My sincere thanks to everyone for such a brilliant evening, the welcome and lively discussion - it all serves to confirm my abiding love for the probation endeavour and the people who continue to keep the ethos alive, despite everything. I may be back home recovering, but very many thanks go to the loyal reader for again burning the midnight oil in order to produce the following reflections on proceedings.
AGM Day Two
The day commenced with a surprisingly quick announcement of quoracy. There was the usual tub-thumping speech from the present General Secretary who it seems has been paying attention to recent news events but appears to have spent less time concentrating on the somewhat less easily regurgitated ins and outs of members concerns. This was surprising especially as one of the later speakers indicated that regular meetings take place between Napo HQ and the MoJ/HMPPS. It is the substance of these meetings that members want to hear about not a Jeremy Clarksonesque summary of the news.
A lot of time wasting by the top table.
It is true that though very worthy the Napo Journal report does not normally get a standing ovation. However, after 17 years of hard graft as managing editor Emma Cluley had Conference on its feet in recognition of her solid and unerring contribution to a publication that has grown in stature and made a real contribution to knowledge and practice in probation. Emma was gracious in her thanks to Napo and all those involved. An unmistakably emotional send off.
The redoubtable Frances Crook addressed conference reminding us why she has been such a brilliant champion for change in the criminal justice system. A staunch friend of Napo and probation she was the voice that punched through the fog on so many occasions and achieved a degree of respect across the political spectrum when speaking about prisons and probation that only Harry Fletcher came close to in terms of media interest and authority. Frances called for the final closure of STCs and women’s prisons calling for local facilities to support and reintegrate women back into their local communities. Napo would do well to take note and forge closer links with The Howard League who are obvious allies. Frances Crook was awarded lifetime honorary membership of Napo – too right.
The professional sessions couldn’t have been more different from each other and were both interesting. The first consisted of a panel discussion of domestic abuse and the family courts a year after ‘The Harm Report’. This reminded me for one of the discussions that we used to have at team meetings a long time ago when the discussion was about professional issues relevant to practice rather than slagging all and sundry off. Informative contributors Including Jack Harrison a family court lawyer and Jenny Birchall from Woman’s Aid. All good thought-provoking stuff and intelligent discussion. If only we had time for this sort of thing when back in the office.
The panel discussion on the impact of racial trauma on probation and the family courts that included Chief Inspector Justin Russell, author of ‘Labelled a Black Villain’ Trevor Hercules, Alison Lowe West Yorkshire Deputy Mayor and Criminal Justice Consultant Delphine Duff-Butler. Delphine would have been dynamite enough in the mix, but Trevor was in the mood to express himself and he must have sensed he was speaking to a receptive audience. He was honest and gritty to say the least, but you felt that he was well intentioned to help young black men (perhaps like he once was) and he had been on quite a journey (buy the book!!!).
The day commenced with a surprisingly quick announcement of quoracy. There was the usual tub-thumping speech from the present General Secretary who it seems has been paying attention to recent news events but appears to have spent less time concentrating on the somewhat less easily regurgitated ins and outs of members concerns. This was surprising especially as one of the later speakers indicated that regular meetings take place between Napo HQ and the MoJ/HMPPS. It is the substance of these meetings that members want to hear about not a Jeremy Clarksonesque summary of the news.
A lot of time wasting by the top table.
It is true that though very worthy the Napo Journal report does not normally get a standing ovation. However, after 17 years of hard graft as managing editor Emma Cluley had Conference on its feet in recognition of her solid and unerring contribution to a publication that has grown in stature and made a real contribution to knowledge and practice in probation. Emma was gracious in her thanks to Napo and all those involved. An unmistakably emotional send off.
The redoubtable Frances Crook addressed conference reminding us why she has been such a brilliant champion for change in the criminal justice system. A staunch friend of Napo and probation she was the voice that punched through the fog on so many occasions and achieved a degree of respect across the political spectrum when speaking about prisons and probation that only Harry Fletcher came close to in terms of media interest and authority. Frances called for the final closure of STCs and women’s prisons calling for local facilities to support and reintegrate women back into their local communities. Napo would do well to take note and forge closer links with The Howard League who are obvious allies. Frances Crook was awarded lifetime honorary membership of Napo – too right.
The professional sessions couldn’t have been more different from each other and were both interesting. The first consisted of a panel discussion of domestic abuse and the family courts a year after ‘The Harm Report’. This reminded me for one of the discussions that we used to have at team meetings a long time ago when the discussion was about professional issues relevant to practice rather than slagging all and sundry off. Informative contributors Including Jack Harrison a family court lawyer and Jenny Birchall from Woman’s Aid. All good thought-provoking stuff and intelligent discussion. If only we had time for this sort of thing when back in the office.
