, from New Labour’s Jack Straw onwards, who were intent on applying the rules and values of the market, despite the fact that in 2014 every one of the 35 locally accountable probation trusts was formally adjudged to be either good or excellent.
Having tracked this trend, we took no pride in commenting in 2012 that “a small island of decency and humanity in the criminal justice system may be disappearing” or indeed, outlining in 2015, five reasons why the government’s transforming rehabilitation strategy would fail. It was obvious to anybody with basic knowledge of the criminal justice system that operational failure, massive expense and complex bureaucratic fragmentation awaited a part-privatised system.
Three questions remain. First, will Grayling be held to account for the waste of taxpayers’ money (£600m and counting) on a scale that would have resourced the National Probation Service for almost a full year of operation? Second, will this government learn one of the lessons from the response to the Covid-19 pandemic and commit itself to rebuilding well-resourced locally accountable services that are free from by the dead hand of centralised bureaucratic control? And finally, will this justice secretary acknowledge the complex and demanding work of the probation service by enhancing the professional standing of its staff?
Professor Lol Burke School of justice studies, Liverpool John Moores University, Professor Steve Collett Liverpool John Moores University; former chief probation officer, Cheshire Probation Trust (2001-10)
--oo00oo--
Update - Comment from Prison Reform Trust:-
Commenting on the announcement by Robert Buckland that probation services will return to public control, Peter Dawson, director of the Prison Reform Trust said:
“The new structure announced for probation has the advantage of simplicity, at least relative to the byzantine arrangements it replaces. But anyone expecting a significant impact on reoffending as a result should contain their optimism. Mandatory supervision for everyone released from prison, no matter how short their sentence, has resulted principally in an explosion in recalls to prison. As our report “Broken Trust” revealed, people often conceal their needs from probation staff for fear of being recalled. It matters little to the person needing help whether their supervising officer is a civil servant or the employee of a private company if that help isn’t forthcoming. Far from being slowed down, the revolving door has been given an extra shove.
"For probation to work, local partnerships are essential. That will be with the voluntary sector organisations that command the personal trust that statutory bodies often do not. It will be with housing providers, local authorities and local employers. It will be with the police and health services. None of those relationships can be created in a central government department. They all require confidence that organisations will be stable and their leadership sufficiently autonomous to offer the sharing of resources that underpin effective multi agency work.
"The role of central government in probation in recent years has been entirely destructive. Whether that continues to be the case will depend on whether the ministry has the humility and good sense to devolve power to a local level. That rarely comes naturally to central governments of any persuasion. It’s too early to tell how this one will behave.”
--oo00oo--
Further update:-
Dear all,
Probation has been handled disgracefully
It was obvious that operational failure, massive expense and complex bureaucratic fragmentation awaited a part-privatised system, say professors Lol Burke and Steve Collett
As welcome as the announcement of the justice secretary is that the probation service is to be renationalised (Probation services to return to public control after Grayling disasters, 11 June), the treatment of this relatively small but extremely important public service has been nothing short of disgraceful.
Chris Grayling was simply the last in a long line of ideologically driven home and justice secretaries, from New Labour’s Jack Straw onwards, who were intent on applying the rules and values of the market, despite the fact that in 2014 every one of the 35 locally accountable probation trusts was formally adjudged to be either good or excellent.
Having tracked this trend, we took no pride in commenting in 2012 that “a small island of decency and humanity in the criminal justice system may be disappearing” or indeed, outlining in 2015, five reasons why the government’s transforming rehabilitation strategy would fail. It was obvious to anybody with basic knowledge of the criminal justice system that operational failure, massive expense and complex bureaucratic fragmentation awaited a part-privatised system.
Three questions remain. First, will Grayling be held to account for the waste of taxpayers’ money (£600m and counting) on a scale that would have resourced the National Probation Service for almost a full year of operation? Second, will this government learn one of the lessons from the response to the Covid-19 pandemic and commit itself to rebuilding well-resourced locally accountable services that are free from by the dead hand of centralised bureaucratic control? And finally, will this justice secretary acknowledge the complex and demanding work of the probation service by enhancing the professional standing of its staff?
