Sunday 1 January 2023

2022 Year End Review

The beginning of a New Year is as good a time as any to take stock of things and consider the future. I must confess that by nature I'm a pessimist, but within someone who has always hoped for the best and been prepared to take an active part in trying to make things better. I guess that philosophy was why relatively late in life I took to probation like a duck to water and has sustained my determination to persevere with this blog in order to try and make sure it survives as a distinct ethos. To put it bluntly, I am prepared to do whatever it takes to keep the probation flame burning and taking full advantage of the optimism that comes with this time of year, renew an invitation to those who feel similarly to come along with me. 

Lets be honest here; the situation is pretty dire. The patient is sick, toxic even and in a state of crisis everywhere. HMPPS of course remains in total denial - situation normal for a government department that has to answer to its political masters. The civil service command and control mindset means it just issues orders, threats and platitudinous guff on a regular basis via social media platforms whilst at the same time firmly placing fingers in ears whilst endlessly reciting 'la,la,la,la,la,la'. It was once famously stated by John Reid that 'the Home Office was not fit for purpose'. It led to the MoJ being created. I think we've gone full circle and the MoJ is no longer fit for purpose.  

Lets review the situation:-

1) There is a national staffing crisis. The most experienced probation staff continue to head for the exit or go off on sick leave. New recruits, PQiPs, either leave during training or shortly after appointment. The training is not felt to be adequate. There's a miserable failure to recruit diversity in terms of gender, age, disability and life experience. Probation always had a history of recruiting from a broad range of social background, life experience and character, but that has ceased. 

2) Morale is at rock bottom. Probation's strength was its independence that facilitated staff at all levels to function effectively in response to the social, environmental and political climate at any given time and thus was able to garner widespread respect and confidence. By the forced marriage to HM Prison Service this has been squandered and cannot be recovered until reconstituted as a standalone arms-length agency able to speak and act independently. The dramatic drop in community sentences is a direct result of probation being subsumed by HM Prison Service.

3) The 'OneHMPPS' plan will only further exacerbate the problem by consolidating HM Prison Service control. It should be of concern that the Chief Probation Officer has 'jumped ship' and any new appointment is likely to be a candidate who has risen from the ranks of HM Prison Service. OMiC has helped exacerbate the community staffing crisis by moving officers into prisons, effectively to 'backfill' for staffing issues there. It is clearly not working. 

4) Probation staff continue to be 'thrown under the bus' by the SFO process in a cynical attempt to provide cover for numerous systemic and structural failings within NPS. This whole process must be challenged and the spotlight turned upon the Service and the numerous structural failings such as high caseloads, poor managerial supervision and chronic IT inadequacies. Officers are becoming increasingly 'risk-averse' as a way of dealing with the ever-present SFO threat and this is having a knock-on effect in terms of prison population growth.  

5) HMPPS is a government department that has become utterly toxic under the control of the current Justice Secretary, now facing numerous allegations of inappropriate behaviour, and a culture of bullying, intimidation and cronyism has become widespread. Things are so bad there has been a widespread boycott of the Staff Survey process. Pay and terms and conditions continue to be eroded. There is growing evidence of staff developing PTSD as a direct result of toxic work environments, 'reasonable adjustments' not being catered for and the Sickness Absence Policy being used abusively.  

6) Clients of the Service - not PoPs or 'people on probation' - increasingly are saying they regard probation as part of the problem, not any solution and the trust and respect that used to exist is being rapidly eroded. So-called 'signposting' and farming out programmes to other agencies is destroying the client/officer relationship widely held to being fundamental to effective supervision.   

7) Changes to the Parole System and in particular the absurdity of forbidding Probation Officers from making recommendations to the Parole Board are threatening to further undermine the Service's professional standing, will not serve the needs of justice and add further to the prison population.

