The Shape of Probation 2015

Anyone struggling with this NPS 'paperless office'?

*****
YUP. I cannot understand the massive amounts of instructions telling me where to find stuff on the system, and neither can anyone else in my office. There is a real diversity issue with the one size fits all instruction system which has replaced actual training. I keep bleating on about it, but none of us understand our jobs anymore.

*****
I can say I feel exactly the same in a north east CRC office. Diversity no longer recognised.

*****
We're struggling with the CRC officeless office, soon to be a staffless office, whilst we're all jobless. Its priceless!!!

*****
Professionally I don't who I am or what it is I do any more - Delius, CAS & RSR are unintelligible flim flam - OASys sucked the life out of the job & made it mind numbingly boring - senior management are slaves to targets - it's only my colleagues who help me retain my sanity - the world around me is going crazy. Another job is not that easy to find in a ruralish area when you're pushing 60 & can't retire for another 6 years. And yet weirdly I don't feel as stressed as perhaps I should. Think I've broken through the stress barrier cos I just can't take the job seriously anymore which is perhaps the worst indictment of the mess Grayling wreaked - what a bloody shambles...

*****
I think I have broken through the stress barrier too. Do it this way err wait no, do it this way, err oh no we forgot this (didn't know this) do it this way oh, and here's a weeks notice, just so you have time to reorganise your diary. What you don't have a diary manager? He ho, never mind you have loads of time. You don't have loads of time? Well that takes 5 minutes, this takes 3.5 hours, talk to people who commit offences. Nah you don't need to do that, just tell them this, oops no tell them that, hang on don't bother to tell them just give them a ring once in a while, got it? Okay here's another 40 page policy doc, it's a draft. No it's not, it's the final document. What, it contradicts the one sent out last week? Never mind, just get it done, we'll change the law tomorrow. Stressed? Nahh, not any more.

*****
As good an account of the shapeless deepshit omnishambles we're in as any I've seen or heard anywhere. Thank you.

*****
Thanks from me too. I have no idea how to do anything anymore. I've got a new tactic, I just see the customers like I always used to and do my best to put some kind of contact on Delius. I don't breach or make referrals cos I don't know how. No one's noticed yet.

*****
It's a depressing time to be a PO at the moment and it seems that only the trainees want the job any more! But it must be a very poor experience for trainees in the current climate where PIs change daily and no one knows what they are doing any more! The 2 young graduates in my office don't seem to have a clue or little interest in finding out. But in their defence they have been treated badly and just left to muddle through.

*****
As a past Practice Development Assessor I would concur with your observations about the eagerness, bravado or even arrogance of trainee staff. Enthusiasm is positive, ambition is an energy, but over-confidence is dangerous. The culture of the workplace has changed beyond recognition from my days as an apprentice PO. Humility, deference & ever-open ears were the watchwords for new & trainee staff back then - "if you're talking, you're not listening". I currently find the raw aggression & petulant attitudes that come with some new staff, PSO or Trainee, quite disturbing. Even more disturbing is the fact that most of our management groom them, protect them & will not challenge them. Fear? I'm more inclined to think it's because they recognise them as kindred spirits.

Advice? Do what's comfortable for you. Life's too short & unpredictable. Don't get stuck, bitter & sour like me - enjoy everything, including your young family. In doing what I believed to be "the right thing" - abandon the greedy deceitful world of commerce & develop a professional career with meaning & honour - I find I've sacrificed:

1. My time with my children as they were growing up, (impossible to recover),
2. A marriage (irreparably damaged),
3. My health (work related stress) -

- and now Grayling, Spurr, et al have taken away my professional career & status, and sold me into commercial slavery. But they haven't taken my life, my spirit or my EVR just yet...

*****
I am mentoring a TPO and their experiences reflect yours. From my point of view the lack of PDAs add mounting pressure on me to cover the basics of the job, which I am acutely aware I have not got the time to give.

*****
The simple truth is:

1. This training has been rushed through as contingency planning under the Business Risk Register (remember that?) to ensure service delivery in any eventuality.
2. This will provide a pool of staff able to be employed on different contracts meaning staff costs will be driven down ie expensive/experienced POs out cheaper new starters in.
3. This will provide a mobile staff group given the number of young graduates employed who as young people are today, will become increasingly desperate for work.
4. The shortfall in training will be met by existing practitioners helping colleagues out as we always have done.
5. This was the cheapest possible training to plug potential gaps, not actual.
6. (re) employing POs from CRCs would be more expensive.

That is just my view and I realise how this may look to TPOs but I do think you will have jobs. The world is moving on and new recruits meet the business model. I wish you all well but most of all I wish you could have trained at a time of integrity.

*****
"They want the cheapest not the best" - that's exactly what this is about. The quality of TPO's that I have come across lack personal intuition, understanding, experience, insight and most of all values. They are there designed to model the new world of corporate image. No concept of reality and never ever visited areas outside of their own nice cushy middle class bedrooms. If this is the next generation of offender managers I hate to think what the experience of offenders would be like.

*****
To be fair, that is not my experience, we have 2 TPOs and they are great enthusiastic people eager to learn. That sound a pretty good basis to start to me. Good guest blog and the best of luck to you.

*****
I read your post with mounting dismay at your experience and your grasp of reality of the situation. I qualified in 2002 and my experience was of course totally different. I had four years out of the service from 2011 and live abroad returning to work in a CRC - an alien concept to me if ever there was one - earlier this year. I hit the ground running with a full caseload and after a few weeks was asked to mentor an NPS trainee. I personally felt it was an honour and a privilege to be asked to do so and was aware that other CRC colleagues looked at me with a jaundiced eye for doing it - data protection and all that was part of it, but I suspect that it was also because of tensions between NPS and CRC.

My advice to you is the same as it was to my mentoree - to hold on to the job for all the reasons you say. They are the right ones. When I was a trainee, an old salt of a probation officer gave me the best advice I had ever heard and it has served me well. 'Always tell it like it is' (for an occasion when I was stuck with what to say in a PSR and 'never get out of the lifeboat'.

Sometimes you might have to but stick with this job, the dust has not yet settled from all this dreadful upheaval and good probation officers are born not made and the love of the job goes with the territory. Others may dismiss my views but that is their indaba. I am about to start a contract with an NPS office and if I am asked to mentor a trainee again I will be pleased to do so. So head up, give it your best and every success to you.

---oo00oo---

With these reflections on Grayling's new-look Probation Service Omnishambles, I'm off on holiday for a couple of weeks. I'm pretty sure internet access will be available at various times, but the blog may have to just coast along for a while. Please keep the info coming in and scouring the media for relevant stuff and get writing that Guest Blog you've been promising yourself. Above all, be considerate of colleagues in this mess and look out for each other.     

Guest Blog 41

I am a TPO who started as part of the big graduate recruitment onto the PQF. I had already been working as a PSO in Probation prior to this for 3 years, and before that worked in programmes in a Prison for 2 years so consider myself to be slightly different to the majority of my TPO colleagues. 

Our experience has been a frustrating and confusing one thus far. Aside from the recruitment process being shambolic with last minute interview dates given, having to wait nine weeks to find out if we were successful, finding out where we would be located two weeks before we were expected to start, I also had the added rigmarole of having to transfer from the CRC to NPS. Cue approximately 50 phone calls to shared services to prompt (and in the end push) them to correct my contract to acknowledge my continuous service and terms and conditions.

Since training has begun, I have to say management in my area have tried their hardest to help make this a positive experience for us. They were completely left out of the recruitment process and were given little to no guidance as to what should be done with us as we embarked upon a 15 month programme to become a qualified probation officer. Training events have been organised giving us sometimes only 48 hours notice that we need to travel a significant distance, they have also been cancelled sometimes on the day(!) via email when we have all already been on our way to the location. Getting cases has been a nightmare as very few of the NPS caseload are suitable for TPOs; I am only lucky with my previous PSO and programme experience that I have been allowed to have more 'meatier' cases than my fellow TPO colleagues.

I am so grateful to be finally training. It is what I wanted to do when I graduated in 2010 and it is what I have had in the back of my mind through my career so far in that I feel I have tried my hardest to get as much relevant experience as possible. I worry for my fellow TPOs. There is a sense of naivety, and with some perhaps a complacent bravado attitude of 'I can handle anything'. There seems to be a reluctance to ask for advice and a desire to push ahead with making decisions without consulting more experienced colleagues. This is all well and good, however training events thus far have focused on theory with little advice as to how to complete the more practice elements of the job, such as assessing risk of serious harm, completing MAPPA referrals, assessing for HDC etc.

Unfortunately the way training was sold on the website highlighted the starting wage of a Probation Officer and some seem to be using this as their main focus to succeed. Well, what 22 year old wouldn't want to be earning near enough £30,000 a year after graduating from University? What some of my fellow TPOs fail to realise is the true demand of the job. Most only have a handful of cases, have yet to work with the most serious of NPS cases and experienced the stress and difficulty involved in this. I have yet to experience this either, but know from my experience thus far not to go in with rose tinted glasses.

