How Are People Feeling About Transforming Rehabilitation?

Here are a few posts that show how anger and frustration are brewing amonst Probation Staff:

"Members certainly do have a part to play - it's just that there has to be something to play a part in. The NAPO leadership are not even talking to the members let alone trying to lead or develop any kind of action. the few words that have been offered of late have been the same tired entreaties to take futile individual actions like take out a grievance - meaningless - or write to your MP - again, meaningless....."

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"Below are the details of the scheduled training events for rolling out TR on on a practical level, copied, with thanks, from the Probation Matters blog. I await The joint NAPO/UNISON statement indicating that members will not be participating in this training"

'A series of events is being held around the country for volunteers who will then return to Trusts to cascade this training down to all staff. This will be done through a series of training and briefing events. The aim is to prepare all staff for the new ways of working and the new organisations themselves. Amongst other things, this will include a whole raft of new operating procedures post-split - case-allocation, risk escalation, breach, parole reports, recall, revocation etc. These have been issued but bear all the hallmarks of hurried preparation. The starting point obviously isn't a good one i.e a large gap between two organisations, which everybody recognises will create additional problems. The new procedures, as solutions, are less than perfect. This is recognised by NOMS and they are subject to change - which is not entirely helpful when the local training is due to start quite shortly.'

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"There are a number of Members, including myself, who are becoming increasing frustrated at the lack of information coming out from NAPO. As a Member I want to know how the campaign is progressing (if indeed it is). I understand that there are some, behind the scene activities, which may not get published because NAPO don't want to show their cards to the opposition - but as members we have a right to know what is happening. I am extremely disappointed and a little concerned that it would seem the National Negotiations were ratified without any consultation with NAPO members. I agree with Moby - I did a grievance - taking the advise from Napo, I individualised it, and now along with colleagues, I have been told my Trust is not going to take forward any of those grievances. No details have been provided on these ratified National Negotiations - we need to know what 7 year protection of our conditions actually mean, we need to know who is going to have the opportunity for VR, we need to know WHERE are we going now to call a halt to this hideous agenda - are we likely to be holding further STRIKE days. I am of the personal opinion that UNISON have let down their Probation Members, I don't want to feel NAPO have let theirs down to. Please tell us where we are thus far and what rigorous campaigning is Planned next - its not an awful lot to ask."

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"I personally would like to know the following 

What was the point of the one day / 24 hour strike

What does working to rule actually mean in this role and is it even an option with those off sick

It looks like people are possibly being negative recently but I feel it is more to do with members actually looking for guidance and leadership be that with more info or guidance .

The grievance seems to have been dismissed out of hand

The appeal for the post I do/did was a waste of time as the decision was always a lost cause due solely to leave taken

I wanted more I think from those voted to lead and I wanted to continue giving it 100% .

I know it is difficult but what about a strike of a week or so to see what impact that has".

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"I too would like to see a plan of action. I am keen to strike, voted with members to do so, and boycott TR training. But even the unions can't unite for something as massive and monumental as Privatisation. I hope we will unite and fight before it is too late - but the Government are doing a good job in dividing us. Seems like: CEO's, not all but on the whole, are all about celebrating the past and just drifting with the tide into their new positions; Unions, I feel, are too absorbed with the Probation Institute - I received an email with about 20 documents regarding it last week at work. Now we have people/staff being herded into their different CRC/NPS pens with the divisions that they will bring. The Unions called for action and campaigning now they need to make a decision to follow-through with all that we have, or fold. A union rep warned me about making myself vulnerable last week for writing to both CEO's (to be of NPS/CRC) about an allocation issue in regards to colleagues, and that I should leave things to official channels. There is a lot of anger brewing in probation staff who will start making themselves vulnerable, if not led, and if we can't all share in the plan of action. In other words, we don’t want to be playing "Blind Man's Buff" at this stage (see earlier blog -http://probationvoice.blogspot.co.uk/20 ... -buff.html ), anymore than we have too, anyway".

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"So 'Campaigning vigourously' involves,er, asking members to write to their MP and pretending that asking the Lib-Dems nicely could result in the Government majority in Parliament somehow miraculously being overturned? It's pathetic. Even the press 'campaign shift[ing] up a gear' appears to amount to no more than the issuing of bulletins stating that the press campaign is 'shift[ing] up a gear'. There is no campaign. Stop taking us for fools."

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"There's no doubt in my mind that unease and unrest are widespread within probation at the present time, and it's increasing. There are growing signs of anger and irritation with the Napo leadership, particularly with the General Secretary Ian Lawrence and his seeming inability to find time to communicate with the membership via the medium of the internet".

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"Yes, there is a sense that probation staff becoming increasingly angry that their views over TR being ignored by their CEOs/Leaders"
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