As we finally experience something of a winter this week there was some cheer in the Justice Secretary's proposals on criminal record rehabilitation http://www.guardian.co.uk/soci...ffenders?newsfeed=true . Fair play, this is a progressive step in the right direction and one Napo has called for over many years. Clarke apparently expects a 'bit of a row'. I'm sure the Tax Payers Alliance, amongst others, will find a reason to object.

A name familiar to Family Court Section members was on the radio this morning. Matt O'Connor, founder of the notorious Fathers 4 Justice, hit the airways attacking the Family Justice Review and bizarrely compared the FCS to North Korea - even the perpetually measured James Naughtie spluttered when he said that! The Government's response to the Norgrove Review is published on Monday but some ministerial statements so far suggest that a commitment to ensuring contact for both parents no matter the circumstances may underpin the response. Norgrove himself has made plain his discomfort with that http://www.guardian.co.uk/law/...tody-law?newsfeed=true . I suspect Napo members in Cafcass would echo his concerns.

Napo has seen the national data covering take up of the Probation Qualification Framework since it was implemented. Over 50% of PSOs have been trained to NVQ 3 it appears which is welcome. What is not so good is the inconsistent trend in training patterns across the Service. Whilst many Trusts are committed to using the PQF some clearly have a different view of 'workforce planning'. The lack of commitment means there is a grave risk of too few Probation Officers being available in some areas. The projections for staff training in Trusts such as Wales and Staffordshire/West Midlands are very poor compared to other areas. Interestingly, just last week these two Trusts were awarded the PbR pilots http://www.justice.gov.uk/news...newsrelease250112a.htm .

We warned NOMS before the PQF implementation that its failure to take responsibility for workforce planning on a national basis could lead to inconsistent and risky levels of training in Probation. NOMS' own figures appear to bear this out.

I have to admit to having become quite addicted to Twitter this past week. Whilst I am very slowly figuring out who best to follow I have been struck by the opportunity it provides to pick up on a range of stories relevant to Napo's world and beyond. The Government's Health and Benefits 'reforms' are good examples.

The recent steep rise in prison numbers was one story doing the tweet rounds yesterday http://www.guardian.co.uk/soci...budget-cuts?CMP=twt_gu . The MoJ Permanent Secretary is right to highlight the impact of the cuts on the ability of the Service to cope and, by extension, that applies to Probation too.

In this context the announcement this week of the two Trusts chosen to run the Payment by Results pilots seems a little underwhelming http://www.justice.gov.uk/news...newsrelease250112a.htm . It seems their 'partners in crime' (works on a number of levels that!) are yet to be identified from the approved list. There is a rather more immediate problem facing criminal justice at this time and long term pilots touting financial incentives for doing your work properly are not an obvious priority. Just ask the staff, such as the large group of PSOs in London, currently facing the threat of redundancy if you are in any doubt.

NOMS has responded to our letter about re-tiering of cases in probation and is accepting the urgent need to discuss the proposals. Some form of progress, I guess.

The bonus payment to the RBS Chief Executive wins the award for biggest snout in the trough this week - I realise I've just made that award up http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-16752358 . Call me old fashioned but I can't help thinking that a million pound salary should give him enough to get by on. His Chairman (sic) has been shamed into rejecting his bonus. The most laughable defence of it I heard was that he would have to pay tax and national insurance. Blimey, these top bankers have it tough!

It has taken me 4 years since registering but I am now active on Twitter! Finding my way around it has demonstrated its usefulness and I have already linked up with some interesting people in the CJS. I need to get some Family Court connections made now.

If you want to 'follow' me my user name is @Jonathan_Napo.

My first official tweet was confirmation that members in Probation had accepted the pay offer http://www.napo.org.uk/about/news/news.cfm/newsid/152 . Whilst the margin of acceptance was clear there were a good number of votes against. I have sympathy with this view even if the current reality was that this was as good as it was going to get. I do intend to remind the employers that members may have accepted the offer but remain concerned about pay equality and fairness now and in the future.

