Sadly, but very conveniently for HMPPS, this film will never see the light of day due to the BBC culling all the investigative journalists from Newsnight and reducing the programme to 30 rather than 45 minutes. Fortunately, I see the subject gets a thorough airing in this piece published yesterday by ByLine Times:-
Ministry of Justice Downgrading of Sex Offender Rehabilitation Will Have ‘Catastrophic Effect’ on Public Safety, Union Warns
The salaries of specialist probation officers who manage sex offenders are being cut – and 77% say they plan to leave the job.
New plans to cut the salaries of specialist probation officers who manage the risk of sex offenders could have a “catastrophic” effect on public safety, unions warn.
Sex offenders in England and Wales are often required to take part in Horizon, a programme designed to reduce their risk of reoffending. Around 1 in 10 sex offenders go on to commit a similar crime.
The programme is facilitated by specialised officers, many of whom have decades of experience working with sex offenders, but the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has decided the role will drop from band 4 to band 3 for new recruits from 1 August 2024, which will result in a pay cut of up to £10,000.
Facilitators will no longer be required to be qualified probation officers, which comes with two years’ training, including risk management and risk assessment.
Around 93% of Horizon facilitators think the public will be at increased risk following these changes, according to an internal survey of members of the union Napo seen by Byline Times.
These changes are like “putting the teaching assistants in charge of the school,” says Laura, a specialist probation officer with experience facilitating and managing these programmes. Laura, (not her real name) added that it takes a lot of experience to be able to idenitfy the signs that someone may reoffend.
“People with 10 to 20 years’ experience are really good at picking up on the signs when someone is becoming risky,” the specialist probation officer says. “And we have a degree-level qualification in managing risk."
“My concern is that we’ll lose these experienced staff who are good at identifying risk, and I can think of a number of situations where staff running these programmes have identified risk that has led to us finding out that men have been having contact with children they shouldn’t have been, which has led to them being recalled to prison.”
“Existing groups are likely to be withdrawn as there won’t be any staff left to complete them. Evidence shows that, where a programme is only partially completed, risk of offenders increases.”
Probation officers that manage people on probation are supported by divisional sex offender units, which consist of specialist probation staff that deliver Horizon. They’re trained to conduct thorough risk assessments and sentence management plans for sex offenders, and provide tailored interventions.
“A lot of probation officers with caseloads lack the confidence of how to work with people with sexual convictions, and look to us for advice,” says Max.
The new plans will eliminate this oversight across the country, says Rebecca (not her real name), a senior probation officer, who declined to provide her name. “There will be a two-tier workforce that will be watered down over time because experienced staff have left and continue to do so. They don’t want to go back into the field doing case management and overseeing an extremely high caseload, which holds a significant level of accountability. We’re walking into a furnace.”
This move could have a “catastrophic” effect on public safety, says Unison, one of the UK’s largest trade unions.
“With the probation service suffering from an acute workload and staffing crisis, it’s all the more important to hold on to experienced employees to supervise complex cases effectively,” says Ben Priestley, the union’s national officer for police and probation. "Doing away with specialist units with expertise in dealing with sex offenders will lead to a significant loss of skilled staff with the necessary experience. Communities will be left without the protection they deserve and require."
The agenda around punishing sex offenders seems to focus on increasing sentences, rather than protecting those at risk of being targeted by sex offenders, says Harriet Wistrich, founder and director of the Centre for Women’s Justice.
Wistrich, a solicitor who acted for some of the victims of John Worboys, known as the ‘black cab rapist’, told Byline Times: “Unless you lock everyone up forever, people will come up of prison, usually on license, and this is a critical time. If they’re regarded low enough in risk, that risk should be very carefully monitored by probation, which requires particular skills and experience.
“Sex offending is a specific type offending. It’s quite different from a lot of other offending because it seems many sex offenders are quite able to present themselves in ways that won’t necessarily make them appear to be a risk to those who aren’t very skilled at identifying and understanding that risk and manipulation,” she says.
There are also plans to replace Horizon, which is designed specifically for those with sexual convictions, with a ‘one-size-fits-all’ course, Next Generation of Accredited Programmes.