The panel discussion on the impact of racial trauma on probation and the family courts that included Chief Inspector Justin Russell, author of ‘Labelled a Black Villain’ Trevor Hercules, Alison Lowe West Yorkshire Deputy Mayor and Criminal Justice Consultant Delphine Duff-Butler. Delphine would have been dynamite enough in the mix, but Trevor was in the mood to express himself and he must have sensed he was speaking to a receptive audience. He was honest and gritty to say the least, but you felt that he was well intentioned to help young black men (perhaps like he once was) and he had been on quite a journey (buy the book!!!).
A lively exchange ensued with newly appointed Assistant General Secretary Ranjit Singh doing a good job as chair to ensure everyone communicated their points in their own way and was heard. I’d love to see this panel on Question Time setting the world to rights. I think everyone got the message loud and clear re service user/people on probation or whatever the current moniker is for the punters being used and to call racism out and encourage young people to go to the police if a crime has been committed rather than taking matters into their own hands and starting a chain reaction of retribution revenge and increasing violence. All good stuff with some challenge there to the usual expected messages.
The Race Action Plan was duly launched.
After a much needed break it was the turn of Lyn Brown to address conference. Lyn has been well briefed by Napo and as a former social worker had a bit of insight into current challenges. She seemed like someone who got why probation staff are fed up (even more than is normal) and had some idea how things could be fixed with greater localism and probation as a more independent player free from stifling bureaucracy and government toe punts. There was nothing she said that was in the least bit controversial given the audience and she pushed all the right buttons.
Sitting in the back of the hall mostly nodding in agreement was Jim Barton a civil servant who according to the latest MoJ organisational chart is Director Probation Reform and Electronic Monitoring at Ministry of Justice UK.
After some uncontroversial motions it was Jim’s turn.
Jo Farrar, Chief Executive of HMPPS, couldn’t make it so Jim Barton gave a reasonably good summary in 4 mins of where we are at. Most had heard similar before. It was interesting to learn that the MoJ has been reasonably successful at increasing funding. A further 1500 trainees were promised but no real undertaking re pay. Jim explained some of the situation around tagging but after Kit Malthouses techno solutions for everything spin ringing in everyone’s ears he was speaking to the unconverted and in some cases never to be converted.
The Race Action Plan was duly launched.
After a much needed break it was the turn of Lyn Brown to address conference. Lyn has been well briefed by Napo and as a former social worker had a bit of insight into current challenges. She seemed like someone who got why probation staff are fed up (even more than is normal) and had some idea how things could be fixed with greater localism and probation as a more independent player free from stifling bureaucracy and government toe punts. There was nothing she said that was in the least bit controversial given the audience and she pushed all the right buttons.
Sitting in the back of the hall mostly nodding in agreement was Jim Barton a civil servant who according to the latest MoJ organisational chart is Director Probation Reform and Electronic Monitoring at Ministry of Justice UK.
After some uncontroversial motions it was Jim’s turn.
Jo Farrar, Chief Executive of HMPPS, couldn’t make it so Jim Barton gave a reasonably good summary in 4 mins of where we are at. Most had heard similar before. It was interesting to learn that the MoJ has been reasonably successful at increasing funding. A further 1500 trainees were promised but no real undertaking re pay. Jim explained some of the situation around tagging but after Kit Malthouses techno solutions for everything spin ringing in everyone’s ears he was speaking to the unconverted and in some cases never to be converted.
Probation staff need a pay increase of about £10k before they are being paid their market value. He attempted to deal with the sensitive issue of why we are not getting the cash. Jim took questions but then the chair messed up a vote that if successful would have allowed for more questions and hopefully some revealing answers but would on the other hand eat into time for motions that to be honest could be knocked out in an hour if chaired properly. The chair managed to confuse everyone, and subsequent explanations just made it worse. It was later announced that Jim had volunteered to do an online session where members could as him questions.
More motions then close.
More motions then close.
"Probation staff need a pay increase of about £10k before they are being paid their market value"
ReplyDeleteSorry, but that's insane
“Probation staff need a pay increase of about £10k before they are being paid their market value.”
ReplyDelete1. that’s why our Chief Exec Farrar sent her minion Barton instead to give us the gobbledygook.
2. that’s why probation is a crap organisation and career choice.