tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post3128183447375893165..comments2024-03-28T07:32:23.397+00:00Comments on On Probation Blog: West Yorkshire Love MatchJim Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00258147767051200157noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post-30052663167647855842013-08-04T17:11:50.111+01:002013-08-04T17:11:50.111+01:00I certainly got the impression at a recent meeting...I certainly got the impression at a recent meeting involving a potential new provider (long story, don't ask.....) that they sincerely believe that probationers will be grateful for the new 'all singing, all dancing' services they intend to provide. They clearly have no inkling of the tsunami of resentment heading their way from those prisoners who currently knock out their u12month custody in 1/2 the time, then away, but who will now be subject to a year's supervision! Good luck with that one folks, a tall order even for the most experienced staff. And let's not forget the likely resentment of present colleagues if they are TUPE'd over on reduced salaries/conditions, as I suspect may happen. A recipe for disaster, in my book. <br />P S I struggled a bit coming up with a film analogy, but think we might be heading for our very own High Noon, if Napo get its finger out...........!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post-75093346205752821572013-08-04T13:11:17.827+01:002013-08-04T13:11:17.827+01:00Having just been looking around the net at Prospec...Having just been looking around the net at Prospects it's board of Directors and other company interests, I'm left with an odd feeling.<br />Some of their partenerships are forged with those that I'd consider to be pedeling 'Dr. Feelgood solutions' (one bottle of invented shite cures all), there's an IT company they've bought out that leaving assets aside show a bank ballance of £20, and there's other more conventional relationships.<br />There are links to the lib dem party through the MD, and they have links with all Yorkshire prisons through the offender agenda. Obviously that would include the Serco run HMP Doncaster who are part of the governments pilot scheme for PbR !<br />The feeling I'm left with is wheather or not the love match between West Yorkshire and Prospects is actually a result of speed dating as Jim mentioned, or is it a result of a quiet and unseen matchmaker?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post-68780707019269183902013-08-04T07:41:49.958+01:002013-08-04T07:41:49.958+01:00Great - another film analogy - thanks for that. It...Great - another film analogy - thanks for that. It's an interesting idea that clients will in the end scupper things, but I'm concerned at the price they will pay. One thing is for sure, many new players coming arriving on the scene will be on a very steep learning curve about our client group. Jim Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00258147767051200157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post-70975176589037815122013-08-04T07:37:08.019+01:002013-08-04T07:37:08.019+01:00You're right - but remember there was a period...You're right - but remember there was a period not that long ago when we were required to fill in forms and tick boxes - we were in the process of getting shot of that, only to find it's rearing its ugly head by a different route. Jim Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00258147767051200157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post-61597014837770679032013-08-04T07:34:50.039+01:002013-08-04T07:34:50.039+01:00LolLolJim Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00258147767051200157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post-52860480287969388462013-08-04T07:33:36.097+01:002013-08-04T07:33:36.097+01:00Indeed!Indeed!Jim Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00258147767051200157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post-12244942042177043322013-08-04T07:32:13.067+01:002013-08-04T07:32:13.067+01:00Thanks for another film reference. It's certai...Thanks for another film reference. It's certainly become clear to me that as you say this isn't a fight particularly about probation, it's a much wider one of political ideology. As a previous commentator has said, the public has never been given the opportunity to voice an opinion on the privatisation of public services. I think the time has come for us to demand that we have such a debate. Jim Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00258147767051200157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post-54457816137947356532013-08-03T21:37:09.845+01:002013-08-03T21:37:09.845+01:00I do not 'beat myself up' but do think my ...I do not 'beat myself up' but do think my generation of probation folk did not nurture the whole profession in the way our predecessors did and that we rather took its continuance for granted.<br /><br />I remember at the time of the SNOP, SLOP and STOP nonsense a relief spo in Essex talked about probation being a like a turning wheel and suggesting that the setbacks, as we saw it of the new political top down management, would go away again as the wheel turned - how wrong he was - we just did not challenge events enough especially after Advise, Assist and Befriend went and soon after the training was separated from social work training on the spurious basis that probation was about being tough with criminals not at all like social work, when we all know that individual social workers always had more authority over their clients with them being able to instigate removal of mentally ill people or children, whereas probation officers have only ever been able to instigate the removal of anyone who is already the subject of a judicial order.<br /><br />However, as Anonymous says at 18.32 that was then and we cannot turn the clock back - unless there is very real action now or soon, we will have to just hope the clients do bring the TR edifice down, but if it waits for them there will be great hurt and damage en route to good sense.Andrew_S_Hattonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09115192522317353139noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post-86149549782182691242013-08-03T18:32:29.112+01:002013-08-03T18:32:29.112+01:00Back to a less sombre, albeit real appraisal of th...Back to a less sombre, albeit real appraisal of things - film analogies - how about my favourite -Assault on Precinct 13 ............the original, with those awful actors - but it was a charming take on the goodies being under siege, only to be assisted/saved by the (so called baddies, from within the besieged police station) - made me think about our Service Users! I think, at the end of the day, it will be our service users who scupper this ideological nonsence, as in the main they are clever, street wise, take no prisoners and unless, positively stroked (in an appropriately therapeutic way) will rise up and bring the whole crock of shite to its knees; a part of me, can't wait. <br /><br />Oh! Tolkny - don't beat yourself up about what you did and or could have done, I am absolutely sure you made a significant difference to the lives of those you worked with.