Gerard Horton, who spoke at last year's AGM, was featured in a powerful Guardian article today about the treatment of Palestinian children in the Israeli juvenile justice system http://www.guardian.co.uk/worl...an-children?intcmp=239 . The film that accompanies it is very powerful.

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned Napo's concerns about the re-tiering proposals emerging from NOMS about which we have not been consulted. I have attached the letter I sent to NOMS on this subject last week.

Our latest pensions bulletin has just been released and can be seen here http://www.napo.org.uk/about/news/news.cfm/newsid/150 . As I indicated in my last entry there have been positive developments in the LGPS notably the removal of the 3% contribution rate increase until, at the earliest, 2014. Much work to be done still, of course, but we seem to be moving in the right direction.

I was disappointed by the contributions of the Eds, Balls and Miliband, at the weekend. The commitment to the cuts and pay freezes of this Government misjudged the mood of many of their natural supporters. No one is expecting them to set out spending plans at this point in time but a bit of solidarity with working people would have been welcome. The latest unemployment figures, showing a sharp increase, give the lie to the effectiveness of the Tory led austerity measures. There was a good response from Unite's leader, Len McCluskey, in the Guardian yesterday http://www.guardian.co.uk/comm...reatened-blairite-coup . In fairness Michael White did a fair case for the defence in response in the same paper.

I caught the end of a BBC radio series 'The Bishop and the Prisoner' on Monday and wished I had heard more. The Bishop of Liverpool has a sound record on criminal justice and it was a moving insight into the real lives of those imprisoned and the need to provide positive rehabilitation. His suggestion that the CJS is renamed the Restorative Justice System resonated powerfully for me.

As for Michael Gove.... in the week of the terrible Italian cruise ship tragedy his fawning suggestion of providing a new Royal Yacht was as foolish as it was ill timed. Given that he is said to be a part of the PM's inner circle you have to think he wasn't working alone. I saw one headline entitled 'To have or have yacht'. If only I had thought of that!

Returned to work and a busy schedule this week. Napo has appointed a new National Official and information about her will be coming out to branches soon.

The latest meeting of the TUC's PSLG group took place on Thursday. There have been significant developments with the LGPS scheme and signs of movement by the Government not least in allowing the employers and unions to conduct the talks without direct Ministerial involvement. Napo, along with all but one of the many unions covered by the Scheme, has agreed to continue in negotiations but collectively reserved our right to take further action if talks do not produce improvements. Of course, members will have the final say on any offer that emerges.

In other Schemes the picture is more mixed. Talks are taking place but whether they will produce enough to resolve the disputes is not clear at the moment. It remains the case that the progress we have made was achieved off the back of the outstanding collective action on N30.

Napo has learned via a paper produced by the Probation Chiefs Association that NOMS plans to retier risk in cases are taking shape with a small pilot project to be run in a few Trusts. The PCA expresses a number of concerns about the implications of essentially lowering risk in a significant proportion of cases. No doubt the opportunity to cut costs appeals to NOMS which is in the envious position of devising this nonsense whilst carrying none of the responsibility for the consequences. So far it has not been deemed necessary by NOMS to discuss its plans with Napo. We will be taking this up with officials in the coming week and considering how we will respond to the risks posed by this threat to practice integrity and public safety.

This site has been revamped at the start of our centenary year including the new design of our logo. Worth a visit to the Learning and Development microsite http://www.napo.org.uk/learnin...ment/courses/index.cfm which has a lot of new information about courses for members.

End of year reflections can often result in the rehashing of thoughts and ideas that have been served up in previous years. But perhaps that is understandable as many of the concerns and issues affecting us remain unchanged.