Professor Lol Burke School of justice studies, Liverpool John Moores University, Professor Steve Collett Liverpool John Moores University; former chief probation officer, Cheshire Probation Trust (2001-10)
--oo00oo--
Update - Comment from Prison Reform Trust:-
Commenting on the announcement by Robert Buckland that probation services will return to public control, Peter Dawson, director of the Prison Reform Trust said:
“The new structure announced for probation has the advantage of simplicity, at least relative to the byzantine arrangements it replaces. But anyone expecting a significant impact on reoffending as a result should contain their optimism. Mandatory supervision for everyone released from prison, no matter how short their sentence, has resulted principally in an explosion in recalls to prison. As our report “Broken Trust” revealed, people often conceal their needs from probation staff for fear of being recalled. It matters little to the person needing help whether their supervising officer is a civil servant or the employee of a private company if that help isn’t forthcoming. Far from being slowed down, the revolving door has been given an extra shove.
"For probation to work, local partnerships are essential. That will be with the voluntary sector organisations that command the personal trust that statutory bodies often do not. It will be with housing providers, local authorities and local employers. It will be with the police and health services. None of those relationships can be created in a central government department. They all require confidence that organisations will be stable and their leadership sufficiently autonomous to offer the sharing of resources that underpin effective multi agency work.
"The role of central government in probation in recent years has been entirely destructive. Whether that continues to be the case will depend on whether the ministry has the humility and good sense to devolve power to a local level. That rarely comes naturally to central governments of any persuasion. It’s too early to tell how this one will behave.”
--oo00oo--
Further update:-
Dear all,
11 June 2020
CHANGES TO PROBATION SERVICES
I am writing because today, the Lord Chancellor has announced how we have adapted our plans to reform the Probation service in light of Covid-19. I would be grateful if you would share this letter with your members.
In the current context it is essential that we prioritise measures that will deliver a robust probation service that is best placed to respond to its ongoing impact. For those reasons we have decided to integrate Unpaid Work, Accredited Programmes and other structured interventions into the National Probation Service (NPS) from June 2021. We will not proceed with the Probation Delivery Partner competition.
This will bring all of the core probation service into a single national organisation that can command the confidence of the courts. We intend there to be a continued role for the Dynamic Framework to provide probation practitioners with access to organisations able to provide specialist support to their work with offenders. We will today launch the competition for that Framework, in order to have services in place from June 2021.
I recognise that staff across the probation service have experienced significant changes over recent years. The extraordinary response to Covid-19 within both the NPS and CRCs is testament to the professionalism, commitment and expertise of our staff group. I am determined that we will prioritise the interests of staff over the next year in the way that we manage the transition to new structures.
We will do that in part by continuing to work closely with you as our recognised Trade Unions. I am grateful for the collaborative and open way in which you have engaged with HMPPS throughout this period of acute change. I know my officials are working hard with you with the aim of reaching agreement on terms and protections that will apply for staff transferring from the CRCs. I look forward to those conversations progressing towards a conclusion as soon as possible.
My ambition is that through this process, the NPS will create the conditions that will allow our staff to thrive, to make the greatest possible contribution to protecting the public by turning around the lives of service users, and to be recognised more widely for the critical service they provide in protecting the public and supporting victims of crime.
Yours sincerely
Lucy Frazer QC MP
"the amazing government u-turn regarding probation renationalisation and reintegration announced last week"
ReplyDelete"As welcome as the announcement of the justice secretary is that the probation service is to be renationalised"
!!!!! THERE HAS BEEN NO U-TURN !!!!!
The Probation Service is NOT being "fully re-nationalised".
Responsibility for all those under the supervision of CRCs ultimately lay with HMPPS/MoJ in any event; the CRCs were merely cash-hungry avatars.
If the CRCs 'failed' then HMPPS/MoJ would step in and take back control via NPS. Wonky Wanks was the only CRC to suffer such a fate, and their contract was handed over to NPS's big chums at KSS.
