Home visits are being done by phone at the moment, they turn up at the property and phone you from their car, so they don't come within 2 metres. as for phone appointments, it ought to be possible to agree a time to phone you, especially if you are working at night and sleeping in the day.

In terms of the general harassment, that's all part of their procedure. The more they think you are resistant to change/rehailitation or rules in general, the more they will view you as a risk and the more supervision you will get. The more you co-operate, the better it will be for you.

I have thought about making something up like that I have started drinking alcohol or gambling every day just so they have something to do or I get to learn something from a course instead of 2-3 calls a week with the same pointless small chat

This week I got a random call on Monday again asking the same questions as the previous weeks about why did I move area which I have been asked to justify around 5 times by various different people
On Tuesday another random call off my previous officer asking to clarify some details on something which I had mentioned right at the beginning of my probation months ago
Today was scheduled for a home visit but no one turned up, waited an hour but still no one so I went to the shop and of course they call me when I can't answer the phone

What an absolute shambles and waste of council tax. I get that it may help some people but for me all it's doing is frustrating me, wasting my time, holding me back and not allowing me to move on from my "crime" which was almost 4 years ago now. I've been terrified of the home visit today in case my new neighbours see what is going on and start assuming the worst of what I have done to require being monitored like this. Some have already potentially saw that I'm on probation thanks to the big probation stamp on my letter in the shared mail

Alexh07
Couple of words to hopefully get you to focus more on your well being and please do not think my words are meant in anyway but supportive.
I fully appreciate the emotional stress you have and are going through but to help yourself you it is time to "departmentalize" everything. Hopefully I can explain my analogy further.
First, unless you can find new evidence or something to support an appeal, try to "place" any thoughts that do not support your wellbeing in "archives".  The reason for this is 2 fold (1) continually referring to it; or anything you have no control over, as the foremost issue is only causing you emotional harm, (2) You know where the information is stored so that it is there when new evidence is found or truly need to refer to it.

random phone calls  Believe it or not they do not always expect you to be able to answer; this is because it allows them to ask questions i.e. why not? If you have a genuine reason then calmly explain it. For example if it is because you are sleeping off night shifts then just offer your shift pattern with the caveat that it can / does change. Offer a solution to their issue.
If you are somewhere that means you cannot have a conversation you can answer the call and explain where you are and can you call them back as it is not suitable to talk. Again offer a solution to THEIR issue.

PROBATION stamp Explain your mail is in a common access place so, to help protect you can they send it in a plain envelope? They will probably say no but, if you put it in writing then if anything arises from their postage method you have some sort of evidence of you raising your concern. In fact I suggest there is a requirement to retain a physical document paper trail on most correspondence; as they do.
There are many reason why people receive letters from the Probation so if asked, just have a constant, simple and reasonable explanation for the letter i.e. your considering volunteering with them. Anyway if your neighbours ask about a postage stamp then I would move lol.

Upcoming visit With the current social guidelines you do not know if it will not be canceled at the last moment but will not say now so to maintain pressure. In regard to the questions read and listen again to my first sentence and the following.

Eventually you will come to understand that part of their methodigy with ex-offenders is to maintain pressure to see how they react. Think back to how your reacted on arrest and at the interview when you saw your whole life going into turmoil. I believe most times they are trying to recreate that environment to see how you react. Remember in this modern society it is initially easier to write negatively and so support historical criminal data, than it is to challenge those beliefs and write positively that someone is rehabilitating. Risk management is not just looking at you but also societies opinion on the Government and its Justice System.

Finally and believe that I am not against you but offering support. All contributors and readers of Unlock know it is hard to accept that no matter the factors, when someone has committed an offence, it can be difficult to comprehend its full consequences for sometime. You are being punished for your actions not hers, the Police's or anyone else's. Also simply and bluntly put, unless you have it in writing i.e. Judge's sentencing comments, then there is no point quoting your opinions on what has been said by others. It only does you more emotional harm because it sounds as if you are trying to persuade others to believe you're innocent, when your own words say you are not. The Justice System sees this as "denial" and will not move past that until you change. My words from my last reply asked if you recognise the "victims" of your action. It took me sometime to fully accept that point in my offence; and I had proved with evidence that: I was lied to, blackmailed and didn't know I was braking the law. It made no difference as the actions I took were wrong.

You have support and guidance here in Unlock, but you must learn to be fully open with yourself to understand the support from others.




Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope is for tomorrow else what is left if you remove a mans hope.

Thank you for explaining some things. I think the pandemic hasn't exactly done probation any favours 

I was coping with my supervision in my old area which was arranged face to face meetings which went down to once a month, but since moving I feel like I have constantly been messed about with things changing all the time and the amount of contact increasing tenfold. I have ASD which means all the changes, phonecalls and being messed about are causing me great anxiety and pressure headaches. I also cannot afford to be phoning and texting them back every week when I miss a call

I won't list all of the ways I've been messed about but yesterday I waited for an hour for my home visit and no one showed up, I then got a call an hour and a half later which I missed. Today I got a call from my old supervisor whilst I was driving and then a text saying that he has been told I wasn't in for my home visit yesterday. It's getting to the stage where it's almost every day I am having some form of contact with them

Hi
I understand some of your emotions from my own experience of similar scenarios BUT I am turely sorry I cannot express in words the extra emotional burden of your ASD must be on you.  
Sorry for my bluntness but does your supervisor know you suffer from it? Do you have a medical report to provide to them for them to understand the issue factors?