8) Vast amounts of time continue to be swallowed up by 'tick-box' computer processes duplicating information and OASys has become utterly unfit for purpose. Some, including me, would say it never was. The quality of PSR's continues to decline, too many are hastily provided on the day not allowing for comprehensive garnering of information and there is no 'gatekeeping' process.    

9) Probation finds itself without an effective champion. There is cause to feel the Probation Institute might become more of an effective voice, but to be honest there is no obvious replacement for the likes of Lord Ramsbotham who proved to be a tireless champion for the cause. The Howard League used to speak up regularly on probation matters, but for whatever reason now seems ominously quiet on the subject. HMI Justin Russell continues to venture into policy and practice matters, but has as-yet failed to categorically call-out the fundamental structural issues. The Parliamentary Justice Committee similarly plods on with good work, but has yet to signal fundamental change is required.

10) Effective trade union leadership has been sadly lacking for some considerable time and it must surely be hoped that the current recruitment process for Napo General Secretary might yield a range of candidates that could offer inspiration, direction and an authoritative probation voice. It's nothing short of disgraceful that Napo, the Professional Association as well as Trade Union, has not been vocal on the way the SFO process is being used.   

11) We are on the home stretch towards a General Election. Whatever one's views are regarding the leader of HM Loyal Opposition, Labour will have to surely try very hard indeed to lose the next election. But dear oh dear, reviving the mantra of being 'the party of law and order' is not a good sign and shows a remarkable lack of imagination. I have no idea who is advising Labour on criminal justice matters, but they clearly require some assistance. 

12) Thanks especially to Prof Rob Canton, probation has been given a strong rallying cry and firm theoretical basis for change under a new Labour administration. Far from being an outdated historical relic, he reminds us that 'Advise, Assist and Befriend' turns out to be the best way to 'protect the public'. So there you have it in a nice short soundbite, the theoretical argument and political imperative all in one handy sentence. Can we please start selling this notion asap and get back to being an effective, socially beneficial public service that can regain its former confidence and stature?       

                        

14 comments:

  1. Don’t forget our miserable pay deal. Sadly this pitiful existence is where the Probation Service is at. Happy New Year, although it probably won’t be a happy year for Probation - it never is!

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  2. Until and unless probation rediscovers it's spirit as reformers not agents of punishment all is lost. I don't believe you can do this without independence and at least one very strong political ally. Probation has been subsumed by process and forgotten it's roots of redemption. Pity really.

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  3. Do the right thing and make your voice count. The top reasons why I decided to leave the Probation service a short while ago and why I suspect so many others will follow in 2023:

    1. Diminution of working conditions - high caseloads due to staff shortages resulting in a 'death-spiral' loop
    2. Brute Managerialism cultivating a 'blame culture'- killing the urge to excel and thrive.
    3. Poor wages not keeping pace with the cost of living each year which would have risen by 42.9% (compound) since 2010, but pay in Probation has risen by just 1% over the same period, Here is how probation staff compare with their police staff, local government and health service colleagues in relation to actual increases in the value of their pay since 2010:
    Probation Staff: 1%
    Police Staff: 8%
    Local Government Staff: 6%
    NHS Staff: 2%.
    4. Institutional discrimination - failure to recruit from the very population it serves in terms of race, gender, etc...resulting in a homogenous blob of believers.
    5. Training or the lack of it
    6. Higher levels of stress than other professions, which can result in withdrawal from work, emotional exhaustion, and much more besides.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Jim great piece says it all. The general secretary needs to go from Napo he is grossly incompetant and has colluded over many issues and for years. He is an embarrassment to the union movement. Two tier pay deals for the same job redundancies in an agreement shocking moron. Anyway your pointers are the briefing plan for a new GS to pick up and start a disputed process of failures. The current won't lift a finger other than to right click on his bank balance from Napo members. I am heartened you have new resolve your right as this blog is the only genuine public record both employers and Napo hate so that's enough reason to battle on remember we all need your talents why don't you run for Napo GS . The incumbent only demonstrates you don't need to know anything trade union just talk shite at an ignorant
      audience but you would be a real leader for change.