CRC owners never had independent responsibility. They couldn't invent sentences for their caseloads to undertake. They were accountable to HMPPS/MoJ for policy & practice; and to their shareholders for all that luvverly taxpayer cash.
*Some* staff (those who fit the profile) are simply being absorbed into the Civil Service structure of HMPPS.
Key functions will be put out to tender as with the prison service, to maintain the so-called 'mixed economy'. Staff at the 14 privately-run prisons are not Civil Servants, they are not HMPPS or Prison Service; they are employees of the private companies - Serco, Sodexo or G4S - in much the same way that CRC staff are employed by their private owners.
While everyone is wetting their pants in ecstasy at a "an epoch defining moment", Buckland & co are pissing themselves laughing. They've pulled off yet another superbly crafted sleight-of-hand.
So either (a) everyone knows but nobody cares or dares to speak about it, OR: (b) nobody can see that the Emperor remains stark bollock naked but has simply launched the next season's wardrobe.
https://www.clinks.org/community/blog-posts/probation-reform-and-dynamic-framework-what-you-need-know
DeletePosition may have changed considerably since this was published on 23rd May 2020.
DeleteMr Hatton has posted an important & timely message elsewhere on this blog:
ReplyDelete"Andrew_S_Hatton 16 June 2020 at 08:23
Who will be bidding here?
https://www.government-online.net/probation-services/
"Ministry of Justice Probation Services Dynamic Framework
Monday, 15 June 2020, 9:30
Ministry of Justice Probation Services Dynamic Framework
The authority seeks to establish a probation services dynamic framework to purchase services to deliver rehabilitation and resettlement interventions."
I'll guarantee it ain't a Dynamic Framework overflowing with bids full of social work values.
Let's take a wild guess - just as with the NPS/CRC split, could it be the same actors using new names to help themselves to fresh pots of public funds? Those same chums who know the ropes, who have the contacts? Why would someone with a very generous Civil Service slary & platinum pension pot suddenly up-sticks & leap into that revolving door? To join a private sector company for undisclosed sums? A company who are involved in justice & rehabilitation work, maybe? Perhaps because they wrote the contracts & know exactly what's required to land a very considerable jackpot?
"“Broken Trust” revealed, people often conceal their needs from probation staff for fear of being recalled. It matters little to the person needing help whether their supervising officer is a civil servant or the employee of a private company if that help isn’t forthcoming. Far from being slowed down, the revolving door has been given an extra shove."
ReplyDeleteThat's where the real problem lies. Not only is the offender prevented from getting help, but it also creates the capacity for a greater number of SFOs to happen.
Recalling someone to prison shelves the problem, it dosen't resolve it. All TR has done for the under 12mths cohort, is to take them away from services that were previously available to them, and created a quicker route back to prison for them. It's more of a treadmill they can't get off rather then a revolving door.
For many, because of the way probation now operates, its just another problem to navigate with no expectation of any help or assistance, just a process to be completed as painlessly as possible.
The current model of probation has more to do with policing then anything else.
If being fearful of disclosing problems (or failures) because it may mean a return to prison then nothing is ever really going to be fixed.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/society/2020/jun/15/over-1000-prison-leavers-left-homeless-amid-pandemic-moj-figures-show
'Getafix
Indeed 'Getafix' has nailed the issue as we were reminded by Steve Collett and Lol Burke in their Guardian letter the change of direction started by Leon Brittan in 1984 was confirmed by Jack Straw as Home Secretary when he supported by Paul Boateng, who should have known better as a former London criminal solicitor, in future the focus was to be punishment in the community not support for those who were ready to try to avoid living by crime. It was about saving money on imprisonment. Presumably they believed Advise,Assist and Befriend, Social Work was Useless anyway. Parliaments (plural) have lapped it up ever since.
DeleteMore than 1,000 prisoners were released into homelessness at the height of the coronavirus pandemic in England and Wales, figures show, prompting the government to increase funding for accommodation for prison leavers.