They estimate that there are 750 trainee probation officers as a result of this recruitment drive. A meeting with our regional head last week informed us that they were not clear what would happen with all of us when we qualify. When asked if we would get the PO role they have stated we would be 'transitioned' into, the response given was vague and went along the lines of 'you will need to be very flexible with regards to location'. When there are TPOs training across the country, I cannot see how there will be vacancies in other areas if there are no vacancies in the area that we are training in. It's also all well and good saying be flexible, but that isn't so easy with a young family to think about. I fear there will be a number of floating qualified POs kept in PSO posts with attempts to make them hold PO cases. I certainly will not agree to that.

I find myself feeling anxious and uptight every day, having to remind myself why I am training. I love this line of work, I love working with offenders and coaching people to make even the smallest of changes to their lives. But I look around and see stressed and tired colleagues, I read this blog and feel for the experiences of POs and other NPS staff around the country and wonder what I am doing.

Thank you for taking the time to read my post. If anyone has any advice for me (I am expecting a number of leave whilst you still can!), I would be most grateful.

Bleak Futures Week 20

Maybe not a psychopath but possibly a Thatcherite moron carefully chosen because he's callus enough to finish the job. This is the same Michael Gove that wanted to dismantle the NHS and issue personal health accounts instead. He then moved on to bullying and intimidating the teaching profession. The end result was receiving a public vote of no confidence by the entire teaching profession. It's worth noting that while this was happening our probation leaders were cosying up to Chris Grayling just like they'll cosy up to Gove. The only plus is that he's not bff's with the PM.

Prepare for the swarm of introductory and congratulatory emails about this Tory appointment when you open Lotus Notes on Monday morning. I'd like to optimistic or believe that nothing can be worse than Grayling, but alas I'm struggling with that. With a Justice Minister and Lord Chancellor at the helm with no education or experience of the CJS I doubt the next 5 years will be positive for any of us. Anybody taking bets on long will it be until probation officers issue a vote of no confidence in Gove?

*****
Give Goves a chance before giving him a hammering before he has even started his role. For people who are supposed to be non judgemental a lot of judgements are being made on here. If you're unhappy then find a new job. Whether you're CRC or NPS, it is what it is and nothing can change things, so whatever your grade or role, get on with the job you are paid to do!!

*****
Do you mean JFDI?

*****
Sorry but have to applaud the JFDI response because that is the message we get daily - it does not matter that on a daily basis it's falling apart, teams are being depleted in one way or another JFDI. Going to quote that at SFO hearing.

*****
All we want to do is "get on with the job we are paid to do" but therein lies the problem. The processes seem to change by the week, the tools we are using are woefully not fit for purposes (specifically IT and constant workarounds that change then change again).So perhaps what we really need is for leadership to be shown by those paid to do so. This is NOT a practitioner problem - we are working amazingly well to deliver the work we do. It is a serious senior management failing.

*****
Most who comment on here have a sense of social conscience. Whether it's Gove, Grayling or any other 'officer' of our neolibreral right wing government is almost irrelevant. The issue is ideology plain and simple. It's not the person charged with the 'enforcement' of that ideology that rankles people most, it's the ideolgy itself that most people find abhorrent.

These next five years of ideological doctrine will no doubt spell out the Tory parties 'final solution' for public services. Gove, Grayling who cares, they're just figureheads in different offices, delivering an ideological paradigm that 80% of the population don't actually agree with or want.

*****
How do we assess risk of reoffending, risk of harm? On previous behaviour. Look at Gove's recent history and we have an idea of what's coming. Ask a teacher.

*****
We look at past performance. Gove has been Education Secretary in the previous Con-Dem gov and in my role as a School Governor I know exactly what is he is capable of. There is much to worry about with his appointment, he is equally unsuitable as his predecessor. There is little I would look forward to in his appointment.

*****
I too am very concerned about Gove but any Tory they'd give us would be a disaster. We know what's coming, a long hard 5 years. We thought the last five had been tough!!

I want to talk about the probation training, slightly off topic I know. I fear that our professional qualification is being watered down too much for the sake of getting some newly qualified PO's through the door. Within two months we had one trainee writing a report for Crown Court. How did that happen? I was so shocked. Even worse she wasn't even observed conducting the interview with the offender. How can this be a professional service? Really? Same with NPS PSO's, they can't hold any cases so they are thrown into Court with little training. It's just awful. I care about my profession deeply and feel it's being torn apart. Long term it will do us no favours!

*****
Well good luck with your debate and discussion with Mr Gove. My view is you'll find him in place to finish the job off that his predecessor started. His "management" of education should already show you that he is not one to listen to reasoned debate from the masses or even those in the know. His hands may be tied, but I see no evidence in the man that he will fight to reverse the damage already done.

*****
Part of me is wishing I went into the CRC as I feel that I am now at greater risk of being made redundant once the cuts start. Of equal concern is how our TPO's must be feeling knowing that they are doing nearly 2 years training and most likely not guaranteed a job at the end. I know Gove left Education following the Teachers passing a vote of no confidence, can we do this with this Tory Government??

*****
I thought we did put a vote of no confidence in Grayling, he responded with a 'big gone peasants!' I have nothing against these trainee's, many are talented and committed to doing the job but I'm concerned that they are all under 25 and female. I saw one on twitter complaining about having to clean her room. If that's all that worries her in her life, how can she relate to the cases she's supervising. I know lots of PO's who entered the service years ago as new graduates but to recruit so many on block isn't healthy for the service. I imagine they will be kept and we will be made redundant for standing up for the true values of probation.

*****
TPO's are cut price staff to fill in the gaps, then there is no prospects of a job after training.

*****
Charlie Falconer is good news. He is knows about Probation and was a great support for the brief months after he took over from John Reid when the MOJ was created. He was the one who said " it's time that the sun came out for Probation" Today we need a miracle rather than the sun!

*****
I have re-read the posts and comments across the last week, a week in which we have all been stuck with a long 5 years of a Conservative government, where I fear we will regret that they are no longer Condems. And what is everyone on about? NPS vs CRC; young vs old; social work vs crim justice training; client vs probation officer? If we carry on in-fighting and whinging like this (oh, I forgot, PO vs manager) we will just disappear in a puff of Delius outage. Do something, stop effing banging on about what someone else hasn't done. Join something, get out, speak out, work with your clients, do what you can, please just stop fighting each other.

*****
I work in an office with a young female manager who seeks to rule by isolating the majority of her team and surrounding herself with yes men. This seems to pass for 'management' these days. So this in-fighting as you say whilst being divisive is actually encouraged in some quarters. Better to have a few quislings than be at odds with an entire team....

*****
When are NOMS going to look at the link between long term stress and particular managers? Say for example someone gains a temporary appointment and suddenly staff stress related sickness increases then that person is then appointed as a manager and staff stress sickness increases, would it not be prudent for SOMEONE to make the correlation?

Use grievance procedures I hear you cry. But what if that person is such a bully that no-one dare? What if that new manager is merely doing the bidding of a senior manager and so has no sanctions to his/her behaviour since they would be the person to hear the grievance. Yup, no point at all. I think whistleblowing to the HSE can't be far away in terms of staff stress levels and the management of this.

*****
Repeatedly I have suggested that grievances are monitored and managers questioned and penalised over excessive rates. How else do you detect discrimination for example? Instead the managers are promoted.

*****
I have been in a situation where the entire team bar one was bullied by a new SPO. I was the only one who pursued a grievance. We were labelled as trouble makers and the manager had arse covered by senior management all the way. I eventually escaped to another office. You can have all the bullshit policies in the world, snr management don't want to know. That which didn't kill me made me stronger. I can laugh about it now but it's a nightmare when it happens. A tip for statements. Keep it factual and evidence based. Keep notes on a daily basis. Keep opinions to yourself and adopt a neutral tone. Good luck.

*****
I believe that people are venting on here as it's better than doing it in an open office. I have had to stand up for myself in an open office on two separate occasions, not nice. However, back off and do your job and leave me to do mine has worked. I don't want to say this but the sooner everyone knows where they stand the better.

*****
The thing is that the horrors of a newly-elected Tory majority government and our troubles as a newly-privatised, disintegrating public service are inextricably linked. We should all stand together because worse is on its way for the public services, welfare benefits and further attacks on Trade Unions. Those of you who aren't in Napo or left Napo should really consider joining again. This is where we could make ourselves stronger and more able to face the onslaught of the Tories scorched earth policy towards the state and its vital functions.

*****
Trade unionism in the UK is under threat. The irony is that trade unionism started in the UK because of the ways in which people were treated by employers. The threats to the movement come from all areas of society but the biggest threat is undoubtedly ambivalence. I understand that 28% of the UK workforce are union members. The issue is that only about a quarter of these are willing to stand up and be counted. The idea is to stand together. Without that collective consciousness, we will be unable to fight the powers that wish to use us at their whim and discard us without concern. Trust in your leaders and your employers will bring you nothing but disappointment.

*****
Why are Kent, Surrey and Sussex recruiting to the extent that they are???

*****
Because we are totally understaffed on the coal face and won't be able to fulfil the contract? More highly paid managers always useful/needed??

