The Lib Dem motion opposing the part privatisation of the Probation Service was backed by the majority of elected members at today’s Full Council meeting. The Council Leader  has been asked to write to Warwickshire MPs, the minister concerned and Warwickshire Police and Crime Commissioner asking for their support for the Council’s view that privatisation as outlined does not go ahead.

An attempted “wrecking” amendment by the Conservative Deputy Leader was defeated easily.

Cllr Jenny Fradgley (Lib Dem, Stratford South), who proposed the motion, said after the vote:

“It was a thorough and thoughtful debate raising issues of community safety, value for money, governance and  IT  provision.  Grave concern was expressed across the Council that the time scale for change was unrealistic and that privatisation might well be detrimental to the proper running of the service.  It was acknowledged that Warwickshire Probation Trust is performance is excellent, as judged by The National Offender Management Service.

“We are now looking forward to the letter the Leader will send, and that this headlong rush is questioned and hopefully stopped so that proper consideration can be given to the future of the Service.  Why allow private sector business such as G4S and Serco, with problematic track records, bid to run these services while The Probation Trusts , experts with a good track record, are debarred from bidding?  This Government does not have a good track record of successful privatisation of offender management services. So take some time to think this through before more money is wasted.”

Concerns over the part privatisation of the Probation Service have been raised by Warwickshire Liberal Democrat county councillors, who will be tabling the issue in a motion to the County Council meeting on Tuesday, December 17^th. The motion reads as follows:-

That the Council puts on record its concern regarding the imminent proposed changes to the Probation Service. The Council supports the excellent Warwickshire Probation Trust which has demonstrated ‘exceptional performance’ ratings across all categories of assessment under the national Probation Trust rating system.

The intended privatisation of a section of the Probation Service is unlikely to deliver the outcomes that are already being achieved and has the potential to reduce the current performance.

Council requests that the Leader writes to Warwickshire MPs and the Minister concerned, and to the Warwickshire Police and Crime Commissioner, requesting that they support this Council’s view that privatisation, as outlined, does not go ahead.

Across the country the Government is proposing to pass responsibility for the control of ‘medium and low risk’ offenders to the private sector. Some £450m worth of contracts have been offered to private and voluntary sector organisations, covering the supervision of 225,000 low and medium-risk offenders a year on a payment-by-results basis.

Cllr  Jenny Fradgley (Stratford South) has pointed out that many offenders are volatile and can move from low or medium risk to high risk very quickly, so that it’s important to be able to take an overall view of an individual. “That’s much easier when all offenders are controlled by the same body”, said Jenny. “Passing people backwards and forwards between two groups looks like a recipe for problems and the recent record of some major companies who are likely to bid for these contracts doesn’t inspire confidence. Warwickshire Probation Trust is performing well. I really don’t think we should be  taking the risk that could follow this move’.

As well as tabling the motion for the County Council meeting, Jenny has written to Stratford MP Nadhim Zahawi asking him “to stand up for the excellent Warwickshire Probation Trust and question the robustness of what is being proposed”.

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Cllr Jenny Fradgley’s letter:

Dear Mr Zahawi,

 I am more than concerned about the imminent proposed changes to the probation service.

 To categorise offenders into High, Medium and Low risk is unsustainable as disgruntled, difficult and volatile people can escalate from low to high rapidly and unless there is an overview of each individual there are enhanced opportunities for disaster.

 To parcel up low and medium risk offenders and offer their welfare to the highest bidder seems perverse when Warwickshire Probation Trust  has an exemplary record of performance with ex-offenders.   Will G4S and Serco be among the bidders?  I have just been listening to their suspect  doings in over charging for work they have carried out for the Government with tagging contracts and I am less than impressed by G4S’s track record.

 Given that communication is the weakest point of any organisation to deliberately build in extra cross partnership communication pathways is dangerous when a single organisation, Warwickshire Probation Trust, are performing well.  Do we not learn from Social Services’ problems where inadequate communication across partners has led to disaster for clients, recently small children?

 I understand that some £80m is to be saved from a total of £800m.  This has to be set alongside the costs of failure to deliver required outcomes.  Warwickshire is delivering excellence and could provide savings.

 I would ask you to stand up for the excellent Warwickshire Probation Trust and question the robustness of what is being proposed.  I would ask you to demand a delay in the implementation of the current proposals to give time to ensure the country builds proper capacity to reduce reoffending, that capacity might well be with our existing professional Probation Service.

 Regards Cllr Jenny Fradgley