For comfort I have had emails telling me I have forgotten to sign the SOR when I had and already informed them by email and gained a response. Their response to this was that they mixed names up.
One time they booked a meeting for the PM. In the morning of the day they phoned complaining I was not at home as they had come for the meeting!! All you do in these circumstances is calmly and politely remind them that the meeting was for the PM not AM and in my case I had other commitments taking me away from my home for the morning. The officer acknowledged that and then in a gentler tone said his bookings had changed and he was able to see me earlier. 

To ease the burden on yourself, plan and document on a calendar if necessary, your commitments so you are organized. Obviously when timing conflicts occur you know your priorities.
Keep a diary of events e.g. meeting not happened as they didn't turn up. Also write any follow up reactions about it. Try to have a space for you to write your response and emotional feelings of the event.
I suggest this as eventually you will have sufficient data for you to review with the aim of showing yourself you are behaving correctly. Hopefully lol
As a side point this evidence would also support you in any challenges made against you or on a positive note, show how you are managing your life and emotions no matter the turmoil that occurs.

As is life and the scenarios we find ourselves in you also have to try and visualise things from others perspective. Remember:

 we feel we know the truth but they believe the truth from their perspective. In the end that is all truth is, the perspective of the viewer. 

Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope is for tomorrow else what is left if you remove a mans hope.

I'm on probation in NE England and also under supervision by police PPU. My probation officer phones me weekly; he also visits weekly, standing at my gate for a brief talk, which I'm going to have to stop because of what my neighbours might think. The police supervisor turned up earlier this week, making the assumption he could enter my home without PPE. I referred to government guidelines and persuaded him to retreat to his car and phone me. His next visit, he told me, would be inside my home no matter what. Do I have to let him in?

In North Yorkshire I was initially told to come in as usual, but protested so was swapped to a phone check. I was then told it would be phone from then on, but frequency was halved, so not once a month but every two weeks. Latest is that they've been told to visually check we're still living at home, so my OM is doing a drive by off all her people! I just have to stand outside my home as she drives past, and we'll chat later on the phone. Otherwise she don's full PPE and comes in, staying 2 meters away. Hardly inconspicuous. But I suppose given I could be answering the phone from a yacht in the Caribbean I don't suppose the the drive by is over the top. I'm on the SOR and extended sentence, down to medium risk after 3 years out.

Hi
First congratulations on standing up to what at this time is a requirement that is actually unacceptable.

Ensure that you do point out that you understand they are doing a "public protection" role in their visiting you and wish to comply with the process but your understanding of the Government guidelines lead you to believe you are correct.

Ensure that you do point out that you understand they are doing a "public protection" role in their visiting you and wish to comply with the process but your understanding of the Government guidelines lead you to believe you are correct.

You should also offer a solution that the visitors should show a successful "virus test" report, and for their safety you are given a virus test before their entry. They should also wear full and suitable PPE.

As ever be polite, brief and stick to the point, and if possible include references to the guidelines.

Let us know the outcome as it may help others.



Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope is for tomorrow else what is left if you remove a mans hope.

Hi Guys 

The Collage of policing have issues guidelines on officers that need to enter homes so PPU officers will be using these it is hoped

https://www.college.police.uk/What-we-do/COVID-19/Documents/Personal-Protective-Equipment-Operational-Guidance-1.pdf 

It clearly states as per information from public health England if there is no evidence that there is a case of COVID 19 then officers should use standard precautions keeping 2m away and have a mask and gloves in there bag or case available if needed.

Remember that you cant refuse entry to your house to a PPU officer if you do so then as a last result they can apply to the magistrates court for a search warrant to gain entry.

MAPPA and collage of police guidelines state that PPU officers should undertake home visits in plain clothes, I am sure we would rather have this than have them turn up with uniform police to execute a search warrant.

Unlock have been able to get limited information on what PPU are doing,the below was taken from there HUb page on COVID 19 

People on the sex offenders register

Just like any other organisation, the police have been impacted by Covid-19 with some non-uniform staff having to be redeployed to the front line meaning less availability for officers to manage those on the register in the community.

There seems little consistency with the way that forces across the country are dealing with visits to those on the register. We’ve heard from one force who have suspended all visits until the lock-down is over, whilst another are continuing their visits unless an individual shows symptoms of Covid-19. Forces will no doubt take into account the resources they have available and the level of risk they believe you pose.

If you need to attend the police station for your annual registration, we suggest that you check the current arrangements in place with your PPU officer. Some officers are completing telephone registrations rather than ask you to attend the police station in person. Make sure you ask for confirmation in writing that you have registered.

Stay safe 

Unfortunately I'm still experiencing great incompetence with my new area probation team which is reflecting bad on me through no fault of my own. This is not ideal as my previous supervisor is in talks of reviewing my supervision at the half way point for an early closure due to there being no problems whatsover and quite frankly, the probation element being an obvious waste of everyones time (in his own words)

After all the messing about at the start of the pandemic, and the first failed home visit (no one turned up or phoned then they tried to blame me for not being in), I was given a second home visit by email and letter. Someone phoned me at the designated time and said he will be round in a minute, I waited and hour (for the second time) and no one turned up or phoned me back

Didn't hear anything for 2 weeks until today I had 1 missed call from my new supervisor when I was shopping/driving and my phone was on silent. No second attempt at a call or text or email to me but rather, they again went straight and wrote out an email to my previous supervision officer in Scotland saying that they can't get a hold of me. He phoned up rather frustated wondering why I wasn't able to answer the completely random one attempt at a phonecall

Hopefully now that restrictions are beginning to relax they will be able to waste everyones council tax in a more structured format rather than the random phonecalls (and when they go home for an early finish and pretend they turned up at your house) which give you black marks for not waiting by the phone 24/7