*****
We, in Cumbria and Lancs, having previously been told by Sodexo they want rid of 30% of us, are just waiting to see when/if/how this will happen. No chance of any recruitment for us.

*****
A member of CRC staff (PO) walked out sick today after having had a panic attack at their desk. The amount of work is just overwhelming and looming/missed deadlines contributed to the attack. This was in full view of an open-plan office.

*****
Same happened in NPS NE same area two very capable POs. Both off for months with work place stress...made ill by work...disgraceful.

*****
Dedication is one thing, dedication to the point of collapse is another. Pleease look after yourselves.

*****
In our middle size office there is something interesting happening. CRC staff are spending even less time with clients/offenders and spending all their time on ridiculous OASys targets. Meanwhile, in the NPS there is a sense of calm and thoughtfulness - reflective practice perhaps. People are talking about practice all the time, and a move away from group based interventions to more individualised pathways of work. Bloody hell - despite the CRC owners talking about client centred approaches and desistance all the time, it is actually taking hold in the NPS.

*****
I've never considered OASys as an effective tool to assess or predict an offenders risk. In fact I'd go as far as saying it's actually pretty rubbish in terms of assessing risk. The only real value in OASys (IMHO), is to provide the supervising officer with a document that provides evidence that they've followed due process and protocol in their duties whilst supervising an offender.

To that effect it offers some form of protection to the supervising officer when something goes wrong or have to account for their actions when a client commits an SFO. Once the detail contained in the document becomes diluted, any value it may have had as a method of risk assessment is gone, and as a document to evidence due process and practice it no longer provides the officer any protection at all. In fact it becomes a document that can be used against the supervising officer in the event of an SFO.

The less detail that goes in, the greater the risk to the supervising PO. I think it's time to get rid of OASys altogether now as it provides no value to client, PO, or public protection, and the unions need to keep copies of any instructions given to dumb down the detail in the assessment.

*****
The Purple People Eaters model of OASys reinforces my view that the new CRC providers are seeking only to maintain the illusion of risk management. As long as it LOOKS like they are doing it, the Quality Assurance structures will be satisfied.

*****
If combined with a thorough PSR, and genuinely reviewed following significant change of circumstance, the above guidance might actually make OASys useful. The trouble is, it's a long time since I saw a thorough PSR - at least in the sense of one that had all relevant current and historical information in it. This isn't meant as a criticism of PSR writers, by the way - it's the fault of the report factory system that we've ended up with.

*****
Whatever the rights and wrongs of the systems involved, isn't it a worrying development that things are reverting to the bad old days of quantity over quality? All those lessons we were to learn from SFO's etc, all worthless. The general public are not stupid and will ask that very same question, just as they have in respect of all the serious case reviews for children killed under our noses from Marie Colwell to Baby Peter! Shame on this frightful, heartless and witless government!

*****
Just to put the record straight, I am DipPs qualified and Maria Colwell and Victoria Climbie featured heavily in my training and since training have done specific training about outcomes from Lord Laming's reports 1 and 2 (Victoria Climbie and Peter Connelly). Can we stop the social work rules debate starting up again please. Sometimes we work within the training provided.

*****
"sometimes we work within the training provided..." - The current level of training provided does not provide the kind of training required to work with complex needs and issues which many offenders have.

*****
Sounds like Purple Futures are starting to lay their stall out as all of our Area's CRC staff have now been put on standby and told that the current buildings are unsustainable due to cost and plans are afoot to move us out. This is being hindered due to the Gateway problem with the IT system. Sounds like there is a workaround that they are currently testing and then we'll be gone. The big question is where to? Does anyone know about the buildings - will CRC have to give landlords notice or do MOJ own them?

*****
CRC offices in Newton Aycliffe (County Durham) and Bishop Auckland apparently closing and staff moving to Darlington. There is talk up there about their CPA having one or two hubs then staff doing home visits to clients who do not live near the hubs. Appears the ball has started rolling.

*****
If our office closed the other CRC offices are so far away that the OMs from the closed staff would constantly be doing home visits as no offenders could get to the new office. It would literally mean a day trip out. Unless we did home visits and rang a hub and the duty officer updated delius from our phone-in.

*****
ARCC is the Durham Tees Valley CRC and sounds to be the best by far - think it is the only staff mutual? I think they are closing all offices and will have two hubs, staff working from home using tablets. Staff seem pleased from what I've heard. Also a colleague there said the best of the managers went to ARCC.

*****
I work for ARCC as a OM. There are some teething troubles which are most likely due to TR and the working model but things are fairly positive but very busy. I think if something serious goes wrong then most, if not all OM's could claim to have high workloads. Probably the only thing that is spoiling what could be a prosperous venture.

*****
"... some teething troubles most likely due to TR." Thank you for one of the most amusing & innocent understatements of 2015. Good luck. x.

*****
Day trips to reporting centres, that will conflict with the requirement to be available and looking for work 5 days a week

*****
Same for most CRC's GATE IT is a massive hold up. RAR groups not in place in some areas.

*****
With ORA cases, how are people enforcing induction & info gathering appointments for sentence planning? Those appointments don't fall under the RAR as far as I'm aware or do they and essentially count as 2 days?

*****
Wales Working Links CRC offices were measured up last week. The guy even measured the ladies loo. Thought maybe we were having new carpets until then.

*****
I've heard that some offices in the DTV area CRC are on their knees due to a large percentage of staff being directed to prisons for TTG.

*****
Yep, we lost 4 OM's and 2 admin in our office. We are pretty much fire-fighting now. I agree 100% with what my colleague wrote about staffing levels. If my manager addressed this then ARCC has potential. If not then.. We are now starting to get a lot of post ORA custody cases and this is only going to go one way...

*****
The stripped back OASys should be a godsend to you lot then.

*****
It is. As long as they have NEVER had one or more of the following concerns:
DV
Violence
Child Protection
Witness Intimidation
Lots of D&D
Sex offences
Abuse
Childhood abuse
Adult abuse
Victim of DV

The list goes on. Looking at my caseload and it's safe to say that I can do a big fat raspberry to the thought of completing a T1 OASys. So yes, it's a veritable boon.

Bleak Futures Week 18

Yet another upgrade to N-delerious and worse again - its a fecking joke.

*****
Unable to get on Delius all day. Seems like even the system realises how fucked up things are at the moment. Yet when the pressure starts to build re missed targets managers will not want to know. To anyone in the same position, make sure that when the system decides to return make sure that you enter a detailed explanation re the delay.

*****
After 2 days off, enjoying sun, I returned to work today, dreading the upgrade, something always goes wrong or we have to re-learn how to access and use the IT systems. I was not disappointed, got a an email from Crown Court asking for the case allocation document! I checked and it was there in n'delius, uploaded when it was done in Feb! Oh no, would you believe it, its a blank doc! I always put a hard copy in the file too, so faxed it over.

Not 10 minutes later, I was advised the FDR was also blank! I don't make a habit of uploading blanks, and I was a little put out by the inference that I hadn't done it, as I did and offered to fax a copy, but was reminded by court staff that I will have to do them again in nDelius to complete the record!

Well no, I completed the work once and have the evidence, actual hard copies so, I won't be re-doing it all again anytime soon, been allocated more reports since then. So it looks to me that the upgrade erased some text, another colleague sent a blank recall report to Noms yesterday, unaware it had been erased! You really couldn't make it up. I will be entering a complaint to my SPO.

*****
'Upgrade' has been a disaster in our northern office. People seem to have lost access to records, whilst some offenders and their records seem to have become invisible and impossible to find. We know they should be there but we can't find them. And then the computers are crawling for some and completely stopped for others. I'm in NPS but god knows how my CRC colleagues are coping with their increased OASys demands. Must be pulling their hair out. Interesting how CRC colleagues no longer have time to see clients. Too busy fudging OASys stats.

*****
Six times yesterday I tried to make an entry on same individual and six times got exception error - three times tried again on same offender this morning. Finally cracked it when I did not use next appointment but that meant I had to put this in separately. It's beyond a joke now. 2 staff in my office covering 5 caseloads - I am on the verge of breakdown without N-disastrous.

*****
Don't know which northern office you are from my friend, but same state of play in my northern office too.

*****
Some northern offices completing basic level one OASys to save time but not being told this is officially allowed. Staff at breaking point with others shipped to TTG, leaving rest to pick up the caseload. Nightmare continues.

*****
It won't let me change the screen colour - its dark blue and we can't read the top of the screen - there's a facility to change colour but it doesn't work unless it will upgrade overnight. And don't get me started on it kicking me out when I've not used it for like a minute aarrgghh.

*****
Horrendous IT day yesterday with loss of capacity for hours both Citrix and Delius. Whole day without everything working, really, really, shameful. Heading in now hoping to do some catch up, I really cannot go on like this.

*****
Yet more problems with N-disastrous. All day long I have had exception or time out errors, repeatedly having to make the entries over and over. With only two staff and a caseload of five staff - a trying day to say the least. We were told this upgrade would improve the system - it is worse than ever and takes even longer to find something.

*****
Durham Tees Valley have people starting training this week. Unsure what it consists of as there is no one in my office who has been selected. I'm sure it will all work out though and the Prison officers will make them feel really welcome.