Simon (not his real name) completed Horizon while on probation after serving time for a sexual offence and credits it with changing his life. “Getting caught helped me see there were things I needed to address to understand why I did what I did, and I’m a better person now,” he says. “Horizon provides an understanding that we’re all built differently, and it takes a trigger to send you over the edge.”
Simon praises the facilitators, saying they were “excellent” and know how to “treat people”. “If one of us stepped out of line, they were soon told,” he told Byline Times. “You could see their experience in how they spoke to you. Having that experience was vital.”
The move should be a concern to the public, says George Georgiou, GMB’s national officer.
“The work undertaken with people who have committed sexual offences is – and has been for decades – specialised,” he says. “The way people offend and the theories and approaches to addressing this behaviour varies by offence type. “Evidence shows the effective treatment of people who have committed offences of a sexual nature does reduce the risk of their reoffending. GMB is concerned removing specialist workers leaves the public at risk of increased reoffending.”
Daniel, (not his real name) was sexually abused by a teacher when he was 13.
The 55-year-old says he’s struggled with feelings of guilt for not going to the police about his abuser, who went on to sexually abuse other children. “It’s so vital that the right infrastructure is in place to support and rehabilitate people so they don’t reoffend,” he says.
A Probation Service spokesperson told Byline Times that sex offenders are “supervised by qualified probation officers and the Horizon behaviour change programme they undertake will continue to be delivered by appropriately trained staff. These changes will ensure these programmes are delivered consistently across the country to reduce the risk of reoffending.”
The salaries of specialist probation officers who manage sex offenders are being cut – and 77% say they plan to leave the job.
New plans to cut the salaries of specialist probation officers who manage the risk of sex offenders could have a “catastrophic” effect on public safety, unions warn.
Sex offenders in England and Wales are often required to take part in Horizon, a programme designed to reduce their risk of reoffending. Around 1 in 10 sex offenders go on to commit a similar crime.
The programme is facilitated by specialised officers, many of whom have decades of experience working with sex offenders, but the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has decided the role will drop from band 4 to band 3 for new recruits from 1 August 2024, which will result in a pay cut of up to £10,000.
Facilitators will no longer be required to be qualified probation officers, which comes with two years’ training, including risk management and risk assessment.
Around 93% of Horizon facilitators think the public will be at increased risk following these changes, according to an internal survey of members of the union Napo seen by Byline Times.
These changes are like “putting the teaching assistants in charge of the school,” says Laura, a specialist probation officer with experience facilitating and managing these programmes. Laura, (not her real name) added that it takes a lot of experience to be able to idenitfy the signs that someone may reoffend.
“People with 10 to 20 years’ experience are really good at picking up on the signs when someone is becoming risky,” the specialist probation officer says. “And we have a degree-level qualification in managing risk."
“My concern is that we’ll lose these experienced staff who are good at identifying risk, and I can think of a number of situations where staff running these programmes have identified risk that has led to us finding out that men have been having contact with children they shouldn’t have been, which has led to them being recalled to prison.”
Facilitators who are currently at band 4 will have their pay frozen for three years, then it will drop to band 3, and their job roles will encompass a broader range of programmes.
The decision has caused a “serious loss of trust” among facilitators, says Max (not his real name), a probation officer with over a decade’s experience of facilitating sex offender programmes. “A lot of people around me, with a lot of experience, are thinking about leaving the service,” he says.
According to NAPO’s survey, 77% of specialist probation officers say they will leave their team. This will leave inexperienced staff to do the work, says Napo’s Tania Bassett.
“Inexperienced staff will need to be trained in Horizon, which will take time, and in some cases there is no training provision,” she told Byline Times. "As a result, we expect large parts of the country to be left unable to deliver any sex offender work for quite a few months."
The decision has caused a “serious loss of trust” among facilitators, says Max (not his real name), a probation officer with over a decade’s experience of facilitating sex offender programmes. “A lot of people around me, with a lot of experience, are thinking about leaving the service,” he says.
According to NAPO’s survey, 77% of specialist probation officers say they will leave their team. This will leave inexperienced staff to do the work, says Napo’s Tania Bassett.
