Making an Impact: Napo's AGM 2005

Welcome!

Fri, 06 Oct 2006 10:29:31 +0000

The Blog is back by popular demand.... well it's back anyway!

Members are gathering from all over the NPS and Cafcass for the 2006 AGM. Business starts at 11am with the Cafcass Section AGM at which I am speaking with Sian Griffiths on negotiating issues. The NPS side kicks off with speakers from all 3 main political parties discussing the future of probation plus a question time session.

It's a bleak morning in Eastbourne, the wind and rain tearing off the sea. Some might think it analogous for the what's going on in the 2 services at the moment. However, the forecast is for better weather and AGM is the place to be to help build for a brighter future for probation and family work.

I will endeavour to keep you up to date with developments and attach information as it becomes available.

Jonathan Ledger

Probation Values

Mon, 24 Oct 2005 15:24:45 +0000

Martin Wargent and Mike Nellis both spoke at Napo AGM on Saturday 15th Ocober about Probation Values. Their speech notes are below.
Vicky Borough's speech will also be added in due course.

Roger Hill's Speech

Mon, 24 Oct 2005 15:22:37 +0000

Set out below is the speech that Roger Hill made to Napo's AGM on October 14th.

Judy's Annual Report Speech

Sun, 16 Oct 2005 14:24:24 +0000

Herewith the speech Judy made in presenting Napo's Annual Report.

We hope to get more speeches from other contributors to Conference to add to this site in the next few days.

Download file

Contesting contestability

Sun, 16 Oct 2005 10:58:26 +0000

Conference has been angry about the Government's apparent willingness to dismantle the Probation Service and with it, 100 years of service to the community and the criminal justice system.

The documents attached speak for themselves. Make sure you read them, your colleagues read them, and get ready for action.

Details of the campaign will be with you soon.

1). Judy's letter to Charles Clarke (10/10): Download file

2). Fiona McTaggart's response (11/10): Download file

3). Judy's Circular 14/05 to AGM (14/10) Download file

4). Letter from Charles Clarke to John Prescott (30/9): Download file

Probation Privatisation - Napo fights back

Sat, 15 Oct 2005 18:17:41 +0000

Conference unanimously passed an emergency motion moved by Napo's outgoing and incoming National Chairs condemning the Home Secretary's threat to dismantle the Probation Service via privatisation. It also commits Napo to a full campaign of action for the maintenance of a public Probation Service.

Read the text of the motion (attached) and get ready for action. As Judy warned the Home Secretary concluding her Annual Report speech today - 'You ain't seen nothing yet!'.

Download file

AGM in pictures

Sat, 15 Oct 2005 12:55:24 +0000

Here's a flavour of Conference in a very sunny Llandudno!

Thanks but no thanks

Fri, 14 Oct 2005 17:37:44 +0000

In a dramatic development AGM successfully overturned the Officers' decision to accept Martin Narey's offer to attend AGM tomorrow and speak about NOMS.

This offer had been made in the absence of a ministerial presence at AGM, all the Home Office Ministers invited having been unavailable.

The mood of Conference had not been improved on seeing a leaked letter from the Home Secretary which effectively seems to suggest that the future of the Probation Service is time limited as a result of legislation which will remove Boards and introduce widespread 'contestability'.

An emergency motion is likely. More news on this will follow.

Chair's speech

Fri, 14 Oct 2005 17:32:02 +0000

Rob Thomas gave his final speech as Chair, a moving and passionate assessment of developments in Cafcass and the NPS.

The speech was warmly received by Conference reflecting the high regard in which Rob is held.

I hope to attach the speech in the near future.

Section meetings

Fri, 14 Oct 2005 17:26:20 +0000

Cafcass Section AGM took place this morning with 50 people in attendance.

Guest speaker was your blogger and I spoke primarily about pay issues. Motions and Section Constitutional Amendments were passed.

NPS members were addressed by Roger Hill, NPS Director. There was a lively question time lasting more than half an hour. I'm hoping to be able to attach Roger's speech, although it may not be possible before next week.

AGM Blog is back

Fri, 14 Oct 2005 17:20:09 +0000

Welcome. I'm hoping that this year's blog will not suffer last year's fate when the website crashed!

However, we have excellent IT support on hand in the form of Eric Lee! Eric is leading a session on the website for Branch reps at this AGM.

We are up and running and quorate. I will try and update when I can with latest news.

Jonathan Ledger
AGS