DeleteFigures released to the Labour MP Lyn Brown show 840 men, 89 women and 85 young adults aged 18 to 24 were released into rough sleeping or other forms of homelessness between 23 March, when the lockdown was imposed, and 30 April.
A further 1,209 men, women and young adults were released with unknown circumstances for accommodation in the same period.
Brown, the shadow minister for prisons and probation, said: “Homelessness for prison leavers prevents rehabilitation, drives re-offending, and is an obvious public health danger during the pandemic.
“If prison leavers don’t have a decent place to stay, they don’t get a second chance and the public aren’t protected. The Government must guarantee all prison leavers are provided with the right support to break the cycle of re-offence, not just during this crisis, but permanently.”
In late March, the government asked local authorities in England to house all rough sleepers and those in hostels and night shelters but by mid-April there were still multiple warnings over the risk to rough sleepers from Covid-19.
In response to the parliamentary question, the justice minister Lucy Frazer revealed that “due to public health concerns and public protection considerations, there is a need to provide accommodation for a larger cohort of prison leavers”, and funding had been increased.
“The Ministry of Justice has secured appropriate funding for a time-limited period to support the provision of accommodation for all individuals released from prison at risk of homelessness,” Frazer said.
She added: “We are working closely across government to ensure that all individuals released at risk of homelessness receive necessary support to help them secure somewhere to live.”
The additional funding will run until 26 June, at which point it will be reviewed. The MoJ has been approached for comment.
Between 23 March and 30 April, the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus rose from about 11,000 to approximately 126,000.
The figures released to Brown show that about 15% of all women and 14% of all men released from prison during the period were released into rough sleeping or other forms of homelessness, compared with 6% of young adults.
PHEW!! Crisis over @NPS Birmingham:
ReplyDelete"I’ve been touched by the messages of concern regarding me having changed my Outlook profile pic three times this week. I’m fine and content with my new image."
Fuck me. After all the upset & dismay, and then they send this - what a brilliant idea. Why didn't anyone think of it before?
ReplyDelete"we have decided to integrate Unpaid Work, Accredited Programmes and other structured interventions into the National Probation Service (NPS) from June 2021... This will bring all of the core probation service into a single national organisation that can command the confidence of the courts."
And for those who saw red whenever it was suggested Napo had collaborated with HMPPS to implement TR:
"We will do that in part by continuing to work closely with you as our recognised Trade Unions. I am grateful for the collaborative and open way in which you have engaged with HMPPS throughout this period of acute change."
All rainbows coloured in, unicorns fed & ready to fly.
If we returned to the local trusts we would have our own HR and hopefully It on site or at least accessible quickly. Shared services and the contacted parts of it are absolutely awful and not fit for purpose. Constant mistakes, no remedies and under the civil service SPOs frequently don't want to know or give support as they are pulled in different directions. Absolutely sick of it and if the labour market was not so bad would have left a long time back. Wake up we are probation officers not a number on your system, nor IT specialists, form fillers, robots. We came into the job to work with people not use a computer to fill in templates and forms all day.
ReplyDeleteA Return to Capitalist Values - "The government has been accused of “abandoning” a prisoner early release scheme to ease the impact of coronavirus on jails – despite spending almost £4m on electronic tags to carry out the plan.
ReplyDeleteIn April, the Ministry of Justice pledged to release up to 4,000 low-risk prisoners on temporary licence to ease overcrowding, as well as pregnant inmates and mothers with babies.
But the latest figures show just 153 prisoners have been let out under the End of Custody Temporary Release (ECTR) scheme and compassionate release in light of Covid-19.
The limited number of releases comes despite the department spending £3.8m on 2,000 electronic tags to monitor prisoners, according to a response to a parliamentary question tabled by Labour’s shadow justice secretary David Lammy.
The Ministry of Justice says the prison population has fallen by almost 4,000 inmates since mid-March and points to a “compartmentalisation strategy” that has “saved thousands of lives”. It adds tags can still be used on others.
