The future of the Probation Service

Justice Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 20 Jul 2020 Closed: 8 Mar 2022 Parliament page
Probation services have gone through substantial change in the past five years. After the financial failure and withdrawal of several CRC providers, the MoJ decided to end CRC contracts 14 months early (during this year) and to return to having a single national probation service for all offenders, but with … Read more
19 Recommendations
7 Conclusions
1 Report
3 Events
Activity timeline 2 events
2 Jul
2021
Report published
23 Apr
2021
Report published
Title HC No. Published Items Response
18th Report - The future of the Probation Service HC 285 23 Apr 2021 26 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
20 results
Clear
1 Conclusion Accepted
18th Report - The future of the Pr…
A previous Justice Committee said in 2018 that the Transforming Rehabilitation looked unlikely ever to...
A previous Justice Committee said in 2018 that the Transforming Rehabilitation looked unlikely ever to work. Time has proved our predecessors right. We welcome the Government’s decision to reunify the Probation Service and to introduce a new probation reform programme, … Read more
Government Response
The government welcomes the Committee's support for a unified probation service, detailing how it has learned lessons and committed an extra £155m resource and £75m capital investment for 2021/22, with structural changes coming into effect on June 26, 2021.
Ministry of Justice
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2 Recommendation Accepted
18th Report - The future of the Pr…
This is the second major probation reform programme in the last five years.
This is the second major probation reform programme in the last five years. The unplanned-for effect of covid-19 has only added to the challenges the Probation Service faces. The lessons of the previous, failed reforms must be learned, and the … Read more
Government Response
The government welcomes the committee's support and states it has sought to learn lessons from past reforms in designing the new unified probation model. It outlines long-term ambitions, structural changes coming into effect, and commits to stability and long-term investment, including an extra £155m resource and £75m capital for 2021/22.
Ministry of Justice
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4 Recommendation Accepted
18th Report - The future of the Pr…
We welcome the decision to unify the Probation Service once more.
We welcome the decision to unify the Probation Service once more. We warn, however, that, after the disruption of the past seven years, changes proposed and begun to the probation system must be fully thought through, properly funded and expected … Read more
Government Response
The government accepted the recommendation, stating the reforms are long-term and no further structural changes are planned. It committed an extra £155m resource and £75m capital for 2021/22, with ongoing work with HM Treasury for future investment.
Ministry of Justice
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6 Recommendation Accepted
18th Report - The future of the Pr…
The Justice Secretary, Robert Buckland QC MP, highlighted the role of covid-19 in requiring his...
The Justice Secretary, Robert Buckland QC MP, highlighted the role of covid-19 in requiring his decision to cancel the Probation Delivery Partner programme, but we must be concerned at any possible echo of a repeat of over-rapid, under-researched reform being … Read more
Government Response
The government agreed, stating the cancellation of the Probation Delivery Partner procurement was a pragmatic decision due to pandemic impacts. It confirmed it has no current plans to reconsider outsourcing, being confident in the new Target Operating Model for the longer term.
Ministry of Justice
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8 Recommendation Accepted
18th Report - The future of the Pr…
The new unified model has the potential to increase judicial confidence, through improved communication, sharing...
The new unified model has the potential to increase judicial confidence, through improved communication, sharing of relevant information and a more consistent offer of support. We recommend that the Ministry of Justice sets out how it will assess whether the … Read more
Government Response
The government has agreed and developed a comprehensive evaluation strategy, including an annual judicial survey administered in March-April 2021, to assess sentencer confidence using specific satisfaction criteria and track judicial engagement.
Ministry of Justice
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9 Conclusion Accepted
18th Report - The future of the Pr…
Confidence in non-custodial sentencing among judges and magistrates - and, by implication, the public -...
Confidence in non-custodial sentencing among judges and magistrates - and, by implication, the public - will rise only if the suitability and effectiveness of such sanctions are improved. More needs to be done to address the range of issues that … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees with the underlying sentiment and outlines specific plans from its 'A Smarter Approach to Sentencing' white paper, including strengthening pre-sentence reports, piloting problem-solving courts, expanding electronic monitoring, and rolling out Alcohol Monitoring Tags.