      Delete
  4. If OASYs was say 4 pages instead of about 40 odd....officers might have time to do other things...it's not rocket science....

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  5. Government, technology, capitalism, whoever, or whatever is responsible, our social fabric is broken.
    We've all become individual units focused on efficiency, outcomes, and process.
    Society has lost its concept of social.
    Everything's broken everywhere you look.
    Each piece of our social jigsaw has it's own particular issues, but in order to fix them and make them function as they should, society needs to change its ethos first.
    It's not about doing more for less. It's got to be about doing it properly because it's the right thing to do.
    The following says it better then I can.

    https://www.respublica.org.uk/about-us/shaping-character-instilling-ethos-through-institutions/

    'Getafix

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  6. Speaking of Labour, we should never forget who brought in the legislation which enabled Grayling to crash TR through the walls of Westminster.

    Offender Management Act 2007

    Part 1 New arrangements for the provision of probation services

    Section 1 Meaning of “the probation purposes”

    Section 2 Responsibility for ensuring the provision of probation services

    (1) It is the function of the Secretary of State to ensure that sufficient provision is made throughout England and Wales—

    (a) for the probation purposes;

    (b) for enabling functions conferred by any enactment (whenever passed or made) on providers of probation services, or on officers of a provider of probation services, to be performed; and

    (c) for the performance of any function of the Secretary of State under any enactment (whenever passed or made) which is expressed to be a function to which this paragraph applies;

    and any provision which the Secretary of State considers should be made for a purpose mentioned above is referred to in this Part as “probation provision”.

    Section 3 Power to make arrangements for the provision of probation services

    (1) This section applies to any probation provision which the Secretary of State considers ought to be made for any of the purposes mentioned in section 2(1).

    (2) The Secretary of State may make contractual or other arrangements with any other person for the making of the probation provision.

    (3) Arrangements under subsection (2) may in particular authorise or require that other person—

    (a) to co-operate with other providers of probation services or persons who are concerned with the prevention or reduction of crime or with giving assistance to the victims of crime;

    (b) to authorise individuals under section 9(2) to act as officers of a provider of probation services;

    (c) to make contractual or other arrangements with third parties for purposes connected with the probation provision to be made, including in particular contractual or other arrangements—

    (i) for provision to be made, or for activities to be carried out, by third parties on behalf of that other person; or

    (ii) for individuals who are not members of that other person's staff to act as officers of a provider of probation services.

    Section 9 Officers of providers of probation services

    (1) In this Part “officer of a provider of probation services” means an individual who is for the time being authorised under subsection (2) (and “officer”, in relation to a particular provider of probation services, means a person so authorised to act as an officer of that provider).

    (2) An individual may be authorised to act as an officer of a particular provider of probation services (“the relevant provider”) by—

    (a) the Secretary of State; or

    (b) a provider of probation services (whether the relevant provider or any other provider) who is authorised to do so by the Secretary of State.



    Reading it again in 2022 it could easily have been written by raab:

    "any provision which the Secretary of State considers should be made for a purpose mentioned above is referred to in this Part as “probation provision”... The Secretary of State may make contractual or other arrangements with any other person for the making of the probation provision... authorise individuals under section 9(2) to act as officers of a provider of probation services... [including] individuals who are not members of that other person's staff to act as officers of a provider of probation services."

    The die was cast many, many years ago. CJA2003 brought us IPPs, OMA2007 began the demise of independent probation service provision; ORA2014 tidied up the loose ends.

    rabb's scorched flat-earth thinking will finally remove all traces of sentient beings from the justice environment.

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  7. If you thought 2023 couldn't beat 2022 for shitness, brace yourselves:

    https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/9320c8f8-8ac0-11ed-b24e-c1aaebfbdb8d?shareToken=abea6ae2ff1104343ed971d4dabf75d3

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    Replies
    1. The cry will go up: only one man can save us! Emails from local activists, and some not so local, will fill the spam folders of Conservative MPs. Polls of varying reliability will be spread before their bewildered eyes. There may even be hints of deselection. Only one man has the charm, the jokes, the charisma, the campaigning razzamataz. Save your seat! Now or never! Bring back Boris!