But prison reform campaigners have now written to the department to complain about the “inhumane and untenable” conditions inmates are being kept in, and are calling for the release of a “substantial” number of prisoners.
A joint letter from the Howard League for Penal Reform and the Prison Reform Trust to justice secretary Robert Buckland warns of most people in prison being kept in either “prolonged solitary confinement or in overcrowded conditions”.
In April, the MoJ signed contracts with Buddi Ltd and Attenti EM UK to provide 2,000 electronic monitoring tags between them. The department has said it is considering “alternative uses” for tags not required for the ECTR scheme.
Cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in 105 out of 117 prisons so far, and 23 inmates have died.
Some 971 prison staff and 502 inmates have tested positive, including those who have recovered.
In response to the parliamentary question, prisons minister Lucy Frazer wrote: “Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service has worked with individual establishments and local health teams to identify the most appropriate way to implement the compartmentalisation strategy in each prison, in line with national guidance.
“Full implementation will require around 5,000 to 5,500 additional headroom, from a combination of reduced demand and increased supply of places.
“This is being delivered through a range of means, including a reduction in the population, support for early release schemes, expediting of remand cases, and expansion of the estate.
“Available data shows that since mid-March the overall prison population has fallen by almost 4,000. As at Friday, May 29, 716 temporary accommodation units have been delivered to 23 HMPPS sites and 128 prisoners have been released under the End of Custody Temporary Release Scheme and compassionate release in light of Covid-19.
“We have also brought the former Medway Secure Training Centre back into operation temporarily as an annex to HMP/YOI Rochester. The location will provide temporary accommodation for 70 category D adult males.
“We are currently on track to have fully implemented compartmentalisation across the estate over the next couple of months and continue to work with establishments and review our plans to ensure we are implementing it in the most efficient manner possible.”
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “It was only right that we put public protection first and acquired enough tags to fit everyone that could have been released on the scheme.
“This was just one part of our plan to contain the spread of coronavirus in prisons however, alongside creating extra cells isolating those with symptoms and quarantining new arrivals.
“This plan has saved thousands of lives and the extra capacity we have created has meant we haven’t had to release as many prisoners early as first thought.”
HuffPost
Summary of HL responses to covid-19 so far:
Deletehttps://howardleague.org/our-response-to-covid-19-and-prisons/
Their 15 June letter:
Deletehttps://howardleague.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Letter-to-SoS-from-Howard-League-PRT-2.pdf
Dear Robert Buckland,
Covid19 and prisons: the next phase
Thank you for your letter of 1 June 2020 in response to our letter of 6 May 2020.Things have moved on considerably in the community since we last wrote to you but for the 80,000 men,women and children in prison, life has not changed significantly since you first imposed the lockdown regime on 24 March 2020, some 80 days ago.
Most people in prison are either inprolonged solitary confinement orin overcrowded conditions.Despite the additional resources that have been given to prisons to cope with the crisis, each and every report from the Inspectorate has painted a clear, bleak picture: prisons are devoid of purposeful activity and opportunities for people to make amends...
So the reality is - NOTHING has changed in prisons, despite the empty promises to release people on ECTR & the lining of privateer pockets to the tune of £4m+.
DeleteAnd NOTHING will change for probation, despite the empty promises of "renationalisation".
I really don't know why anyone falls for the UK government's lies time and time again.
Its a Game of power & privilege. It has NOTHING to do with humanitarian, compassionate or other social-worky values.
That's why this blog remains a lively environment. It has harnessed the power of posting anonymously and allows the opportunity to express dissent about the imbalance of power & privilege. That is evidenced by the trolls who occasionally come here to disrupt & upset the blog. They know the value of constructive dissent & whistleblower evidence. In a bid to discredit the truth they try to poison the well.
As the sham of "probation renationalisation" becomes ever more apparent they will no doubt be sending more blog assassins to try & silence Dmitrii Korichnevyy.
FROM AN MOJ FACEBOOK WEBSITE
ReplyDelete============================
"As a recently qualified Probation Officer the unexpected changes brought about because of the coronavirus really threw me in the deep end at the start of my new career.