However, this past year has been seen some remarkable events and developments at home and abroad. I will leave it to the BBC and other national media organisations to review the worldwide impact of the Arab Spring, the Euro Zone collapse and terrible natural disasters. In the UK we have experienced riots and the surreal sight of Rupert Murdoch trying to remember how to apologise plus a disturbing shift to the right by the coalition which the Lib Dems in Government would do well to confront sooner rather than later.

The labour movement has had a good year as we joined together for the March for the Alternative and delivered the biggest strike action (over pensions) for many generations. Napo is a small union but we were at the heart of the action and can be justifiably proud of our contribution to the solidarity demonstrated over the course of 2011.

In the family courts we have responded to a somewhat subdued Family Justice Review and welcomed the Munro Report which carries within it the seeds of improved practice with children and families. In Probation we have witnessed the Government's rehabilitation revolution evolve into a disappointing Legal Aid and Sentencing Bill and picked over the confusion surrounding the true intention behind the Future Shape of Probation review. In addition we continue to respond to an Unpaid Work privatisation process which is as confused as it is unsound and despair as some Trusts and individuals enter unholy alliances with the very conglomerates which threaten the integrity and survival of the Service.

But we enter 2012 ready to fight on for the work and the principles we believe in. Napo is about to celebrate its centenary year - forget about the Olympics! - and this website will provide a link to the events that are planned to celebrate both past achievements and future objectives. Napo has been fundamental to the success of probation and family court work. I can promise friend and foe alike that we fully intend to continue our resistance to attacks on the services and promotion of the development of best practice long into the future.

I wish all readers a very happy new year.

The frenetic pace of pensions negotiations continued on Monday and Tuesday this week and some of those tensions emerged in our union side meetings. It was always the case that unity of action would be easier to agree than unity of outcome but there is a firm collective commitment to getting the very best from negotiations for members.

The Government continues to fluff its lines and the debacle yesterday over the Eric Pickles letter which came and went in a flash of confusion illustrated the point http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-16259238 . Its withdrawal was not enough to immediately reassure some of the bigger unions that there is not some double dealing going on within the ConDem ranks.

There will be a break for the holiday season but the issue will remain of the highest priority in 2012. Heads of agreement (where agreed) are significant but they do not represent a settlement and there is some hard negotiating ahead. As all the unions have made clear, if an offer which is good enough to put to members cannot be achieved the option of further strike action remains.

I am pleased that we have been able to finally achieve a pay offer we can put to probation members - see the front page of this site. As I have indicated in past entries the negotiating process has been difficult and the offer is unavoidably limited in scope. However, the move to harmonise hours is welcome and we have been able to see off nearly all the attacks on conditions that were proposed by the employers.

Intensive discussions are taking place currently within the TUC about our collective response to the Government's pressure to settle outstanding sector scheme pension negotiations. Talks are taking place across the schemes but, clearly, imposed timescales by one party both hinder progress and prompt suspicion.

The picture is a confused one as witnessed by the row on Friday over the Government's position on increased contributions for teachers and civil servants http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-16220545 . Some of the indications about talks on the Local Government scheme (which is the one Napo members are part of) have been more optimistic but if the Government continues with its bullish (and bullying) stance hopes of agreement could be scuppered.

Today's Observer carries a story which gives another angle on pensions generally and the potential impact of the Government's use of the veto in Europe and resistance to City regulation http://www.guardian.co.uk/busi...rned-over-traders-fees . There are worrying signs that the right wing of the Tory party is asserting itself, believing that it is in the ascendancy following Cameron's bull dog approach to the Euro crisis.

Met with Crispin Blunt this week. Still not clear when the Future Shape of Probation group will report (late January the latest rumour) but some Trusts are readying themselves for possible mergers by employing consultants to tell them how expensive it's going to be.

Not quite the intensity of last week but plenty to get on with. It was great to meet with Rosalba Gaviria Toro who has been visiting the UK from Colombia with Justice for Colombia. Rosalba is a lay regional representative of the Colombian agricultural workers' union and was imprisoned for some 2 years on charges related to terrorism. They did not hold up, of course, and eventually she was released but her story was a shocking reminder of the injustice trade unionists face in that country.

