Dare we hope for something better? Ok David Lammy indulged the usual political requirement for new offences and tougher sentences, but at least probation got several mentions and I particularly like the 'National Service of Second Chance' reference and suggestion of a 'National Pro-bono Service'.
I'd rather the current iteration (for that's what it is: "the repetition of a process or utterance") of 'probation service' was never mentioned again & is allowed to dwindle into pathetic obscurity.
ReplyDeleteAs far as I can tell, any positive use of the word 'probation' these days just feeds the appetite for deception of the 'excellent leaders'. It allows them to believe they are the mythical creatures of HMI reports.
*They* are NOT Probation.
*They* are managerialism.
*They* are part of the creeping totalitarianism that is grinding away at democracy in the UK.
This new-fangled do-as-I-say probation force can never be reinstated as an independent professional service. Its a write-off; the damage is structural & beyond economical or moral repair.
Let the HMPPS' pisspoor reproduction of the Probation Service die on its arse.
Think outside the tick-box & prepare for the next incarnation.
Great speech. There is only hope if we get the current government out of power. Any probation worker worth their salt would vote for a party that promised Lammy as Justice minister
ReplyDeleteProbation staff are leaving in droves. Even managers are jumping ship, burnt out.
ReplyDeleteBullying, sexism and racism is a regular occurrence. Probation practices are prescribed, robotic and instructed from senior managers in the Ivory Tower who literally get away with murder.
Probation is the worst it’s ever been.
Probation Officer
London
Anon’s correct. Double standards, cronyism and structural incompetence. Beggars belief who is in charge of probation. Many have been thrown under the bus for less. Further afield no better. Put Labour and Lammy in charge to clear the rot.
ReplyDelete“Security experts slam 'incompetency and oversight' as jury find Streatham terror attack COULD have been prevented if terrorist Sudesh Amman had been recalled to prison after police SAW him buy kit for his poundshop fake suicide belt before stabbing spree
“Carina Heckroodt, head of the London Extremism Gangs and Organised Crime Unit at the Probation Service, denied it was a 'missed opportunity' not to recall Amman to prison on January 31 after he was spotted buying items later used to fashion a fake suicide belt.”
Ms Heckroodt’s witness statements, read before the inquest jury, said: “On January 9, I attended a JOT (Joint Operational Team) meeting in London to discuss Amman.
“This meeting was attended by a number of people and included the police and the security service (MI5).
“I cannot remember all of the attendees and I am not sure who they all represented.
“During this JOT, the police said that Amman was a high threat and that an attack would be when, not if.”
Ms Heckroodt also said Amman was considered at that meeting to be “high threat” and it was “suspected he would use a knife to carry out an attack”.
She said she subsequently learned Amman bought some bottles of Irn Bru soft drink, a roll of tape and some kitchen foil from Poundland prompting her to call the Probation Service’s national security lead to discuss whether Amman could have breached the terms of his release from prison.
However, it was not felt Amman’s actions were sufficient enough to recall him to prison. He struck two days later.
Giving evidence, Ms Heckroodt said she was “satisfied” there was nothing about the purchases that suggested he had breached any licence conditions.
Rajiv Menon, representing Amman’s family, said: “Your failure to recall him was a most serious missed opportunity in this case.”
Ms Heckroodt replied: “I disagree, it was not a missed opportunity.”
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9911713/Streatham-terrorist-Sudesh-Amman-lawfully-killed-jury-finds.html
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/police-poundland-metropolitan-police-london-streatham-high-road-b949359.html
Isn’t Ms Heckroodt, London Probation’s top brass? Had a Probation Officer made this decision they’d have been toast.
DeleteProbation is the worst it's ever been, and that is a direct result of Grayling's TR omnishambles. Current shambles and misery is just a perfect storm of privatisation, reversal- but into the apalling HMPPS, pandemic, and a shortage of staff, and in particular of experienced staff. If Probation had oodles of staff of all grades, ages and experience, we would be in a whole different place, still a poor place, but a better one that this. Good to have some glimmers of hope: in fact when anyone in a position to comment knowledgeably about Probation, other than the present political incumbents and their generals, the vision and rationale for the sort of probation service I want to work for is made. Politicians, academics, colleagues.
ReplyDeleteWe need some sort of hope and vision. So grim in my team that colleagues are starting to turn on each other. Its awful to be around
...And we still await our contractual pay rise. I don't know many companies who would get away with this but it seems ok if you are employed by the MOJ / HMPPS / Government or whoever our leaders are this week. The way they treat the 'front line' is absolutely appalling. Not to mention burn out / colleagues off sick with burn out / stress / corporate bullying / high case loads or exceptional demands from the forces in their ivory tower at MOJ Command and Control. Shocking and can anyone really wonder why we are all leaving in droves. I am out soon and cannot wait - not what I signed up to 15 years ago.
