I was really pleased that my last major project for Napo was giving the Bill McWilliams Lecture at the Institute of Criminology, Cambridge University, last Wednesday, 25 June.

The title of my lecture was “Speaking up for Probation.”

I attach a copy of the speaking notes that I used for the lecture along with a copy of the PowerPoint I used showing the various organograms we have been subjected to over the past few years.

Speaking Notes for Lecture:

Download file

Herewith also the Powerpoint presentation I made on the various NOMS Organograms we have lived through:

Download file

And is here is Napo's commentary them:

Download file

I will be writing the lecture up as an essay for the 'Howard Journal' where it will be published next year.

It is amazing when we remind ourselves of what the Service has been subjected to, and continues to be subjected to, that it performs better than ever against all objective measures.

That is a major tribute to probation staff.

CAFCASS staff can also be proud of their contribution to a now well established and successful service.

I had a question at last week’s lecture from a TPO asking how they as an individual could speak up for Probation.

My answer was to join and get active in Napo.

My last words –in this blog at least- to all those in the Probation Service and CAFCASS, who care about their professions as well as about decent terms and conditions, is to join and be active in Napo.

I have been privileged to have been Napo’s General Secretary for the past fifteen years. I leave Napo in good hands with Jonathan Ledger replacing me as Napo General Secretary.

I have been a committed trade unionist all my working life because I identify with the values of the trade union movement and also because I am a passionate believer in acting on ones beliefs.

Working people don’t have to sit passively and watch employers and politicians take all the decisions. Sometimes they get it wrong!

In our campaigns as trade unionists, be it on pay and conditions or, be it on professional issues, we may not always win out-right, but we can and often do, make a big difference.

We can only do that by being strong, and that means having as many members, and as many active members, as possible. And then acting collectively.

Napo is not about those who lead Napo from the centre. It is about Napo members.

So keep Napo strong. Ensure you are a Napo member, attend Napo meetings, and contribute to Napo policies.

I will keep an eye on Napo’s website and I will always be rooting for Napo and its members.

Thanks to all of you for a great fifteen years.

Judy

Monday saw the leaks of the dreadful Louise Casey’s report , subsequently published on Thursday, recommending tougher, humiliating, and apparently privatised unpaid work projects.

Tuesday saw a report on plans from Ed Balls, the Children’s’ Minister, to ensure that youth justice was about effectiveness rather than being tough for its own sake.

Below is Napo’s press release commenting on the Casey Report, and here is a first class article by Ian Loader, an Oxford Professor of Criminology.

Here is also a first class Guardian editorial on why Casey is wrong.

Harry was rightly vocal for Napo on the failings of the report, but where were our Ministers? Where was a voice for the Probation Service itself?

I am currently preparing for my Bill McWilliams lecture in Cambridge next week, on the theme “Speaking up for Probation”.

Last week’s events were one more example of the lack of a clear official voice speaking up for the Probation Service, and loudly saying that Casey’s report is rubbish.

Last week I was also quoted in the Financial Times on the problems of public sector pay, and the fact that we might need to consider industrial action, possibly jointly with other unions. I am referred to as a “retiring General Secretary”. Read that as you will!

At 1.00pm I chaired a rally of several hundred trade unionists at the Central Hall Westminster, the TUC Speak up for Public Services Rally, which preceded the lobby in the House of Commons that afternoon.

I was really pleased to introduce Jonathan Ledger, Napo’s new General Secretary, as one of the speakers, in addition to people like Brendan Barber, TUC General Secretary, Dave Prentis, Unison General Secretary and Mark Serwotka, PCS General Secretary.

There was a really good turn out of Napo activists at the Rally.

3.00pm I addressed the Justice under Stress Rally which was held in the House of Commons and had an impressive line up of speakers from the Trade Union movement as well as parliamentarians.

Here are the notes that I used for my address.

Download file

Later in the afternoon, 4.00pm, was my farewell do, also in the House of Commons. It was a great event, with so many old friends and colleagues there, from Napo and accross the trade union movement, as well as the world of CAFCASS and Probation. I hope I might be able to put some pictures of the party on this site soon.

