Anyone else getting probation appointments just now? I've got one next week which was made today so will be good to get out (although I could potentially spread the virus and kill some people down the line I suppose it's more important that my supervisor talks to me about how I annoyed people on the internet in 2016)

mine have stopped all face to face contact for the last 2 weeks and only doing telephone appointments apart from those serious cases to quote the probation officer.

I think each probation area is different. They were each told to draw up an EDM(exceptional delivery model), basically a plan for how they are going to operate during the crisis. There will be differences between the plans, so no consistency. Some suggestions are that f2f will be replaced by phone contact. Also it has been suggested that high risk offenders will be visited by probation, and that the PO will not go into the pesons home, they will stand outside and then phone them. Presumably to verify they are in the house.

I'm due to see my PO for a f2f next week, so I'll see what they have to say.

I used to only have them monthly or less but I moved area 2 months ago and have not had my first f2f probation appointment in this area yet. I had one which they cancelled less than half an hour before it and have been calling me twice a week. They said they wouldnt be doing f2f ones but then randomly decided that I should go to the office for one next week

I think the terminology the right hand don’t know what the left hand is doing comes to mind at the moment 

Taken from gov.uk:

Stay at home

• Only go outside for food, health reasons or work (but only if you cannot work from home)
• If you go out, stay 2 metres (6ft) away from other people at all times
• Wash your hands as soon as you get home

Do not meet others, even friends or family. You can spread the virus even if you don’t have symptoms.

The advice clearly states 'do not meet others'. If people like probation start saying 'Yes, but...' it makes a mockery of the whole reason we're all doing this and they need to get a grip of how serious this global pandemic is. So I'd suggest gently reminding them of the advice on the government website about the information about how to save lives right now and suggest, in the meantime, using the phone.

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Fighting or Accepting - its difficult to know which is right and when.

I had a letter from them the other day. It stated very clearly that anyone who fails to keep in contact with them will be in breach. It didn't mention telephone contact or face to face. But they are well aware of the govt advice. They have been spending the last week discussing with the MoJ how they are going to work. Some offenders will be contacted by phone, but since phone contact is considered to be inferior to f2f, the amount of contact by phone will be double that of f2f. Certain offenders will still be seen f2f, like those just released from prison.

All the offenders due for early release shortly, will be heading for probation offices, where they will be seen, face to face, by staff with no PPE. Many will then be sent to approved premises where they will be in close proximity to other people on a daily basis. It's a recipe for disaster. If they didn't have the virus already, when they left prison, they will pick it up at probation or at the AP. The frontline probation staff are no more happy about this than offenders and are saying so on various blogs and forums, but they have been told if they don't do as they are told they (the OMs) will be disciplined. But I'll be sure to point that all out to them when I see my OM. Lol.

For what its worth here is my experience with it, perhaps worth noting this is in Scotland so your mileage may vary. I have police visits to change my browsing history (well, they say it is to check my browsing history but they in actual fact through my entire phone and PC, looking at all my emails, SMS/WhatsApp messages and so on). I also have social appointments and my Community Payback Order.

My payback order was halted 2 weeks ago until further notice which is a little annoying as I was more than halfway through it but hey ho. I was given 6 months to complete 120hrs with a court review in May (3 months in) to make sure I was doing it as the judge didn't believe I'd actually bother to do it, at the rate I was going I would've been done next week which would've been nice to turn up to court with but that obviously won't happen now.

My Social work appointments likewise have been cancelled however she does phone me once a week to see how I'm getting on in general, it's usually only 5 minutes or so which sure beats the 1hr+ journey across 2 buses every week for the same 5 minute face-to-face appointment, but I digress...

I was also due to start a social work program, Moving Forward Making Changes which has been put on hold too.

I've not see or heard from my PPU since the 13th of March. I make a note of marking i in my calendar whenever they visit so I have a record and I jot down anything that might be of interest later. My social worker did state they would still be doing visits to check up, initially stating it'd just be at my front door then went to change that stating they'd been told it'd be business as usual for them. I'm normally getting a visit roughly once every 2 weeks so I'm expecting maybe something this week.

I spoke to my OM last week; and from what I can gather is they are moving towards more telephone contact, and some offenders will get Probation arrive at home but this was more a "Hello how are you? and are you safe?" type check and not going to be instrusive.

Just taking a look this seems to be what the probation service in London are doing 

https://www.mtcgroup.org.uk/2020/03/20/a-statement-regarding-covid-19-and-mtc/