      I appreciate that the prospect will not be met with universal acclaim. And apologies for causing your spoon to drop into the marmalade. But the return of Boris Johnson to No 10 this year has a certain plausibility — at least to his Westminster supporters, of which, at the last count, there were roughly a hundred: enough, they say, to have put him into the membership stage of a second Tory leadership election last year, which he would quite possibly have won.

      Sunak is many things, but a speechifyer he isn’t. Admittedly, he has restored stability to Downing Street after Liz Truss’s frenzy. But there’s a fine line between business as usual and saying nothing much. As strikes mount, inflation persists, living standards plunge and Keir Starmer goes on the offensive, his critics are claiming that the prime minister is missing in action.

      Delete
  8. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/strengthening-probation-building-confidence-monthly-bulletin/probation-service-change-bulletin-issue-15-december-2022

    Oh, the anticipation:

    "Since unification of the Probation service, all service delivery arms are now operating fully under the umbrella of the HMPPS (His Majesty’s Prison & Probation Service).

    The ‘One HMPPS’ Programme, led by Jim Barton as Senior Responsible Owner, was commissioned by the HMPPS Leadership Team (HLT) to review and consider how we operate as an organisation; including how we can make sustainable changes and work together in the most efficient and effective way possible... Pursuing this vision is anticipated to result in better outcomes to reduce reoffending and improve public protection."


    So "reunification" has been dumped in favour of "uinification":

    reunification - the process of joining two parts of something that were previously divided

    unification - "the process of being united or made into a whole."

    Presumably the 'previously divided' aspect is being written out by the government revisionistas.

    How clever they are.

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  9. ‘Over-chatty’ M6 driver had taken cocaine court told

    "... “His demeanour was excitable, over-chatty and generally hyperactive,” prosecutor told Magistrates’ Court today.

    A test proved positive for cocaine with a blood sample later showing the presence of a breakdown produce of the class A drug which was more than eight times the legal limit..."

    I didn't know there was a legal limit for driving after using cocaine. Pray tell...

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    1. This might help:

      https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/drug-driving

      ‘Illegal’ drugs (‘accidental exposure’ – zero tolerance approach)
      cocaine = 10µg/L (micrograms / litre of blood)

      "The government is unable to provide any guidance on what amounts of dosage would equate to being over the specified limits. There are too many variables, such as physical characteristics, where each person will metabolise the drug at different rates. Eating or drinking will also have an effect on the blood concentration."

      Hmmm, headlines without context = misleading

      * 0.00008g of cocaine = "eight times the legal limit"

      Delete
    2. allowance)

      Inner London £35,931
      Outer London £34,140 to £36,140 *
      South and South East £32,702 to £34,202 *
      Other locations £30,702
      Figures based on new pay award from September 2022.

      *includes market supplements.

      Embarrassing prison officers earn as much as you now and show how far the service as reached the bottom

      Delete
  10. Remember these chums of Cummings? Doesn't look like they've gone away. In fact it looks like they're very much embedded in some very important UK gov decision-making:

    https://www.palantir.com/uk/government/

    "Palantir has supported the UK government during some of its most critical missions.

    From urgent vaccine distribution to the safe resettling of refugees, we are proud to see our software serve the common good."

    Their CEO writes:

    "The role our software is playing in the world often, by necessity, remains far from public view. This month, however, two newspapers, the Washington Post and the Times of London, published articles about the use of our software in Ukraine.
    “The Ukrainians are fusing their courageous fighting spirit with the most advanced intelligence and battle-management software ever seen in combat,” writes David Ignatius of the Washington Post."

    Govt by algorithm. Foundry, they call it.

    ReplyDelete