Gove abolishes the Court Charge

 

As you know Napo has campaigned for the charge to be scrapped from day one. Evidence suggested that defendants were pleading guilty to offences they had not committed in order to avoid the compulsory charge. There was also mounting evidence to indicate that imposing the charge on the homeless or clients on relatively minor offences with very low incomes was resulting in disproportionate sentences and leaving the defendants in so much debt that they could not be realistically expected to pay.

 

More signs that we have a listening Justice Secretary? We hope so.

 

A trip to Belfast

 

One of many I have made over the years, but happily the most recent ones have been minus the checkpoints and heavily armed security forces that were a hallmark of my first visits.

 

For that to remain the case all politicians in Stormont have a huge responsibility to ensure that decisions about government spending impact fairly, not only on all their citizens so as to ensure equality of treatment, but their departments of state and especially those charged with administering the Criminal Justice System.

 

Napo members in Northern Ireland gave their usual warm welcome to Ranjit Singh and I the other week, and made it clear that they were unhappy at the likely impact of savage reductions to the Probation Board NI budget and with it the prospect of job cuts

 

We had a constructive meeting with management about the evolving Board Operating Model and future terms and conditions. In fairness to them its clear that owing to the complexities and politics of the spending review they are not entirely the masters of destiny in all this, but we received welcome assurances that they are batting for our members and will take steps to improve the flow of information to staff.

 

More about our visit will appear in next weeks release of the new Napo Quarterly publication

 

And a trip to Liverpool

 

I was privileged to be invited to address an evening event at John Moore's University in Liverpool, directly on my return from Belfast. Here Napo Merseyside and Barry O'Docherty had organised what turned out to be an absorbing and eye opening seminar on the future of Approved Premises.

 

AP's are one of the key areas of scrutiny under the E3 blueprint, and its hardly a surprise to hear that NOMS see these establishments as prime targets for securing that 'more for less' objective that I have alluded to recently.

 

If TR in itself has increased the risk to public safety then any loosening of the organisational and management regime in our AP estate is surely asking for serious trouble.

 

The seminar was a great way to encourage members and some non- members (who I hope have considered getting on board since) to speak out in a safe and welcoming environment. It was a good opportunity for me to listen to the myriad problems faced by members and their highly professional approach to clients who are generally made to feel unwelcome in the outside world for a variety of reasons. The AP estate is a tough vocational calling and given the increase in clients with previous convictions for extremism there can be no room for error caused by the drive for austerity. 

 

Its odd that a government who can spend many millions of pounds of   taxpayers money engaging in military action in Syria supposedly to make us all safe, can seek to leave those who manage high risk and sometimes volatile clients in an uncomfortable position due to spending cuts.

 

Here is a shortened summary of what one of our AP members sent to me the other day. We will of course be incorporating it into our recruitment strategy, but I thought you would want to see it first.

 

'Recently local Napo Exec Members have received a number of enquiries from AP Staff asking about the changes highlighted in the E3 Blueprint.  We have said that Napo are aware of the proposals and we are engaging with the Employers on the issues and we will feedback to Members what we know and will advise on what you can do.  

 

We are aware that some staff have legitimate concerns about the future roles and structure of the Approved Premises.  We don't know the full details as they are not that clearly spelt out in the Blueprint,  but that is likely to be because the detail is not yet known or at least agreed.  What we do know is that there are discussions going on about numbers and grades of staff and a review into whether a National Contract for Night Supervisors is an effective and cheaper option.  

 

Clearly if that were to happen staff would be affected.  I know that Napo is not in the business of increasing peoples concerns but we must ensure  as many people as possible are able to seek proper advice when its required, and I think its important that our members should be made aware of all the discussions and potential outcomes,  and what that might mean for them personally and collectively as a group of front line staff and managers.  

 

I have had a couple of people contact me to ask about joining the Union and of course my advice is that this is a good option particularly at this time.  It is also timely as Napo Subs have just reduced. '

 

Absolutely spot on.

 

Next week: Unions to meet Working Links in Worle; the emerging scandal of displaced reception staff from CRC's who vacate premises and lots else besides.