Guidance

Probation Changes Bulletin – Issue 6 – August 2020

Updated 15 December 2023

This bulletin provides an update to you, our stakeholders, on the progress of both the HMPPS probation reform and workforce programmes.

If you want to get involved or you have any questions about the programmes, please email the communications team using our designated mailbox: strengthening.probation@justice.gov.uk

1. Introduction from Amy Rees, Director General of Probation and Wales

As we approach the end of a summer quite unlike any other, I am pleased to say our Recovery Programme is progressing well, alongside our ongoing work in the Probation Reform and Workforce Programmes.

Since we received ministerial approval to proceed on 3 August, all the National Probation Service (NPS) regions are now well underway with work to move towards Step 3 of our Recovery Roadmap.

Whilst we continue to make good progress moving forward overall, we are also working closely with areas experiencing a tightening of restrictions to ensure clear localised responses are in place. We are also ensuring we are prepared for any future second wave of coronavirus. We have learnt a great deal from how we responded to this pandemic since March and this is integral to informing our future contingency planning.

I am pleased to report that 250 new colleagues recently achieved the Professional Qualification in Probation and are joining us at a very exciting time. They will be integral to shaping and taking forward the new unified probation service we are creating, and by next January we are committed to having 1,000 additional probation officers in training. You can read more on this in Ian Barrow’s update from our Workforce Programme, below.

Also in this issue, Jim Barton updates you on the latest developments in the Probation Reform Programme since it entered a major new phase in June, as well as the encouraging progress in our Dynamic Framework competition to bring in the expertise of the voluntary, charity and private sectors to deliver interventions for our service users.

Thank you for reading this bulletin, and we look forward to updating you on the latest developments in the next issue.

2. Update from Jim Barton, SRO, Probation Reform Programme

We now have around 10 months to go before Community Rehabilitation Company contracts end and the majority of CRC work, including all offender management, is integrated into the NPS to create a unified probation service. Our relentless focus continues to be on ensuring there is a safe and stable transition of most probation services to the NPS by June 2021, and we remain on track to make that happen.

Work is well underway to implement the latest of these important changes, which we decided to make in light of the coronavirus to strengthen our probation system.

This new single probation service will see accredited behavioural change programmes and unpaid work services, as well as the talented and committed staff who deliver them, come into the NPS from June 2021, as announced in June by the Lord Chancellor, Robert Buckland QC MP.

This is no small undertaking, but the NPS is well placed to take on the delivery of these services which are integral to probation’s core aims of reducing reoffending and protecting the public.

The changes will ensure that the probation system has the necessary flexibility to deal with the ongoing disruption caused by Covid-19. Probation staff across England and Wales have been doing a fantastic job keeping such vital services running effectively during the pandemic, taking on the challenges of working in new and innovative ways.

These changes also maintain the opportunity for us to improve partnership working. Regional Probation Directors will play a critical role in joining up delivery of probation services with local partners, including Police and Crime Commissioners, Local Authorities and the NHS.

With more responsibility for delivering the core elements of probation, we can be more ambitious about collaborative working to help offenders secure housing and employment, and tackle issues such as substance misuse.

The details of what these changes mean are being incorporated into the ongoing design work for our proposed future model for probation services. Our Draft Target Operating Model, published in March, set out our plans for England and Wales after June 2021, and in June we published an updated document to explain some of the changes to those plans to reflect the impact of Covid-19.

As recovery from the pandemic continues and we take on board lessons learned from it, our vision for the future continues to evolve, along with the design of the new operating models we will implement to deliver those new-to-the-NPS services. Covid-19 has challenged the status quo and offered new insight into how we might work differently in the future, and we aim to build on some of the current CRC delivery models rather than simply assimilate everything to the NPS form.

The final Target Operating Model is due to be published in February 2021.

The remaining probation services not being brought into the NPS – a range of rehabilitative interventions – will be delivered by successful bidders from the charity, voluntary and private sectors, which are so fundamental to reducing reoffending by improving the lives of offenders through rehabilitation.

Those organisations will compete for £100 million in funding via our Dynamic Framework competition. I am pleased to say that since the competition was launched in June, more than 350 organisations have registered an interest in delivering those interventions for us, and we are working towards launching the first competition, to procure Education, Training & Employment services.

A suite of communications resources has been developed which will assist providers in understanding the Dynamic Framework. Areas covered include the bidding process, call-off competitions and specifications along with collaboration and consortia guidance. These resources contain commercial information suitable for bidders and potential bidders and will be shared directly with them.

3. Update from Ian Barrow, SRO, Workforce Programme

I am pleased to report much progress has been made since our last update, most recently with the launch of our new Workforce Strategy on July 30, which attracted really positive coverage in the national press. The strategy includes our commitment to having a minimum of 1,000 additional probation officers in training by next January.

The strategy was developed by the Probation Workforce Programme, working closely with regional directors, CRCs, probation staff, trade unions, and other key stakeholders.

The strategy outlines the HM Prison & Probation Service vision for the next three years for a positive, inclusive, accountable and diverse workforce, reflecting our desire to enable people to be their best. The vision sets out our commitment to investing in staff wellbeing, ongoing professional development and ensuring that probation is an excellent and rewarding place to work. The strategy confirms we will increase recruitment of probation staff this year and have a minimum of 1,000 new probation officers in training by January 2021.

It has been tailored specifically to reflect the needs and ambition of probation and the wider changes probation staff have undergone in the past few months. Working together with leaders and staff across probation we have assigned five key objectives for the new probation workforce:

• Promoting wellbeing for everyone
• Attracting and retaining talented people
• Supporting and developing our people
• Creating a more diverse workforce where everyone feels included
• Fostering confident leaders who inspire and empower others

In addition to these five objectives, the strategy is underpinned by tangible actions that explain how we will achieve these goals. To ensure that the strategy remains reflective of the workforce and up to date, it will be refreshed on an annual basis. We will continue to work closely with members of staff, probation leaders, trade unions, and yourselves and organisations, as we develop and implement our plans.

4. Hidden Heroes in the spotlight

Some great examples of the work being done during this exceptional time are being highlighted in the HM Prison & Probation Service #HiddenHeroes social media campaign which has attracted an encouraging amount of national interest. The campaign highlights inspiring stories behind some important work that all too often falls below the public’s radar, but has helped us all stay safe during the lockdown. You can find out more about our Hidden Heroes on the HMPPS Twitter page.

5. Rush for recruitment

In further encouraging news, the next generation of probation’s Hidden Heroes are on the horizon following our successful recent trainee probation officer recruitment campaign. More than 6,000 applications were received in just over four weeks, exceeding the target by 250%.

The campaign was part of a move announced by Prisons and Probation Minister Lucy Frazer QC MP on 30 July to boost frontline probation services and attract a more diverse group of job seekers.

Applications from BAME candidates totalled 27.4%, exceeding the target of 22% - with London attracting the highest numbers of BAME candidates at 59%.

Highlights from the campaign include:

• a potential 12 million people were reached through local print, online and radio PR activity delivered for free
• more than 1 million people viewed our social media ad campaign videos
• an estimated 2,000 people joined our three live Q&A webinar sessions in total
• more than 15,000 people visited our Train to Be a Probation Officer website

We would encourage anyone who is interested in training to be a probation officer to register your interest and be alerted by email about future recruitment campaigns.

6. Stay in touch and have your say

We will be providing further updates as we continue to make progress this year. If you have any questions contact the reform programme team: strengthening.probation@justice.gov.uk

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