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post-77155636957739231552013-08-03T17:33:48.720+01:002013-08-03T17:33:48.720+01:00I would not bank on any job anywhere in Probation ...I would not bank on any job anywhere in Probation to be truly safe in the long term in the way mine was over 28 years from when I started in Merseyside and always gave of my best - except for the afternoon I played truant in 1982 when I learned that my job would go, with the end of the Hindley Neighbourhood Borstal scheme, along with the rest of the Borstals - the following year<br /><br />I went and saw Essex play at South Liverpool cricket ground, Aigburth and saw them playing Lancashire - when I got to the ground - I was not the only Merseyside PBN employee there! <br /><br />When I looked at the Napo vacancies bulletin a few weeks after and saw the job I went for in Essex I pictured myself going to see late evening play at either Chelmsford or Colchester - the office was in between - I have never been since - because as soon as I got to Essex it was back to long days except my journeys were though the countryside not up & down the Dock Road, Liverpool!<br /><br />No - the best days of probation are gone - thanks to the forefathers Rainer, Edridge, Bill Beaumont, Dave Mathieson, Clare Morris(Liverpool is always special to me) and hundreds more - I am sorry I did not do enough to keep the service growing into perpetuity. Andrew_S_Hattonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09115192522317353139noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post-15262964087809574952013-08-03T17:30:22.799+01:002013-08-03T17:30:22.799+01:00It's a bit like a new partner going out with a...It's a bit like a new partner going out with a DV perp; they think it will never happen to them and believe all that the perp has said about it 'not being my fault'.<br /><br />It nearly always ends in tears :(Obi Wannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post-56200114472967110502013-08-03T15:53:48.056+01:002013-08-03T15:53:48.056+01:00Don't be too hard on management - they've ...Don't be too hard on management - they've mostly risen from probation ranks to become NOMS apparatchiks, blithely doing as they're told ("we were only following orders" - didn't work at Nuremberg and not working now) and now way out of their depth in the big bad private world. Proper CEOs must smile as they're introduced to yet another "CEO " of a provincial backwater of the criminal justice system. Game over I'm afraid.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post-77695443528708010952013-08-03T15:30:28.084+01:002013-08-03T15:30:28.084+01:00Its all so corrupt and depressing. Its all so corrupt and depressing. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post-89606621827527747532013-08-03T14:31:28.338+01:002013-08-03T14:31:28.338+01:00I liked the speed dating analogy. And as Tolkny h...I liked the speed dating analogy. And as Tolkny has already noted, the happy couple will have to make substantial cuts to their household budget and the kids are going suffer. Presumably the Trust ran due dilligence checks on Prospect, so must know about the darker side to its character. But, what the hell, love is blind, though can one speak of love in what looks like a marriage of convenience, or maybe more apt, an arranged marriage, much against the true wishes of one of the betrothed. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post-70548727238959850362013-08-03T12:20:04.756+01:002013-08-03T12:20:04.756+01:00These fly by night companies succeed by PRETENDING...These fly by night companies succeed by PRETENDING to deliver services. They process forms and tick boxes but the progress of clients remains unchanged. Superficial and ineffective. Ans, to be frank, shameless. They know this is all they offer and yet they remain arrogant. Trouble is, Probation staff spend every working day unpicking bullshit. Why do they think any of us will fall for the spin?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post-20749715022492169442013-08-03T11:17:08.236+01:002013-08-03T11:17:08.236+01:00There has been several references to films on this...There has been several references to films on this blog recently. Bladerunner and Brazil to be specific. Since childhood I've had a facination with the lord of the rings.<br />Dark times are indeed upon us. The black riders have left their Whitehall palace and are busy scouring the shire for those who may side with the enemy. An army of Orcs are being mobilised beneath the dark towers of G4S and Serco, and the evil eye is ever watchful.<br />There are Gollums and Worm tounges in abundance. Some speaking of great rewards, and others who can't sleep any more because of moral conflict between right and personal gain. The darkness is coming, and the time has come to find a ring bearer! More then this a fellowship is needed. All realms must unite to fight this dark ideology.<br />It's not a war that Napo can win, because the war is not about probation only. It's about core values, the destruction of not just public services, but of a whole society. To stand any chance of stopping the on coming darkness, all unions must come together and stand not for their relative concern but for collective conscience.<br />I believe the only way to halt or at least slow down this demonic government neoliberalistic ideology is through national strike action.<br />Beware those who side with the dark lord! What will he do when you've served your purpose?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post-50391542761834416622013-08-03T10:31:17.766+01:002013-08-03T10:31:17.766+01:00Absolutely. Whether 'mutuals' are going to...Absolutely. Whether 'mutuals' are going to be any better than other options is a moot point and as you indicate, there will almost certainly have to be redundancies in order to achieve a satisfactory bid. Sue didn't really want to dwell on that aspect did she? Jim Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00258147767051200157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post-53806777036306403092013-08-03T10:24:03.432+01:002013-08-03T10:24:03.432+01:00Don't ever forget whatever contract results it...Don't ever forget whatever contract results it is expected to cost 30% less that Probation is currently costing. <br /><br />It is also expected to fund all the costs of supervising every prisoner who is sentenced to less than twelve months for a whole twelve months and also to cover all the enforcement costs that result but presumably NOT the costs of the extra prison that results but the costs of getting a mentor to meet every prisoner at the prison at the moment of their release after having visited them pre release and building up a relationship with the prisoner.Andrew_S_Hattonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09115192522317353139noreply@blogger.com