I’m still working for Napo until the end of June, but will be concentrating on my Bill McWilliams Memorial Lecture for the next couple of weeks. The theme of my lecture will be “Speaking up for Probation.”

Update:

Some pictures of the two rallies and my farewell do are now below.

The do even got mentioned by Jack Straw in Parliament the next day, when talking about Early Release!

It would be good to think that this show of strength, with 94% voting "yes" to action, is sufficient to make the Employers reconsider their position.

We shall we see.

Here is a copy of the Action on Pay Bulletin we issued today:

Download file

Here is a copy of the Press Release:

Download file

I see from "Dash24" that Jack Straw is happy to talk to us about pay.

We will take up Jack's offer.

Why, for example is the only vaguely current organisational chart for “NOMS” on the Prison Service website, not the NOMS website? Why I can’t find a link to this chart from the MoJ website or the National Probation Service website?

Why have all the forum for consulting trade unions on organisational change been cancelled or postponed?

Will there be a Director of Probation when all Baords become Trusts?

If not, who will speak for Probation?

Why is the Director of Probation no longer responsible for Probation HR?

Why does Probation HR now come under Prisons HR?

Why are ROMS now line managing Chief Officers?

Why are we receiving rumours that Ministers are considering reducing the 42 Probation Areas to 10 or even 1?

We put some of these points/ questions to David Hanson, Prisons and Probation Minister when we met him last night.

He promised we would be consulted before final decisions were made.

We shall keep him to that.

It is vital tht we have a large turnout and a large "Yes" vote for action.

Here is the latest Pay Bulletin issued to Branches.

Download file

A large “YES” vote will assist us as negotiators to see if it is possible to resolve this dispute without industrial action.

The Employers have the nerve to tell us that staff morale is high. A large turnout in the ballot and a clear vote for action will show that up for the nonsense we all know it to be.

The ballot closes on 30 May and any member who has not received a ballot paper by 12 May should contact the Membership Department at Napo.

Here is a copy of the Joint Statement we have produced with Unison on the reasons to Vote “Yes” for action.

Download file

More dates for negotiations are being planned, but in the meantime the indicative ballot, seeking membership support for the principle of industrial action, is being put in hand.

Ballot papers will be going out next week with a closing date of the end of May.

A more detailed Pay Bulletin is below.

We have sent solidarity greetings to the NUT, PCS and UCU, all of whom have strikes over pay tomorrow, (Thursday).

Download file

We’ll let members know the outcome of next week’s National Negotiating Council.

On another subject, good to see the Guardian still plugging the case for Probation to have an increase in funding.

Having had our knuckles rapped by Ministers for not having anything other than the fullest appreciation and gratitude for the extra £40m, its good to know we are not the only ones who recognise that more resources are still desperately needed.

Pay Bulletin:

Download file

Steve was the NUT’s General Secretary, and was widely regarded as a really genuine and warm man as well as being an inspirational leader.

The tributes in this morning’s Guardian give a good idea about the sort of man he was.

Steve worked closely with Napo in our campaigning on public sector issues; opposing privatisation and campaigning for decent pay for public sector workers.

On behalf of Napo I have sent our condolences to his family.

Probation Employers will not however pay increments at this stage and have as yet made no offer in response to our pay claim.

Napo's NEC decided at its March meeting that we should conduct an indicative ballot of Probation members to see if there is support for industrial action should it be necessary this year.

We are pleased that Unison has also agreed to this action, and we have agreed a Joint Statement on the indicative ballot which will be held in May.

Please see below a copy of the Action on Pay Bulletin No 3 issued today which also contains the Joint Statement with Unison.

Download file

Here is a copy of the Pay Bulletin issued to members.

Download file

The paper also contains the more detailed interview with Jack Straw where he praises our work.

We are still awaiting a formal announcement on the extra money that is supposed to be on the way, so the publication of these letters is timely.

It may not be enough and we may still have workload problems, but if it means TPOs get jobs, fills vacancies and stops redundancies - its a good start!

Here is my circular to branches today.

Download file