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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/feb/16/unions-condemn-chris-grayling-disastrous-part-privatisation-of-probation-working-links
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| Grayling attacked over 'disastrous' part-privatisation of probation service | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Union bosses have condemned former justice secretary Chris Grayling’s “disastrous privatisation programme” after a probation services provider went into administration. | Union bosses have condemned former justice secretary Chris Grayling’s “disastrous privatisation programme” after a probation services provider went into administration. |
| It was announced on Friday that Working Links, owned by the German-based asset management group, Aurelius, had collapsed. The same day, HM inspectorate of probation published a report saying that Working Links staff wrongly classified offenders as low-risk in order to meet government targets. | It was announced on Friday that Working Links, owned by the German-based asset management group, Aurelius, had collapsed. The same day, HM inspectorate of probation published a report saying that Working Links staff wrongly classified offenders as low-risk in order to meet government targets. |
| The provider was criticised in the report for allowing business imperatives to trump the quality of its services, which the inspectorate ranked as inadequate, warning that similar practices could be present in other regions of the UK. | The provider was criticised in the report for allowing business imperatives to trump the quality of its services, which the inspectorate ranked as inadequate, warning that similar practices could be present in other regions of the UK. |
| Grayling under fire as serious crimes committed on parole soar by 50% | |
| The chief inspector of probation, Dame Glenys Stacey, said that Working Links probation staff in Dorset, Devon and Cornwall were “under-recording the number of riskier cases because of commercial pressures” and completing sentence plans without meeting the offender involved. | The chief inspector of probation, Dame Glenys Stacey, said that Working Links probation staff in Dorset, Devon and Cornwall were “under-recording the number of riskier cases because of commercial pressures” and completing sentence plans without meeting the offender involved. |
| In the report, the inspectorate said that the risk offenders posed to society had been downplayed just to meet government targets. | |
| “Effort is focused disproportionately on reducing the risk of any further contractual (financial) penalty,” Stacey said. “For some professional staff, workloads are unconscionable. Most seriously, we have found professional ethics compromised and immutable lines crossed because of business imperatives.” | “Effort is focused disproportionately on reducing the risk of any further contractual (financial) penalty,” Stacey said. “For some professional staff, workloads are unconscionable. Most seriously, we have found professional ethics compromised and immutable lines crossed because of business imperatives.” |
| Grayling pushed through the transferral of 70% of the work done by the public probation service to private and voluntary sector providers in 2015, in what was called the most extensive privatisation in the criminal justice system ever. | Grayling pushed through the transferral of 70% of the work done by the public probation service to private and voluntary sector providers in 2015, in what was called the most extensive privatisation in the criminal justice system ever. |
| The National Probation Service (NPS) was created to deal with high-risk cases, while the remaining work was assigned to 21 community rehabilitation companies. | The National Probation Service (NPS) was created to deal with high-risk cases, while the remaining work was assigned to 21 community rehabilitation companies. |
| The justice secretary, David Gauke, was questioned over the inspectorate’s highly critical report in an interview on Saturday in which he recognised that the practices reported were clearly unacceptable. | The justice secretary, David Gauke, was questioned over the inspectorate’s highly critical report in an interview on Saturday in which he recognised that the practices reported were clearly unacceptable. |
| However, he rejected the suggestion that the partial privatisation of probation services had been a failure. | However, he rejected the suggestion that the partial privatisation of probation services had been a failure. |
| The shadow justice secretary, Richard Burgon, blamed Grayling and the Conservatives’ “obsession with privatisation” for the failures within the system, which he said needed to keep the public safe rather than “boost the profits of private companies”. | The shadow justice secretary, Richard Burgon, blamed Grayling and the Conservatives’ “obsession with privatisation” for the failures within the system, which he said needed to keep the public safe rather than “boost the profits of private companies”. |
| Napo, a union campaigning for probation services to be returned to public ownership, said it had repeatedly warned the government of the situation. | Napo, a union campaigning for probation services to be returned to public ownership, said it had repeatedly warned the government of the situation. |
| “This is exactly what we warned the government about from day one of this disastrous privatisation programme that has seen an award-winning service fall into total chaos in just four years,” Napo’s general secretary, Ian Lawrence, said. “They admit it has failed and are ending the contracts early, but the situation with Working Links is beyond the pale.” | “This is exactly what we warned the government about from day one of this disastrous privatisation programme that has seen an award-winning service fall into total chaos in just four years,” Napo’s general secretary, Ian Lawrence, said. “They admit it has failed and are ending the contracts early, but the situation with Working Links is beyond the pale.” |
| Kevin Brandstatter, a national officer for the GMB union, said services in the justice sector were not being delivered, while thousands of jobs had been sacrificed in an attempt to deliver profits. He warned that Interserve, “a company which totters from financial crisis to financial crisis” holds a number of similar contracts. | |
| Cat Hobbs, director of We Own It, a group campaigning for public ownership, said management of offenders was a vital service that was “far too important to be subject to the whims of market forces”. | Cat Hobbs, director of We Own It, a group campaigning for public ownership, said management of offenders was a vital service that was “far too important to be subject to the whims of market forces”. |
| Innocent, jailed and uncompensated: these are the men our system fails | Jon Robins | |
| “This should be a wake-up call for the government,” she said. “Irresponsible privatisation is wreaking havoc on our public services. Probation services should be brought in-house immediately, managed by the public sector.” | “This should be a wake-up call for the government,” she said. “Irresponsible privatisation is wreaking havoc on our public services. Probation services should be brought in-house immediately, managed by the public sector.” |
| Aurelius announced last week it was selling the remaining parts of its public-sector businesses in the UK, with community rehabilitation services to be transferred to services company Seetec. | Aurelius announced last week it was selling the remaining parts of its public-sector businesses in the UK, with community rehabilitation services to be transferred to services company Seetec. |
| “With the current sale, Aurelius has now withdrawn completely from the business of outsourced services for the public authorities in Great Britain,” it said. “The further development of this market will largely depend on public budgetary conditions. Government savings constraints have already led to a substantial consolidation of this industry in the past few years.” | “With the current sale, Aurelius has now withdrawn completely from the business of outsourced services for the public authorities in Great Britain,” it said. “The further development of this market will largely depend on public budgetary conditions. Government savings constraints have already led to a substantial consolidation of this industry in the past few years.” |
| Gauke also announced on Saturday the establishment of a new privately run scheme, Tags for Offenders, which will allow for the 24-hour GPS monitoring of offenders’ location. | Gauke also announced on Saturday the establishment of a new privately run scheme, Tags for Offenders, which will allow for the 24-hour GPS monitoring of offenders’ location. |
| Prisons and probation | Prisons and probation |
| UK criminal justice | UK criminal justice |
| Chris Grayling | Chris Grayling |
| Trade unions | Trade unions |
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