We are sure that all our members will welcome the news that at the recent meeting of the Napo National Executive Committee, it was decided to appoint Carole Doherty to fill the vacancy in the National Officers Group. Carole will fill this role until AGM 2021 and very much looks forward to the challenges ahead.
Following an interview process which attracted two high quality candidates, Ian Freshwater will be taking on a new role as manager of Napo’s Union Learning Fund project in Wales with effect from next week. Ian will be engaging with employers and staff across the probation and family court network to promote the benefits available through the scheme and we wish him every success. Ian can be contacted at: ifreshwater@napo.org.uk
Appreciation to Aziz
The protests that have taken place across the World this week, and those that are to follow in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, are a stark reminder that the lessons of history are all too easily forgotten.
Today’s big story on sentencing reform, and the return of the Tories favourite old pre-election mantra of ‘lock em up and throw away the key,’ is symptomatic of the failure by successive Governments to properly understand the need for a balanced approach to prisons and rehabilitation.
The overwhelming response from Napo members attending at the many Branch meetings I have had the pleasure of visiting, was to welcome the Government rethink on Probation but where they also raised two key questions.
The first being: ‘what will be the operative date for CRC Staff on which they will be deemed to be in scope for transfer along with their work to the NPS? The second: ‘will there be harmonisation of pay, terms and conditions for all staff across Probation before the end of the current CRC contracts?
Given the hundreds of positive messages that are coming into Napo HQ and via social media it is clear that Thursday 16th May 2019 will be seen as one of the most pivotal days in Napo’s long and proud history.
Victory
Napo, the trade union and professional association for probation staff is today celebrating a major turning point in its campaign to restore Probation to public sector ownership as the Secretary of State for Justice David Gauke, announces a fundamental change in government policy.
In terms of media coverage, the lead stories on BBC and Sky news on Saturday following Rory Stewart's suggestion that under six-month sentences could be a thing of the past, was a huge boost for our campaigns.
If you celebrated Christmas but were not on duty over the festive period, the first Monday of the "New Year" brings that traditional challenge in the form of all those unopened mince pies, cakes and chocolates that your colleagues have thoughtfully deposited in the tearoom. They of course having confidently embarked on their personal weight loss campaigns that, in most cases, will be in total shreds by the end of the month just as you predicted.
I have just signed off the last of the letters which I have been sending out to CRC Chief Executives over the last few days. These will be published to members early in the new year. These essentially remind them that the NPS pay settlement needs to be matched in real terms by them as employers and includes the clear directive from our AGM in October to urge them to join with Napo in jointly lobbying the MoJ to adjust the current contracts to enable pay parity with staff working for the NPS.