Ministry of Justice
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10 Recommendation Accepted
18th Report - The future of the Pr…
We recommend that the MOJ sets out what other action is being taken to improve...
We recommend that the MOJ sets out what other action is being taken to improve judicial and public confidence in sentencing, particularly for the delivery of community sentencing. We recommend that the MOJ sets out what criteria it uses to … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees, outlining plans from its 'A Smarter Approach to Sentencing' white paper to improve community sentencing. This includes strengthening pre-sentence reports, piloting problem-solving courts, extending electronic monitoring (e.g., alcohol tags already rolled out), and expanding community sentence treatment requirements.
Ministry of Justice
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11 Conclusion Accepted
18th Report - The future of the Pr…
Pre-sentence reports are an essential part of probation delivery and ensure that sentencers have the...
Pre-sentence reports are an essential part of probation delivery and ensure that sentencers have the information necessary to make sentencing decisions that will ensure justice and support rehabilitation. We welcome the MOJ’s commitment to improving pre-sentence reports and increasing their … Read more
Government Response
The government agreed with the Committee's conclusion, outlining its long-term ambition to increase pre-sentence report (PSR) use to 75%. To achieve this, it committed to recruiting 1,500 trainee probation officers in 2021/22 and introducing improved digital systems for assessments.
Ministry of Justice
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12 Recommendation Accepted
18th Report - The future of the Pr…
We recommend that the Ministry of Justice set out how they intend to increase NPS...
We recommend that the Ministry of Justice set out how they intend to increase NPS capacity to prepare pre-sentence reports. The MOJ should also set out what work is being done besides this to improve the quality of pre-sentence reports, … Read more
Government Response
The government agreed and committed to increasing pre-sentence report (PSR) capacity by recruiting 1,500 trainee probation officers in 2021/22 and introducing improved digital systems. To enhance quality, it will implement an alternative delivery model including pre-plea protocols and short-format reports, with a pilot evaluation to inform wider rollout.
Ministry of Justice
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13 Recommendation Accepted
18th Report - The future of the Pr…
We are pleased to hear that Ministry of Justice have taken steps to make the...
We are pleased to hear that Ministry of Justice have taken steps to make the Dynamic Framework more accessible to smaller third sector organisations, and particularly welcome the consultancy support that the Ministry of Justice have funded or made available … Read more
Government Response
The government accepted the recommendation, committing to publish the findings of an independent review and corresponding actions to improve Dynamic Framework (DF) access. It will also publish data on suppliers and SME/VCSE involvement, with the review findings expected in June and initial data by May 21, 2021.
Ministry of Justice
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14 Recommendation Accepted
18th Report - The future of the Pr…
We welcome the work the Ministry is doing to feed into the Cabinet Office review...
We welcome the work the Ministry is doing to feed into the Cabinet Office review of procurement and recommend that the MOJ update the Committee on the outcome of this review.
Government Response
The government agrees to the recommendation, stating that the formal consultation on the Green Paper on Transforming Public Procurement has closed, and the Cabinet Office is now working through the outputs. The Ministry of Justice has engaged with the Cabinet Office during this process.
Ministry of Justice
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15 Recommendation Accepted
18th Report - The future of the Pr…
Although we recognise that contract values and volumes are indicative, we share in the concerns...
Although we recognise that contract values and volumes are indicative, we share in the concerns expressed by some of our witnesses, that in some instances projected volumes are lower than those that various organisations are currently working with. Given that … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees and details its modelling approach for projected volumes and contract values, based on historical data, future forecasts, and police recruitment. It explains that regional contract management and commercial teams will ensure contracts are sufficiently resourced.
Ministry of Justice
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18 Conclusion Accepted
18th Report - The future of the Pr…
We welcome the additional investment the Ministry of Justice has made to improve Through the...
We welcome the additional investment the Ministry of Justice has made to improve Through the Gate service provision until existing contracts end. We are pleased that this additional investment has resulted in an improved service for those in need of … Read more
Government Response
The government agreed with the Committee's conclusion and responded by providing a detailed explanation of the new resettlement model. It outlined components like an enhanced Offender Management in Custody (OMiC) model, Community probation practitioners' roles, various pre-release services (accommodation, mentoring), and performance measures being developed to ensure pre-release contacts.
