Death Knell of Probation 3

Thanks go to the reader for pointing us in the direction of the latest Probation Change Bulletin which sets out where we are with the MoJ plans to gobble up probation under the dead hand of civil service control:- 

1. Introduction

An update from the senior team

Welcome to the September update on the probation reform programme. The common theme that runs through this update is that we are moving from design into delivery - from talking about the future of probation to making it happen.

We have begun the process of moving to the 12 new probation regions (11 in England, plus Wales) and have started recruitment for the six regional director vacancies. We hope that all regional directors will be in post from April 2020, allowing a phased transition to the new structures.

Consultation with staff in Wales is well underway and we aim to transfer offender management from the CRC to the NPS later this year. To support this process we’ve finalised guidance on how we will fairly and transparently assign CRC staff to either the NPS or to new contracted providers.

We have also reflected on the language we use to describe contracts. We have replaced Innovation Partner with Probation Delivery Partner. We think this is a clearer description of the purpose of those organisations and, importantly, it anchors them to the probation service of which they will be a key part.

We plan to launch the competition to appoint a probation delivery partner for each region later this year. 

Update from Wales

Seetec in Wales is currently engaged with staff and trade union consultation. This consultation process will formally end on 19 October 2019.

More information on the detail of the proposed Wales transition will be available after this consultation process. Our priority is to make sure that staff are fully informed at all stages.

Services will be commissioned in Wales at the same time as in England. We are working closely with HMPPS Wales to make sure that unpaid work, accredited programmes, resettlement and rehabilitation services are designed and commissioned in a way that meets the specific circumstances and needs in Wales. If you want to contact the programme team in Wales or have any questions please email futurepsw@justice.gov.uk

2. Service design

The design of future probation services

We have been sharing and refining our design with key stakeholders to build the first version of our Target Operating Model (TOM) for future probation services and we plan to publish it later this year. We will publish multiple versions of this TOM as the design work progresses.

2.1 Key features of the new system

• A high-quality service to protect the public - reducing reoffending and improving outcomes for offenders
• More support for our workforce to secure the skills needed to deliver effective probation services
• Delivery that is responsive to local needs, creates the right conditions for a diverse range of providers and ensures a clearer role for voluntary and private sectors
• Stronger engagement with stakeholders so that we can better influence levels of demand across the Criminal Justice System and improve sentencer confidence in probation delivery.

2.2 The role of the probation practitioner and the intervention providers

We are carefully designing a system based on a known evidence base, both for probation practitioners and specialist services, so that we can address specific needs and behaviors. We are using this information to more clearly define the roles and interfaces in the system, especially between the NPS and contracted providers. Here are some key facts:

• The relationship between probation practitioners and those serving a sentence is key and the evidence base confirms their central role as an agent of change
• Probation practitioners are likely to be more effective as agents of change if they can access specialist services to address specific needs - attempting to address practical needs can detract from building positive relationships
• Interventions that build social capital are likely to be better delivered by specialist local providers
• Our aim is to support probation practitioners by making sure interventions are available that meet frequently occurring needs
• The focus will be on interventions that build skills and secure appropriate outcomes for the individual
• Our approach should ensure we make best use of the opportunities and permissions that delivering a sentence can provide
• Our new regional leadership will champion and enable a whole system response to desistance
• The service will respond to the needs of those with protected characteristics, especially for groups where there is convincing evidence, such as women and young adults.

We thank those who have worked with us over the past month at various workshops. They have included HM Probation Inspectorate, Clinks, CRC and NPS leadership, academics convened by the Howard League for Penal Reform, the Advisory Board for Female Offenders, a working group of women’s organisations and a range of voluntary sector providers. In the month ahead we plan more workshops. For example, we will further test our resettlement model with prison governors and current providers of ‘Through the Gate’ services and we will have conversations with prison reconfiguration and Offender Management in Custody staff.

