kfalcon@napo.org.uk's blog

Napo the Trade Union for Probation staff is deeply concerned that the London National Probation Service has been assessed as “wholly unsatisfactory” by the Chief Inspector for Probation Dame Glenys Stacey. Despite the hard working and dedicated staff in probation who have worked tirelessly to try to manage in in an intolerable environment, the report is one of many that has assessed London National Probation Service as failing to meet the required standard. In particular this report focuses on the failure to support victims of sexual and violent crime.

Tuesday 14th May certainly was a busy day for probation followers. At 10am The Justice Select Committee heard evidence from Dame Glenys Stacey on her HMIP Annual Report. Bob Neill’s opening remarks left no doubt in anyone's mind where the committee stood in its view of TR. – “Irredeemably flawed”.  This was further backed by Dame Glenys Stacey’s comments: “Deep systemic issues that cannot be resolved.”

More than 120 MPs have written to the government asking for an inquiry into how family courts in England and Wales treat victims of domestic violence. A BBC story today reported on the idanger of abusive ex-partners being granted unsupervised contact with their child by the family courts. The report said that at least four children have been killed by a parent in the past five years after a family court granted access. READ MORE

Finally, news has come that a new Minister for Prison and Probation has been appointed. Napo would like to extend a warm welcome to Robert Buckland QC MP who is the MP for South Swindon. Prior to becoming a politician Robert practiced law in Wales. He specialised in Criminal law which will be welcome news to our members and therefore he has a good understanding of the role of probation and was a recorder in Crown Court before being made a QC in 2014.

On Monday 1st April, SRtRC returned to The Den for an educational event with Millwall FC.  Millwall FC and Millwall Community Trust are long-term supporters of SRtRC and worked in partnership with the campaign to organise the event for young people from local schools.

The event enabled Year 5&6 pupils from local schools to take part in workshops that focussed on racism and stereotypes and hate crime. Thanks to the Trust, the young people were also able to take part in a fun football session on Millwall’s indoor pitch.

CRC reps, who attended a meeting on 1st May in parliament (ahead of the successful MPs Drop In event) received a briefing from Napo HQ on the 'future of Probation' as known pending a statement by Ministers and a formal response to the consultation. We had anticipated that a decision would have emerged by now but it is clear that more analysis is being undertaken and yesterday’s announcement that Rory Stewart has been promoted to the Cabinet has obviously also been a factor in the delay. We currently await news of his successor.

Great news! The Shrewsbury 24 Campaign has won a crucial victory in its long struggle to overturn the convictions of the building workers who were tried in 1973/74 for picketing during the national strike. On Tuesday 30 April 2019, halfway through the Judicial Review hearing in the Birmingham Administrative Court, the Criminal Cases Review Commission conceded the case. It agreed to reconsider the referral of the convictions of the pickets to the Court of Appeal. 

Napo held a successful parliamentary drop-in event on Wednesday 1st May to brief MPs on the costs of TR and a split service and the need for a reunified probation service. CRC reps from across the country attended the event to deliver firsthand information on the local situation in MPs areas. A briefing pack, expanding on the 8 Reasons Campaign was available for MPs on the day.

Napo has been invited to take part in the Lib Dem Justice Team's consultation on a new policy for the party on the rehabiliation of offenders.

One of the government’s stated objectives of TR was to “open up the market” and to enhance the role of the third sector.  This has not materialized, and the impact of TR has been to shut out many small third sector and private sector organisations: the partnership agencies essential to probation to enable a wide range of providers and services to be offered to clients.