Fantastic to hear today from @TAWSociety who've transformed themselves during Covid-19 to enable food distribution to those most in need across Birmingham. The scale of delivery is gobsmacking and a fantastic example of what the charitable sector does brilliantly. #BrumTogether

This morning's shout out goes to our brilliant Quality Development Officers, a tiny team of specialist probation practitioners who have an exponential impact on the skills and confidence of the workforce. Like everyone else, they're adapting to deliver in the current environment.

As a result of observations from my family, for a limited period I'll be following all my telephone calls with a brief text survey to determine if I indeed shout too loud. #WFH

I took some time to scan 'reward and recognition' nominations regarding staff efforts since lockdown - a brilliant mix of keeping admin systems running against the odds, looking out for colleagues and going to extraordinary lengths to support service users in crisis.

The presence of so many untouched mugs at 4pm imply it has been a busy Monday for the WFH crew.

Unlocking a building, mothballed for 6 weeks, to permit contractor access, I’m minded to ask how much water a) cacti and b) spider plants like (I’m 3 weeks too late for everything else). For a bonus point, is the specimen below healthy or infiltrated by alien life forms?

I'm still trying to unpick the magic deployed by @NPS_Mids to ensure her all-staff video briefings are accompanied by gorgeous birdsong. Cameos from next door's dog continue to inhibit my own efforts to reach the next level.

Our Exception Delivery Model has hideously exposed my perennial confusion of roll call and role call. On the positive side, it has permitted sweet revenge to so many who have suffered under my brutal proof-reading regime.

Terrific acknowledgement from Birmingham Law Society of the exceptional work done by the NPS Birmingham court team in the most difficult of times. That's what we are here for.

Nothing wraps up the day as nicely as an unsolicited email from another organisation describing one of your colleagues as 'hard working', 'driving force', 'amazing', 'natural leader'. I'll never take these qualities for granted and am thrilled they are found in Birmingham.

Years of painstakingly cultivating a sheen of professional gravitas can be undermined by a moment spent prising a humbug from a molar while the Teams camera is still running. I offer this as general advice rather than something that happened to me this afternoon.

Scheme to ‘refresh’ virtual tea break by appearing each day in different home locations has badly misfired. It’s only Tuesday and already ultra-competitive probation managers are squeezing into extreme spots where discomfort outweighs therapeutic benefit.

First call of day, a PSO colleague asks me to consider messages to staff about how we can engage with service users about how they might be feeling regarding social injustice following the death of George Floyd. I can always rely on Birmingham staff to provoke me in the right way

Second call of the day, coordinator of the Quaker group that supplies 1000 food parcels, for vulnerable West Midlands service users and their families at Christmas, suggests we start thinking about an exceptional delivery model for this year.

Brevity of formal agenda this morning permitted a proper dissection of Bronze Commander's home-produced avant-garde hair cut

The kindness of friends! Staff at DerbyshireNPS across the other side of the Midlands have raised £350 to support the family of a Birmingham colleague we lost to Covid early April. We are very grateful.

I’ve just read June’s #Celebrate, the newsletter from NPS Midlands Equalities Manager. I’ve been known to grumble about poorly targeted comms, but this is a brilliant moment-catching edition, vital for all staff and speaking clearly that #BlackLivesMatter. Thank you.

I’ve been touched by the messages of concern regarding me having changed my Outlook profile pic three times this week. I’m fine and content with my new image.

Staff supervision session disrupted by warring sibling French Bulldogs Every day of remote working produces a headline of this calibre.

Spoke today with an ex-Probation Officer I’d last encountered a dozen years ago. Apparently I had failed to give him an SPO job, but my detailed interview feedback helped him land a manager’s job outside the agency! #yourewelcome