3. Transition and mobilisation

How we are changing from current to future services

We are looking very carefully at transition - taking care to manage the pace of change and work closely with local partners to deliver the transition. No area or region is the same so our approach to transition and the speed of transition will be different across England and Wales. To support this work we have established transition boards across England and Wales - one for each new probation region.

These transition boards have representation from both the NPS and CRCs. In addition, we are establishing sub-boards for people and estates across the country. A growing transitions team in the probation programme will support these boards. Once these boards are fully established they will be a critical part of our plans to transition to future services.

Key activities of the transition team in September have been: * Establishing the regional transition boards and sub groups * Recruiting NPS and CRC transition leads * Requesting more workforce data from CRCs (and their supply chain partners) to inform the accuracy of our workforce planning.

Key activities planned for October are: * Establishing a central transition plan and regional draft action plans * A meeting with all key transition leads to affirm roles, responsibilities and activities in the transition space.

4. Workforce

What we doing to support the probation workforce and related professionals

We are working closely with local HR partners in the NPS and CRCs to support probation staff and the employees of supply chain partners. The regional transition boards will enable effective communication to a wide range of practitioners in their local area.

These HR partners will also ensure that planning is localised and detailed enough to inform both our national direction and what we need to do regionally. They will report to their regional transition board. There will be local operational staff as well as HR specialists on the transition boards. Work will include planning the training needs across regions for all staff prior to future changes.

We are also looking at workforce needs for the probation delivery partners. This is the competition for unpaid work, accredited programmes and non-accredited red interventions.

5. Probation structures

The design and development of new probation structures

We are finalising the new regional senior management structure. As a milestone in that work we have recently launched the external recruitment process for the new regional probation director roles. The job adverts have been posted on Civil Service Jobs. (Please open this link in Firefox).

A crucial part of future structures is the work needed to ensure that the NPS operates seamlessly with contracted providers. We have been working with colleagues across the programme to run workshops with staff so that we understand the referral, commissioning, contract and performance management processes that support the delivery of interventions. We will build on these workshops so that we have the right processes in place for the new commissioning frameworks under the unified model.

Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) are vital local stakeholders and we will continue to work with them closely. We are organising a national event for PCCs on 21 October in London. At this event we will update on our work with them on a national level and, facilitated by the Association for Police and Crime Commissioners, we will define the role of PCCs in the future model. This includes how the NPS and PCCs will work together at both local and regional levels and how key enablers, such as data, will support this work.

6. Commissioning updates

How we are planning to purchase and manage commissioned or grant funded services

The commercial team have been working alongside service design leads to develop the right approach to buying services in the following areas: * Unpaid work * Accredited programmes and non-accredited structured interventions * Rehabilitation services * Resettlement services.

We have continued to work closely with the market and stakeholders to develop our approach across all these areas.

6.1 Probation delivery partners (unpaid work, accredited programmes and structured non-accredited interventions)

Following feedback from the market we have decided to amend the title ‘innovation partner’ to ‘probation delivery partner’. This better reflects the services that future providers will deliver while including our aim to work in partnership with future providers.

The competition for probation delivery partners has entered the market-warming phase prior to the launch of competition in November 2019. You can read the first set of draft documents published on the Government website on the probation reform consultation events and materials page.

6.2 Dynamic framework (rehabilitation and resettlement services)

We will make the dynamic framework available to other public sector commissioners and we are engaging with other Government departments and commissioners to seek feedback on: * Proposed categories of need areas and cohorts * Key principles of the framework and how other commissioners will be able to use the dynamic framework.

We are also engaging with the market by holding smaller scale workshops. At these events we will seek detailed feedback on our approach to ensure that we are proportionate and reduce barriers to entry wherever possible. We expect that the qualification phase for the dynamic framework will open in December 2019. Dynamic framework bidders will be able to qualify at any time during the life of the framework. But please note that call-off competitions for day one services will start in early 2020 so bidders are encouraged to participate from December 2019.

7. Links and further information

Response to the consultation on future probation services Draft blueprint on future probation services Event materials If you have any questions or would like to contact the programme team please email strengthening.probation@justice.gov.uk