Visit JfC's site http://www.justiceforcolombia.org/news/ and see how you can support the many trade unionists still unfairly imprisoned. I will be joining a delegation to Colombia next year so this was a timely reminder for me of the importance of JfC's work.

We can't forget pensions of course and this week David Hencke published a fascinating little piece on Francis Maude's pension entitlements http://davidhencke.wordpress.c...lated-bankers-pension/ . Having been scammed by the Sun myself in the run up to the strike this appears to provide one concrete example of a platinum plated pension. I suspect many of his cabinet colleagues are not too far behind him! Will he be condemning himself at some point?!

I will also take this opportunity to promote a new publication, Union News. Produced by two former presidents of the NUJ it's an excellent union focused take on industrial relations news and developments http://union-news.co.uk/ . Well worth adding to your favourites.

Edited: 09/12/2011 at 07:20 PM by jonathanledger

It has been quite a week. We had the NEC on Tuesday and I spoke at the annual Miami 5 vigil outside the US Embassy in pouring rain last night.

But, of course, the week has been dominated by the strike on Wednesday. I was in Plymouth starting the strike day at midnight at the local hospital and joining our probation branch on a picket line ahead of marching through the city centre and speaking at a rally. It was a day to remember with thousands turning out and overwhelming public support. From the reports we received this was the case all over the UK. Napo can be proud of its efforts on the day.

Lots of great stories are emerging. Hats off must go to the member who chased down a barrister at the Royal Courts of Justice who had made abusive comments to our Family Court Section pickets. She got two police officers to follow him into the court where he was spoken to. He then gave an abject apology to our member! Check out this site for many photos from the day and my message to branches sent this afternoon.

We will be considering the situation with our sister unions over the next few weeks via the auspices of the TUC. Today's High Court decision over the shift from RPI to CPI is disappointing (if not surprising given the general attitude of much of the judiciary to unions) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15999970 . But the campaign continues and we have collectively made a clear statement to the Government.

As for Jeremy Clarkson - I will bite my tongue and my keyboard.

And so begins a vital week for Napo and all the public sector unions fighting to defend the pensions of members.

During the past few days the right wing press as well as Government representatives and supporters have launched a series of attacks on trade union members and their leaders. This was predictable but also, I believe, a desperate and ultimately unsuccessful attempt to undermine the strike. None of us is taking this action lightly but the Government's intransigence over key issues such as the shift from RPI to CPI (lessening the growth in value of pensions) and its 3% 'tax' on members via increased pensions contributions has underpinned members' determination to make a stand this week.

Napo has been inundated with new applications for membership (more than double the average in the past week alone) and branches in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are reporting on their plans to take action. I will be in Plymouth on Wednesday supporting our pickets in Probation and Cafcass and speaking at the TUC rally in the city.

Solidarity to all members in Napo and our sister unions as we unite together on 30th November in our honourable and just cause.

Today has seen the launch of the TUC's single 'Let's work together', a cover of the Canned Heat song also reworked in the past by Roxy Music http://www.napo.org.uk/about/news/news.cfm/newsid/135 .

This is well worth watching and downloading in order to support the pensions campaign but also for another reason. The recording (and the video) feature three Napo members! Tania Bassett (West Mercia), Michelle Daley (North Yorks and lead singer of AGM favourites 'The Goosehorns') and Napo's Chair, Tim Wilson, make starring appearances!

Tim and Michelle have been making some further appearances on the airwaves today to help promote the single so make sure you tell everyone you know to buy it and spead the message. Congratulations to Tania, Michelle and Tim who have done Napo proud.



Edited: 23/11/2011 at 04:51 PM by jonathanledger

Napo members have made their views on the Government's attack on pensions crystal clear in the ballot which was completed yesterday https://www.napo.org.uk/about/news/news.cfm/newsid/132 .

