A necessary but painful journey: experiences of unification in a probation service region
A necessary but painful journey: experiences of unification in a probation service region
In this article, we present some initial findings from the first year of a longitudinal study of the experiences of unification by staff in one Probation Service region. Their reaction to unification is explored as well as their hopes and fears regarding the newly unified service. Despite working in what was often presented as an unsettled and fractured environment marked by on-going staff shortages – whilst at the same time having to respond to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic – amongst most participants there remained a high level of loyalty to the probation profession (or the idea of probation). However, while many expressed optimism regarding the longer-term prospects for the unified organisation, this was also overlaid with concerns about how unification would play out in the short to medium term. Their enduring sense of commitment and loyalty to their role was also being tested by what some saw as overbearing pressure to manage risk, coupled with the fear of being exposed if people whom they supervised committed a Serious Further Offence.
organisational change, probation unification, public sector insourcing, staff experiences, transforming rehabilitation
331-349
Millings, Matthew
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Burke, Lol
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Annison, Harry
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Carr, Nicola
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Robinson, Gwen
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Surridge, Eleanor
2ef5e04e-f2ed-41dd-9744-28e2abd5f7d4
December 2023
Millings, Matthew
400f075f-c21a-4855-865e-b99363e5df8e
Burke, Lol
13f713c6-8d0e-482c-a8bd-719cdbcdc023
Annison, Harry
91ee5a4a-811e-4b57-9fd4-df643465b2a1
Carr, Nicola
7839561e-ad73-47f3-b4d8-c4cd3cff65ee
Robinson, Gwen
3339b746-9dfe-4fa5-ae1b-027bc4d3cb7f
Surridge, Eleanor
2ef5e04e-f2ed-41dd-9744-28e2abd5f7d4
Millings, Matthew, Burke, Lol, Annison, Harry, Carr, Nicola, Robinson, Gwen and Surridge, Eleanor
(2023)
A necessary but painful journey: experiences of unification in a probation service region.
Probation Journal, 70 (4), .
(doi:10.1177/02645505231182822).
Abstract
In this article, we present some initial findings from the first year of a longitudinal study of the experiences of unification by staff in one Probation Service region. Their reaction to unification is explored as well as their hopes and fears regarding the newly unified service. Despite working in what was often presented as an unsettled and fractured environment marked by on-going staff shortages – whilst at the same time having to respond to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic – amongst most participants there remained a high level of loyalty to the probation profession (or the idea of probation). However, while many expressed optimism regarding the longer-term prospects for the unified organisation, this was also overlaid with concerns about how unification would play out in the short to medium term. Their enduring sense of commitment and loyalty to their role was also being tested by what some saw as overbearing pressure to manage risk, coupled with the fear of being exposed if people whom they supervised committed a Serious Further Offence.
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millings-et-al-2023-a-necessary-but-painful-journey-experiences-of-unification-in-a-probation-service-region
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More information
Accepted/In Press date: 10 July 2023
e-pub ahead of print date: 10 July 2023
Published date: December 2023
Additional Information:
Funding Information:
The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was supported by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). Project title ‘Rehabilitation Probation: Rebuilding culture, identity and legitimacy in a reformed public service’ (grant number ES/W001101/1).
Funding Information:
The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was supported by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). Project title ‘Rehabilitation Probation: Rebuilding culture, identity and legitimacy in a reformed public service’ (grant number ES/W001101/1).
Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2023.
Keywords:
organisational change, probation unification, public sector insourcing, staff experiences, transforming rehabilitation
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 480682
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/480682
ISSN: 0264-5505
PURE UUID: 3c1cd853-fd79-400a-806d-0d117072d67c
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Date deposited: 08 Aug 2023 16:46
Last modified: 18 Mar 2024 03:26
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Contributors
Author:
Matthew Millings
Author:
Lol Burke
Author:
Nicola Carr
Author:
Gwen Robinson
Author:
Eleanor Surridge
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