“Inexperienced staff will need to be trained in Horizon, which will take time, and in some cases there is no training provision,” she told Byline Times. "As a result, we expect large parts of the country to be left unable to deliver any sex offender work for quite a few months."
Probation officers that manage people on probation are supported by divisional sex offender units, which consist of specialist probation staff that deliver Horizon. They’re trained to conduct thorough risk assessments and sentence management plans for sex offenders, and provide tailored interventions.
“A lot of probation officers with caseloads lack the confidence of how to work with people with sexual convictions, and look to us for advice,” says Max.
The new plans will eliminate this oversight across the country, says Rebecca (not her real name), a senior probation officer, who declined to provide her name. “There will be a two-tier workforce that will be watered down over time because experienced staff have left and continue to do so. They don’t want to go back into the field doing case management and overseeing an extremely high caseload, which holds a significant level of accountability. We’re walking into a furnace.”
This move could have a “catastrophic” effect on public safety, says Unison, one of the UK’s largest trade unions.
“With the probation service suffering from an acute workload and staffing crisis, it’s all the more important to hold on to experienced employees to supervise complex cases effectively,” says Ben Priestley, the union’s national officer for police and probation. "Doing away with specialist units with expertise in dealing with sex offenders will lead to a significant loss of skilled staff with the necessary experience. Communities will be left without the protection they deserve and require."
Wistrich, a solicitor who acted for some of the victims of John Worboys, known as the ‘black cab rapist’, told Byline Times: “Unless you lock everyone up forever, people will come up of prison, usually on license, and this is a critical time. If they’re regarded low enough in risk, that risk should be very carefully monitored by probation, which requires particular skills and experience.
“Sex offending is a specific type offending. It’s quite different from a lot of other offending because it seems many sex offenders are quite able to present themselves in ways that won’t necessarily make them appear to be a risk to those who aren’t very skilled at identifying and understanding that risk and manipulation,” she says.
There are also plans to replace Horizon, which is designed specifically for those with sexual convictions, with a ‘one-size-fits-all’ course, Next Generation of Accredited Programmes.
Simon (not his real name) completed Horizon while on probation after serving time for a sexual offence and credits it with changing his life. “Getting caught helped me see there were things I needed to address to understand why I did what I did, and I’m a better person now,” he says. “Horizon provides an understanding that we’re all built differently, and it takes a trigger to send you over the edge.”
Simon praises the facilitators, saying they were “excellent” and know how to “treat people”. “If one of us stepped out of line, they were soon told,” he told Byline Times. “You could see their experience in how they spoke to you. Having that experience was vital.”
The move should be a concern to the public, says George Georgiou, GMB’s national officer.
“The work undertaken with people who have committed sexual offences is – and has been for decades – specialised,” he says. “The way people offend and the theories and approaches to addressing this behaviour varies by offence type. “Evidence shows the effective treatment of people who have committed offences of a sexual nature does reduce the risk of their reoffending. GMB is concerned removing specialist workers leaves the public at risk of increased reoffending.”
Daniel, (not his real name) was sexually abused by a teacher when he was 13.
The 55-year-old says he’s struggled with feelings of guilt for not going to the police about his abuser, who went on to sexually abuse other children. “It’s so vital that the right infrastructure is in place to support and rehabilitate people so they don’t reoffend,” he says.
A Probation Service spokesperson told Byline Times that sex offenders are “supervised by qualified probation officers and the Horizon behaviour change programme they undertake will continue to be delivered by appropriately trained staff. These changes will ensure these programmes are delivered consistently across the country to reduce the risk of reoffending.”
Jessica Bradley
I’m more concerned with labours apparent plans for probation. From two comments yesterday. How long until probation is hived off to local councils or the reemergence of CRCs?
ReplyDelete"We agree that the failed shotgun marriage of prison and probation has wrecked that service. Medium term it should be separated and returned to a local agency without the dead hand of multi-layered managerialism squashing it. We need a national agency for v high risk dangerous."