This is a fantastic result. We only went into dispute in October and branches along with Chivalry Road staff have worked their socks off to achieve this result - congratulations to everyone. The vote for action is consistent with the outcomes across the 20+ unions balloting on pensions and the unity of belief amongst trade unionists working in public services is inspirational.

The usual naysayers have appeared, of course, in relation to turnout. Suffice to say this is a democratic process and every union member has a right to vote - or not vote. It is the result that counts and nothing can be reasonably interpreted about the motivation of those who choose not to exercise their right to vote in this or indeed in any election.

The 30th November promises to be an extraordinary day but it is only the beginning. We can only hope that the Government listens to the millions of voices expressing their opposition to its attack on pensions and gets back to negotiations with credible changes to its position.

Just a few days to go before Napo's ballot on pensions closes (17th). Our latest bulletin can be found via the front page of this site.

Francis Maude's outburst today http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-15704451 suggests that the Government's attacks the rights of workers is stepping up. Brendan Barber is right to argue that the Government should be focussing on the issues underlying the dispute rather than breathing threat and insinuation in the media.

All this serves to reinforce the importance of casting a vote in the ballot before Thursday's deadline. Vote now. Vote yes.

A couple of weeks ago I visited the Private Eye 50th birthday installation at the V+A. As we are the same age it was a hilarious trip down a familiar political memory lane. It's still going strong of course and continues to run stories about issues affecting Napo members.

The Eye recently expressed concern about the involvement of Sodexo, the food services corporation, in the Community Justice Partnership which is actively bidding for probation work (Sodexo is an approved tenderer for UPW of course). It cites the $20 million fine it received last year for illegally overcharging on school meals public contracts in New York http://www.grist.org/article/f...k-20-million-for-fraud . Food for thought especially for those in probation (or formally associated with it) who have publicly lauded Sodexo's highly principled approach to its work.

In the same edition the Eye quoted a letter from six district court judges in Hampshire who wrote to the President of the Family Division to express concern about Cafcass. The judges complained that Cafcass staff were being subjected to "a culture of disciplinary action by management that ignores and undermines their immense experience."

We couldn't have put it better ourselves.

The Family Justice Review reported this week http://www.justice.gov.uk/down...eview-final-report.pdf . It got a fair amount of publicity with much of the focus on reducing the time taken on cases in Courts. Those in practice who I have spoken to suggest that this is wishful thinking.

But there was a clear and welcome focus on children being at the centre of the process. This was viewed by some fathers' groups as failing to meet their aspirations for a shared parenting commitment at the heart of family law. However, there is no legal provision that gives mothers automatic rights in contested cases, it is simply that demographically more fathers leave home (and their children) than mothers. In the small number of cases that are contested it is right that the court has the opportunity to properly test the best interests of a child without being bound by legislation. The Review's Head, David Norgrove, referenced the Australian use of this measure as a warning of the dangers of such an approach http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-15562498 .

And as for Cafcass the Review references (without comment) concerns about the way the organisation has been run on pages 54 and 55. The proposal for a new Family Justice Service appears to be gaining ground and it will impact directly on Napo's members in Cafcass. We will be considering our position in the coming months as any proposals begin to take shape.

Dramatic events on the pension front today as the Government made its anticipated move with a shift on some of the issues at the heart of the dispute between it and public sector unions http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-15549321 .

In turn. following a meeting of the Public Sector Liaison Group at the TUC Brendan Barber put out this statement on behalf of all us currently balloting members http://www.tuc.org.uk/economy/tuc-20238-f0.cfm .

So there is some belated movement from the Government but what are we to make of it? There are other key issues outstanding such as increased contribution rates and the higher pension age so Brendan's statement is realistic and sensible. The suspicion that the Government has more of an eye on public opinion ahead of a possible strike than finding a real solution was reinforced listening to Danny Alexander's statement to the House of Commons today. His deliberate attempt to divide public and private sector workers by talking up the advantages of public sector pensions is consistent with the race to the bottom argument unions have been highlighting for months.