Ministry of Justice
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19 Recommendation Accepted
18th Report - The future of the Pr…
We recommend that the Ministry of Justice set out how they intend the new model...
We recommend that the Ministry of Justice set out how they intend the new model to be delivered practically on a local level, and how the model will work alongside those services commissioned through the Dynamic Framework. The Ministry should … Read more
Government Response
The government accepted the recommendation, detailing the new resettlement approach including an enhanced Offender Management in Custody (OMiC) model and Community Rehabilitation Service (CRS) provider roles. It outlined a phased implementation, with initial elements starting June 26th and further components rolled out over 9-12 months post-unification as resources become available.
Ministry of Justice
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20 Recommendation Accepted
18th Report - The future of the Pr…
We note that the new resettlement model is being developed alongside the Offender Management in...
We note that the new resettlement model is being developed alongside the Offender Management in Custody (OMiC) Model. While we welcome both models, our inquiry has highlighted some concern that the OMiC model has not yet been fully rolled out … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees and provides a detailed phased history of the OMiC model rollout since 2018, including details of Key Work and Case Management implementation. It acknowledges COVID-19 disruption but states recovery plans are in place to ensure appropriate resourcing and alignment with probation service changes in 2022.
Ministry of Justice
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21 Recommendation Accepted
18th Report - The future of the Pr…
Probation Officers are fundamental to the delivery of probation, and we recognise the important role...
Probation Officers are fundamental to the delivery of probation, and we recognise the important role they play in supporting offenders and protecting the public. The Probation Service has historically faced difficulties with staffing levels, which has resulted in Probation Officers … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees, confirming it met the target to recruit 1,000 additional trainee probation officer starters in 2020/2021, and is further increasing recruitment to 1,500 trainees while implementing measures to improve staff retention.
Ministry of Justice
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23 Recommendation Accepted
18th Report - The future of the Pr…
We are pleased to note the Ministry’s commitment to employing more ex-offenders and welcome HMPPS’...
We are pleased to note the Ministry’s commitment to employing more ex-offenders and welcome HMPPS’ commitment to employing 150 ex-offenders in probation. We recommend that the MOJ and HMPPS set out a detailed timeline for how it will recruit and … Read more
Government Response
The government has agreed and outlined a detailed timeline, expecting to transfer a large number of ex-offenders by June 2021 and piloting the 'Going Forward into Employment' (GFIE) program to recruit 20-30 individuals by April 2022.
Ministry of Justice
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24 Recommendation Accepted
18th Report - The future of the Pr…
Transition to the new model in the context of covid-19 presents a huge operational challenge,...
Transition to the new model in the context of covid-19 presents a huge operational challenge, particularly for operating models, IT systems and building leases. The Ministry and HMPPS have assured us that work is under way to ensure transition is … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees to share regular progress updates with the committee, starting with Day 1 metrics and ongoing reporting, detailing significant progress made in implementing the first phase of Probation Reform and readiness for the June 26 transition.
Ministry of Justice
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25 Conclusion Accepted
18th Report - The future of the Pr…
We are concerned to hear that some voluntary sector organisations do not feel sufficiently involved...
We are concerned to hear that some voluntary sector organisations do not feel sufficiently involved in the process to successfully manage transition.
Government Response
The government agreed with the concern and committed to publishing the findings of an independent review, improving ease of access to the bidding process, and publishing data on suppliers and their supply chains by specific dates (June and May 2021).
Ministry of Justice
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26 Recommendation Accepted
18th Report - The future of the Pr…
We recommend that the MOJ and HMPPS involve voluntary organisations and CRCs in relevant communications...
We recommend that the MOJ and HMPPS involve voluntary organisations and CRCs in relevant communications relating to transition. We recommend that the MOJ clarify to relevant voluntary sector supply chain partners their position in relation to TUPE, including what staff … Read more
Government Response
The government accepted the recommendation, stating it has used data to clarify TUPE-eligible staff and encourages current employers to consult with new suppliers. It remains committed to ensuring timely staff transfer activity for Day 1 services.
Ministry of Justice
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Government Response AI assessment · 26 of 19 classified
Accepted 20
Accepted in Part 2
Acknowledged 2
Not Addressed 1
Rejected 1
Total 19 recs + 7 conclusions