NNC indicative ballot - your response is needed

We issued information to all probation members last week and this is a reminder to check your preferred mail boxes and ensure that you respond to the indicative questions that will appear before you with a firm  ‘Yes’ vote.

Please also make every effort to attend local consultative meetings for which your reps have been issued with briefing materials.

This is an important piece of membership engagement and your help is needed please.

Offender management review gathers pace

We had a useful meeting with senior NOMS management this week about the way in which NAPO can have meaningful input into this project.

This positive approach came very soon after our recent meeting with Minister Sam Gyimah (more to follow) where we made it very clear that unless some consideration is given to the role of Probation in the Governments prison reforms, they won’t stack up to very much.

Chris Winters and I will be discussing the outcomes from the meeting and will provide a more detailed report for members early in the new year, but it’s worth saying at this stage that we deduced that there may well be some useful promotion opportunities that emerge from the plans which seem to afford some long overdue respect for the role of probation practitioners in and outside of the prison estate. We also have a meeting fixed with the POA to ensure that we are on the same page here

HMP Birmingham

All of us will be pleased at the news that no harm came to our probation colleagues situated at HMP Birmingham during last week’s disturbances but having received reports that it was a close run thing, I have asked that it be top of our next engagement agenda with NOMS.

We have already raised the issue of occupational safety of probation staff working in prisons during periods of unrest at the NPS safety committee meeting in early December.  NOMS confirmed that probation staff were not expected to take on the duties of prison staff and that if safety issues emerge then a full risk assessment should be done. For our members working in the prison estate this should cover issues such as the interviewing of prisoners on landings where no interview members are available.

Workloads in CAFCASS - and elsewhere

I know from a meeting with Chief Executive Anthony Douglas a couple of months back that he is massively concerned about the fact that public law work is increasing in CAFCASS by around 15% year on year and private law work by around 11%.

The recent and very useful meeting with Sir Oliver Heald also confirmed that this perennial issue is stretching staff and services to the limit, so news that extra resources are to be directed to parts of the organisation facing the largest increases is very welcome, but will it be enough?

It’s important that practitioners across all parts of Napo take every step they can to register their concerns about individual caseloads with line managers to evidence the real pressures that they are facing.

Final touches are being made to specific targeted material on worklodas for all members that will be with you in January, please look out for it and let us have your response.

There are job opportunities and there are job opportunities

End of an era as Napo moves out but onwards

Well, it's nearly time to say goodbye to our Chivalry Road base as everyone here tries to find time to pack our stuff into crates ready for the move to our new home at nearby Falcon Road.

Below is a link to the Officers and Officials who will be available as the first port of call to assist our members and branches between 23rd December and the 9th of January when I expect us to be fully operational again.

https://www.napo.org.uk/napo-cover-over-holiday-period

As 2016 comes to a close there will be many members, retired members and former employees with longer links than me to Chivalry Road, who may reminisce about the old place as we head towards new premises that befit a modern day trade union and professional association.

Here is a lovely message from former  Napo National Chair Fred Pickstone who says:

Sent: 22 December 2016 16:36
To: Napo Information
Subject: Moving from Chivalry Road

When I heard the news that NAPO is leaving Chivalry Road it is with considerable nostalgia. I began coming to the offices in the mid 1970's and was a regular visitor until 1989. One memory in particular is the when I became Vice Chair in 1984 we discussed moving NAPO headquarters.  30 plus years must be one of the more protracted decisions! 

I wish NAPO well in its new home.

Fred  Pickstone

I want to record appreciation to the staff group here who have been hugely supported by the Officer Group for the tremendous job they have been part of. This has seen us go from the drawing board for this version of the project, to moving house in just under 12 months. This has been delivered against the demanding task of dealing with the cynical attack on our finances by way of the cessation of check off, a reduction in National Official resources, and a disciplined approach to expenditure whilst coping with the fact that we now have 24 employers to deal with.

For members, this move will help us to deliver a more responsive service as your staff develop the impressive approach to team working that among other things, has delivered the Chivalry Road project, brought about an excellent AGM, and a recruitment campaign that we hope will help our recovery in terms of new members.

Saying goodbye to a home that has served Napo members for over 40 years is hard but it is undoubtedly for the best.

It just leaves me to thank all current, retired and associate members for their loyal and valued support in what has been another extremely testing year for Napo. We move into 2017 in better shape and better spirit than we might have expected and that should allow us all a little smile.

While it’s difficult to think about fun in a week where we have seen further examples of utterly futile  hatred in Germany, I do hope that you and your families’ have a great festive break and a successful new year.