Fingers Crossed

The interim HM Chief Inspector of Probation has just published his annual report. A man of limited ability in my view, he hopes everything will be alright:-    

Following the resignation of Paul McDowell, I took up my post as interim HM Chief Inspector on 19 February 2015.

I will not miss this opportunity to pay tribute to the professionalism and resilience of my former colleagues who work in youth justice, in probation services and in parts of the National Offender Management Service. Whether they work in the public, private or third sector their conscientious work sometimes goes unrecognised and is under-valued in the modern climate of challenge and reform.

Governments since 1997 have instigated major changes to the Probation Service. Twice in my career to date I have been told that I was participating in a once in a lifetime reform of probation. Those words have not been used in relation to the Transforming Rehabilitation Programme but few would argue that the nature and pace of these changes will continue to have unprecedented impact on organisational structures and staff for some time to come.

Our early Transforming Rehabilitation reports highlight significant operational and information-sharing concerns across the boundaries of the National Probation Service and Community Rehabilitation Companies, and continuing frustration with old case management systems. We have found probation areas that had struggled to deliver a quality service prior to Transforming Rehabilitation are now finding it hardest to adapt and cope with the reforms. The correlation between historical performance of former probation trusts and progress made with Transforming Rehabilitation implementation extended into the important issue of staff morale. This speaks to the urgent and continuing need to support the necessary improvement in the quality of leadership and management.

However, with time and continuing goodwill I believe these transitional problems can be resolved. The much bigger challenge for 2015 and beyond will be to turn the rhetoric of innovation and the long-advocated extension of services to short-term prisoners into hard evidence of effectiveness and reduced rates of reoffending. This will be the true test of Transforming Rehabilitation reforms.

In HM Inspectorate of Probation we welcome the new policy and operational focus on rehabilitation and reduction in reoffending rates, and we believe this must be reflected throughout our future inspection programmes. We have been allocated a small increase in budget to resource development of a new inspection model which will be piloted in the first half of 2015/2016 and assume functional value later in the year. I believe this will provide fit for purpose independent and impartial scrutiny, which is more important than ever before. 

I am proud to present this Annual Report. When working as Chief Probation Officer in West Yorkshire and London I learned the value of good inspection and how this could be a driving force for change and for improved staff morale, which is so often a feature of high performing organisations. I trust the work of the Inspectorate in 2014/15 may serve such a useful purpose and inspire behaviour and action to improve policy and practice in the future.

Paul Wilson CBE
HM Chief Inspector of Probation