Not having colleagues physically either side of me to ask quick questions and discuss things with hasn’t been ideal, but we’ve been having virtual team meetings at least twice a week, and a lot of screen time contact.
My role is to enable the ex-offenders I work with to make better life choices and reduce their likelihood of reoffending whilst playing a critical role in public protection.
Currently my week involves arranging video links and telephone conferences from home, and three days out in the car doing doorstep visits. Confidentiality must be considered during doorstep visits, which has meant paying strong attention to the conversations and behaviours with heightened senses.
Working from home has had its own challenges too, such as trying to switch off at the end of the day - which I’m sure many other people in different jobs also struggle with.
Working efficiently as a team during the current crisis has meant we’ve had to explore innovative ways of gelling with colleagues. Even simple changes have made a difference to our resilience and teamwork, such as having an online chat group where we are able share ideas and continue supporting each other throughout the day. On a couple of occasions, we’ve been treated to a sing-song by our team choir members and I’ve even hosted virtual quiz to help maintain the social aspect of being part of a team.
I feel extremely proud to work for the National Probation Service and fortunate for my team of supportive colleagues, managers and incredible administration staff. We are working through an unprecedented time and whilst there will certainly be more challenges, I am inspired by our ability to continue to work effectively in our critical public protection role.
Being a Probation Officer is a challenging, demanding yet rewarding role. You need resilience, empathy and strong communication skills, though patience is perhaps the most essential skill!
Jenny
Applications for the Probation Officer training programme for January 2021 intake are now open. Find out more here:
https://www.traintobeaprobationofficer.com/register-your-i…/
Read more stories from the prison and probation service:
https://prisonjobs.blog.gov.uk/…/a-career-in-public-protec…/
#JusticeHeroes #HiddenHeroes
https://www.facebook.com/pg/ministryofjusticeuk/posts/?ref=notif
I wonder if Jenny exists or if she does she's in a bubble no one else seems to be in. 3 days doing visits etc. Where is the time for the masses of typing, recording, form filling and arse covering we have to do. Management love the new intake as will listen to their bullshit and follow orders without thinking for themselves. Those that do will soon be singled out for ejection.
DeleteAnd hours wasted calling IT.
DeleteAnons 09.53 & 10.46
DeleteCheck the link I gave - she has her photograph posted above her comments
I hope this is a link to her photograph
https://scontent-frt3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/s960x960/104146571_3059180037507033_4651989445165686352_o.jpg?_nc_cat=104&_nc_sid=8024bb&_nc_oc=AQk_sBZ-qAxdV8zFwim6dMr9fqwhe_kJ5SMcowYavR33StWiVmYmRGllKo1w3AMNFCY&_nc_ht=scontent-frt3-1.xx&_nc_tp=7&oh=ace2b54e0a6a47fe99da156728bf03a6&oe=5F106C33
AAnd here I hope is a link straight to the article alongside her photograph
https://www.facebook.com/ministryofjusticeuk/photos/a.411429492282114/3059180034173700/?type=3&theater
I'm mindful that from next year PCCs will have a far greater roll in probation service delivery.
ReplyDeleteI'm also mindful that PCCs are party political and therefore their involvement and impact could differ greatly between regions. Indeed the election of any new PCC could bring abrupt changes to anything their predecessor may have already put in place.
The following article gives a flavour (I think) to those concerns, but also opens the door to discussion on just how much of an impact PCCs will have on this current model of probation being rolled out.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/crime-chief-wants-teesside-model-18433965.amp
'Getafix
Supervision of all offenders on licence and serving community sentences will be brought back entirely under public control after "fundamental flaws" in part-privatising the probation system.
DeleteThe public National Probation Service (NPS) will take over management of low and medium-risk cases, which are currently handled by private providers, from June next year.
Under the existing system, high-risk individuals are supervised by the NPS, with all other work assigned to community rehabilitation companies (CRCs).
Cleveland's Police and Crime Commissioner Barry Coppinger has welcomed the news - but flagged up the approach taken to local rehabilitation as an example for the rest of the country to follow.