DeleteWe cannot continue blaming Grayling. He may have been the architect of probation destruction, but it has been probation senior managers and directors that have continued to grind it into the dirt.
ReplyDeleteThanks to our probation so-called leaders and directors, Probation reunification has been just as much a disaster as probation privatisation.
Will it change anything after the cynical & abusive misuse of statistics by this government? No.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/oct/03/mps-and-civil-servants-called-to-account-for-misleading-use-of-statistics
Seen on Twitter:-
ReplyDelete"Handed in my notice 2 weeks ago after 10 years service. TR ruined everything. Bullying gets swept under the carpet and only the hierarchy get looked after. My manager handed in notice and got a face to face exit interview, I hand it in and get an online questionnaire!!"
How insulting. If for nothing else, Jim, this blog will be somewhere where the exiters can reflect, offload, rant and be heard
DeleteSeen on Twitter:-
ReplyDelete"I still remember the days of advise, assist and befriend. Then again I am proud and happy to have the CQSW. Today probation seems to be community prison officers and no kindness or empathy for the many broken people that become part of the CJS"
Me too. I remember the days of Advise Assist Befriend. I didnt get a CQSW, I qualified later, but I was "brought up" by those who had, and the values and ethics got handed down colleague to colleague. The threat now to the -even now resilient- Probation Values, is that gap, the missing generation who were made redundant or just walked, and then next generation down who dont exist as there was no recrutiment or training
DeleteToday's comments show exactly why this blog still exists IN SPITE OF efforts & attempts to close it down - without Jim's safe space these words, these expressions of emotion from probation staff simply would not exist in the public domain. There would be no medium through which staff could say what must be said.
ReplyDeleteThe self-satisfied 'excellent leaders' might have been able to pull the wool over some eyes, but they need to realise there are many millions of pairs of eyes who can see through the bullshit, once the bullshit is exposed to sunlight. And like the mythical bloodsuckers of legend, HMPPS are terrified that sunlight will touch them & turn their policies to dust.
Chapeau! to Jim & Chapeau! to those prepared to say how they feel.
For those who can, watch some NHK Japanese tv - it can be a cleansing, life affirming experience. Its only one channel away from CNN on Sky (507)
ReplyDeleteCNN? Oh yes, I remember that....
DeleteAs an academic and former probation practitioner I would very much like to comment in my own name and in a few years’ time when I retire I may well do so. Unfortunately, the most powerful voices are not those who comment anonymously but those who are prepared to comment critically in their own name. People like Frances Crook and the late Professor Paul Senior who had established themselves to a point where they were sufficiently well known and respected to do so without fear of repercussions. Unfortunately, although Jim has a good record for allowing others to share his platform such as the late Professor Paul Senior, those commenting on the blog have established a reputation for shooting down those who actually are trying to deal with the reality and tackle some of the issues head on. I think on occasions there has been some anti and inter union decidedly uncomradely mischief and propagandising on the blog. It worries me because I wonder about the motives of those concerned. Because the anonymous commentators can take a pot shot and hide behind their anonymity, we do not know who they are and that deters those we might like to hear from contributing to the blog discussions. For instance, whenever the Probation Institute is mentioned, this seems to stir up a huge amount of largely irrational vitriolic resentment regarding its supposed genesis. Half of what I read about its origin story is utter nonsense as certain bodies have always got MoJ start-up handouts including Napo who were started by the Home Office. Money is money at the end of the day and of all the money that TR wasted that money given to the Probation Institute was, as far as I am aware, at least accounted for and not misspent or bought any particular favours. Yes, it got £80k from the TR pot but that was a great deal less than one enhanced retirement package for a former senior Probation Trust manager, and nothing compared with other expenses – try to get over that and move on. It is of course the child not of Grayling and TR but of the Probation Chiefs Association and the Probation Association. It is not a campaigning organisation but rather focused on practice issues and it has kept to its script and maintained a positive voice for the probation profession. God knows we need all the voices and support we can get.
ReplyDeleteNapo also gets short shrift from commentators on the blog that to many genuine members and observers of probation seems to be unwarranted and unfair.