However we look at it we should be encouraged that the Government has shifted its position a little in response to the many ballots taking place. On that basis the need to deliver a strong return in favour of strike action is, if anything, even more important after today's events.

Vote now. Vote YES.

My friend in the north alerted me to another interesting story this week http://news.sky.com/home/politics/article/16098067 . Obviously we are all interested to know what is the MoJ link to cosmetic purchase and kennel hire that requires the use of public money in this way? But the expenses claimed by Thatcher, Blair etc beggar belief. Have they no shame? Actually, the answer to that question is a no brainer of course.

Talking of shame, post AGM I neglected to highlight the 'defections' of Martin Narey and Andrew Bridges to G4S as consultants. Let me link you to Jim Brown's excellent blog which covered this story earlier in the month http://probationmatters.blogsp...how-disappointing.html . I share Jim's disappointment about Martin Narey who, since his departure from NOMS has talked a lot of sense first as boss of Barnardo's and now as the so called Adoption 'Tzar'. I have a lot of time for him and am genuinely shocked by his decision. I think that both Martin and Andrew have let down many colleagues across the prison and probation services by doing this.

Napo's ballot on the pensions dispute started on Thursday. Over 20 unions are balloting or have balloted their members. Our message is simple: vote now, vote yes. Let's stand together with our sisters and brothers across the movement.

Much of the past week was taken up with preparations for the pensions ballot which commences next Thursday 27th October. I have put all Probation and the Cafcass employers on notice of the ballot and have been finishing off the statement to go with the ballot form.

Thanks to the complex legislation around balloting there are many 'i's and 't's to dot and cross but staff in Napo have been working flat out to ensure all is in hand. The front page of the website has links to everything we are producing and a direct link to the pensions calculator provided by the TUC. Over 20 unions are balloting for action so the scale of what is taking place is almost unprecedented.

Got to this story a bit late in the day but as staff across public services endure pay freezes and threats to their hard earned pensions news of generous bonus payments in NOMS should be highlighted http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new...vercrowded-unsafe.html .

Given all that is going on you have to wonder about such payments which are only ever paid to those earning most already. And of course the option exists for senior staff to decline the payment. When staff are being asked to make so many sacrifices in relation to pay and conditions these payments, in the context of the overall performance of NOMS, leave a very bad taste in the mouth.

Ah, the delights of private contracts. Here's an interesting item from the Yorkshire Post (with thanks to former Napo Officer, Mike Quinn, for the tip off) http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk...urt_in_taxis_1_3878625 .

The irony of all this will not be lost on hard pressed probation staff as private sector tendering is argued to provide better value for money and some local employers - who really should know better - contend that pay and conditions need to be driven down to increase competition.

I can't help wondering how they persuade any cab to go to a prison south of the river after a late night court.... As an old colleague of mine used to say: you couldn't make it up!

AGM at Eastbourne was excellent in most every way. The work put in by Napo's staff and Officers was complemented by the fantastic contribution of members. There were many high points with just the odd low - there is no point denying my disappointment about the Palestine debate and outcome - but we left the south coast strong and determined for the fight ahead.

The agreement at Conference of a dispute with the Government over pensions means that Napo is now preparing a ballot of all members in Probation Trusts in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and Cafcass. Regular bulletins will be issued and the first one can be linked to via the front page of this website.

Strike action is always a huge step for any union to take and Napo, like the other public sector unions involved, has not acted lightly. It may seem to some that we are small and that our part in this may not be significant. But we are joining a massive movement of people determined to defend the pensions they have earned through hard work and commitment to public services. The greater the turnout and the higher the vote in favour the more chance there is of demonstrating to the Government the extent and determination of ordinary working people to defend their rights. And, by extension, we will be strengthened in our fight against privatisation threats and cuts.

No time for faint hearts - we stand together.