*****
I said this wasn't going to work when we first heard of it inside. How are they going to get people into their local resettlement prison when the prisons are so full? There's nowhere to transfer the current occupants to in order to make room for the new influx. There's 2 people in Leicester as far as I know. They won't have a chance of getting everybody. TTG and the new RAR system need a huge investment of money and people and all we get are cuts. How can it be said that people will be provided with accommodation when local councils are making it harder by the day to apply and hostel places are disappearing overnight?

*****
Surely TTG in concept should be about providing support for those leaving custody that only have £46 in their pocket (and a £1000 debt), and in most need? That would be those that need help with accommodation, employment etc that don't already have any support networks to turn to? These however, are the most time consuming and expensive people to extend the service to. Making it voluntary is just a sneaky way of cherry picking those that will need the least assistance and therefore cheaper and easier to acquire the 'outcome' required for payment. 

Something that hasn't been mentioned of late is that TTG is to work in association with the creation of 'ressettlement' prisons, where prisoners are released from their local prisons after being transferred there a month or so prior. I'm a little perplexed as to how TTG can actually start running until the resettlement infrastructure has been put in place?

To my knowledge, no prisoners are yet being transferred for local discharge, and people living in London are still being released from areas such as Durham or Liverpool. How can TTG work whilst that's happening? TTG is a concept that sounds good to politicians and the public that have no real knowledge of the issues that exist within the CJS, and a half baked notion from a SoS that has even less of an idea.

*****
On 1st May we just got an A4 notification to say Shelter were doing the TTG. It also says 'the other TTG services, emergency 48hr post release accommodation and support to prisoners who've been subject to domestic or sexual abuse and those who may have been sex workers will be introduced later in the year and will be delivered by OTHER commissioned providers'. It further says 'NOMS have created a number of resettlement prisons & it's ANTICIPATED prisoners will be transferred to these - if they're not, the prison will liaise with the Responsible Officer to agree support (I'm guessing this will happen a lot - can't see resettlement prisons taking off tbh).

*****
I had a conversation with the department that organises Through the Gate in a Northern prison and was informed that despite them being one of the designated prisons they have no-one in post and no training planned at this time - perhaps Mr Grayling could suggest why this would be?

*****
I hear that a northern prison had a big issue with TTG and conflict between Sodexo-based CRC and another CRC both of which cover that prison. Because info is commercially sensitive they are watching each other carefully but have requested separate offices in that same prison. Now this is likely to be replicated in other areas too, isn't that interesting?

*****
Another prison visit and another sea of blank looks when I asked how the plans for TTG are going? Now some prisons are shanghaiing admin and support staff into roles without any formal training. Message to those staff who see this as a career move, if something goes wrong in between picking your old lag up before transporting them to their new pad, please make sure that you are in a union. Those that aren't can expect to get picked off one by one.

*****
An IT technician with Gwalia Housing has just started working as a TTG peer mentor trainer with St Giles in a prison in Wales. I give him the benefit of the doubt!

*****
TTG Cardiff prison still not up and running. Community part of the contract not being awarded until June.

*****
Interesting thought. A lot of people used to do Criminal Justice related voluntary work because they wanted experience that would help them to get into Probation. Now there IS no Probation, what's the incentive?

*****
It used to be a befriend and assist job. If you had life experience, you may be suitable as long as you could show you could relate to the clients. Now you need a degree and the ability to enforce punishment for non-compliance. Some colleagues' whole life work trashed and maybe facing unemployment in their 50s. Lost career and vocation to make way for profiteering from crime. This is the new future of the Probation Service. Oh and don't forget the devalued pension pot they have robbed as well. RIP

*****
A prisoner released after 5 yrs in prison, never used the internet, told by Work Programme to go to his local Hub to enrol on an IT course so he can upload his CV to emails etc. Course was full. He has to try again for next months course. He wants a CSCS card so he can work in construction but WP won't pay the £180 for it unless he has a firm job offer. He attended ETE in Probation, run by longstanding partnership, who have sorted all of this for him apart from the CSCS as they don't have a budget. The Work Programme fails and parks prisoners. This guy is trying to go straight after supplying class A. He can easily make some money but chooses to go straight. He needs professional help to do this, not volunteer mentors who don't have the expertise.

*****
At this moment in time, I am actually spending more time behind a PC than I was pre-TR - not what I expected in CRC - man down pub tells me it's going to get better - if and when it does I may buy that man a drink but I cannot see it being achieved in my CRC lifetime.

*****
We spend more time at a PC than ever before, the systems are less efficient and detrimental and duplication is running rife.

*****
In our offices (joint CRC and NPS) the receptionists can't see delius for NPS. This causes a whole heap of problems. Anyone else in the same boat?

*****
Yes same in my office/area - causes heaps of problems. Recently Social Services were after information on a case not long finished - CRC staff unable to access - once terminated goes back to NPS - had to ask them to look up information - swamped by bureaucracy.

*****
Only going to get worse, wait until you are not even working in the same building and everything is fed through and out of the central Hub..

*****
I work as a joint CRC/NPS receptionist and can still see NPS front screen records just not full functionality. A lot of it is interpreting the information we can see which boils down to experience in our particular field. Safeguarding and Prison checks on the increase. We are a small cog in the big wheel, but important front line staff and if it causes a whole heap of problems now, wait until we are not there anymore which seems to be the plan!!!

*****
I'm aware of central hubs for CRC but what will happen at the few NPS offices that are left? Will there be any receptionists there? Receptionists are indeed an important - if not the most important - cog in the wheel and I for one would struggle without them!

*****
The fact is that the default operating models are not fit for purpose in the real world. In my opinion, they have been designed without any comprehension of the environment in which they will be delivered. Every offender has a phone, none of them are mentally unwell or suffer from substance misuse issues, public transport is universal, everyone has good reception on their mobile phone, no-one ever turns up late or early, no-one misses a group. The list of factors is endless. Receptionists are the gatekeepers. Without them there will be chaos. The CRC management know this and are still arguing the point with Sodeveryone.

*****
Excellent points well made. Reception staff - I am sorry you've been taken for granted for so long. Your hour of recognition is now here. Similarly case admin staff - the prospect of losing your knowledge & experience makes my blood run cold.

*****
When we first split the Courts were not ringing OMs for updates to aid sentencing, however today I've been emailed to send court a progress report to aid sentencing. Never heard of these reports - I'm happy to fill it in as it will mean someone getting sentenced right (hopefully) but the whole NPS/CRC is shifting sands.

*****
Unpaid Work is a disaster - only one supervisor as the other on training, no sessionals anymore. 16 turned up as per signed instructions and 6 of them were sent home. Offenders arguing about who went home last week (cos of the same problem) and who's turn it is to go home this week; others arguing to stay as it's not their fault we've no staff; OMs arguing for their clients to stay. But never mind, Sodexo saving £18k pa in staffing.

*****
This situation can have serious consequences for any offender doing unpaid work and claiming benefits. If your contract with the Job Centre has the time you spend weekly on unpaid work factored in, and the Job Centre get wind that you haven't actually done those hours of unpaid work for any given week, then you run the risk of being sanctioned. It matters not that it isn't your fault, you just haven't fulfilled your agreement. Harsh, even cruel, but true!

*****
Couldn't agree more. Our UPW vans are off the road cos no one has a PSV licence. Now have hire vans but can't take the tools out cos no tow bar to carry the trailer.

*****
Not sure what area you are in, but in our CRC Unpaid Work we have had 4 supervisors to 6 service users today. We are twiddling our thumbs here. Maybe I can suggest coming to give you a hand?

*****
Staff do not need a PSV licence. It is CP card that Sodexo are refusing to let the staff get. They will not put staff through this training, thus resulting in only being able to carry 8 passengers. Vans are off the road because they do not know what they are doing, they do not understand how unpaid work, works. This is another way of cost cutting. They think that by refusing the CP card to the supervisors that they will save money. Really more money is being spent on hiring brand new mini buses.

*****
It's a bit worrying that they can't arrange transport for their offenders. It makes me wonder how they deal with real problems that involve risk?

*****
Our CRC not very good at maths. We are expected to take 10 offenders with only 8 available seats on the van.

*****
What is so disheartening about all of this is that, despite all the evidence on here and tweeted etc elsewhere of the disintegration of the Service, none of it will make a blind bit of difference to those with decision making powers. We have HMI in at present doing an 'audit' of how things are working post TR. Assured of anonymity, all questions are being answered honestly by those of us whose cases are in the sample. But will what we say have any impact - I doubt it. Still, I await the HMI report with interest, as I was told by an Inspector that it won't go to the CEO (for tweaking) before publication, as is the normal practice with inspections, apparently.....

*****
Whilst a deterioration was expected, that it is happening so fast is frightening. It seems people have regressed and lost all sense of what had been learned, supposed to have been put in place years ago and have reverted back to systems and process that applied to very dark times. Whilst 'service user' feedback is now derigeur, engagement, effective practice, for those who knew what that was, seems to have flown out of the window. Restrictive punitive measures and approach abound, law, policy and guidance is disregarded as back covering and so called risk management, predominates. Half a day training or do it yourself IT training, easy enough to cheat and falsify, resulting in.. the horrors are too many. People died, were abused, treated unfairly because of exactly this type of behaviour in the NHS. It's only a matter of time before it all crashes down on them. In many ways am beginning to see the value in kiosks, at least that will mean some people will not have to suffer.

