kfalcon@napo.org.uk's blog

Working Links, who own 3 Community Rehabilitation Companies delivering probation services in Wales, Avon and Somerset, Devon and Cornwall, has gone into administration leaving uncertainty for staff and service users. Napo, who had repeatedly warned the Minister that the company was in dire straits, has been informed that the company will now go into administration leaving staff and service users unsure about the future.

Napo General Secretary Ian Lawrence responding to the news about Working Links said: ‘There will be very few staff who have been employed in the Working Links CRCs who will shed a tear at the news of the demise of this most dreadful company. The unsafe operational model that was introduced at the start of the CRC contracts and the disastrous staffing cuts were the catalyst to a formal dispute between the probation trade unions and Working  Links that is in its third year.

Tuesday 12th February saw the Justice Committee Oral Evidence Session on the role of the magistracy. The Committee heard from follow-up.

This week is TUC Heart Unions Week (11^th - 15^th February). Napo is using the week to launch our own Recruit a Friend Campaign. The scheme will allow members who recruit a colleague to claim a reward of a £25 gift voucher (after the new recruit has been in membership for 3 months). Really active members can claim up to 4 rewards in a 12 month period (you can only claim one reward in any 3 months).

This new folk ballad from Townsend Production tells the remarkable story of Mary Macarthur and the women chainmakers of Cradley Heath. Who led by the charismatic union campaigner Mary Macarthur managed to more than double their earnings and establish the principle of a national minimum wage. Read More

This year will see the 22nd Bill McWilliams Memorial Lecture take place on Friday 22 March 2019 at 12.30pm for 2.00pm as usual at the Faculty of Law, University of Cambridge.

This year's lecture entitled Probation Vision and Values: Looking to the Future features a panel discussion with leading probation researchers and practitioners: 

Following a request from several branches, a further round of NEC Reps nominations were sent out to members in branches with vacancies still. These branches are:

If the UK leaves the EU without a deal on 29 March 2019, some EU family law agreements will no longer apply to the UK and GUIDANCE on this has been published today.

This will affect rules on:

Providing a stable and secure accommodation for ex-offenders helps reduce the risk of re-offending. Housing is fundamental to helping re-establish life in the community and live life away from crime. This half day briefing will take place in London on Thursday 28^th February 2019.

Expert speakers include:

Material for Napo's Reunification of Probation Campaign is going out to branches now.  We are asking all members to send a card to their own MP, with a personalised message, asking them to support the campaign. So contact your branch for a copy of the 8 Reasons Postcard or we can send you one direct (campaigns@napo.org.uk)