Constructive criticism of a democratic organisation is valuable but there is point where it just sounds nasty and unprofessional. This puzzles many thousands of Napo members who get a good service from their union as a result of the many experienced local reps and benefit from a small but solid admin team in the centre. There used to be a friendly rivalry between UNISON and Napo in particular however at the negotiating table in reality they are equally represented and perform in more or less the same way. Napo used to be more practice focused as a professional association, but it has undoubtedly lost influence. This is not entirely as a result of leadership woes that will not end when the present incumbents move on or are ousted but largely due to the focus of its members who with a few notable exceptions do not seem to be interested anymore in organising and campaigning for change.
I cannot help thinking though that those commenting on the blog should consider being more supportive of trade unionism and trades union values as well as professional practice that by and large should go hand in hand. Unions still have some statutory rights regarding consultation of certain matters and access to the corridors of power (some of the leaders were previously activists) and so do professional associations and institutes. Use the pathways of influence you have available to you rather than shooting them down at every opportunity.
Good work is being done by trade unionists and also those working with the Probation Institute (often behind the scenes) including some very respected fellow academics who in my experience can be very persuasive. Academics, particular the more experienced ones, can often choose where to focus the emphasis of their research. Early stage academics have other pressures. If they keep being criticised and shot down this is discouraging to say the least and may even possibly mean they choose to cast their gaze elsewhere.
ReplyDeleteThose ranged against the sort of probation reform we might want to see also want to see us divided and sniping at each other in a stupefying show of professional disarray. I would suggest that we all try instead to find ways to support those who want to help and support practitioners. We have all heard of motivational techniques that ignore the undesirable behaviours and encourage the good behaviours instead and that approach is surprisingly effective as well as making you feel better. There is such a thing as enjoying the problems too much and spending insufficient time and energy on the solutions. So try to help the unions in their campaigns that will then be bolstered by your not inconsiderable support and they can then feel emboldened in their demands knowing you have their back. Join a union and encourage others to join and exercise your democratic rights as a member to get what you want on the agenda and make those you would otherwise criticise work for you.
Grit your teeth and support the Probation Institute. Give it a try. Have a look at their publications and take an interest as there is some good stuff being done.
If someone speaks out who is broadly supportive of probation, whoever they are. then try to say something positive and constructive rather than attacking them personally, misrepresenting what someone else said they might have said or done or generally rubbishing what they are now saying. Probation people usually give others a second chance, or at least hear them out, otherwise I guess they might be pretty poor at their job.
Just a few suggestions that are guaranteed to irk those who really do not want a strong independent probation service that all probation staff can be proud of but will hopefully encourage others to engage more and be more positive and constructive.
Many thanks 'old academic'. I've taken the liberty of just a small bit of tidying up, a title and published your contribution as a Guest Blog. Please keep the dialogue going and lets all hope this platform can regain some of its former stature as a sensible place for some reflective discourse. Cheers, Jim
DeleteOld academic it would be wonderful if your views were understood by both the union and pi. The pi has and largely remains a tool of senior management and the people in have particular services histories that are not good on the way they treated staff. There is nothing obvious to the leopards have changed their spots.the union sadly has bumped along painfully morphing into a self interest group protecting its own financial survival. It has developed thickening in crowd of activists and has disabled itself from a genuine membership led professional body. It has under the current internalised leadership withdrawn effective legal challenge for its members needs. Facilitation of sell outs and disarming terms in order to hold some place of trying to survive. I think we could have some exchanges but I would suggest a level of naivety on your views as you polarise me on your current publication. By the way we all need to remain anon to protect ourselves you cannot have it both ways. I would gladly expose the examples but here we both are and many others find this blog part of the many sides of the story.
Delete08:55 I think there is evidence in your comment of some of the attitudes and beliefs that, though well intentioned, are unfortunately part of the problem not the solution. Even if we think that the unions and the PI are flawed (bearing in mind most of what is said about them is probably rubbish)it is no use standing outside the tent shaking your fist and shouting. You must get inside and get involved in the debate with those who are members and leaders and have a seat at the table. Sitting about and indulging in armchair protest only gets you so far and is mostly self destructive. If you really want to worry the opposition then engage and get involved this requires a bit more effort and courage but it is far more effective. If mistakes were made in the past then what is the point in continuing to be angry about them? For goodness sake get over them and move on. It is important to remember history but it should not immobilise you to do something about the present and work towards a better future. Opportunities are missed to bring about change because individuals are staring behind them. For example the current Chair of Napo Katie Lomas was reelected unopposed.
DeleteGood sound advice but we only have a small snapshot here and sadly this is not a place we can expose the whole rot. A no contest election says a lot about it is just how they like it.
Delete