*****
Anyone in Northumbria want to add to this list of the impossibility of getting breach papers past the Enforcement Team in NPS?

Your breach is rejected because:

1. You haven't tried to do a home visit (offender is known to stab people)
2. You haven't checked if they have outstanding fines (I was asking for 7 hours additional Unpaid Work)
3. You haven't sent warning letters (he doesn't have an address)
4. You haven't ruled out a curfew (I wasn't asking for a curfew I was asking for more Unpaid Work)
5. You haven't provided witness availability for Unpaid Work staff (I would if he denied the breach, we're not at that stage yet)
6. Your Delius entry from 3 months ago says someone rang and said she was sick (I don't have a sick note, I don't know who the caller was)
7. You need a letter from his employer (his employer doesn't know he's on Probation)
8. Your word is just hearsay, not evidence (I'm his Probation Officer!!)
9. You haven't said whether you have tried to phone him (He hasn't got a phone)
10. You haven't got a signed agreement to say that he understands that he has to come to appointments (He hasn't attended at all. He hasn't been signed up yet)

*****
NPS in the northwest are also doing a fine job of knocking everything back. They simply loathe requests for WWOB; they'll eat hot gravel rather than apply for an arrest warrant.
What's the story, NPS?

*****
You're making a single fatal error, you had the client at the centre of things, the breach procedure has targets at the centre of all things!

*****
As far as I'm aware in the NorthWest and using Merseyside as an example, the warrant team is tiny and so anyone on 'their toes' has minimal chance of being hauled back before the courts. Warrants only tend to get executed when they are arrested on new matters. Stay on your toes for 3 years or so and Probation Court officers will re-apply to court to have the warrants cancelled.

*****
Who are the breach officers in Northumbria? Are they the ones transferred over from G4S as part of TR? Remember, they didn't get asked just like we didn't, and may not have been given suitable support and training. If not, then I have no idea what's going on!

*****
If it's any consolation in another northern office close by Northumbria, breaches are also being rejected for ridiculous reasons.

*****
I cannot stress how much sympathy I have for PQF learners. I have never seen entrants into probation treated this way. We all know how their salaries were messed up at the outset with many having no income until the mess was sorted, they have also been auto enrolled into a pension scheme without even basic information provided - a clear breach by NPS of pension regulations.

But by far the worst part is their training, often hitched to over-burdened PO "mentors" who can't keep up with their own case loads let alone training others, managers with no time to spare....and who cares???? I have tried to help a lovely person in our team to the detriment of my own workload and having to catch up out of hours. She tells me she is in despair because she was promised a rewarding career with decent training and she dare not speak out. Isn't that a shame?

*****
It's shocking but the same right across England and Wales. I went to a conference the other month when a man from NOMS asked our opinion on new learners asking, should their caseload be protected and if so for how long? We stared blankly at him for a long time. Of course they should be protected but we're so short-staffed how can that be possible and with highly qualified staff being dismissed on the other side, didn't know what to say! Speechless. We eventually let him know what we thought.

*****
I also really feel for the new PQF trainers. Last week I reluctantly refused a request to act as mentor for a trainee due to start tomorrow. This decision came about owing to the failure of management to date to rectify my unmanageable caseload and bring it in line with comparable role PO's elsewhere in the 'business'. A number of us commenced grievance proceedings 6 months ago on this matter and yet again we hear today the hearing date has been delayed, so we have informed management we will not take any 'new' work for the foreseeable. It goes against the grain to refuse to help a colleague, especially a newly-appointed trainee, but we are on our knees here with no end in sight.

Day 3 of the HMI inspection and the inspector I saw today probably wasn't anticipating the response he got when he told me that our teams decision last July not to do any more Oasys or ISP's (after requesting direction on prioritisation of work and been told by Snr Management that 'everything was a priority') had been 'indefensible'. He spent the next 10 minutes heavily rowing back on that one, saying it wasn't personal and hopefully their report will make a difference in terms of resource allocation. Well, as I told him, I'm not holding my breath on that one. It couldn't get any worse here than it has been today...

*****
Well it's an absolute certainty that no TPO is going to be failed...at least they know they will have a job.

*****
I am a TPO and worked for a significant period in AP's and programmes beforehand. I joined a Trust. I am thriving and absolutely adore being a TPO. Sorry to go against the grain of this post but I just feel I should share my experience.

*****
I think there's a gulf between those who have grown up (professionally speaking) in recent times, and those who have longer memories & experiences. Neither is right or wrong, but times and practice are significantly different. My DipSW Learning/training experience bears no relation to the current TPO experience. My time as an assessor didn't have any resonance with my practice teacher's efforts to knock me into shape. It shouldn't be a case of going against grain, it is just different for so many reasons. Grumpy old gits sometimes find it hard to be eclipsed by young pups, whilst fresh blood can be feisty and enthusiastic and blind to the priveleges that experience brings.

*****
I "absolutely adored" being a PO...and then along came TR...

*****
I have been qualified 9 months, was a PSO before. I had to fight for protected caseload and someone to support me with my first parole report before I even qualified. I now have a caseload of 47 mostly high risk. For the first time in my life I am now on anti-depressants.

*****
Everyday in the CRC gets worse. You can see the stress etched on colleagues faces. We were recently given a week to transfer cases. Today we got learning point from a recent SFO - when cases are transferred there must be a handover between staff. Staff being sent into prison without risk assessments or proper training. Message being sent out from management that we must divert from recall.

*****
There was a big performance metrics meting for NPS this week. Apparently a recall will count as an unsuccessful completion. Wonder if same for CRC and that's why being advised to divert? It's all about the targets and profits. I guess the instruction will be risk escalate before recall? Just had a SFO for murder - risk escalation.

*****
If there's a message being sent out that states 'divert from recall', then that really needs to be published. Such an instruction takes away the individual (and trained and experienced) judgement from the probation officer, and puts a management decision focused on meeting targets way above concerns for public safety. Recall should occur only when necessary, and being instructed to refrain from doing what is necessary when public protection is concerned is just frankly shocking. Print it off and send it to Sadiq Khan with your anonymous concerns about what risks such advice may have on public safety.

*****
If there's another "dinosaur/old git" comment in our shared building today I won't be needing my redundancy, but I will need a PSR after I've given one of the smug NPS newly-qualified POs a good slap. NPS manager isn't interested in addressing it. CRC manager says it's not his staff member so he can't do anything about it. Looks like it'll have to be 2 falls and a submission a la Mick McManus, or a thick ear a la Frank Bruno. I haven't a fucking clue what happened to professional standards in the probation service. Where did they go?

Bleak Futures Week 13

Was told by housing officer from local authority who is in our office one afternoon a week, from April clients have to be 12 months offence free before eligible for social housing -starting when released from prison. That's really going to help TTG.

******
Been that way in Middlesbrough for some while now. It makes little difference coz most cannot afford either the rent or bedroom tax!

******
It's all going to hell in a handcart but none of the providers care as long as they make their profits (which they will, at all costs).

******
Whilst I agree that the providers will do what they can to make money, I'm not at all convinced that there is any money to be made. Firstly, the providers are getting the same budget as what previous trust did. From this they have all the Under 12 months to supervise which is going to cost something, eating into the budget. The idea that we would be working out of offices looks to be a pipe dream as the IT infrastructure is not only lacking, but will cost millions to put in place. Regardless, we need a base of some description and commercial property prices are going up, not down. And ALL of these properties will need refurbishment for client contact, interview rooms, CCTV, panic alarms etc. Again, an expense from the ever dwindling budget. On-going training to pay for, which will have to be sourced, and a place rented for any training to take place.

If the budget that CRC's were given has already been dipped into and the profit taken out at the beginning, it will be impossible to continue to offer anything but a token service, not meeting the needs of the clients and doing little to reduce re-offending.

Which brings me onto the next little gem. Re-offending rates have been falling year on year for the past 5 years. We know this. Police are now scrapping cautions for some offences which may have contributed to this and we have a perfect storm brewing of zero hour contracts, benefit sanctions and weeks to start up a new claim. I'll give it 18 months before not only the wheels fall off, but the cart horse pulling the cart drops dead!

******
You forgot that the budget also decreases each year and is replaced by PbR......so yeah, we're f*cked!

******
ETE workers in some areas are redundant directly due to TR but I bet they'll be kept waiting until after 31st March to be told they're not needed.

******
I was just saying to a work mate today, where are Sodexo? Never heard from them since the briefing. The reply was they are coming and coming with so much force we will not know what has hit us, well redundancy will be what hits us. In our CRC in my department it is a joke, the manager cannot manage, in fact never been able to manage hide behind everyone else. Even one of my offenders today told me it was a joke. I used to say I was proud to work for this company, but not now.

******
Sad to hear what people are saying. I did email my HR dept & got a reply to the effect that, understandably, until our CRC masters make a decision or an announcement, HR haven't a clue - nor can they calculate any possible figures for anyone.