Durham Tees Valley Community Rehabilitation Company (DTVCRC) was set up in 2014 and supervises around 3,600 low and medium risk offenders released on community order or prison licence throughout the region.
It's the only not-for-profit CRC in the country, was the highest scoring of the 21 CRCs in the most recent inspections by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation, and was one of only two to achieve an overall “Good” rating.
Under the new changes, announced by Justice Secretary Robert Buckland, it will be disbanded next year. But there will continue to be a role for local criminal justice and voluntary sector organisations, and Mr Coppinger said he will "continue to seek assurance that the dedicated and highly skilled workforce are protected and retained".
Two innovative schemes led by the Commissioner's office and delivered in partnership with DTVCRC recently attracted praise from the national watchdog.
The Heroin Assisted Treatment programme aims to turn round the lives of Middlesbrough’s most entrenched street heroin users and reduce the enormous cost to local residents, business and public services.
And the Cleveland Divert programme is an adult deferred prosecution scheme which aims to keep low-level, first-time offenders out of the criminal justice system by supporting them and offering them the chance to tackle the key reasons behind their offending behaviour.
Mr Coppinger said: “Now that the Government has recognised that privatisation was a mistake, I believe a nationalised version of our model, placing social value and changing lives at the heart of its work, rather than financial gain, can be a template for best practice across the country.”
He added: “We have won praise for the strong and effective partnership working we have in this area and the innovative approaches we have brought to tackling difficult challenges, such as heroin dependency, which have blighted our communities for so long.
"DTVCRC can be very proud of its work which provided the best solution given the Government’s flawed privatisation experiment. I’m pleased that probation will in future be delivered as a public service, though it is essential that this delivery is properly funded and devolved to ensure there is local management and accountability."
It was ALWAYS "under public control" - MoJ supervised the CRC contracts.
DeleteWhy can no journalist get their fecking heads around the lies & nonsense? Its like FCO & DfID becoming FCDO - a thick, choking smokescreen generated by burning the UK's public sector bridges of scrutiny & accountability thereby allowing the thieving bastards to redirect public finances into the pockets of their private sector chums without anyone being able to hold them to account.
Thanks Mr Hatton for the link to the MOJ page. I had a read, but I am not fluent in government tendering gobbledegook.
ReplyDeleteIs that really £4,000,000,000 to be spent?
Did someone at MoJ cut and paste the DF categories from OASys?
What is a "call-off competition"?
and so on... can anyone give a (calm) explantion or summary of this in plain English?
Despite the claims & fanfares & celebrations & wetwipe moments about "renationalisation" there is £4Bn (yep, FOUR BILLION QUID) of public funds waiting to be gifted to the private sector:
Delete"The Authority seeks to establish a probation services dynamic framework (‘DF’) to purchase services to deliver rehabilitation and resettlement interventions"
So, does that sound like a unified probation service or... TR3
Come on down & grab yourself a contract guaranteed for 7 years with an additional 3 years on annual renewal.
________
"Call-offs are that final hurdle suppliers need to overcome to begin working with a public sector buyer. Only once the call-off is completed and signed can the supplier start the work."
https://advice-cloud.co.uk/insights/call-off-contracts/
okay and thank you. Now (anyone out there) I would like to know the monetary value of drugs and alcohol services: in my area (nearly said trust there) we- clients and I am proud to have been inclusive here- have brilliant service from housing support: as in these guys have turned it round for people in the face of dire shortages of housing supply. Patchy but reasonable work from drugs and alcohol services, who I suspect are struggling under a contract where they came in cheaper. ETE has all but disappeared, as in again great staff from other agencies who turfed up and engaged in a realistic and positive way with clients, SO my headscratch is: how much of the third sector tendering is actually to carry on with some positive work and reslationships, how much is TR3?