“we have seen Labour Mayors pioneering a more joined-up approach to reduce reoffending. In Greater Manchester, probation is linked up with housing and health services”
"its all perfectly normal"... or at least, it used to be. But what are the chances it will change? Come on, BBC, get the programme on air. Come on, Shabana Mahmood, grasp the nettle & start weeding out the incompetent tory shills from the probation service:
ReplyDelete* A Probation Service spokesperson told Byline Times that sex offenders are “supervised by qualified probation officers and the Horizon behaviour change programme they undertake will continue to be delivered by appropriately trained staff. These changes will ensure these programmes are delivered consistently across the country to reduce the risk of reoffending.”
Anyone heard from whatshername, the Chief Probation Officer?
According to Gov.uk:
Chief Probation Officer
leading the Probation Service in England and Wales, an organisation that supervises offenders in the community on court orders, on licence from prison and subject to Post-Sentence Supervision
driving excellent practice across the Probation Service, with a particular emphasis on risk management and public protection.
ensuring the Probation Service reduces reoffending by delivering the best possible sentence management and interventions.
What we do
The Probation Service is a statutory criminal justice service that supervises high-risk offenders released into the community.
“People with 10 to 20 years’ experience are really good at picking up on the signs when someone is becoming risky,” the specialist probation officer says. “And we have a degree-level qualification in managing risk."
ReplyDeleteWhat elitist tosh!!! PSOs also have skills, degrees and experience.
What 09:04 said is absolutely true so let’s not start the PSO pile on again please. Do the qualification put the work in then you are a qualified PO. It does not negate anything about PSOs it is a fact that to be a PO you need to gain the recognised qualification.
ReplyDeleteSickening to see Bliar - the serial shitmonger & war criminal - has re-emerged into the light now Labour are in power. He's still spouting the same old shyte.
ReplyDeleteStarmer needs to send him back to the plush sarcophagus from whence he came. Its probably parked in whichever vile dictator's country he's most recently been "advising".
In other news... “With the probation service suffering from an acute workload and staffing crisis, it’s all the more important to hold on to experienced employees to supervise complex cases effectively,” says Ben Priestley.
Pity no-one could have foreseen this... no-one was very keen to hold on to experience, knowledge & skills when TR was imposed. Hundreds of staff, equivalent to thousands of years of experience, were discarded & lost in 2015/16 while the knucklehead govt handed £millions of taxpayer cash to those who were kicking staff into touch:
Andrew Selous, 15 June 2015: "Under the enhanced voluntary redundancy scheme opened in advance of the transition of the Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) to new providers, probation staff were able to apply for voluntary redundancy on the basis that they would leave the service by 31 March 2016... All remaining Modernisation Fund monies were awarded to CRCs. Redundancy funding was allocated pro-rata to CRCs based on their size and estimated future staffing requirements... we have no plans to reclaim any monies allocated to CRCs from the Modernisation Fund... Contract Management Teams are embedded in each CRC, closely monitoring how all monies are used and robust processes are in place to ensure all expenditure is correctly spent."
I wonder how many of those Contract Managers, who despite their close monitoring & robust processes somehow failed to notice £millions disappearing into CRC pockets, were rewarded with handsomely paid jobs in the current probation service?
What Laura says worried me actually. No no the role is specially qualified in risk assesment at degree level. These skills come over time and experience. Also the current degree course is rubbish we all know it. Besides a good experienced pso in programmes can easily manage a sotp 2 hours. Calm down we all know this to be practice as well as true. Also Laura needs to understand with a pack antecedents it's easy to say this is an identified sex offender. However they don't wear labels and are known as persuasive they are good at blending and no way could anyone identify an offender without their court order on the desk saying guilty. Let's no lose credibility in this sort of panic claims .
ReplyDeletePSOs need to realise they are being exploited in doing this work
ReplyDeletePso grades couldn't care less they get paid to deliver a task. They do not pretend they have magical po powers of mind reading and persuasion. Instead they deliver a programme with no suggestion of superior quality .what you all need is pre and post attitude measurements by assessments. Then see if po grades deliver anything more significant. You will be disappointed I'm sure the material is well known to poor and puts offenders backwards on the path of rehab.
Delete