It rather supports the view that those "in the know" took what they could, when they could, & made a run for it at the most timely opportunity. For those privileged few that likely means they'll disappear before end August 2015 with 67 weeks' worth of dosh in the bank, 12 months salary to boot & full of delusional belief that they "made a difference".Plus ca change.

******

Staff in the CRC in South Yorks have now been informed of the redundancies. Staff to be gone by end of May and letters with offers to arrive in the post. No info yet on whether they will be enhanced?

******
Has anybody else heard about the new fixed court fees from next month? They are shockingly steep eg £100 following guilty plea and £1,000 following conviction after trial and Mags will have no discretion whatsoever. It's sickening. Apparently sneaked in under statutory instrument, announced today. Our local sols are furious, one telling the Mags today 'everyone needs to wake up to what is happening'. The poor and vulnerable will drown even further under this vicious regime.

******
One service user I worked with had agreed at Court for his fines to be taken from his JSA but told them it was in the process of being moved to ESA. When the Court tried to take the money they were told JSA was no longer set up. Service user was homeless and could not be contacted. Two weeks later he came to see me and said he was due to start ESA and could we spend one of our appointment time letting fines department know (he has no phone). We contacted fines department. They had already passed on to debt collectors who had added their own fees.

******
I know this sounds mad but there is a part of me that says let it happen and watch it all unravel. These developments are making the problems worse and worse.

******
Prison Offender Supervisors now doubling up on duties after benchmarking, so impossible to get sentence planning done. Now they are not submitting MAPPA reports on time - just how dangerous is THAT? YES DANGEROUS!

******
BREAKING NEWS: Sodexo have released workforce planning numbers for Cumbria and Lancashire CRC. "We currently have an establishment of 340 full time staff. We will need to move to 217 by autumn".

******
Very drunk man in northern hostelry confirms news that 37% of staff to be shed in Cumbria & Lancashire CRC by August 2015.

******
Much, much worse than I expected. Time to leave. I'm not staying to deal with that mess.

******
Uh? We currently have four POs carrying approx 60 cases each, and six PSOs carrying approx 80 each. Using that formula we'll end up with three POs carrying 80 cases each & four PSOs with 120 cases each. Or will it be seven members of staff variously on long term sick, detained under the MH Act or buried in their favourite church yard?

******
Re the Sodexo blood letting that began in Cumbria today. All the temp POs that are all over the place now need to go and make room for those PO's from the CRCs who have been well and truly shafted. And to all of those who took the moral high ground when some of us were fighting for our jobs and who looked on whilst we struck - this was what we were saying would happen and has, unfortunately come to pass....

******
I was worried about being made redundant, but even more so now hearing what the numbers are in CRC Cumbria. I know everyone is feeling frightened, I am personally a single parent with two children, mortgage, bills. Just like everyone else. Really scary time.

******
I believe that there are almost entire offices staffed with agency staff in some parts of Manchester...

******
Just got home after a difficult & emotionally charged afternoon. To any doubters or cynics, the info from Cumbria & Lancs CRC was circulated to all staff by Chief Exec via email. This is not a hoax or scaremongering. No doubt someone will find a way of getting a copy of the email to blog central.

******
I feel for those in Cumbria & Lancs - both those who may lose their jobs and those who are left behind, you simply can't run any kind of effective service on those sort of lines. Very sad times.

******
It is fact, Email sent to all Cumbria & Lancashire staff confirms case admin will reduce from 57 to 30, PSO's from 88 to 71, PO's from 56 to 31, Middle managers from 19 to 9, Senior managers from 9 to 5, Corporate staff from 60 to 16, unpaid work increase from 28 to 29 and Programmes increase from 23 to 26. It is not yet confirmed but likely that the central hub will be in Preston with local management units in Carlisle, Preston and Accrington, neighbourhood offices in Blackpool, Lancaster, Barrow and Workington. It is a mess, a bloody mess.

******
That's not surprising, the contract arrangements mean that there is money for accredited programmes but not for other parts. Purple Futures and Ingeus not woken up to this yet as they are looking to cut Programmes. The issue will be around SFOs when they happen. Sodexo are taking a huge reputational risk, and I suspect there will be no winners in this.

******
I can confirm we were sent the email in Lancashire. We are waiting to hear if voluntary redundancy will be offered or if Sodexo will play dirty and do compulsory redundancy after the 7 month clause. Mood in office very somber today with people considering their options.

******
I'm in the Purple Futures and we've not heard a dickie bird. Apparently they're plotting as we speak. I'm sure this time next week we'll be posting similar comments - its going to be a domino effect around the country.

******
I am so, so, so saddened to hear the news above. CRC staff shafted at every turn of this process. Those that did not fight against the demise of our previously award winning service should hang their heads in shame. These are our colleagues, no one deserves what is happening. No one is safe, it doesn't matter which CRC area you are in or who the feck won your contract - this is just the start. NPS staff - you want to hope the Tories don't get back in because it will be you next for the culling too. YES WHERE ARE MEMBERS OF NAPO HQ - have they taken redundancy?

******
South Yorkshire are looking at approx one third cut. Not 100% sure on the breakdown grade by grade as it's only been communicated to grades most at risk of cuts.

******
Sad, very sad looking at the numbers at Cumbria. I can see we will be getting interviewed again for jobs and fighting for jobs. Bloody nightmare.

******
I'll just walk - stuff em. Creditors can have £1 per month and I'll do some temping for a while. I'm past caring now, it's been going on for too long.

******
That is exactly how I feel. Life is more important, not going to get stressed over it. My creditors can have 50p from me hahaha.

******
The whole thing is disgusting, in my department they have hired two members of staff on a 5 month contract. Cannot understand why, and when you ask why they been hired, they will not answer. I am training them and feel that they are here to replace me and other staff, as they are on less pay than us. Am I reading into something that is not there????

******
I took strike action, attended branch meetings and I was reported to management by a colleague who is non union for alerting staff to this very possibility as being disloyal to my trust. I hoped to promote solidarity to oppose TR. I tried and failed, many others tried too. I just want to express solidarity to all colleagues affected by this. My heart goes out to you and your families. This is a shameful betrayal of loyal public servants.

******
Swift email from Northumbria CEO this afternoon (sent while he's on leave), calling the managers in to a meeting Monday morning. NAPO/ Unison sent communication yesterday to members about EVR. The NNC staff transfer and protection agreement, the staff transfer scheme and the services agreement between CRC owners and the MOJ provide for any redundancies which arise during the LIFETIME of the CRC contract in connection with TR to be dealt with under the terms of the agreed NNC voluntary redundancy scheme. In the T&C of this, point 16 states "in addition, the commercial contracts will specify that, other than where more beneficial terms exist, where voluntary redundancy is offered, the enhanced terms set out in Appendix B should apply to any member of staff in a CRC employed by a Probation Trust on 31 May 2014".

******
So that is Cumbria, North Yorks and now Northumbria. Looks like they are moving fast now. I think I will make that last nice purchase for myself before I get the P45.

******
We've all been shafted. I have seen colleagues devote their working lives to this organisation. Been through the mill, produced results, cared about our clients, and for what? To be booted out of the door with not so much as a second glance. This new world of probation sickens me. It really does. This is not what I stand for. Meat processing "offenders" and worse for the staff. I've seen people really cry today; it was awful.

******
Just to say I feel really sorry for all those in the CRC's facing what seems to be immediate job losses. The period May-Autumn suggested is just around the corner, so it seems the privateer probation companies are to waste no time in cost cutting. Sodexo has started the ball rolling and they will all follow suit. They intend to make a profit at any cost so cutting staff and ditching existing premises will be high on their agenda. I think the MoJ will be watching this to see what they can replicate in the NPS.

I recall sitting in a meeting in the early stages of TR. It was assumed that whatever takeover agreements, T's & C's, etc were made the CRC owners would be able to bypass these by "restructuring". From the comments above it sounds like "restructuring" is on the horizon. It's anyone's guess what this will include, but will probably include for staff that survive significant cuts in salary and new job descriptions to justify doing more for less. Maybe even to justify doing nothing at all.

******
Whilst the detail is missing, similar numbers have been mentioned across the six Sodexo CRCs. Many careers are going to end with betrayal and hundreds and thousands of years of experience lost to the service. It will be replaced with a shallow pretence and embarrassing ineptitude. I am done with this.

******
I am totally in shock at the numbers that they intend to reduce us by. I have given 11 years of my life to this company. Been through ups and downs and it was the love of the job that kept me here. Managers have stepped on me and tossed me to one side, but yet I worked through it all, again for the love of the job. I am unsure of what I would do next. Totally shocked.

******
I think middle management in Cumbria and Lancs CRC have been in the dark as much as us. They attended a briefing on the morning that the email came out. They've not actually been told anything more than we have. Based on a conversation I had with my area's senior manager a few weeks ago - I don't think they realised just how deep the cuts were going to be either. I remember my ACO saying that the agency staff would cover the excess numbers. Well, the numbers above do not even taken account of agency numbers. This is on top of losing agency staff. I think Sodexo have kept this very closely under wraps and then let it rain like a massive shower of shit.