DeleteMe 19:32 again. I am less interested in ranting here (and believe me, I can rant) I want a breakdown and account of this new tendering that I can understand
DeleteWon't happen. Bojo the children lunch snatcher as Thatcher was to milk will not have the room. They are about to break the commitment to pensioners triple lock. 4bill to private firms for nothing is a spend they can't afford when the covid returns come in. This country has suffered austerity now plague . I mean the Tories. The covid has focused their attention but not for the right reasons. Bojo will be told to do things against his personal popularity antenna. He will try and see the rich get richer but the country cannot afford the super rich while covid do obviously attacks the worst off in society us plebs won't die in the trenches for the rich ever again.
ReplyDeleteSadly, even though I'd prefer not to, I have to disagree with @13:27 because 'They' don't care about anything but themselves.
Delete'They' (plural) are running the show globally. When one has several homes around the globe, private means of international travel 'under the radar', obscene levels of personal wealth & seriously dodgy friends (who would cull their own families to protect their privilege) - that's when you really don't have to give a fuck about anything other than your own ambition & protecting those who look after you.
Bliar, is a case in point. So what about the Peoples' Prime Minister [sick!] who sat from May 2 1997 to June 27 2007 & was then appointed as a Special Envoy to the Middle East. Where does much of his wealth come from?
He now runs a consultancy business and has set up various foundations in his own name, including the Tony Blair Faith Foundation. His personal fortune now stands at three times the amount he has previously claimed, at some £60 million – which includes 10 homes. Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, set up in 2017, says its aim is “to help make globalisation work for the many, not the few”... the institute has projects in 14 African countries, and offers their governments advice regarding the establishment of stable democracies, and also has projects in the Middle East...
Plus, not wanting to miss out on a free dip... Tony Blair has claimed more than £1m in public funds since he stepped down as prime minister, it has emerged. In the 10 years since he left office in 2007, Mr Blair has received £1,077,888 from the government through this system, a freedom of information tribunal has revealed.
* Sources include Independent & Telegraph.
Even the least memorable of modern times, Vague Hague, has bought himself a mountain and a vast slice of Welsh real estate with his ill-gotten gains.
They are members of a lifestyle we can only read about in airport novels. They can do as they please, they are protected and untouchable by mere mortals.
Many years ago in a busy hotel restaurant/bar a former British PM made a lewd comment to my ten year old daughter. I hadn't realised who it was and rose up to 'ave words with the dirty old sod.
Within the blink of an eye I found myself in a corridor with two be-suited 'assistants'. They warned me off and suggested our family might like to eat at another restaurant "on account". In a state of shock we left, went where we were directed and we were treated like royalty, "on account." My daughter still thinks it was something I'd arranged for her as a birthday treat.
'They' can do whatever they like. They don't care. That is their special SuperPower.
Caught on Camera:
DeleteHealth Secretary Matt Hancock has been spotted slapping a colleague on the back in the House of Commons, despite social distancing measures in place to curb the spread of coronavirus.
The moment of apparent forgetfulness happened as he arrived for Prime Minister's Questions.
Hancock - who tested positive for the coronavirus in March - has been among the ministers to repeatedly urge the importance of people keeping two metres away from one another.
'They' can do whatever they like. They don't care. That is their special SuperPower.
Everyone's sorry after the event, Mr Hancock. Almos every PSR I've ever written involved people who were deeply sorry afterwards. Its the ***NOT*** doing it in the first place that counts, dickweed. That's what separates those in gaol from everyone else - unless you're of high enough social status (and white) that means it doesn't apply to you (or Dominic Cummings, or Robert Jenrick, or the Johnson family, or you etc etc)
DeleteIts all okay again:
ReplyDelete"Johnson has previously questioned why the plane is grey, and said as foreign secretary that he would like to have a “Brexit plane” to help him travel the world and promote the government’s vision of global Britain. So it may have come as a bit of a shock on Wednesday when it was announced that the government would be using £900,000 of taxpayers’ money to paint Boris Johnson’s military grey RAF VIP plane. It’s not just any old spruce up – the plane, which is shared by the PM, senior cabinet minsters and the royal family, will be decked out in red, white and blue to represent the Union Jack."
Huzzah!!!