******
To cut 36% of posts over six months is shockingly deep and rapid destruction anywhere. My heart goes out to all my former friends and colleagues still employed by NPS/CRCs after the election. And quite apart from the nightmare of struggling to deliver any kind of service in these circumstances, permanent staff in Cumbria and Lancs must have been quite needlessly tortured by this memo, which did not even tell them how many of the 123 posts disappearing are currently filled by agency/temporary staff. And so they cannot even guess at their personal risk of being made compulsorily redundant by autumn. Does anyone reading this from Cumbria/Lancs know the figures for non-permanent staff and feel able to share them?

******
The non-permanents were not included in the stats presented. We will lose them AND the numbers quoted above.

******
What? Are you sure? Bad enough already but the chief's letter clearly stated the non permanents WERE included in these figures. She wrote above: "We currently have an establishment of 340 full time equivalent staff (which includes agency and fixed term contract staff) within Cumbria and Lancashire and we will need to move to the full time equivalent of 217 by the Autumn." I can only hope this is the slightly less dreadful truth, still devastating for all staff, whether temp or permanent and for the communities they serve.

******
I have seen a copy of the bid operational model and it's colour coded (offenders become blue, green, red or yellow) and this is determined by 1. risk of harm 2. risk of offending and 3. closeness to change. Every single client has to undertake a two hour New Directions group at the start of their order and they are allocated a number of 'intervention hours' depending on the three factors above. Someone who is highly close to change, med risk and high offending is 'red' and gets allocated 33 face to face hours. At the back end of every order there is a motivational tool of 'kiosk reporting' so that we don't have to see them and interrupt our working hours. The low risk, low harm band gets just 12 hours. All clients are on weekly reporting for twelve weeks and then monthly.

******
It is nearer 41% in our area (also Sodexo). Temps and agency staff first to go but I don't see that as anything defensible. It is not as if those temps and agency staff were sitting around doing nothing. The innovations do not look safe, are certainly untested and the proposed operating models leak like a sieve.

******
We need to remember that everyone has different personal circumstances and not make sweeping grand statements. My children are grown up, I live in rented accommodation and I don't have a car. For me redundancy is a big kick up the bum to get out of this horribly stressful job with a little bit of cash behind me. I'm all too well aware this isn't the same for everyone. Other people in my position might be feeling pressurised to move on to let colleagues with families and bigger commitments keep the jobs left. It's not straightforward and will set colleagues against each other. The only certainty is that there is more shit to come.

******
Just have care in discussing colleagues positions. Last time redundancy was mooted a colleague with whom I shared an office said to me "you clearly have enough money, if you care so much why don't you just leave?". I have never been able to forget that. I did not have enough money but why should I have to tell her that? This will all start again...

******
The privateers have timed the announcement to perfection, a sign of their skills in everything but probation.

******
In my CRC we've been told already that we will get a max of 1.5 weeks a year redundancy, that is if you are over 40. Under 40 you get a week. So it really grates that all those in the ivory towers are sending out goodbye emails to one and all having snapped up the enhanced package of at least 4 weeks a year.... SODEXO know what they are doing with their £.

******
Rumours are running rife in MANCHESTER CRC. People are talking about massive cuts to follow Sodexo announcement. I went to see my manager this morning after reading the blog and she would not even give me a proper answer, except for saying that she was worried about her own position. Now that says it all about management. Don't give a shit about staff but just worried about their own effing position.

******
This is odd, I work in Manchester and only yesterday in a meeting we were told that some of us may be asked to work in Cheshire as they only have one PO due to all the PO's being off sick and a couple resigning. It's odd one day we are told we are short staffed then the next we are told that there may be massive cuts.

******
Can you believe this shit? There are some people who failed to stand together when the time came to strike and are now in tears having heard all the rumours that they will be thrown out on to the trash heap. They are now talking about wanting strike action. My response was very simple. Where were you when it counted and we needed your support? This is what you get for not speaking up.

******
I agree that if we had stuck together, including Unison, we could have brought matters to a stand still. After all you cannot operate a system without people. Total and complete chaos would have set on probation if we all said strike. Maximum strike - maximum effect.

******
I agree up to a point, but MoJ played their trump card by giving EVR to support staff, ACOs & COs as they were all doing the work behind the scenes to ensure it could proceed. I know some of them are not able to get EVR now, but the operational staff never had a hope.

******
It's disgraceful. Is this the way we should be treated? Is this the way we are supposed to care about each other? Bastards the lot if them. What haven't we given for the service, our time, effort, dedication, good will? Worked beyond the call of duty at a cost to our personal lives so that we can have a safer future and positive communities for our children. Instead we getting shitted on by the same fucking management with their same lies and false promises, and then they try to pretend they value their staff by giving them tokinsitic awards. If you want to celebrate our success, just FUCKING LISTEN FOR ONCE.

******
Does anyone have any clue about the future for Trainee Probation Officers that are currently training?

******
Grim I would guess. You are there to fill the gaps while they get thier shit together. Once you qualify I guess you can be posted anywhere in the country, plus with the cut in MoJ budget I would of thought there will be less slots for newly qualified. With 70% plus cases going to CRC and PSO's being cheaper, not sure the need is there.

******
Dear TPO, the answer is that we simply do not know. It feels as if we all have an uncertain future and my advice to you would be to keep on with your studies and hope labour get in and keep their promise to reverse TR....

******
Please do not despair! It is likely that you will be employed, as economically you will be more cost effective - starting on lower end of pay scales etc. One of the worrying features of mass redundancy is how older staff self select themselves. It is illegal to select on the basis of age, however life can be made so awful that older staff go. I know I am in that position.

******
I was placed in an office that I used to work in before I became a TPO in October. They welcomed me with open arms. Think that was partly because the office is buckling under the pressure and just doesn't have enough PO's. One of the PO's said to me that they were relieved I was previously employed by the service as they didn't have the time to teach me 'the basics'. I really had to hit the ground running. I'm unsure what the new trainee we are having join our office in May will experience. People just don't have the time to train them. Still, I owe everything to the PO's in my office. They are amazing.

I spent a lot of time with the offenders in my previous role, now I feel they are in and out whilst I (and I hate to say this) clock watch thinking Ive got an ISP to do, I really need to make that referral etc. I was speaking to a colleague the other day about feeling trapped.

******
Your honesty is appreciated. I always say to TPO's if you want to do the job, do it for the right reasons. That means using our position to advocate on behalf of those most in need and opposing/voicing those structures and systems that keep people locked in a cycle of offending and self abuse.

******
22 years of blemish-free service, and all I can look forward to is the statutory maximum of £13,920.

******
I have 31 years service and like you am expecting no more than the statutory maximum. Does anyone know if, in the case of colleagues of 55 and over, if they have to also fund the release of the pension (not enhanced, but without early payment penalty)? Thanks.

******
In our briefing we were told there were two options, early retirement which CRC would sort out so without you having to pay the early payment penalty they would pay that. Sorry can't give you the exact wordings, or Voluntary Redundancy, not both would be on offer. Letters would be sent setting out the options to employees who were in the at risk pool.

******
For the first time in a long time, I have just had to say no to my son. Redundancies are on at work I said. Then reality hit me and I have just broke down. I hate this government, I hate Sodexo.

******
Please share my snotty tissue and accept my virtual hug. I'm with you. I'm so scared about losing my house. My child needs things that I can't commit to and things have already been very tight with the pay freeze and rising cost of living. Maybe we should set up a commune of cast off probation employees?

******
The news of the Sodexo shafting came in just as another Northumbria CRC director celebrated his departure on EVR. There's an emergency meeting of managers on Monday now the cats out of the bag, where the HR director, who is also getting EVR, will doubtless tell them how to spin this to keep people hoping until the axe finally falls. They should hang their heads in shame.

******
Emergency meeting, shame we already know. Yes I have been disgusted with head of HR getting her bit and running. Well I have no effort left in me now. So I will work until they tell me I am going but I doubt I will be working to the same effort as before.

******
Totally!! and would you believe they actually had the nerve to ask for donations to a leaving collection! I hope the HR head isn't going to do the same. She might want to tip them the wink that she doesn't need one! Well I for one am going to wind down my efforts. Can't use threats and bullying tactics anymore as we now know the truth, we are already shafted so time to take the same attitude as Northumbria CRC SMT and Sodexo. Sod the 'service users' lets milk it while we can. Take a break from the stress folks, look after yourselves and sod the job! Good luck with your re offending rates now. September is still a long way off, couldn't give a hoot about your targets now guys.

******
Join NAPO as local reps are invaluable and have day to day working relationships with HR and other key management bods. I'd also agree don't cut ur nose off - keep your pride and dignity. I'd also, with regard to colleagues, be a bit selective who I reveal my true thoughts to. Try not to get involved in large lunchtime moaning sessions as things can (and have) been reported back to management by snitches.

TR Week Twenty Six 2

I did not want to be privatised at all. But I can't help wondering if it would have been better for us to be sold as a complete entirety rather than the split. Keep strong and care for each other. Blessings to you all.

******
One very serious consequence for Grayling that 'may' come from JR, is that he may not have been very honest with the private sector about the true nature of the risks involved. If that was true, then bidders may pull out or want to negotiate contracts again (greater risks = greater wonga), and it's all time consuming. There can be no doubt I think, that JR will reveal information that the bidders will be just as interested in as probation services are. Perhaps being aware of this is part of the reason Graylings been silent of late? However, until such a time as JR is heard, regardless of personal opinions and observations, all we can do is speculate. 

******
Bidders are just as aware of the potential risks as Grayling, possibly more so. Most, if not all, of the bidders will have bought in advice from probation professionals who will have no reason not to give honest opinions on the nature of the risk, without political spin. They will have priced for that risk already and the MoJ will be trying to reassure them...

*******
I have 14 weekly late night reporters. Absolutely bonkers. Most come after 6pm. It's a quick hello, here's your next appointment. Then I receive abuse from them because of their 1 hour bus journey to the office. It's mind boggingly stupid way to manage things!

*******
I suspect weekend reporting may be one of the innovations being considered.

*******
I couldn't agree more. I had offered to do this in the past to my manager and instead of seeing this as positive, she actually asked if it meant I could not manage my workload within my working hours! You couldn't make this stuff up could you? Just makes me reflect on how many innovations practitioners have had rubbished by senior management. They really have sold us down the river

*******
Free speech is one thing, but this is offensive to SPOs in DTV and unnecessary. One of the motions at AGM was to support SPOs as they will be the fall guys in all of this. CRC SPOs cover late nights and that includes NPS staff as they have been told to ring the on call SPO if they have a problem. 

*******
Someone referenced it would be more expensive to open at weekends - only if you assume your terms and conditions will be intact. If you aren't paid extra to work weekends, then it would cost no more than now.

*******
Actually it was suggested simply to help the offenders, some of whom had to get trains and were often able to only walk in and sign for their next appointment. Two of my offenders had worked very long hours prior to reporting on the only night made available by the Trust for this purpose. I was able to do this, so suggested it with time off in lieu during the week. Anyway the answer was no. You missed my point about how flexible practitioners have been prepared to be in the past.

*******
I think there would be very little real demand for weekend reporting, certainly in every office I've worked at. Nearly everyone I've worked with was able to attend at some point between 8am-7pm Monday-Friday. Remember that opening even on a Saturday morning would increase costs quite considerably, with staff wages, building overheads and so on factored in.

*******
Are these 14 all High risk? This kind of brief mechanistic reporting does no one any good. If possible to re-assess any as Medium? More good likely if can be seen fortnightly, but for longer more meaningful session. If can't reassess to Medium yet, there is surely an argument for a remix/reallocation of some cases to colleagues? I think 3 late-nighters is absolute max to manage and that's still a strain!

*******
So, TR Week 26 and where are we?

1. The Sell Off: this proceeds at an alarming rate with little reflection or, it seems to me, care. This Government continues to outsource our Criminal Justice Sector to foreign owned companies where the end profit will go outside the UK. British professions are being down graded with reduced terms and conditions and, of course, less tax revenue and NI coming to the UK as a result. Be clear, the simple cost of running probation in the public sector is not the sole financial consideration as Grayling would have you believe. 

2. The buyers: has the Government issued some form of indemnity or guarantee to them? It makes so little sense for them to have expended great financial resources on this project otherwise. Just what is in it for them? Are the profits really going to be so great? Caveat emptor my friends, as your share value can go down remember - never lose sight of reputational damage from lack of public confidence in your organisations. Remember Northern Rock! I believe there is something the public is not being told about Graylings dealings with you - are you so sure he can be trusted?

3. The Day Job: so we are told by the MOJ all is running well. Now we know this is not true and whilst the rush to the sell off continues, we need to ask if the pace of this is dictated by trying to out run the truth catching up with the MOJ? Is NOMS trying to outpace the Tsunami of chaos that is moving ever faster towards the shore of reality?

******
On point 2, there is no guarantee or indemnity. These companies bid for government contracts at risk. What is in it for them is a 7 year government contract with a profit margin of probably 4-5%

*******
Hasn't it all gone quiet about HMIP and his wife and the CONFLICT OF INTERESTS couples in public life eh Mr Grayling? This can not be allowed to continue, we are not stupid and we are watching closely ....

*******
I had a vision of this nightmare scenario in court a decade ago. I thought it couldn't possibly happen in a 'democratic' 'civilised' society. I said to my then boss, once the criminal justice system becomes a mere administrative process, without the time to consider legislation or interests of justice, then we may as well be under a communist or fascist dictatorship. The courts are becoming farcical, with poor IT, missing evidence and costly delays due to new procedures that due not work. I am so depressed by all of this. The only winners will be the IT contractors and other sharks waiting to feast on the carcass. And it won't be too long before we are sacked for having an opinion.

*******
If you want to see the shenanigans that really matter, explore how the tripartite game of pass the parcel will be achieved. I hear CRC chiefs are getting cold feet because company law has to be adhered to strictly in the transfer of ownership and since they are now the "directors" they have that responsibility to pass ownership at a certain day to the new providers - trouble is the new owners are having to promise they will take ownership as prescribed and the MoJ is having to promise there are contracts there to hang the business hat upon! 

This merry go round means that any slip ups and CRC chiefs could be pursued - personally through the courts. Highly unlikely but it is creating sleepless nights for the traditionally cautious probation types.....

*******
The CEO of Interserve says outsourcing frontline services is a must given the state of public finances. Still using the austerity argument. Complete mendacity of course. It's about screwing the workers and all those so-called senior leaders who have jumped ship presumably embrace this lie.

*******
Just wanted to post the strap line of the company taking over London Probation CRC : BIONIC : stands for ....wait for it....'believe it or not I care'. That is the largest chunk of the privatised probation and they feel like they need to sound like a pre-teen action hero. FFS.

*******
I have read on here a few times about the new NPS officers being 'young' and 'women'. Why is this important? I really shouldn't have to write this but being young and female does not mean you cannot do your job. I know we don't mean this but it is what is implied when we talk about an officer's age and gender. Perhaps we need to consider this and our own prejudices.

*******
In my experience younger male clients respond better to younger PO's of either gender. I agree and in my opinion the blog and many of the replies have always (not just post TR) had the underlying view that young females do not do the job as well as older males. I agree the service probably would benefit from being more diverse in terms of gender and background of staff. However this does not equal the view that young female staff can't or don't do a good job, just as all older/experienced (male) staff are not all perfect either.

*******
I understand the operating model may be commercially sensitive, but they are also crucial for staff worrying about their careers. Sorry if this post focuses on Band 4s, as I know all in CRC may be impacted, but if their model does not include the same, or similar number Band 4 OMs, then why are MoJ recruiting new TPOs? The expense of doing this is not justified when there is likely to be a good number of current POs being made redundant (or managed out without redundancy) and out or work in a few months. 

Put the next cohort of TPO recruitment on hold until after April 2015 and allow CRC POs to transfer into the NPS without the loss of service and on the same pay scales. After all, we did the same job up until June 2014, we have years of experience in risk assessments/public protection and reducing re-offending and are proven in the role.

*******
Well said, but this makes too much sense for them. Remember they are 'saving money' bullshit. In addition all that rhetoric about the most experienced officers goes out of the window when they are now willing to take on TPO's without any experience. It all stinks and we have been truly SHAFTED.

*******
VIVE LA NORTH EAST!! So French catering company Sodexo has HMP Northumberland and Northumbria in the bag with all profits destined for France and now this government looks set to sell off the East Coast Mainline to the French National Train Operator. C'est Grim up Nord mes amis....

*******
It's always been grim up here, the Tories closing pits, shipyards and fishing has not helped. Not entirely surprising given that the Tory vote in this area has traditionally been very low. They're trying their hardest to keep it that way. Bastards!

*******
Can anyone explain why there are 100's of PO and PSO vacancies being advertised around the country, for both CRC's and NPS, and 100's of graduate trainees taken on, but only 2 jobs advertised in Nbria - at Sunderland mags court. And that is the first I have seen since TR came in.

And there were no adverts in the press for Nbria for several years before I retired in 2011. When people left/retired, staff were just shuffled about - like Musical Chairs. Are they so well organised they don't need more staff? Or is no one leaving??(I know that is not true). Or are staff paddling under the surface faster than anyone elsewhere??!!!!!! Or are they just stepped over, when they die on the job??

******
Give me my EVR and there'll be a vacancy at Northumbria :)

******
But will you be replaced?! Even a tweet from Nbria, on the government's Twitter site advertising for graduates to train, said they had not recruited in Oct, will not be in Jan, and MAY BE in April. How do they manage without recruiting??

*******
A pregnant Wales CRC officer was attacked and hit in the stomach today by a female offender. No cameras in interview rooms, no way of alerting anyone that you are in danger. This is NOT acceptable. Who is risk assessing the buildings where CRC staff are/will be working?

*******
The Officer was working on the women's Pathfinder project supposedly with low risk women supported in the community as an alternative to prison. All offenders have the potential to become high risk and you never know until it happens.